Inclusion: what can be left out?

I’m 6’1. I have a background in health and wellbeing. And I’ve spent a lifetime wanting beautiful clothes to fit my body - not just physically, but emotionally too.

Check out Where to begin: diary of a tall women wanting (beautiful) pants that fit for a full back story.

This blog isn’t really about fashion. It’s about what not fitting does to you over time.

Because when you’re a tall woman, you don’t just bump your head on doorframes - you quietly absorb messages about taking up too much space, standing out, and being “extra”. And those messages? They can sneak into your ego, your self-talk, your behaviour, and the unconscious coping strategies you didn’t even realise you were developing.

Oh yes. We’re going there. 😉

Inclusion Isn’t New - But Our Awareness Is

Right now, there’s (rightly) a lot of conversation around bias, inclusion, equity, and fairness. About how unconscious thinking shapes the way we speak, design, and make decisions - often without malicious intent, but with very real impact.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: you don’t have to be against inclusion to accidentally exclude people.

Sometimes, you’re just… following the norm.

The Naming Moment That Stopped Me in My Tracks

While developing the Miss G & Me brand, I was deep in the weeds of naming, taglines, and validation surveys when something unexpected happened.

Not one.Not two.Not three.

Five trusted insiders independently asked me the same question:

“Do you actually need to include gender at all?”

Each time, I felt my body lean forward - ready to justify.

Because if I don’t…How will people know…It shows that…I need to because…

And then - silence.

Because once I really listened, I realised something uncomfortable and liberating all at once:

I didn’t need to include gender. I was just unconsciously following a societal default.

When Height Becomes the Common Ground

A close friend said something that landed hard (and stayed):

“Clothing designed for tall people often serves trans and non-binary communities incredibly well - because many struggle to find clothes that fit frames designed around height and length, not gender.”

That stopped me.

We have no gender in our tagline.

As a tall woman, I’ve spent most of my life not fitting. Why would I knowingly recreate that experience for someone else?

If the clothes fit beautifully. If the fabrics feel good. If the proportions honour a taller silhouette. And you wnat to wear them, of which I'm certain you will.. why does a gender/identity label matter?

The Question I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Need

Having removed gender from the tagline - and proud of that step - but I still hadn’t fully caught up with my own thinking.

So I asked:“How do I ask about gender in the validation survey?”

The response was gentle. And devastating. 😅

“Is there a need to ask gender?”

Cue the internal monologue trying to justify itself again.

Asking tells me…Because it helps…If I don’t…

And then: DOH.

Sometimes Inclusion Is About What You Leave Out

Here’s the lesson that changed everything for me:

Inclusion isn’t always about adding more boxes. Sometimes it’s about knowing which ones don’t need to exist at all.

When the goal is fit, comfort, confidence, and dignity - height is the data point that matters.

Everything else? Optional.

Why This Still Matters (And Always Will)

Miss G & Me exists because tall women - and tall humans - deserve clothes that don’t ask them to shrink, apologise, or explain themselves.

This brand isn’t about making statements for the sake of it. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers. Designing with intention. And letting people show up as they are - tall, comfortable, and fully themselves.

And if that means leaving a few things out?

Good.That’s how progress actually happens.

Miss G and Me is the only Australian-made tall women’s fashion label, which reflects a passion for beautiful and sustainable fashion that fits and lasts. See the range online at missgandme.com.au

Comments for this post have been turned off, join the conversation in our private group. Yes, we get the irony of having a 'women's group', too.

TALL AUSTRALIAN WOMEN - FACEBOOK GROUP