You look in the mirror before heading out. You look great, let’s be honest. You’ve spent hours on your hair and makeup, and you’ve had your outfit picked out for months. You’ve even been to the gym a few times to make sure you’re looking fresh and toned.
And then you see the pictures.
What happened to the polished vixen who left the house? In these photos you’re all teeth and chin and your hair is getting wildly out of control.
Modelling agencies look to the stars for inspiration. Not the night sky ones, but the ones you can see in films and music videos, and who manage to make looking flawless seem effortless.
#1 Practise makes perfect
Have a look through some snaps of celebrities. Notice anything? They tend to be standing in a similar pose. They know what works and they stick to it. After all, the red carpet isn’t the time to be snapped not looking your best.
Evaluate your current pose. What don’t you like about it? It’s then just a case of studying other poses and finding one which works for you. Stick with that one for impromptu snaps. Once you’ve perfected it and are able to go from slovenly to photo ready in just a couple of seconds, you’ll be able to incorporate some more poses.
Stars are often coached by their stylists. Modelling agencies can also help you with this. They know how to showcase their outfits and make the people in them look flawless. If you have a particular style of dress, try finding someone else who has looked really great in something similar and copy them!
#2 It’s all about posture
As any good modelling agencies will tell you, just standing up straight, shoulders back can make a world of difference. Good posture will make you look taller and slimmer, but it will also make you look more confident.
Standing tall and proud makes you look like you own the room. If you’re hunched over it’s not flattering, but you’ll also look more awkward.
You should try and keep this up all the time, and not just for photographs. It will improve the muscle tone in your back and you’ll generally look more elegant.
#3 Ladies, know your poses
There are oh-so-many poses which are favourite celebrities whip out on the red carpet, and they look like they own every single one. There’s confidence in every muscle – it’s the only way you can pull some of them off.
If your modelling agency or a photographer asks you to pose you shouldn’t just panic – you should know what looks great and just use that.
The red carpet is a great place to pick up hints and tips. Without further ado, we’d like to let you in to some of the best.
Ankle crossover. A classic! It makes your legs look skinny, it’s girly but not too girly, and it looks less awkward than just standing there. Add a hand on the hip for added femininity – and something to do with your hands!
The side point. This is excellent for showing off your legs. Side splits, amazing trousers or just getting your legs out, this is a power pose. Hip to the side, and other leg out wide. Point your toes!
Over the shoulder glance. A backless dress must. Hand on the hip optional, stand facing away from the photographer and look back at the lens.
Teapot. Not quite the pose you might have rocked as a child (‘I’m a little teapot’). This one is a bit more grown up. Place one hand on your hip, and bend the other leg slightly. This one works well slightly side on as well.
What other poses have you seen on the red carpet? If you’re not sure whether they’ll work for you the best thing to do is try them out.
