Pouting is defined as pushing one’s lips out to look attractive or annoyed. When professional models pout, they are usually trying to look more attractive and may even have been instructed to be pouty by a cameraman. It is very common for such models to purse their lips, glare, or look sultry at a camera instead of smiling. In addition, it is also common for people to misinterpret a facial expression. At some point, models, celebrities, and people of all walks of life began pouting at cameras in extreme ways, which is often referred to as a duck face or kissy face because of the well-pursed lips.
High-fashion runway models are often seen pouting or appearing angry or bored. These models are sometimes described as flamboyant and praised for their ability to walk with confidence and grace. The bored, pouty, or angry expression lends favor to the idea that the model is confident in and at ease with what he or she is doing. Other kinds of models also use these facial expressions. Of course, professional models are not limited to negative facial expressions like the pout; many adopt smiles, smirks, or other facial expressions that are generally considered positive.
It is not unusual for a model to adopt a neutral facial expression instead of a pout, smile, or sultry look. After all, his or her job is to display clothing and accessories rather than his or her body, so adopting a neutral facial expression makes sense. In some cases, however, people misread a facial expression due to a person’s natural facial features. For example, a woman with down-turned lips might be seen as sad, frustrated, or angry, but in reality she may be holding a neutral expression and the slight frown is the natural setting of her lips.
In the early 2000s, men and women alike began to take pouting at the camera to a new extreme. Originally referred to as a kissy or pouty face, the phenomenon eventually became known as the duck face. A person would stick out both of his or her lips to make them seem fuller than they actually are. It is widely believed this kind of pout was inspired by models and actresses who have very full lips and had a natural pouting expression. The look was popular in multiple countries, from the United States of America to Sweden.