Time to play Outfit Catch-Up!
128 of 250
- Indigo puff-sleeve top (last seen here) from Banana Republic– $14 on sale
- Houndstooth skirt (last seen here) from Simply Manakin via Marshalls– $19
- Pendant necklace (last seen here), a recent gift from my fabulous nieces and sister-in-law
- SE Boutique reptile flats (last seen here) via FB– $28
The problem with a lot of my tops is that– as you’ve heard me whine many times before– they’re too long. In cases like these, I could theoretically tuck them in, but since most of my clothes are form-fitting knits, the whole effect is usually a little… lumpy. This skirt mainly because it’s a little big on me. Extra room covers a multitude of sins.
But in general, when it comes to fashion, being “petite” is a heck of a lot easier than being tall*. You can often hem things to fit. At least theoretically. There are entire petite sections in many stores, and while there could be more, I can’t complain. Well, at least not around friends 5′9″ and taller.
Jeans aren’t too bad. Designer jeans in particular often have 34″ inseams, and some shops (such as Gap) do carry “tall” or “long” length jeans as well.
Other than that? And especially when it comes to tops? Tall women are often SOL. Sweaters? Yeah, no. Not the easiest thing in the world to add length to.
A 5′10″ friend of mine recently lamented that– while T-shirts aren’t much of a problem– her belly hangs out of every “nice” top and sweater she can find on the racks. Not really the look most of us are going for– especially once we pass 30.
I know a lot of the focus until now has been on folks who have things in common with me– narrow waists, big boobs, short, etc. But our long-term goal here is to gather as much information as possible for folks of all shapes and sizes. I mean– I may never have tried on a single pair of jeans again unless I had thought to ask my shape-doppelganger, Deep Seam, what she wore.
In that spirit, any tall folks have tips, tricks or favorite brands when it comes to finding long-enough tops? Hit us up.
*Unless you wear men’s clothes, in which case it’s reversed. But that’s a rant for another day.
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Gap. I’m 5′6″ and fairly slender and lanky (when I can step away from the pizza and stop baking brownies), and I find that a lot of the Gap tops are LONG. You have to pick the right styles.
Unfortunately I haven’t found anything that ever really considers LENGTH in tops. I mean, I’m a small in tops (generally a 4 or 6), but if you’re slender and 5′10″, I think you’re pretty much in trouble. Why don’t designers think of these things?
Great advice, Allison– my friend despises shopping so even giving her an idea of where to go is a huge help. And designers? Who knows what they’re thinking. But the truth is that none of us fit much of anything off the rack. The trick (besides alterations, because really?) is figuring out who fits you half-decent, some of the time.
Very cute outfit! I like the combo!
I’m 5′10″ and many tops are too short for me. It’s annoying to order from Bravissimo so that I can get shirts that button over my chest without sagging at the waist and then realize that they are cut for much shorter women. I order casual shirts from places like Old Navy or Gap because they come in tall sizes, but usually I am stuck with making do with ordinary retailers. I try to look for higher-rise jeans so that there won’t be gaps that show my stomach.