Some of you may have heard that 23-year-old model, Charli Howard, had been dropped from her agency due to “being too big”. Despite having been featured in in magazines such as Harpers Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, this did not stop her from coming under fire for being too heavy according to her agency.
Like models Cara Delevingne and Winnie Harlow, Howard took a stand and shared an open letter about her experience on Facebook. She expressed her thoughts on the standards of the industry and how unobtainable they are.
Despite being a UK size 6-8 (the equivalent of a US 2), Howard was criticized for her body shape. In her letter, she challenged the agency on their expectations. “In case you hadn’t realised, I am a woman. I am human. I cannot miraculously shave my hip bones down, just to fit into a sample size piece of clothing or to meet ‘agency standards’.”
“My mental and physical health is of more importance than a number on a scale, however much you wish to emphasise this,” she stated. Howard wants the industry to understand that she is more than just a number, and that the things they say have an impact on her.
“I will no longer allow you to dictate to me what’s wrong with my looks and what I need to change in order to be ‘beautiful.’” Since being dropped, Howard has signed with agency. She doesn’t want to leave the industry and instead wants to fight their idea of a model. “Ironically, I do love modeling – the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited and I am proud of the jobs I’ve done. I will continue to do it, but only on my terms.”
“Thinness is not a measure of beauty.”