A size 6 model has revealed that she has to wear a ‘fat suit’ to appear in ads for plus-size clothing brands, saying she gets hired because ‘they want the neck and the face to look really slim and sharp.’
TikTok user @coolquinn, whom The Daily Dot identified as Norwegian model Karoline Bjørnelykke, shared the ‘secret from the modeling industry’ in a recent video that infuriated viewers.
Bjørnelykke showed off her slim figure in a mirror selfie at the beginning of the clip, explaining that even though she is slender, she is considered a ‘plus-size’ model.
Norwegian model Karoline Bjørnelykke revealed on TikTok that she has to wear a ‘fat suit’ to appear in ads for plus-size clothing brands
The model, who wears a size 6/8 (left), put on the padded fat suit to show how it helps her fill out plus-size clothing (right)
Bjørnelykke claimed she has been hired to appear in ads for brands that carry sizes XL through 5XL because they want the neck and face ‘to look really slim and sharp’
According to her modeling bio, she wears a size 38/40, which is a size 6/8 in the U.S.
However, despite her size, she claimed that she has been hired to appear in ads for brands that carry sizes XL through 5XL.
‘If you have eyes, you can see I’m not that size,’ she said. ‘So how do we fix this problem? Well, I have to bring something called padding to work, which basically is a fat suit in pieces.’
Bjørnelykke then demonstrated how she stuffs the suit with padding to make herself look ‘a lot bigger,’ saying the clothes are also sometimes pinned in the back to make it look like they fit.
Bjørnelykke noted that ‘it’s considered polite’ to bring this type of padding to work when you’re a plus-size model
She added that the clothes are also sometimes pinned in the back to make it look like they fit
‘So if the clothes look really good from the front, it probably looks like s**t from the back,’ she said. ‘It’s because they want the neck and the face to look really slim and sharp, which doesn’t just create unrealistic standards but impossible ones.
‘My suggestion is just use real plus-sized women because there are so many gorgeous plus-sized women out there.’
The video has been viewed more than 379,000 times, and the comments ranged from disappointed to outraged.
‘This explains the midsections that never make sense,’ one person wrote, while another added: ‘This is why I’m so self-conscious about my face shape.’
‘The [modeling] industry really [hates] plus-sized models,’ someone else shared.
Bjørnelykke worked as high-fashion model when she first started out in the industry
Bjørnelykke explained in previous videos that she struggled with anorexia before she started embracing her curves
Even though she is slim, she is now considered a ‘plus-size’ model
Model Kalison Nix confirmed the practice, writing: ‘Fellow sized 10 “plus-size” model here — so ridiculous… I have the exact same padding set.’
Others slammed Bjørnelykke for wearing the pads, saying she should refuse these types of modeling jobs.
‘Don’t take the jobs if you think it’s ethically wrong. You’re contributing to the issue by taking the job,’ one TikToker insisted.
‘But you’re… taking the jobs? And further contributing to the problem? another person agreed.
Bjørnelykke shared in the comments that she no longer takes these types of jobs, but she didn’t have a choice early on in her career.
Bjørnelykke claimed there were a number of brands that stopped working with her once she got ‘fat,’ but she insisted she is happier now
Bjørnelykke explained in the comments of her video that she no longer wears fat suits to appear in plus-size ad campaigns because she thinks it’s unethical
‘I did a couple of these many years ago when I just got signed with an agency in NY and had a contract obligation, but I refuse to do them now because I think it’s ethically wrong and I don’t desperately need the money,’ she said.
‘But I don’t think it’s right to blame the models,’ she added. ‘If one model refuses the job another one just like her will take it. There is no way all models will collectively refuse these jobs. The real power is with the consumers.’
She said she made the video ‘so that consumers can make better choices,’ noting that ‘models are at the bottom of the power pyramid.’
Bjørnelykke explained in other videos that she previously worked as a high-fashion runway model and struggled with anorexia before she embraced her curves.
According to the model, there were a number of brands that stopped working with her once she got ‘fat,’ but she insisted she is happier now.