Weird intimidating stares - what is it with clothes models about to duff you up behind the bike sheds (or worse)?

[AsteriaBuffy]

Collective marketing depts must have decided 'DIRTY LOOKS SELL CLOTHES'.

It's just so odd. Hush models are frankly terrifying. M&S has a hefty sprinkle of 'ard. Many of the Seasalt models look like you just pissed on their chips. Mint Velvet, cross. H&M, thoroughly pissed off. Even the White Stuff models look rather disappointed in you.

AIBU?

The people planning, art directing and taking the photos are not the brand’s customers though, not anything like them, and probably (in my experience) only have a vague dusting of understanding of who the customer actually is. So they take the photos they like.

I guess that comes with the territory of selling images of yourself on those contract terms. But yes, I can see that it can be tremendously hurtful, especially as a lot of models are young and vulnerable. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't comment on how the industry is portraying the models themselves and how we as consumers are expected to react.

Again I’m an ex model who uses MN… so I’m pretty sure that I absolutely WOULD care if these were pictures of me being posted on MN and having the piss taken out of me. We are normal people and do have feelings believe it or not.
There are many times where I have scoured pictures taken of me that the client has chosen for their website, brochure, catalogue, ad campaign or whatever that show, what I feel are my insecurities. I’m sure the client didn’t feel the same way and didn’t see those same insecurities. But for me to see what I would class as a shit picture of me being paraded about to advertise a business and thinking “WTF, out of all the pictures taken they chose that one” made me feel rather shit, especially when I’d told friends and family that I’d modelled for a certain client and they would then look me up. I would have felt even shitter if my “shit picture” had then been posted on a public forum for shits and giggles with the assumption I don’t eat. Ffs.

I think it’s more to do with a few posts that pretty much say “maybe it’s because they are hungry because they haven’t eaten a cake in years” or words to that effect that can be quite nasty and extremely ignorant. Knowing what some of these young girls may have gone through. Most pictures posted on here are generally of commercial models who tend not to starve themselves or have eating disorders. But an awful lot of high fashion models who you see on the catwalk are very much bullied belittled and end up with eating disorders so it’s a bit shit for other posters to take the piss and claim they pretty much starve themselves through choice.

It’s not cool to look happy, they are playing hard to get

I think that back in modelling pre history. The natural selection was "pouty, grumpy= fashion model" and "cheeky grin, sexy pout, or suggestive winking = page 3 stunner ".

Yes I'd agree with that.

I think it comes from the history of catwalk modelling, where the models were simply supposed to show the clothes and not distract from them- so models originally would have completely neutral expressions. Then over time this became more extreme. But none of this is driven by the models- you turn up and do a job, which includes trying to capture the look the client is aiming for.

I agree that cracking gags about models being under pressure to keep their weight down is not very funny.

Yes you have pretty much hit the nail on the head. The focus absolutely is on the clothing and depending on the type of market the model’s facial expression is designed to be pretty much bland… which some people have taken to be a “death stare”. The models are in fact used as coat hangers to display the clothing. The clothing is the main focus and the models are secondary. If they were on an expressionless mannequin then people wouldn’t have an issue. As I said earlier, models will turn up at these shoots with a whole variety of poses and facial expressions and a lot are pretty much directed by the photographer regarding poses and facial expressions. The client has the final say on choice of pictures to be used to advertise their business.

Here’s hoping! 🤞 💖😽!

💖😽😽!

No she's saying " how would you like to be wearing this crappy outfit?" 😂

Well I'm certainly getting the impression models may be a humourless bunch 😆

I thought Patrick Grant had been an agent not a model but I may be wrong. He's best known as a TV presenter though and like when a celebrity or pop star does some promotion, I wouldn't call them a 'professional' model, they got the job based on being a celebrity, looking human and like themselves is more important than being a blank canvas/ vacant expression.

I’d never heard of Patrick Grant before but it seems I have a celebrity crush now ❤️

Oh he is divine! Watch the Sewing Bee. He is really something x

I'm sure almost everyone bar one poster knows Patrick Grant's career started in clothes production and design. He is a model only inasmuch as he will have been photographed wearing clothes made by his companies.

I've never seen him on television. I know of him as the founder of Community Clothing.

Omg I actually laughed out loud and I’m in bed and its 1.30am lol 😂

In all honesty though, what is it you’re wanting to see from these models? If they were wearing these garments just stood there looking like a jar of jam with absolutely no facial expression or no posing whatsoever you’d probably take the piss out of them for that too and claim they look to boring. It’s very difficult to give any facial expression to a camera and make it look natural, even the “death stare” or “looking bored”. Most people I know don’t like smiling in front of a camera either so will just sit there having their picture taken with a blank stare that’s neither smiling or looking bored or giving a stern stare. If you translate that to an ad campaign or a website where there is a public audience viewing you, what do you feel people would think of a blank facial expression?

It does make me question whether the people who are taking the piss out of the models would be able to pull off modelling a garment themselves if put in front of a professional photographer and feel confident enough to pose and use a variety of facial expressions. Or would they clam up, feel shy, not know what to do with their body, arms, legs, hands and feet while giving some awkward blank stare to the camera. And if they were to then look back at those pictures, would they feel confident that they did a good job in trying to sell that garment to an audience?

I totally agree ☝🏻

Perfect description!

They came home from shopping to find the dog shat on the rug

This started out amusing, shame. I didn't get the impression people were taking the piss out of models at all.

Yeah it took a bit of a serious turn, which is a shame was just a bit of silliness.

@Flyingintotheunknown People are wondering why the models are being told to pull these faces, or why these particular pictures are being chosen. I don’t think anyone thinks these models couldn’t do a different expression or that they’re not beautiful women. I think you’re a bit too personally affected by this to really see it from anyone else’s perspective tbh. I’m sorry this has triggered you, it was just some ordinary women sharing some laughs about something they’d noticed a lot while shopping.

I’m not triggered by anything. There’s a whole range of reasons why a certain stern facial expression may be used. Some brands like the giving it attitude look because they feel it suits what they are trying to sell, or a particular ad campaign they have launched. Some like a bland, expressionless type of expression because it takes the focus away from the model and on to the clothes. The model is just there to show how the clothes would look when worn. Some brands like a model to smile and look happy - because it suits the vibe they are trying to sell to the audience.

My point is, whatever these models do, there’s always someone feeling the need to comment on it who seem confused why the models don’t look like normal people with “normal” expressions. When you take a picture of someone doing a normal expression ie. A stare at the camera with no expression whatsoever it’s neither here nor there and will not be inviting to the audience either. If you take a normal person who has no experience in modelling, stick them in front of the camera and tell them to sell the garment to the audience, they would probably shat themselves, do some awkward pose with an equally awkward, nervous facial expression… or just stand there like a jar of jam looking like they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. Which I assume would be the case for many of these people posting on this thread Either way someone will always post the pictures and comment at why someone is looking like that.