More than medium-sized girls and short ones, tall girls understand the importance of shoes. They know the difference it makes to wear a pair of flats or a pair of heels. In the main, it is better for everyone, short or tall, to wear flats during the day. They give your feet the proper support and good balance. Good balance is a necessary part of graceful movement —as you realized, perhaps, the first time you tried on ice skates and found that your balance depended on two thin blades.
In choosing your flats don't get too low down. Do be careful to select those with a little heel. Absolutely flat shoes do not give the foot sufficient support, with the result that your heel tends to turn inward and your whole foot is thrown out of line. Ballet slippers were designed for ballerinas to dance in, not to walk in.
At the opposite end of the scale, when buying your party slippers don't go to the other extreme and buy the spindliest heel you can find. Very few people can balance on such precarious pinpoints. Keep your heel height a happy medium, about half-inch heels for flats and anywhere from two to two and a half for good pumps.
If you are unaccustomed to wearing a heel, even the most moderate kind, try out your new heels before appearing at a party. Nothing looks quite so ridiculous as a girl mincing about in a pair of heels which she has not yet learned how to handle. Remember that your balance changes with your heel height, so be sure you know how to make the adjustment before you soar out on your next date.
One of the most important things for any teen to realize is that she is always on display—except in the privacy of her own bedroom. That is why you should practice your posture, your walk, and even how to handle your heels. You are being looked at by somebody every time you walk down the street, twirl on the dance floor, or drink a Coke at the drugstore. Therefore, keep your muscles in trim and your body in line so that you need never fear how you look.
A model learns by practice how to keep herself in line. She is not afraid to catch a glimpse of herself in a store mirror, because she knows that she is standing tall and walking freely. You can tell from the way she moves that she knows what she is about. A model has reached the point where she has so disciplined her muscles that they behave the way they ought to without having to be constantly reminded.
If youVe ever watched a model in repose, you'll notice that she stands with one foot at a right angle to the other, rather like a ballet dancer. She takes this pose so often before the camera that it becomes natural to her. It would be well if it became natural to you, for it is one of the most flattering and comfortable ways to stand.
The reason that this particular pose has been selected out of all others is that it throws the body into profile. The camera, you know, adds ten pounds to a figure, and therefore the less body you show to it, the less it has to work with. Thus a trained model knows how to stand three-quarter view, hips in profile and shoulders swung forward.
These are good hints to bear in mind when you are having your picture taken. If you remember just a few of them you'll never have reason to regret a snapshot. The awful part of snapshots usually is that the ones we like least turn out to be the ones people save, so, if you're guided by these suggestions, you'll reduce your chances of having unflattering pictures of you in public view.
One of the cardinal rules of posing for a picture is to remember that whatever is nearest the camera will photograph the largest. If you are snapped on the beach with your legs and feet pointing straight on, your big toe will look as large as your head. If you put out your hand toward the camera, like a policeman directing traffic, your hand will seem as large as your torso.
Of all the parts of the body, hands are usually the hardest to control when posing for a picture. Often the best thing to do with them is to lose them—that is, put them behind your back or in some way get them out of the picture. You can put them at your waist with your elbows akimbo if you choose. It takes a great deal of skill to manage hands well— actresses are often noted for the way they use their hands— but ordinary human beings seem to get tangled in them, with too many fluttery gestures. So unless you know what to do with your hands, the best thing to do is nothing.
Next to hands, legs are most difficult to tuck away neatly. Especially in beach snapshots, they seem to extend from the body in alaraiing proportions. If you are having a picture taken at the beach, get your legs in profile with your knees slightly bent. If you want your face turned toward the camera, keep your legs to the side, but turn your shoulders full on. This will give a full view of your face, but keep your legs in proportion. Lying, standing or sitting, always try to keep your legs together, not sprawled apart.
Thinking about all these things at once before the camera goes click is not easy to do. A model learns how to do it fast because she has to do it often. But any girl can learn to do it too with a little practice. It is a valuable lesson in muscle control. If you doubt it, just try holding any pose you fancy for a half a minute—not so easy as it sounds, is it?
Learning how to make your body move the way you want it to and make it stay that way is good training for coordination. And muscular coordination is something that will stand you in good stead all your life. Coordination counts—in the field of sports, on the dance floor, and even in the business of having your picture taken.
One of the most-looked-at pictures any teen has taken is the picture for her school yearbook. This picture need not ever cause any qualms if you give some thought to it. Remember all the little things I have been pointing out in this chapter and youll make a pretty finished print.
Keep in mind that an absolutely flat full-face view is not flattering. Slightly three-quarters to full profile will do more for your features. Your photographer will be aware of all this, of course, and pose you accordingly. So do what he says without quibbling.
To a photography appointment wear a white tailored blouse (unless your school has a prescribed uniform). Wear no jewelry, except perhaps a strand of pearls. As to makeup, wear lipstick and a bit of powder—take your photographer s advice as to how much to put on. Above all, do not change your hair style before your appointment—such experiments may turn out too disastrous, and you don't want to go down in history looking like a freak. Do go to your appointment with your hair arranged neatly, clean, and well combed.
"7/ only she weren't so sloppy."
This remark uttered ruefully or indignantly has caused the downfall of many an attractive teen-ager. Girls whisper about it behind her back. Boys mutter about it in their locker rooms. The word gets around and dates come few and far between. And the pity of it is that such unpleasant ostracism is easily preventable. No girl need be pushed out of the social swim simply because she is too lazy to look after herself.
It's no joke that you can't be too careful about your personal habits. When it comes right down to the facts of the case, nothing can beat day-to-day attention to details. As a model, I realize how true this is. Nobody wants to book a girl with dirty fingernails or a torn blouse. And certainly nobody wants to work with a model who stints on bathing and doesn't use a deodorant.