Robin Givhan has a great article about the modeling scene in New York now as many relatively novice models audition for Fashion Week. She talks about how model measurements have dropped over the past decade. The average runway sample has gone from a size 6 in the early 1990's to a size 2, the current standard.

Here's an excerpt:

A diverse range of models has shown up: white, Asian, black. On average, they are about 5-10 and 33-23-34. "Some of them you can tell it's small bone structure," Reese says. "Some just look hungry." She tries hard to avoid the ones who look like they need a few cans of Ensure.

Reese looks for models who are well-proportioned; she doesn't want a young woman who is all legs and no waist. Like most other designers, Reese's runway samples are a size 2 or 4. They were a 6 when she started out, but as the industry moved from the supermodel Amazons to the waifs, the samples got smaller. "I was surprised the last two years," Reese says. "We've gone from a model who's a 2/4 to one who's a 0/2. The pants are a production 4 and are hanging off most of the girls."

Read the full article here.