Dunno if you've heard, but the coming season of America's Next Top Model will focus on the "shorter" variety of runway walkers. Seems Tyra Banks (herself a healthy 5'10") is trying to up the profile of this overlooked category of models (remember that Agyness Deyn is considered to be undersized at 5'8".) Considering that the average American woman stands at less than 5'4" according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it's a fair issue that perhaps should be discussed in a large format, but we'll leave that to Tyra. We could rattle off many practical (and impractical) reasons why the industry tends to employ young ladies over 5'9"—but instead we'd rather whip up a list of our favorite beauties who fit under fashion's high limbo bar.
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Above, clockwise from upper left:
Taylor Warren, 5'8": Emphatically a print model, Warren represents that contingent of It girls for whom attitude is more important than inches.
Kate Moss, 5'7": The reigning queen of fashion always stuck out when parading down the catwalk with women three inches taller than her—but that only seemed to add to her popularity.
Devon Aoki, 5'5": Yes, she's more famous for print and movie work, but Aoki has taken to the catwalk several times despite her size.
Laetitia Casta, 5'6": Granted, she's more or less retired now—but the curvy Costa was similar to Moss in her ability to use her… um… different figure to catapult her to fame.
Lauren Hutton, 5'6": Yeah, we wouldn't have guessed that either, but there it is.
Twiggy, 5"4': It's hard to remember that one of the most dominant models or her or any generation so petite. God bless you, miss.
Did we miss any of your faves? Comment below.
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