Curvy and mid size models, US
Curvy modeling for mid size models
Too big for the straight board and too small for the plus board is where most shoppers actually live, and brands know it. Denim labels, e-commerce studios and fit rooms cast size 8 to 14 every week. Put your measurements, city and rate where they look, and they email you. You keep the whole fee.
Adults only. A person reads every profile before it goes public.
The short answer
Who books curvy models, and how
Curvy modeling is paid work for models between straight and plus sizes, roughly US 6 to 14 and most often 8 to 12. The clients are e-commerce brands that want product shots shoppers can picture on themselves, denim and activewear labels, fit rooms grading a size range, and lifestyle shoots casting real customers. Most of them book directly, a week or two before the shoot, and mostly someone local.
Agencies with a mid-size or curve board exist, but there are only a handful and they sit in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. A MaxGirls profile puts your measurements, photos, city, availability and day rate on one page that brands search, and the brand writes to you with no agent in the middle.
Mid size model, defined
The sizes between the two boards
Agencies sort models into boards, and the boards leave a gap. This is how the three labels usually line up on US dress sizes. The edges move from agency to agency, which is exactly why size 10 models get told they are "in between" by both sides.
Typical ranges, not rules. Wikipedia's plus-size model entry notes that most models sold as plus size have been US 6 to 12. MaxGirls has no size gate and no size field; you publish your own numbers.
Curvy model jobs, by client
Where the mid size bookings come from
E-commerce product pages
Brands that shoot every item on two or three bodies want one in the middle of the range, because that is the photo most shoppers trust.
Denim and pants
Rise, seat and thigh are the whole story in denim, and they read differently on a curvy hip. Pant size and inseam decide the booking.
Activewear
Leggings and sports bras are sold on how they hold a real body in motion. Mid size and curve bodies are cast every season.
Fit sessions
Fit rooms grade a size range on one body. Size 10 and 12 fit models are booked by brands whose middle size sits there.
Lifestyle and real people
Banks, health brands and home goods want customers who look like their customers. A size 10 runner or parent is the brief.
Beauty and bridal
Makeup, skincare and bridal shops book faces and full looks without a sample-size limit on who they can show.
Fit work has its own page, fit model jobs, and product and catalog days are covered on print modeling. If you wear a 12 or above and want the plus boards too, read plus size model agency alternative.
Mid size model measurements
The numbers a curvy casting reads first
A brand casting a size 10 sample needs to know you are a size 10 today, in their cut. The directory filters on category, city, age, height and availability; your sizes belong in the headline and bio, dated, so the person reading can check the fit before writing.
- Bust, waist, hips in inches, measured this month.
- Dress and pant size plus inseam, because denim books on the last two.
- Height and shoe size, for styling and for footwear clients.
- Digitals in fitted clothes, front, side and back, no filters. See model digitals examples.
Mid size, size 10, Denver
- Measurements
- 38 / 31 / 41 in
- Dress, pant
- 10, 10 (30" inseam)
- Height
- 5 ft 6 in
- Shoe
- 8.5
- Availability
- This month
- Day rate
- Your range
An example layout, not a real model.
How to become a curvy model
Four steps to a first mid size booking
- Measure honestly Tape measure, a friend, no shoes: bust, waist, hips, inseam. Then try your size in two mainstream brands so you know where you land in each cut.
- Shoot digitals Daylight, plain wall, fitted jeans and a plain tank. Front, side, back and a smiling close-up. Clients want the body they will get on set.
- Pick your work E-commerce, denim, activewear, fit or lifestyle. Choose the categories that match and write a one-line headline with your size and city.
- Be searchable Publish the profile, set availability, and send it to the e-commerce studios and photographers in your city with a short note.
Want a card to attach to those emails? Build a comp card from the same photos.
Curve model agency alternative
A curve board, or brands booking you directly
US agencies that sign mid size and curve models are real and worth applying to. There are also few of them, and they are concentrated in three cities. Here is how two describe themselves on their own sites, next to a direct profile.
| Natural Models | Dorothy Combs Models | MaxGirls profile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Los Angeles and New York | New York, Los Angeles, Miami | Any US city |
| Sizes | Separate straight, mid-size, curve and plus divisions | Plus, curve and real size | No size gate; you publish your measurements |
| How to get in | Apply on its website, selected by the agency | Selected by the agency | Publish after a person reviews the profile |
| Cost to you | Commission on bookings; no fee to submit | Commission on bookings | $19 a month, no commission |
| Best for | Campaigns and fashion in LA and NY | Plus and curve campaigns in its three cities | E-commerce, denim, fit and local work anywhere |
Read from each agency's own site in October 2026. You can do both. If anyone asks you for money to "join" a curve board, walk away: Natural Models' homepage says it will never require payment to submit or audition, and our guide to legit modeling agencies for beginners shows how to check any agency's license.
How much curvy models get paid
Hourly postings, and what moves the rate
Plus size model postings
$28.85
average an hour, most $18.99 to $33.89
Fit model postings
$52.18
average an hour
ZipRecruiter salary pages, September 2026; job-posting data, not a promise, and there is no separate "curvy" line, so plus size postings are the nearest public figure. Fit work pays more because the brand is paying for exact measurements. E-commerce and campaign days are quoted per day, and usage on ads or packaging is paid on top. See model day rates and usage rights before you quote.
What is a curvy model?
What size are curvy models?
Can you be a model at size 10?
How do I become a curvy model?
Do curvy models need an agency?
How much do curvy models get paid?
Are there mid size model agencies?
What measurements do mid size models need?
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