For the tall and leggy

Oh hey, another question. From BwayBaby:

Where do the tall ladies shop? I'm 5'10" and I wear an 18/20 at Lane Bryant (most online places I've looked at, I'm a 22 or 24). Most of my height is in my legs so I'm always looking for nice work pants in Tall Plus sizes. I've had good luck (sometimes) at both Lane Bryant and Avenue - but are there other places? Why do the Plus Size departments assume we're all short? I mean, I'm glad they have the Petite department (I sometimes have to buy jackets here because I'm so short waisted), but why can't they offer choices? Thanks!

You know what's weird? I'm always wondering why retailers think we're all tall! There are very few people who don't have inseam issues, it seems. I think this is just a matter of expanding your shopping horizons a little.

First stop: Lands' End, a great store for quality basics, especially pieces for work. You can choose your specific inseam length for many of their trousers, and they'll hem them for you for free. Go for the "classic" rise that sits right below the waist. Also, a lot of their jackets come in petites so you could put together a suit just for you. They carry plus sizes 16 - 26 on the website.

Silhouettes offers these black stretch flared pants that come in a 34" inseam. They're a cotton blend, which means they're machine washable. I'd say they're more of a bootcut than a real flare, so they're flattering on a variety of body types and at $40, they won't break the bank.

A note about Silhouettes - it seems like all of their tops and jackets are super long in length. If you're looking for longer tops, check them out.

Old Navy has several pairs of trousers in different lengths for plus sizes, and their low rise pants are actually low rise. Ordering from Old Navy can be pretty hit or miss but you can return items to an Old Navy store.

Also be sure to check out department stores. On the really affordable end is JCPenney. They have a lot of pants in tall inseams up to size 20 and matching jackets in petites. If you're looking for quality investment pieces, check the plus size selection at Nordstrom.

There's nothing more thrilling than a tall lady in high heels. Embrace your height. Just make sure that your pants cover at least half the heel while you're standing. That can be a challenge if you're tall but keep in mind that hems can often be let out to buy more length.

Have a question? Ask me here!

Comments

[Kendra]

J. Jill and Eddie Bauer both offer tall size pants (34" inseam) up to size 20. Yay!

[nilla]

http://www.tallgirlshop.com/

[BwayBaby]

Thank you! The pants from Silhouettes are awesome looking - exactly what I was looking for. And I've never heard of J. Jill before -- this is what happens when you live in NYC and don't have a normal MALL in town (especially since I grew up in the Midwest and only used to shop at malls - heck, I used to work in one). These are great - thanks everyone!

PS...I started wearing heels in my office, but I don't wear them out and about because I'm 5" taller than my husband in bare feet. :-)

[dowdydiva]

longelegantlegs.com goes up to size 18/20. And they run LONG - 35", 37", 39". Only thing is that if you are short waisted, you are fastening your pants under your bust.

[Beth]

Hey

I work for a company called Long Tall Sally, and we specialise in clothing for tall women, so I can totally sympathise with the issue.

We've got a huge selection of trousers and jeans in 34'', 36'' and 38'' leg lengths as well as a selection of styles in 40'' and our sizes range from 8-22. These are all on our website:

www.longtallsally.com

I've also come across a couple of websites which have links to lots of resources for tall women (and larger shoe sizes):

www.extratall.co.uk
www.uniquelywoman.co.uk
www.tallclothingmall.com
www.heightsite.com

Hope that helps.

Beth (LTS)