Let’s face it. America ‘s Next Top Model isn’t just about the gorgeous women that flaunt their stuff on the runway and in front of the menacing eyes of Tyra Banks. The show actually adds spice to our primetimes viewing by including a real life hottie behind the judges’ table. We’re talking about none other than Nigel Barker, a former model turned fashion photographer and industry expert.

Among the judges on America ‘s Next Top Model, the British photographer seems to be the most direct in providing feedback to the contenders, especially if her personality isn’t satisfying the judges. His skill in dealing with people–particularly model wanna-bes–must come from his experience in the fashion industry, as he has spent years working both in front and behind the camera.

Apparently it was his mother, a former Miss Sri Lanka beauty, who convinced him to pursue a modeling career, as he was completing his studies in medicine.

“My mum was Miss Sri Lanka years ago, and she became obsessed with this model search show called The Clothes Show,” Nigel Barker explained. “She entered me in it in the mid-80s, and I got into the top three. I was studying to be a doctor at the time, but that show launched my modeling career.”

He added that his experiences have given him a whole new perspective of the modeling industry, even if it is sometimes not apparent to the viewers at home.

“Some [viewers] complain that a lot of the girls we select aren’t even pretty enough to be models…But the thing that differentiates a top model from a regular model isn’t generally that she’s more beautiful,” he explained. “There’s a lot to be said for charm and personality, or just being striking. Look at Kate Moss. When she came along, people said she was too short, too flat chested and had a face like an alien. Now she’s everybody’s darling and, even if she does incredible amounts of drugs, people still hire her.”

In talking about his relationship with fellow judges such as Tyra Banks, he said, “We’re like family. We giggle and laugh and crack jokes, and sometimes we get so hysterical we have to pull ourselves together because we’re wasting tape.”

Nigel Barker added that it isn’t all about fun and laughter, as even the judges also get caught up in the reality competition drama. Sending a contestant home isn’t all that easy, as they are dealing with teenagers whose emotions are quite delicate in an environment such as a reality show.

But despite the hardships and the tears, it all comes down to the passion one feels for the industry and the art.

“The rest of the world might find that all very shallow compared with, say, being a surgeon saving a life, but to the people within the fashion industry, it’s a vocation,” Barker explained. “They feel a calling to it. I feel a calling to it, too. Perhaps, one day I’ll exceed my diva quotient and have to do something else, but not for a while yet, I hope.”

Being a long-legged moderately skinny myself, I also have some problems finding jeans. The brand I really like right now, that is a little pricey, are Levi Capital E. They have a great variety and lots of great boot cut styles, and Levi has this handy thing called Jean finder, You answer some simple questions such as how you like your jeans to fit, and what leg opening you want, and they find you jeans based off that. Another brand of jeans I am rather fond of are Hollister, mainly because they have jeans in long, and they are defiantly long. They also have a wide variety of flared jeans and boot cut.

I have seen inserts for the side seam to enlarge the waist. If the adjustment is not a lot, you can get some jean material from the fabric shop, make a wedge shape from the fabric, allowing for seams on all sides. You will need to remove the waistband in the area of the side seam, cut it so that you can add material in the band also. Open the side seam so you can sew the wedge into the seam. Add material to the waistband to extend it to fit.

The best way is to have a pair of jeans that you like the fit. Turn the ones you want to alter inside out. Lay the good ones on top of the ones that need changing. Draw around the good ones onto the others. This will give you lines to sew on that will alter the pants to fit like the good ones. You may have to remove the waistband to alter the size of the waist. Sandblasting is a very unique process. You can try bleaching but it definitely won’t look the same. Denim makers’ use highly sophisticated chemicals and special machines to sandblast jeans after they are sewn together. That is why most denim jeans are so costly.

Usually when jeans are dyed with the brown tint they make sure that it is washable without fading. Bleach may work but you risk ruining them all together. Bleach spots and splotchy areas. The best I can suggest is to take them to dry cleaners and see if they have a jean bleaching method. Otherwise just leave them as is.

You can use fabric paints and they are so nice to work with. When they are dry they are soft to the touch. You can also use acrylic paints they dry nicely as well. Before you paint over the stain, wash the jeans without softener. Then you iron the area free of wrinkles and paint your design. When the paint has cured for at least 24 hours, use a pressing cloth and iron the painting. This will seal the paint and protect it as well. When you wash the jeans, I would use cold water, as the hot will wear the painting out faster. You can put your jeans in the dryer and I would turn them inside out to protect the paint.

To make a mini skirt! Well first, you cut the legs off. Don’t cut them exactly where the legs meet incase you need to fix something. Cut a little lower. Then you trim off any uneven edges and make the skirt the same length all the way round. But you don’t have to sew anything back. Just pull a few loose threads and give it that “customized” look. Make sure you use those big tailor scissors or any tough scissors so you don’t make a mess. Cutting jeans is really hard.