Welcome to this chapter of Diary of a Tall Women Wanting (Beautiful) Pants That Fit.
For a full back story of how I arrived here designing beautiful clothes for the tall, check out Where to begin: diary of a tall women wanting (beautiful) pants that fit
In a nut shell - if in doubt, size down in your selection of Miss G & Me clothing- here's why.
A long conversation with our pattern maker was had to discuss our sizing and why many of you are able to 'size down' in Miss G & Me garments.
But first, a note - it is widely accepted worldwide, there is no 'standard' in sizing, each label is dressing its own unique market - ours happens to be taller women, who are uniquely different to the taller lass beside them, and it's worth noting Witchery (82cm) and Veronika Maine (83cm) both have a larger waist circumference for a size 14, than Miss G & Me (81cm).
Our patternmakers have confirmed, that not only can our legs be longer, but as our rise and torso are generally longer, too - the waistband of mainstream store clothes sits lower on our hips, or in the instance of shirts, jumpers and dresses, higher on our waist than the body they were designed for (in 2011-12, the average Australian woman was 161.8 cm tall and weighed 71.1 kg), hence the need for extra circumference and a bigger size than when dressing in Miss G & Me.
Other than us being taller than the general population, this is where our similarities often cease; gees, even our heads can be longer - Tall women want the cherry on top, too!
I only have XS and size 10 pants from pre-2019 Long Tall Sally days and in my own label, I am wearing a size 12 (full blame going to the COVID19kgs that found me for the increase), but when I shop in mainstream stores a size 12 is too small because the waistband is sitting on my hips - cue muffin top scenario, and not my waist, so I need to purchase a larger size. And most likely, if you're taller than the 'avg', this will be the case for you - and the back will gap...
Photo by Ludovic Avice on Unsplash
And as the plot thickens, many of us are so unfamiliar with pants actually sitting on or above our waist, that it is not our preferred length. I know I appreciate pants sitting on my hips, not at my waist, mainly to visually elongate my waist or avoid the gapping back that a larger size pant provides.
A little bit of Stockholm phenomenon sneaking in, maybe? Have we developed a coping mechanism for wearing clothes that don't fit and accepted that's where pants and dresses are going to sit? Or identify with a subjective number on a garment?
"I've never been a 12"..."I'm a firm XL"
When I designed the Marilyn Italian Cotton Shirt, I shared with you that the original cuff was supposed to be contemporarily longer, but wearing the toile triggered me - the cuff & sleeve seam sat where mainstream shirts usually finish on my arms and I quite literally freaked out - the design was changed immediately to what we have, today.
The Jil Dress Pant is confusing many but also loved by many - to date, 35 pairs have found loving homes, yet 7 have requested a refund - too big or not fitting as they'd like - too high in the waist, I'm told. 5 have requested a size down and wear them with joy. For the other 23, I am living with the idea, that they love them - 6 lasses have 2 or more pairs - Katrina in Victoria has all three..
Tall Women's Pants and Stockholm Phenomenon, hmmm. To counter that, some healthy curiosity is required from us all as Miss G & Me continues to make a positive impact on Australian Women and their pant-wearing journey, and let's not forget those epic overseas lasses enjoying our garments - here's waving at you Beth in Germany Tall Fashion Adventures.
We have garment specs listed for each garment - inside leg length, pant rise, relaxed waist circumference, underarm length (oh, how important is this baby!!), so you can measure yourself and compare.
Here's a download you can write your details down on
We have created fit badges - how you could expect the garment to fit on you, listed for each garment - you could, and I do, wear two different sizes of Betty Joggers depending on your mood and activity. Size 12 is my active, everyday size and 14 is when I am in full winter on the couch mode.
We offer you a buy 1, try 2 offer - you can read more about that here in the Fit & Sizing section.
And lastly, give me a call or email to discuss.
Those who have called, and provided feedback and notes on their return slips have already contributed to a change in design - Una Italian Wool Pant has a 90cm of straight leg inside leg length, and a 3 cm lower rise than 'Jil' - which are perfect for lasses taller than 6'2!
Meg who wears a size AU22-24 finds a size 20 perfectly for her - she called and trusted the process.
Livia used the Buy 1, Try 2 and kept both.
Hanney returned Jil, and was open to fitting on Una - and now adores the Navy and Black
Louise found Alva too short, so opted for Monique Straight Leg - and LOVES them
The 'systems' we have created work, tall women can now have the luxury of choice, which is proven to significantly contribute to an individual's wellbeing.
And you can too.
X
Penni
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 tall women and lasts beyond a few washes. 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.
elle va bein dans sa peau