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.
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Norwegian model Karoline Bjørnelykke revealed on TikTok that she has to wear a ‘fat suit’ to appear in ads for plus-size clothing brands
Model, wearing a 6/8 size (left), put on the padded fatsuit to demonstrate how it helped her bulk out plus-sized 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.
She claimed, however, that despite being large, she was hired by brands to be in their ads.
‘If you have eyes, you can see I’m not that size,’ she said. “So, how can we solve this problem?” Well, you have to bring padding with you to work. This is basically a thick suit.
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
To make the clothing look more fitted, she said that sometimes the clothes can be pinned at the back.
‘So if the clothes look really good from the front, it probably looks like s**t from the back,’ she said. “It is because they want to make the neck and jawline look slim and clean, and that’s not just unrealistic but unattainable.
“My suggestion? Use plus-sized women. There are plenty of beautiful plus-sized women.
It has been viewed 379,000 times and received over 3,000 comments.
‘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 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
Although she’s slim, her body is still considered plus-size.
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? You’re even more contributing to the problem. Another person also 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
She said, “I had done a few of these years back when I was just signed by an NY agency and had a contractual obligation. But I refused to do them now as it is ethically illegal and I don’t need the money.”
“But it doesn’t seem right to blame them,’ she said. She said, “If one model rejects the job, another will just as easily take it.” These jobs are not open to all models. It is the customers who have real power.
She stated that she produced the video to help consumers make better buying decisions, noting the fact that models were at the bottom 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.
She claimed she lost contact with a lot of companies after becoming fat. However, she insists that now she feels happier.