So what (scientifically) - constitutes a good model?
 
Scientifically it has been shown that if you discount the face, the decisive factor in male attractiveness is the chest to waist ratio. Studies show that the larger the chest and the smaller the waist the more attractive the male is considered to be. Most healthy men have a chest measurement about 6" larger in circumference than their waist. As the difference increases so does their attractiveness. Certain athletes and elite male models might have a 44" chest and only a 30" waist - a 14" difference!

Female attractiveness seems to be based on their body-mass index, or their height to weight ratio. Although beauty may lie in the eye of the beholder, slimmer women are on the whole considered more attractive. It must be remembered that different cultures hold different ideals and (to muddle things) one person's paramour is another's pariah. Many might consider these values trivial but they have a profound affect upon society. In the West, the men are bigger and the women taller and slimmer than they were one generation ago. This has many knock-on effects when you consider physical and mental health, activities, and of course - fashion.

Click pics to enlarge. Please give them a few moments to load. All images © Kris Kingsland.

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Kris_Kingsland_India Shot in Bombay, India. Wendell Rodricks's new cool designs: haute couture ~ The Comfort Zone. Wendell wanted a more rugged look and 3 days' stubble and one without food, helped acheive this. Perhaps because of his Goan upbringing, Wendell really liked to use natural fibres and products. The buttons on this summer jacket are made from polished coconut shell and looked fantastic. Click here for more images and again to hide.
Kris_Kingsland_Suave Quite a nice shot; Winchester, UK. High quality clothes, good lighting, and excellent photography turn even a grey day in a paint-spattered studio into a good fashion shot. Outside the sky appears very blue and dark but only in contrast to the very bright, yellower studio conditions.
Kris_Kingsland_Mirror This shot was well received which is a pretty amazing testimony to the skills of the photographer and set manager as it was easily the most rushed shoot of my life. So much time was spent rushing to the set and then getting away, that only 30 minutes were available to get changed, shoot, and change back. Catwalks are good training for this sort of thing - a good model is often expected to completely change their outfit in 60 seconds flat!
Kris_Kingsland_Pensive Another inventive shot. When you've got an expensive group of people - photographers, make-up artists, hairdressers, technicians, tailors and models - time is money. You cannot allow a little thing like bad weather to get in your way! So what does one do when the skies open and the deluge begins? Paint a screen with bright, warm colours, put the model under a cold spotlight and snap away! From a lighting perspective, this show is almost the inverse of the 2nd shot from the top above.
Kris_Kingsland_Salon This picture was used as publicity material for Guy Kremer during Salon ’97 (a huge hair-styling conference). By then we had done a number of shoots, in impressive buildings and at various shows. This was taken some while beforehand; a pool of sunlight in a grotty alley! Tired of long hair, I had asked Guy to cut the lot off. His eyes bulged and when he was sure of my sincerity, asked me to do the show. We had to do lots of preparatory work but in the end, over 5,000 people saw him live on stage, slicing my hair off with a cut-throat razor. Even the other models were stunned to silence. No-one did this back then!