Before getting started, I should mention that I am 5'10" and my legs are my best asset since they are a mile long long and toned. I am constantly asked to reach the higher shelf in a grocery store by my friends and members of my family. This is my experience of finding clothing that works with my height over the years.
Getting "dress coded" in high school was a typical day
When I was in high school, I got "dress coded". A lot.
It wasn't because I was wearing anything inappropriate or because I was intentionally trying to get myself into trouble, it was simply because it was, and still is, incredibly difficult to find clothes that fit my long body. Skirts that went below the knee on shorter girls would reach mid thing on me. That's just how it went. Thankfully by senior year, the administration finally got it into their heads that it wasn't my fault the skirt I was wearing was on the shorter side since I was actually one of the more modestly dressed girls in my school.
"Long" clothes are expensive
While I am all for finding clothes that fit, I would rather not go into debt while doing it. Most of the jeans that I own I found at one store for under $50. To this day it is frustrating for me to go shopping, simply because I can go to a store and try on dozens of pieces of clothing and not find a single one that is long enough to be considered decent. The other jeans I have found that fit my length at other retail stores would cost me more money to buy than I currently have in my bank account. So either I have to shell out all that money or wear capris. And lets face it, no one looks good in capris.
I got judged because of my clothes
I get judged, and cat called on the street for the length of my skirts and dresses. I have been called a slut and much worse because of the hemline of my dress. Some believe that because my skirt is on the shorter side then that means I was not raised right and that my morals are not to their standards. I have to be very careful about which dress I end up buying as to not "send the wrong message" to anyone.
I used to love shopping for new clothes
I consider myself a lover of clothes. Even when I was a baby who could barely talk, whenever I saw a sparkly dress my eyes would go wide and I would say "pretty!"
I like clothes, I like how a new dress makes me feel happy and special. Dressing up always makes me feel confident, which is why I always try look nice when I have a class presentation or a test. What doesn't make me feel confident is the process of finding clothing that fits properly.
It becomes frustrating
It's confidence shattering when you constantly have your shorter friends tell you not to wear heels since your already so tall, even though you like to wear heels and you look good in heels. It's confidence shattering when guys always tell you that you are too tall to consider dating. It's confidence shattering when it takes you more than a week of shopping to find a prom dress that goes past your mid calf.
This is the life I have had to live with since I had my first growth spurt in elementary school. I have known for a long time that I would be a tall girl, but what I never expected was how hard it would be to find clothing that I enjoy wearing. And I never expected that I would get treated differently because of it.
It's gotten to the point where I don't like to go shopping any more. I used to love it when I was younger, I could always find something that made me feel like a princess. Now, I dread going because I know that I could try on every article of clothing in a single store and maybe come out with one piece that fits me right. Its frustrating and discouraging.
Look toward the future
I truly wish that I had the desire to be a fashion designer because I would create a line for tall girls and tall girls only. While I wait for someone else to mainstream that idea, I will continue to rotate between my five dresses and three pairs of jeans, and I will continue to follow twitter accounts dedicated to those of my height and above. Power to the tall girls!
