Hire a fit model for your clothing line
To hire a fit model for a clothing line, write a measurement sheet with tolerances for your sample size, post a casting that lists the garments, sessions and hourly rate, shortlist verified adult applicants whose measurements match, and book on a written agreement. A small line usually needs one model in its sample size and two more only if it sells a graded range. ModelContracts puts rate, usage and a signed release in one booking.
What to settle before you book a fit model
- Sample size. The one size your patterns and samples are built in, stated as numbers, not as a letter.
- Tolerances. How far from each measurement is acceptable, usually a half inch on most points.
- Sessions. How many fittings you expect before production, with hours per session.
- Rate. Hourly, with a minimum block, agreed in writing.
- Photos. If the fitting is photographed, name where the images will be used.
- Release. A signed model release stored with the booking.
The sheet that gets you the right model on the first try
Applicants cannot judge a match from "size 8" because sizes differ between brands. Send numbers. Here is an example for a women's top and dress sample, written the way a casting would list it. Replace the values with your own block.
Height
- Target
- 5 ft 9 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 1 in
Bust
- Target
- 36 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 0.5 in
Waist
- Target
- 28 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 0.5 in
High hip
- Target
- 34 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 0.5 in
Hip
- Target
- 38 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 0.5 in
Shoulder width
- Target
- 15.5 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 0.5 in
Inseam
- Target
- 31 in
- Tolerance
- plus or minus 1 in
The measurement points are an illustration of a common misses block, not a standard. If you need a published reference for your size range, start from a standards body such as ASTM International and keep your own house block for the final numbers.
From size sheet to signed booking
1. Lock the sample size. Do not cast until the patterns are cut in the block you will grade from.
2. Write the brief. Measurements with tolerances, garments, sessions, hours, location and rate.
3. Ask for current measurements. Applicants send their own numbers and fresh photos, and you confirm them with a tape at the first session.
4. Book the same person for the full cycle. Fit notes only carry over if the body stays the same, so book the first, second and approval sessions together.
5. Put photos and notes in the agreement. If you photograph fittings, name the media, term and territory. See the model booking agreement post for the clauses to expect.
6. Fit, approve hours and pay. The release stays on file with the booking.
The full service page is fit model agency, and clothing labels also casting images can read hire models for clothing brand.
Agency booker, freelance model, a friend or ModelContracts
Matching exact measurements
- Agency booker
- Booker suggests a few options
- Freelance model by direct message
- You vet each person
- Friend or staff member
- Whoever is the closest size
- ModelContracts
- Casting with your sheet, applicants send measurements
Same person every season
- Agency booker
- Re-book and hope
- Freelance model by direct message
- Chase them each time
- Friend or staff member
- Leaves or changes size
- ModelContracts
- Invite the model you already booked
Usage if photos are taken
- Agency booker
- Negotiated per campaign
- Freelance model by direct message
- Often verbal
- Friend or staff member
- Rarely written down
- ModelContracts
- Written into the booking
Model release
- Agency booker
- Agency paperwork
- Freelance model by direct message
- Often missing
- Friend or staff member
- Often missing
- ModelContracts
- Signed with every booking and stored
Age and ID check
- Agency booker
- Done by the agency
- Freelance model by direct message
- Your responsibility
- Friend or staff member
- Known to you
- ModelContracts
- Every model verified as 18 or older
Cost
- Agency booker
- Day rate plus client service fee
- Freelance model by direct message
- Negotiated each time
- Friend or staff member
- Free until the first dispute
- ModelContracts
- You set the rate, agency fee of 10% to 20% shown before booking
Best for
- Agency booker
- Houses with a standing fit model
- Freelance model by direct message
- One-off test fittings
- Friend or staff member
- Very early prototypes
- ModelContracts
- Lines fitting every drop
A worked budget for a five size set
Rates vary with market, experience and measurements, so the figures below are an illustration, not a quote. A line grading five sizes books one model per size for a two hour approval session at $100 an hour. Rate is $200 per model, $1,000 for the set. On the Studio plan the 15% agency fee adds $30 per model, $150 in total, so the set costs about $1,150. A second round of fittings on two sizes after the factory sample adds two more sessions, $460. A line that only sells one size range books one model for three sessions, $600 in rate plus $90 in fees. Photos for a tech pack are not extra if the booking names them as internal use, but any image that goes public needs usage priced in. For wider ranges see how much it costs to hire a model and the breakdown of model hiring fees.
After the fit is approved and the line is photographed, brands that need creator videos for launch can look at Ugcmarketplace for real creators who film on their own phones.
What goes wrong with fittings
- Casting before the pattern block is final, so the model's size no longer matches the sample
- Describing the size as a letter, then discovering applicants run a size apart
- Booking a different model for each session, which makes the notes useless
- Photographing the fitting for a public listing with no written usage
- Using staff as fit models and losing the one person who knows the block when they leave
Each is a line in the brief or the agreement, so fix it before the first session. Model usage rights explains how term and territory change the price.
How do I hire a fit model for my clothing line?
Write a measurement sheet with tolerances, post a casting with garments, sessions and rate, and shortlist verified adult applicants whose numbers match. Book them on a signed agreement and keep the release with the booking. Confirm the measurements with a tape at the first session.
How many fit models does a clothing line need?
One model in your sample size is enough to start. Add more only if you sell a graded range, for example one model per size or one for each end of the range. Extra models add sessions and cost without speeding up approval.
How much does a fit model cost?
Rates vary with market and experience. Many fit sessions are booked by the hour with a two hour minimum, plus the agency fee. On ModelContracts you set the rate and see the fee before you confirm.
Do I need a model release for a fitting?
Yes if you take photos or video. Images of a person in a tech pack, a preview or a listing are commercial use. On ModelContracts the release is signed with the booking and stored with it.
Are all models on ModelContracts adults?
Yes. Every model is verified as 18 or older before they can apply to a casting.
