Hello there and welcome to this chapter of Diary of a Tall Women Wanting (Beautiful) Pants That Fit.
In this blog, as someone who is 6'1, with a background in health & wellbeing and a lifetime yearning for beautiful clothes to fit me, we'll explore many of the important issues that tall women face when it comes to fashion, from social norms and representation, the ego, cognitive distortions, and any unconscious behaviours you might have developed due to your height.
Sitting beside my laptop, I have a thick orange book simply titled 'Little book of Hope', each day I randomly open a page and reflect on what's in front of me to consider how I can apply the message - hope can be a noun or a verb - a feeling of expectations and desire, or a desire for something to be - if he had lost hope then, how different would world history have been, was the question posed to the author's reflection of Abraham Lincoln's political life - if he hadn't worked so tirelessly for the abolition of slavery, if Abraham Lincoln had of lost hope, how different would the world be today?
Closer to home, if another tall Australian woman had started a clothing label in the 70's, 80's or 90's, how different would it have been for my parents to shop for clothes that fitted my lanky self? How different would my world be today if the taunting received while wearing clothes that didn't fit, the ones we are told to ignore as a child or use as a resilience tool, had not occurred?
What if those stirrup pants had been long enough???!
What if I hadn't had to squeeze my size 11 foot into size 9 shoes??
What if the room of grown men didn't laugh when I didn't know how to accurately describe the weather 'up there', or asked if I was related to Big Bird or Big Foot?
I totally stood out as a child and young woman, and I still do today as a middle-aged mum of three, often wondering if the obvious variable that promoted me as an easy target for others seeking to establish their ego and self-worth wasn't there, if I wasn't constantly on the edge of defending myself, what else could I have achieved?
Heavy stuff to ponder as I raise my own tall children - Master 14 is already 6'6..
Christine contacted me asking about the various pants that could be suitable for her daughter - a 180cm 14yrs old who is required to wear blue or black pants as part of her school uniform every day of the week...
Ahhh, school uniforms - every chat room in January lights up with questions and angst-filled posts about making kids conform, where to get the best-valued school-approved colours or the cheapest shoes knowing they'll be outgrown by easter.
Easy fix, every reply is filled with mainstream clothing options or hand-me-down hacks.
she always dreaded Monday’s school uniform-wearing after a weekend of wearing free dress - mum, Christine
I'm certain, we all have school memories we'd rather forget - the nasty kids, canteen lunches or the first assignment grade that missed expectation; the skirt too many sizes too big simply to gain extra length is a regularly recalled one of mine. Red tartan, folded over numerous times to create a false waistband of the extra girth fabric, but not enough to shorten it to the length of what I possibly should have been wearing...
Modern uniform shops don't cater any better for taller children than they did then, so today's delivery of garments to Christine's home is especially heartfelt for Miss G & Me.
On a Friday afternoon, we delivered Alva Slim Leg Pant and Jo Dress Leggings in multiple sizes and colours to Christine's home so her daughter could feel comfortable and safe in her environment while exploring these garments over the weekend.
'Cropped may be in', but a teenage girl in clothes that are obviously too short for her is really easy fodder for those who enjoy taunting others for fun or 'I was just joking'.
Christine's daughter will be able to explore what works with her current wardrobe and what doesn't. Which is exceptionally powerful at this stage of her life - A timely reminder for those raising children across the country - in the teenage years, brains may be fully grown in size, but the wiring is certainly still a work in progress - children are still developing the skills they need to deal with uncomfortable emotions, like embarrassment and anger in healthy ways - and if as a parent or carer, we can remove the elements that others use as leverage to induce embarrassment in the first place - such as pants that are too short or clothes that are too big but needed for modesty in length, it'll be one less barrier for tall young women to navigate...
oh, wow - there's hope for a whole generation to be able to go about their day not constantly distracted by less-than-desired coverage and unsolicited comments, right there..!
On our social media channels, many contributed to the conversation The Tall Sewphisticate contributed to the conversation
I have the same struggle with finding clothes for my 13 yr old. She’s 5’10”. I really wish there was a wider variety of cute clothes that actually fit
And Katrina from Melbourne added
Oh how I wished for this as a child. Shoes were my absolute trauma. Having a size 42 shoe (Aust 10) at 11yrs old brought tears every year finding something suitable.
Australian of the year, Taryn Brumfitt reminds us it is not our life's purpose to be at war with our body and young people with poor body image are 24 times more likely to be depressed and suffer from anxiety.
Miss G & Me is about the now, me as the 6'1 label founder, and the future, Miss G - I hope, gee I hope, that this label progresses through the stages of growth to be here in many years to come, to be front of mind for a whole generation of women wanting beautiful clothes that fit. Our garments are contemporary, yet timeless and ageless in style to beautifully fit your taller frame and that of any children in your life.
Wearing beautiful clothes that properly fit a tall woman or young lady is a large part of an empowering environment and should be considered a preventative health approach for all involved.
No doubt, had it not been Abe, it would have been someone else, just a little later - 5'11 UK based Judy Rich started Long Tall Sally in the 70's, and no doubt, she planted my seed of hope - if she can then, I can, now.
elle va bein dans sa peau
Miss G and Me is the only Australian-made tall women’s clothing label, which reflects a passion for beautiful and sustainable fashion that fits and lasts. This article was written by the founder + designer, 6'1 Penni Lamprey who has a passionate focus on 'well' and 'being' and how clothes that fit positively contribute to an individual's self-esteem - the heart of the label's values.
See the range online at missgandme.com.au