I randomly ran across Jaclyn's blog on Tumblr. She's another tall girl looking for fashion amnesty. And we should support her. I think the accompanying picture speaks volumes about the counter-height-to-common-proportions battle we all face, as well. Welcome Jaclyn.
I am not that much of a sports fan, unless you count F1, Tour de France, and the World Cup. Growing up in Michigan indoctrinated me to college basketball, however, and usually if it's on, I'll watch a few minutes. I'd never seen or heard of Kenny George, UNC Asheville's 7'7" center, however. That's taller than Yao Ming, Shaq, and other minor notables in the NBA. He's the tallest basketball player ever in the NCAA, and has a size 28 shoe.
Can you say "Undefendable"?
while in new york city, i stopped in at the cowgirl to pick up a t-shirt for my sister. the host—a supertall drink of water (pronounced the british way) sold me the t-shirt and a couple of corndog car air fresheners. at this point, i start to get annoying and try to explain to him that he probably couldn't tell but that i was actually pretty tall for a chick myself. and so was my husband. for a dude. he seemed almost convinced, but not really so much. told him about the blog. that was about it for then... then i had a couple tequilas at the bar.
one of the regulars, peter, and i started talking. and we chatted with kat the bartender. and they had a nice tequila selection, with a couple kinds i had not tried before. imagine that!
kat told me that they hung their antler chandeliers low above the bar to discourage dancing on it. except for very, very short people. then we started talking about the host. tall paul, they call him. of course, i start singing annette funicello's tall paul.
turns out tall paul is a singer, too. but a real one. he has his own band, paul bernstein and his wide stance. i bugged paul quite a bit "for the blog," of course. then i rudely got his height. he is about 6'8.5". i know it is a rude question really tall people get tired of. but anyway. paul is from london, and his band has a myspace page. and you can hear his songs and watch his videos on there.
i hope tall paul brings his band to the sf bay area, a place where we can truly appreciate songs about looking for george michael, men's rooms, and feeling fruity. please come visit us, paul!
i had some lovely legroom on my jetblue flight from oakland to new york for an additional $20 one-way. it was divine. for a trip across the country, $20 extra was well worth it. my legs were happy. three tall people in a row could cross their legs. extreme! lavish!
now i have to warn you: be careful to get a direct flight. if you have a layover, you will be charged an additional $20 for each extra leg. (haha, get it? nevermind.) in my opinion, jetblue should just charge you once for this. beware.
on the way to ny, we had a direct flight, so all was good. on the way back we had a layover in long beach. we got back on the same plane but could not have the same seat without paying extra. so we sat in a regular seat for that portion of the flight.
jetblue has a little bit more legroom in their regular seats than other airlines. but really, it was not enough. with the tray table down, it was resting on my sad, sad knees. not to mention the shoulder room. ok, i am mentioning it. i sat in the middle between my tall husband and a woman who didn't fit into her seat and had to leave up the armrest between us (the one with my tv controller). it sucked.
man, i wish the airplane seats were just a little bit wider and the legroom longer to give people of all sizes enough room to sit comfortably. i am always trying to keep my widish shoulders pulled in so as not to bump or touch the person sitting next to me. it pretty much sucks.
so anyway, that's my $20 per leg on that. and check the prices. looks like the tall tax may be going up up and away, at least on virgin america. boo.
adam & i both paid an additional $15 each way to get extra legroom seats on virgin america for our short trip from san francisco to las vegas. the legroom was great! i crossed my legs and felt almost first-class... well, we sat in the first row behind first class, but they told us we couldn't use their bathroom. i did anyway. screw it. the other one was too far and the aisles were jammed up.
the things you should know about these seats are:
was it worth it? yes. i would do it again. i did not try out the regular seats, but just from looking, i had oodles more legroom, and it felt like a little bit of luxury.
oh, wait wait wait wait wait. i just went onto the virgin america site and saw this notice, as of may 16:
Premium Seats exit row upgrades for additional leg and knee room:
$50 upgrade fee for long haul flights
ouch!! holy tall tax, batman! it was only $20 extra for us to fly from oakland to new york on jetblue. ouch! $50 is a bit ridick!
compare prices for extra legroom before you buy.
ok, this site has nothing to do with tall things, really. but it is fascinating and delightful! the site shows photographic recreations of children's drawings. i noticed this extremely long little girl's fantasy bed and thought i would pass it along. it filled me with joyful imagination.
j. crew has two spring jackets in tall sizes T2-T14. the tall solid tulip jacket is pretty cute, but it has that intentional shrunken look that irritates me. (if i want a shrunken looking jacket, i will wear a regular size jacket. oh, well.) but the tulip sleeves are very cute. i would be very tempted if it were a bit longer.
then there is the tall linen-cotton casa rossa jacket. it has a more streamlined fit than your average linen jacket. i might be interested if it came in better colors. it comes in yellow, orange, and white. i prefer boring basic neutrals.
but, it is good to have a couple tall jacket options. i will have to look around and see what else is out there. my favorite wool herringbone jacket is not very spring/summer.
i would like to give a shout-out to our new reader, christine, who has sent these tips for us tall chicks. thanks, christine!
christine found a workout jacket with extra long arms. the body is not extra long, but it is "tolerable" for her at 6'. nice. i like how you can see the length of the sleeves in the product picture. this long-armed pullover is by cloudveil and is available on zappos.
christine and i also share a secret tall girl trick: wearing a dress as a shirt or tunic. christine made some great finds at american apparel. she says the chemise below is "a *perfect* camisole" for her. she also has an american apparel funnel neck shift dress that she wears as a top. very cute. i want one of those. i think american apparel sizes run on the smaller end of juniors sizes. you might want to read the reviewer comments to help you determine the right size.
thanks again, christine, for your tips! anyone else got any great finds? let me know!
i found some oddly long tankinis on the macy's web site. there is one from dkny and one from calvin klein. they won't hit a tall woman at the hip, but at least they will cover you up. there is also a semi-long one from betsey johnson that is super cute and girly.
search by inseam is a very helpful site if you have long legs and are in the market for pants or jeans. corrinne, the tall woman who runs the site, is a long inseam super sleuth with good taste to boot. she pays special attention to hard-to-find items like fashionable tall maternity jeans. and tall, organic, high-waisted wide-legs. she can help you find tall plus jeans, too. corrinne also has a blog. (but sometimes she posts about petites. you can just gloss over those.)
Barney's is now advertising their "Made to Measure" service at several locations, featuring brands like Zegna, Incotex, Isaia, Brioni, and others (depending on your city). I noticed that their logo features the silhouette of Gregory Peck from The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956). Whether this is really egregious content infringment or not, I can't say, given that the original movie is over 50 years old. Maybe it's public domain by now..
Suffice it to say, the image of Gregory Peck (height 6'3" – 6'4", depending on which source you trust) has become ubiquitous and universal enough to communicate hum-drum corporate conformity. Maybe that's the irony that Barney's was trying to point out, that even he - the Corporate Everyman - would have had to have suits "Made to Measure"... but I kind of doubt it.
For those really ready to get out of the corporate mold, the AAA (in the form of the AAAFFF) is offering creatives the opportunity to get out of the suit for good. Apply for a grant to free your mind from the bonds of advertising, and may your tall-sized legs follow.
NPR's talk of the nation interviews, rebecca thomas, 6'4" 21-year-old author of "Life as a Tall Girl," an essay published on the New York Times health blog. you can hear the interview online today at 6pm eastern. becky will also be a guest blogger on blog of the nation.
becky has just started a tall blog, Tall Girl Writes. and i think she mentioned something about a possible book deal on her NYT podcast interview.
jetblue is offering some seats with even more legroom on their planes. their usual (generous by airline standards) 34" are pretty good (unless you have magazines in the seat pouch), but their new 38" seat pitch will be even better for lanky travelers. these "even more legroom" seats will cost you at least $10 extra.
so, now they are charging a premium to sit in the emergency exit row...
virgin america is also charging me $15 extra for more legroom on my flight to vegas.
i will have to try jetblue's extra legroom seats on my next trip to new york.
i am guessing it is worth it to tall people. how much do you think they would charge us for a little extra shoulder room?
long tall sally has a few tankinis, a few one pieces, and even a few kaftans, cover-ups, and beach dresses, all in tall sizes. keep in mind when ordering that LTS is in the UK. look at their size guide and the exchange rate.
once upon a time, i ordered a tall tankini from j. crew. it was a little short. but if you don't mind a tankini that doesn't provide full coverage, j. crew has one style for you. they also have some cute one-piece styles. available in size 4-14 or 16 in some styles.
alloy doesn't have a long torso swim section, but they do have a couple extra long tankini tops that you can mix and match with different bottoms. juniors sizes XS-XL.
these long tankinis are on sale! a super bargain already. and you can save even more with this 15% off code ALYAP15 (good until april 21, 2008).
lands' end has a wide selection of tankinis and one-piece swim suits in long torso sizes up to 18. there are many modesty-oriented options.
j. crew normally has a couple tall jackets & coats, and a couple tall button-down shirts, and of course pants. so i was surprised to see that they currently have two tall ruffled blouses, sizes T2-T14. one is a print, one is a solid, and the solid comes in 3 colors.
thanks, j. crew! i hope that you will consider offering more tall tops in the future. especially your sweaters! i want your sweaters.
sue rice in australia has a few tall tankini and one-piece styles in her long body shop. i don't know about australian sizes, or prices... check their size guide and the exchange rate.
eddie bauer offers three styles of miraclesuit in long torso, including a fauxkini, which is no help. people want separate pieces for a reason. sizes up to 18 with 2" extra for your length.
