You’ve seen her. The stride, the posture, the way she basically commanded every room (or villa garden) she walked into. If you watched Love Island USA Season 7, Olandria Carthen was impossible to miss. She had this specific kind of presence that made her look like she was towering over the drama, earning her the nickname "Bama Barbie." But once the promo photos dropped and she stood next to her castmates, the internet had a collective "wait, what?" moment.
How Tall Is Olandria Really?
Honestly, the camera is a liar. If you scrolled through Twitter during the season, you’d see fans swearing she was at least $5'10"$. She has those "legs for days" that usually belong to runway veterans. But the reality is actually much different.
Olandria is approximately 5'3". Yeah, you read 그 right. She’s a petite queen.
The confusion mostly comes from her "tall girl energy." Olandria carries herself with a level of poise that adds a few mental inches to her stature. Plus, if we’re being real, she was rarely seen in the villa without a pair of massive heels. Some fans on Reddit even joked she was wearing "10-inch heels" every day just to look Nic Vansteenberghe in the eye.
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Nic, her partner on the show, stands at a solid $6'2"$. When they stood together, the foot-high height difference became one of the most talked-about visuals of the season. It’s that classic "shortie with a tall guy" aesthetic that social media absolutely eats up.
Why Everyone Thought She Was Taller
It wasn't just the shoes. Olandria is a graduate of Tuskegee University and worked as an elevator and escalator specialist—not exactly a job where you expect someone to be "teeny tiny," as some fans described her. Her professional background and her Southern "Bama Barbie" persona gave her a certain weightiness.
- The Posture: She sits and stands with her back incredibly straight and her chin up.
- The Proportions: She has a very "modelesque" frame, which often tricks the eye into thinking someone is taller than they are in a vacuum.
- The Confidence: She famously told the cameras she was "bigger than the program," and she meant it emotionally and professionally, but people often project physical height onto high-confidence individuals.
Interestingly, during the Casa va Villa challenges, viewers finally saw her next to the full group without the benefit of strategic camera angles. That’s when it clicked for a lot of people that she was actually one of the shortest women in the house.
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Beyond the Inches: What Makes Olandria Stand Out
It’s kind of funny that we obsess over how tall Olandria is when her actual "stature" in the industry is growing so fast. Since leaving the show as a runner-up, she hasn't just faded into the background of typical influencer tea ads.
She signed with Digital Brand Architects (DBA), which is a huge move. That’s the same agency that handles massive digital creators, and it’s part of United Talent Agency. She’s moving into speaking engagements and fashion—real fashion. She even made a splash at New York Fashion Week working with Sergio Hudson.
For a "short" girl, she’s taking up a lot of space in the industry.
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The Impact of Authenticity
Olandria has been very vocal about representing Black women, specifically those with melanin-rich skin. On the Go, Off Sis podcast, she talked about how she knew she was representing a whole community while on the show. That kind of pressure usually makes people crumble or act fake, but she stayed incredibly poised.
She’s also been open about her waist size—which caused a bit of a stir on X (formerly Twitter) when she mentioned it had shrunk to 22 inches. People have a lot of opinions on her body, but Olandria seems to stay above the "mess," as she told Extra TV at the CFDA Fashion Awards.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're following Olandria's journey or just trying to figure out how she pulls off that "tall" look, here’s the breakdown:
- Master the Posture: If you’re $5'3"$ like Olandria, height is a state of mind. Keep your shoulders back and your head high.
- Invest in Platforms: Olandria is rarely seen in flats when it counts. High-quality platforms can add height without the discomfort of a thin stiletto.
- Focus on Intentionality: Don’t just post content to post it. Olandria took her time after the show to choose the right partners, like Aveeno and Microsoft, rather than rushing into every deal.
- HBCU Pride: If you’re a student, look into the legacy of schools like Tuskegee. Olandria credits her five years there for giving her the self-worth she needed to navigate a reality TV villa.
The lesson here is pretty simple: your physical height doesn't dictate your presence. Olandria Carthen might be $5'3"$, but her career trajectory is looking much, much taller.