Look that’s worth a million hits

“You’re doing straight catalogue shots,but still need some expression,” said Philip Attar,the art director in charge of the shoot,explaining the challenge of modelling clothes online. He was sitting in front of a computer as images of Martines popped up. “Got it,” he called,when one satisfied him. The process involves “selling clothes to people who can’t touch anything,” Attar said,“so even if only for one second,you want to have some connection with her.”

Last year,customers nationwide spent $19 billion online on apparel and accessories,according to comScore,an Internet research company.

Online apparel retailers want women who look good in motion since 360-degree shots are de rigueur. “It’s our responsibility to not only educate models to look good on camera,but also to educate them in how to move,” said Ivan Bart,the managing director of IMG Models worldwide. (Moving well also helps with the 50-odd clothing changes a session sometimes required of online models.) “The Internet is definitely driving it,”. Bart said. “People are understanding that’s the way the consumer is being seduced.”

Web models need to be attractive,but not intimidatingly so — the better,the thinking goes,to woo shoppers who may be browsing at 3 a.m. in their slippers. While Gilt uses models full of don’t-you-want-it attitude to sell their high-end products,Rue La La,Ideeli and Swirl by DailyCandy ask their models to exude friendly warmth. Shopbop,meanwhile,uses the same distinctive models in such heavy rotation that shoppers nickname them.

Elena Greenwell,a six-year veteran of Shopbop who is known simply as the Redhead,says she is recognised by fans even at the beach without makeup. “I’ve had people say,‘You look so pissed off,’ “ said Greenwell,of Ford Models.

Shopbop also frequently features a come-hither brunette,Iskra Stoycheva,a Bulgarian-born resident of Milwaukee who has been working for the site for seven years and is often shown with slightly parted lips. A daily e-mail featuring either of these women acts as a Pavlovian trigger for customers to examine new arrivals on the site,which has approximately five million visits per month,according to Shopbop.

The fast-and-furious shoots for online apparel purveyors also help convey a sense of off-the-cuff authenticity. “Oh,you can definitely do 80 outfits in a day,” said Lindsi Miller,21,who models once or twice a week for Swirl by DailyCandy,their sample sale site. Perfection isn’t required. Bony knees aren’t airbrushed smooth. Models sometimes work the same baffling expression ad nauseam. Referring to online modeling generally,Steven Reider,a manager at Elite Model Management,said,“I don’t think it’s ever made anyone a star on the global playing field of models.”

Gregory Costello,the creative director at Ideeli.com,a free flash sale site where members can pay for earlier access,discourages contrived poses. “Both arms up,elbows out—we don’t go for that,” he said.

The jury is still out on whether flesh-and-blood models are even necessary to move merchandise sight unseen. Bluefly and the OutNet mostly use mannequins on their item shots. Net-a-Porter,the international luxury online retailer crops out models’ faces,as if to disabuse them of the prevalent notion of our time that they can be more than clothes hangers. NYT