Tall and Tall Plus: Fashion Woes: Fashion Rules: Tall Styling: Tall Plus Styling
Awe, my people, let us embrace when you're done for the day playing basketball or modeling (because that's what we all do she says sarcastically). According to the fashion industry you are considered in tall sizing if you are 5'8 and up. (5'5-5-7 is average, 4'11-5'4 is petite). In the US, out of the entire populous, we only make up 10% of the population, and the numbers start to shrink from there. Once you hop up to 5'9 on up, that number drops to 5% just like that. People imagine that being a tall girl is somehow automatically easier or perhaps better than say being petite, but just as in every size range, it has its positives and negatives. However, I'll say it and I'll say it again: love what you have to work with! There is no sense in wishing to be shorter or trying to hunch your shoulders over to make you seem shorter because you are your height, it's not going to change, and loving it and finding fashion that works for you, will only help build your confidence and foster a love for your height and build that self-esteem to...uh, great heights :o)
FASHION WOES
Think about this. If you are a clothing store, are you going to stock or even include for that matter, tall sized clothing if the profit margin is not going to be that great because the bulk of your customers are either petite or average sized? I mean walk into a clothing store right now, and look around...yes, you see the petite section, the average sizing, the plus sized section, but, um, where might I ask is the tall sized section? In a fashion industry that has been plagued by rising costs of production, designers often proport that the costs manufacturing tall sizing or plus sizing, where more fabric is needed, is much too costly of an endeavor (whether actually true or not), so they design for the more average sized woman and leave us floating in the wind even though every girl walking down a runway is 6 ft. So your dressing room experience usually ends in, "are these pants or capris, I can't bend over in this skirt/dress unless I plan to flash people, I guess I'll be rolling up the sleeves on this one, on me it's a midriff top, not a tank, or there just isn't enough fabric to let the hem out." ARG!
FASHION "RULES" FOR TALLS/TALL +
1. The rules were made to be broken
2.The internet + a good tailor should be your bestest best friends. Go to the magical world of the internet to find tall sized and tall plus clothing. Often times they don't have it in store, but offer tall sizing online. Also a lot of chain store clothing shops are slowly but surely starting to offer tall sizing, so be sure to ask. Pay attention to the model's height which is now listed on many websites to help you as a guide for how it or the length of the clothing might look on you. And a friend to you is a good tailor who can let out a hem or sleeve or tack on fabric to something too short. Know thine measurements. This will save you a lot of time and heartache.
3. Your height is its own statement. You don't need a whole ton to make you stand out above the rest (wocka-wocka because you already do). Keep the feathers, giant bows, 10 color technicolor dream coats to a minimum whilst embracing your inner minimalist. Put on some simple flowy chiffon and just glide, darling!
4. Because of your height, you can wear floor grazing accessories like a long duster, or a jacket that hits at the knee without being weighed down visually. You are also the rare breed who can wear an ankle strap without it cruely chopping the leg and making you look stumpy because you already have a lot of height.
5. The bigger the gal, the bigger the accessories. You can lug around a bigger purse or do a really long drop earring and large statement piece jewelry.
6. Wear high heels! It's not like people aren't going to know you're tall. Embrace your inner giraffe. And if anyone tells you, "you can't/shouldn't/why-o-why are YOU wearing heels," then you know where to put them!
7. Disguise the problem...pants too short, wear an amazing boot over them or tailor them to an actual capri length on you. Sleeves too short, yes, sigh, roll them to 3/4th length, skirt too short, rock some leggings underneath.
8. Because you tend to have bigger feet, a pointy toed shoe can give off the good witch impression, so stick to a small point or a rounded toe. Also you might consider avoiding gladiator style boots/sandals whose straps tend to make a long foot look super long and gangly. Because of your height, however, you are part of a select few who can actually rock an over the knee boot.
9. Break the frame. Monochromatic looks tend to emphasize height (great if you want to). If you want to minimize your height however, break the long line with a different color or accessory or utilize color blocking.
10. And seriously, when find something that fits, and fits you well, buy them all in every color. These items are like unicorns. On the same token, don't just give in and buy something ill fitting out of frustration. That's not a good look for anyone and you'll just feel uncomfortable and look awkward when neither is necessary.
TALL STYLING
TALL PLUS STYLING
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