To become a plus size model, measure yourself the way agencies ask, take unfiltered digitals in fitted clothing, and send free applications to agencies whose curve or plus board publishes a size and height range that includes you. Those ranges differ more than most advice admits: the ONE Management FAQ says its curve division works at any size, the Page Parkes FAQ lists curve women at size 14 and up, and CURVE Models sets a minimum European size 38 with a height range, so each board's own page is the requirement that counts.
This checklist is for adults (18 and over) working toward agency curve, plus and extended-size fit modeling, using agency pages and US and UK labor sources as read on 1 October 2026. For how curve work compares with the other lanes, see our overview of types of modeling.
What curve and plus boards publish
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes the specialty in its profile of models, which says plus-size fashions are modeled by women whose sizes are larger than those worn by the typical model. Agencies then draw the line in different places, and some use different national sizing systems, so compare the pages rather than the labels.
| Agency page | Curve or plus requirement it publishes | Photos it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| ONE Management | A body-positive, size-inclusive curve division where models can work at any size, and no height requirement to submit | Natural light, a plain backdrop, form-fitting clothes, no makeup and no poses |
| Page Parkes | Curve women 5 ft 8 in to 5 ft 11 in, size 14 and up (FAQ) | Online submission, with an open call listed on the same FAQ |
| Modern Muse | Fashion curve division for women 5 ft 8 in to 5 ft 11 in, sizes 6 to 18 (submissions) | Headshot, full body, mid length and profile; filtered photos are not considered |
| CURVE Models | Women 172 cm to 182 cm with a minimum size 38; men 183 cm to 200 cm with a minimum size 52 (apply page) | At least one clear headshot and one clear full-length shot; professional photos are not necessary |
| MPM | A women's curve board, women's fit boards sorted by size, and a big and tall board for men (board menu and form) | Headshot, profile and full length, each file smaller than 3MB |
Notice how little these agree. Modern Muse's curve range begins at a size that other agencies would place on a straight-size board, CURVE Models works in European sizes, and ONE sets no floor at all. A no from one board is not a verdict on whether you can model at your size, only on whether that board has clients for it.
Measurement record sheet
Accurate measurements matter a great deal on curve and fit boards, because clients book them against garment samples. The UK agency TDA London's curve application advice warns applicants not to guess down a size, because bookers measure again on signing. Agencies also measure in slightly different places, so record the method next to each number.
| Measurement | How agencies describe taking it | What to write on your sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Height | In bare feet, per Divide Management; without shoes, per Page Parkes | Feet and inches plus centimeters, standing against a wall with a flat object on your head |
| Bust | Around the fullest part, in both the Elite and Divide guides | The number, and the bra or top you wore, so the next reading matches |
| Waist | About 1 inch above the belly button on the Elite form; at the narrowest point, usually about 3 inches above the belly button, in the Divide guide | Which of the two methods you used, because they place the tape at different heights |
| Hips | Feet together, around the largest part of the lower hip and bottom, on the Elite form; the fullest part in the Divide guide; MPM's form asks for low hips | Where the tape sat and whether your feet were together |
| Dress size | European sizes on the CURVE Models form; UK dress size in the TDA advice | The country label with every size, never a bare number |
| Bra and shoe size | Band and cup in the TDA advice; shoe size on the MPM and TDA forms | Country labels again, and only where the board asks |
| Who measured, and when | Elite asks you to have someone you are comfortable with take your measurements with a tape | The date, the helper's name and the time of day, so later readings are comparable |
Keep this sheet as a running document. When a form asks for a measurement in a different way from your sheet, re-measure using that agency's method rather than converting in your head.
Curve-board submission checklist
- Read the board's own page and write down which sizing system it uses before you compare yourself with its range.
- Open the agency's curve roster. TDA's advice is that if nobody on the board shares your size range, height bracket or age, the agency is unlikely to have the clients to book you.
- Take the digitals the agency lists. TDA describes a set of front headshot, side profile, full-body front in fitted clothing and full-body back; Modern Muse lists headshot, full body, mid length and profile.
- Wear fitted clothing such as leggings or jeans with a vest, not shapewear or oversized layers, because the booker needs to see your shape as it is.
- Skip makeup, filters and retouching. CURVE Models says no makeup is needed, and Modern Muse will not consider filtered photos.
- Put your stats next to the digitals, with the method notes from your measurement sheet.
- Add a short note: where you are based, your availability and the kinds of work you want, such as e-commerce, commercial or bridal.
- Send to a short list of well-matched agencies instead of everyone at once, and keep a dated copy of each submission.
- Never pay to apply. ONE Management's FAQ answers that question with a plain no and asks to be told if anyone using its name requests money.
Shorter curve models face a double filter, because many curve boards also publish a height range. If that is you, the commercial and e-commerce routes in our guide to where petite models work apply to you as well.
Fit modeling for extended sizes
Fit modeling is the quiet half of curve work. The BLS describes fit models as helping manufacturers and designers achieve the best fit for new styles, and the Stetts FAQ explains that a fit model tries on garments and gives feedback on how they fit, and is chosen for specific measurements. MPM's board menu shows how literally that works, with women's fit boards sorted by size. In New York, the Labor Department's Fashion Workers Act definitions list fittings and fit modeling as modeling services, which means that time is work.
A fit-model task list, so you know what the job asks of you:
- Arrive at the measurements on your sheet, and tell your agent about any change before the fitting rather than at it.
- Try on samples and describe precisely where a garment pulls, gapes, rides up or digs in.
- Sit, bend, reach and walk as a customer would, so the team can see how the garment behaves in use.
- Hold a steady, natural posture while the team measures and pins, and say so if a pin or seam hurts.
- Log each fitting: date, client, garments, start and finish times and any extra time requested.
- Ask how any photos taken during the fitting will be used, and get the answer in writing.
- Re-measure on a schedule agreed with your agent and update your sheet the same day.
If your strengths are sport and movement rather than consistent measurements, the fitness lane may suit you better; see our fitness model guide for how agencies tell the two apart.
Pressure, health and staying in control
Being booked against a sample size can create pressure to hold your body at one number. The size you were signed at is information for clients, not a promise you owe anyone at the expense of your health. If an agent or client pushes you to gain or lose weight for work, take that conversation to a doctor before you change anything, and keep the request in writing.
If the pressure starts to affect how you feel about your body, healthdirect's body image guidance explains when to see a doctor, and the Butterfly Foundation helpline offers confidential support in Australia.
Scam and contract checks
- Upfront money. The FTC's consumer advice on modeling scams tells you never to pay an agency up front and warns about programs that insist on cash, gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
- UK fee rules. Under regulation 26 of the 2003 agency regulations, a fee to a photographic or fashion model can only be a commission from earnings in work the agency found, with no paid-listing exception for models.
- Queensland rules. The Creative Workplaces summary says private employment agents cannot charge models fees for finding work or interview preparation, and must give models the information statement for work seekers before an agreement.
- New York contract limits. The Labor Department's list of prohibited actions bars representation agreements longer than three years, renewals without your written approval and commission above 20 percent.
- Clause review. Before you sign, work through exclusivity, renewal and post-term commission with our clause-by-clause contract checklist, which applies just as well to a model management agreement.
To report a scam, use the FTC's fraud reporting site in the US, the Scamwatch reporting page in Australia, or Report Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For how curve work is priced and used once you are booked, compare the two main lanes in fashion vs commercial modeling.
Limitations of this checklist
The limitations here are mostly about change and geography. Each requirement is quoted from one agency's page on one date, size labels mean different things in different countries, and the legal protections described apply only where each law applies: the regulation 26 rules in Great Britain, the Queensland rules in Queensland and the Fashion Workers Act to model management companies doing business in New York.
The measurement methods are agencies' instructions, not a technical standard, and no sheet replaces being measured by the agency that signs you. This is general information rather than legal or medical advice, so get a lawyer to read any representation agreement and a doctor to guide any health decision.