- i like that
- May 22, 2016
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by FactsAreUseless
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https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/jul/28/plus-size-male-model-ben-whit-larger-men?CMP=fb_gu
quote:Plus-size model Ben Whit: 'The world is ready for larger men'
Tattooed, bearded and well-built, the former builder and gardener explains how he became the first XXL male model to be signed to a major UK agency
When you think of glamorous fashion shoots and the models who star in them, an extra extra large (XXL) heavily tattooed and bearded landscape gardener and personal trainer may not be the first person who springs to mind.
But this March, Ben Whit, a self-described “normal working-class man” who lives with his mother in Surrey, became the first plus-size male model, which generally means size XL or someone tall and well built, to sign to a major agency in the UK.
The 24-year-old former builder, who is 6ft 1in, says it’s about time the world took larger men like him seriously. “A lot of people have this misconception that plus size means overweight – that’s wrong,” he says. “For a man, it’s broad shoulders and a big chest.
For a woman, it just means they’ve got curves. People need to realise this.”
With average clothes sizes creeping steadily upwards in the UK, there’s growing demand for larger models and plus-size women have made strides for body positivity in recent years – there are at least seven plus-size agencies for women in the UK, while popular models such as Tess Holliday, a size 26, are challenging narrow definitions of beauty.
However, the first plus-size male models in the UK and America were only signed this spring.
This lack of opportunity meant Whit didn’t pursue modelling seriously until his girlfriend accidentally launched his career. After enduring his repeated brags that he had the looks of a model, she bought him a photoshoot as a present – ostensibly to support him, but perhaps just to shut him up, he admits.
It backfired. When he saw modelling agency Bridge Models was looking for an XXL male model, Whit used the photos to apply. Today he is signed to modelling agencies in both the UK and Germany, has appeared on BBC and ITV news programmes, and is more ambitious than ever. “In the next year people will see a lot more of me,” he says.
So what’s working life like for one of the UK’s only plus-size male models? In between catching fish and Pokémon, a typical week for Whit involves attending castings and photoshoots that are unexpectedly physically tiring for a man already used to heavy manual labour. At castings, Whit takes his portfolio to designers and agents, mainly in London, where he “does a few poses” in front of the camera and tries to impress them. He then plays “the waiting game” to see if they like him.
When you get a call-back, photoshoots can be long and tiring, with more than 100 outfit changes. “You’ve got to get changed really quickly and it’s fast-paced,” Whit says.
His first photoshoot was for Bad Rhino, a company specialising in clothes for big and tall men. “I was nervous because I hadn’t been in front of a camera for that long before, although I have always liked a selfie. I had to do 150 outfits and got some of the camera angles a bit wrong, but you improve on that.”
Was it a shock transitioning from traditionally masculine working environments, such as building and gardening, to the fashion industry? “It is very different, but I adapted easily because I’ve always loved fashion,” Whit says.
As a school boy he refused to wear boring black school shoes, instead opting for loud flashy trainers. “For a couple of years I wore tie-dye T-shirts all the time,” he says. “I loved lairy clothes.”
But his love of fashion also led to frustration with attitudes towards male body shape. “A lot of high street companies don’t sell big enough sizes,” Whit says. “I’d have to buy clothes online and hope they would fit, and at the start of summer I’d buy large shorts quickly before the few pairs available had sold out. It was frustrating.”
[b\Whit says he wants to show young boys that larger men can be models and have an interest in fashion too. He also wants to encourage greater body confidence – surveys have suggested that many young men are insecure about their bodies.
“There is pressure to look a certain way,” he says. “You see slim men on television and in fitness magazines. People want to get that look, but they’re just not built that way. I’ve seen young men in the gym putting their body through a lot of stress and it’s just not worth it.”[/b]
Men are also less likely to talk about their insecurities, the model says. “Guys are a lot more reserved when it comes to talking about their size. Blokes I know aren’t going to sit down the pub with their mates and say: ‘I think I’m getting a bit chubby’.”
But Whit is no stranger to body shaming. “Obviously you’ve got a few haters out there,” he says. “Men comment on my size and say that I’m not plus size, or that I don’t go to the gym, or that I’m obese. But many more say they are pleased to see a male model like me.”
Whit expects the upcoming year to be busy for him and for demand for plus-size male models to grow. Budding plus-size male models need to be photogenic, must be themselves and should keep an eye out for opportunities at modelling agencies, he says.
“The world is ready for larger men. Women are doing really well in the plus-size industry. Now it’s time for us blokes to follow them.”
Are you ready for the Progressive Future, gbs?
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Jul 29, 2016 05:23
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Mar 19, 2024 05:32
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- Chinatown
- Sep 11, 2001
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by Fluffdaddy
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Fun Shoe
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he seems like a nice guy and most likely could beat you up easily OP.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:24
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- VendaGoat
- Nov 1, 2005
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So, I'm a fat turd then? Thanks mainstream America.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:30
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- BIG-DICK-BUTT-FUCK
- Jan 26, 2016
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by Fluffdaddy
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Humanity is doomed
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Jul 29, 2016 05:33
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- lonesomedwarf
- Mar 22, 2010
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thank god
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Jul 29, 2016 05:35
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- maddison
- Nov 25, 2007
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What the hell am I doing here?
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His unbalanced beard bothers me.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:37
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- snakeandbake
- Aug 21, 2012
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by exmarx
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Nobody gives a hot gay gently caress, OP
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Jul 29, 2016 05:38
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- ClamdestineBoyster
- Aug 15, 2015
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Can't post for 10 years!
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The fashion world is ready for big ugly dudes wearing regular clothes.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:39
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- sassassin
- Apr 3, 2010
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by Azathoth
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I'm glad guys working for jacamo can now have agents skimming off their earnings too.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:39
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- Simian_Prime
- Nov 6, 2011
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When they passed out body parts in the comics today, I got Cathy's nose and Dick Tracy's private parts.
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Cool, I can be a male model now!
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Jul 29, 2016 05:44
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- Chinatown
- Sep 11, 2001
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by Fluffdaddy
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Fun Shoe
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he looks familiar....
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Jul 29, 2016 05:44
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- VendaGoat
- Nov 1, 2005
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Cool, I can be a male model now!
Is someone gonna pay me a shitload per hour?
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Jul 29, 2016 05:44
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- tenspott
- Aug 1, 2002
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by FactsAreUseless
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Big deal, I've got the physique of a professional athlete.
Albert Haynesworth
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Jul 29, 2016 05:45
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- ANIME IS BLOOD
- Sep 4, 2008
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by zen death robot
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Cool, I can be a male model now!
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Jul 29, 2016 05:47
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- Thots and Prayers
- Jul 13, 2006
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A is the for the atrocious abominated acts that YOu committed. A is also for ass-i-nine, eight, seven, and six.
B, b, b - b is for your belligerent, bitchy, bottomless state of affairs, but why?
C is for the cantankerous condition of our character, you have no cut-out.
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Grimey Drawer
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This dude is plus-size in the same sense that those 'size 12' models are plus-size in the women's world. Every fat dude I know is way heavier than this.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:49
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- SurfaceDetail
- Feb 17, 2016
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by Cowcaster
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Shave your beard, you look fuckin dumb.
turn your monitor on
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Jul 29, 2016 05:52
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- SurfaceDetail
- Feb 17, 2016
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by Cowcaster
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That guys not really even fat at all but his face is way too ugly to be a male model
turn your monitor on
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Jul 29, 2016 05:52
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- Thots and Prayers
- Jul 13, 2006
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A is the for the atrocious abominated acts that YOu committed. A is also for ass-i-nine, eight, seven, and six.
B, b, b - b is for your belligerent, bitchy, bottomless state of affairs, but why?
C is for the cantankerous condition of our character, you have no cut-out.
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Grimey Drawer
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Big deal, I've got the physique of a professional athlete.
I did some baseball radio for a few years and the phrase "baseball player with a softball player's body" was my favorite when describing overweight guys.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:52
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- Rasta_Al
- Jul 14, 2001
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she had tiny Italian boobs.
Well that's my story.
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Fun Shoe
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Good news for all the unemployed goons out there.
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Jul 29, 2016 05:53
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- scuba school sucks
- Aug 30, 2012
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The brilliance of my posting illuminates the forums like a jar of shining gold when all around is dark
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Big deal, I've got the physique of a professional athlete.
Sumo wrestlers are technically athletes
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Jul 29, 2016 05:55
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- VendaGoat
- Nov 1, 2005
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What is the pay per hour for this model?
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Jul 29, 2016 05:56
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- Thots and Prayers
- Jul 13, 2006
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A is the for the atrocious abominated acts that YOu committed. A is also for ass-i-nine, eight, seven, and six.
B, b, b - b is for your belligerent, bitchy, bottomless state of affairs, but why?
C is for the cantankerous condition of our character, you have no cut-out.
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Grimey Drawer
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This dude is plus-size in the same sense that those 'size 12' models are plus-size in the women's world. Every fat dude I know is way heavier than this.
For instance, I know this dude:
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Jul 29, 2016 05:57
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- Nathilus
- Apr 4, 2002
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I alone can see through the media bias.
I'm also stupid on a scale that can only be measured in Reddits.
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I don't think he's fat though just huge? I see zero gut or real flab. He is practically cheating. Although it is of course good for him that he is not fat and therefore human.
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Jul 29, 2016 06:01
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- VendaGoat
- Nov 1, 2005
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I don't think he's fat though just huge? I see zero gut or real flab. He is practically cheating. Although it is of course good for him that he is not fat and therefore human.
Shirts hide dad bods.
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Jul 29, 2016 06:02
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- VendaGoat
- Nov 1, 2005
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It the equivalent of a "water bra"
Lies and deceit.
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Jul 29, 2016 06:03
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- i like that
- May 22, 2016
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by FactsAreUseless
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he seems like a nice guy and most likely could beat you up easily OP.
I'm a hospitalized woman in a wheelchair, do you honestly have better odds though
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Jul 29, 2016 06:03
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- sub supau
- Aug 28, 2007
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grrr these damned millennial fatties i'm obviously better than them why doesn't anyone appreciate me!
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Jul 29, 2016 06:03
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- SurfaceDetail
- Feb 17, 2016
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by Cowcaster
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I'm a hospitalized woman in a wheelchair, do you honestly have better odds though
I could probably beat you up to be honest.
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Jul 29, 2016 06:07
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Mar 19, 2024 05:32
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- Nathilus
- Apr 4, 2002
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I alone can see through the media bias.
I'm also stupid on a scale that can only be measured in Reddits.
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If you can fake it that well you are good enough to be unfat in america. A real fat has a ponch that sticks out four feet.
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Jul 29, 2016 06:09
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