Britney Wittes was just 10 years old when she landed her first modeling gig. From there, her career took off almost overnight: She began booking job after job, working with top brands like Kohl’s, American Girl, Walgreens and Procter & Gamble, among others.
But around the time she hit puberty, the calls started to slow down. Wittes had stopped growing and stood just 5 feet, 3 inches tall—noticeably shorter than the typical 5-foot-7-inch baseline for female models. She took a break to be a “normal” kid for a while and then got a degree from Columbia College Chicago. But modeling was always in the back of her mind.
In 2022, she started an Instagram account called Why Not Petites and began posting about navigating the fashion industry as a short model. Soon, Why Not Petites blossomed into an active community, and Wittes and her team began hosting in-person events and sharing resources.
Through Why Not Petites, Wittes is promoting inclusion and creating opportunities for models of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.
SUCCESS: What was the inspiration behind Why Not Petites?
Britney Wittes: I started having lots of conversations with friends and other petite models about the struggles we all have. A lot of people who were models when they were younger got pushed into acting because, with acting, it doesn’t matter what your height is. We were talking about why we get forced out of the industry at a certain age, when other people—just because they’re taller than us—don’t have that issue. It started as a bunch of conversations. I wanted Why Not Petites to be an Instagram [page] where people could ask questions and we could chat about obstacles we’ve dealt with. It kind of developed into more than I thought it would. People were saying, “We want to meet you, we want to know what’s happening or how to get into the industry as petite models. I didn’t know I could actually do this.” It developed into classes and runway shows.
S: So, why aren’t brands hiring petite models, in your opinion?
BW: Historically, the idea behind modeling was … the unattainable women, the unattainable person women should strive to be. But, in 2024, no one really cares to be perfect. People love perfectly imperfect, so why aren’t we embracing that? The average woman in America is 5-foot-4. But the disconnect is … brands and agencies still have this ideal person that they’re trying to keep as unattainable. But people want to see themselves in the ads. Why have taller models if that’s not who your consumer is or what they’re looking for? There are petite models who are starting to break some barriers, which is amazing to watch. But, again, it’s just a handful of people. Petites are such an untapped market.
S: What’s one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since launching Why Not Petites?
BW: It’s OK to have those days where you question, “Why am I doing this? Is this really worth it for anyone? Is this really helping anyone in the way [you] thought it was going to?” But then you have those days where it just feels like magic. Someone comes up and says, “Hey, I signed with an agency. I tried for three years, and then I chatted with you and had you look at my book and we organized things and helped me get ready.” I was told recently by someone that I’m [the person] they look up to. We’re showing people that the thing they dreamed of is attainable. It’s really amazing to see what Why Not Petites is meaning to people. Even on those bad days, I can still find that little reason [for] why we do this.
S: What’s your approach to being a changemaker?
BW: There are people who are going to be upset with you. But if they’re upset, it’s because you’re doing something worthy of being upset about. You’re disrupting the status quo. They’re feeling threatened. And I’m OK with that. Why Not Petites is meant to ruffle feathers. We’re not here to always play nice. If we play nice, we’re not going to get anywhere. We’re meant to disrupt and we’re meant to call attention to the unfortunate things that are going on in this industry. We’re going to have to ruffle feathers. If you look at anyone [who have] actually made changes in the world, they were not always very well-liked people.
This interview appears in the November/December 2024 issue of SUCCESS Magazine.
Photo by Abraham Jimenez/courtesy of Britney Wittes
