Being a tall girl isn’t always bad, but it definitely isn’t always good.
As a young woman standing at five feet, 11 inches, I think I’m pretty qualified to make such a statement.
All my life, I’ve stood in the back row of every class picture. I’ve been asked to sit in the back of the class so my classmates could see the board, and constantly asked the question, “Do you play basketball?”
There’s really no ‘problem’ with any of these, and for most people they’re just typical things that we in the (very elite) ‘tall community’ deal with. And they weren’t always easy to deal with.
Growing up, I hated my height so much that I was willing to give it up for anything. While my parents, grandparents, and teachers were all telling me how lucky I was to be tall, I felt like no one would ever like me since I was always looking down on them. I guess it mostly has to do with the fact that the things that make us different are usually the things we’re most self-conscious of. All the boys I thought were cute were shorter than me, and while my friends started “dating” (or whatever you call it at age 12), I felt like a tall, lanky girl like me would never find love.
I know, pretty dramatic for a 12-year-old.
Until most of my peers had their high school growth spurt, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my height was some sort of curse. I’d always had short friends and a huge part of me wished I could shrink just to feel like I fit in better. But once I was in high school, I started realizing that being a “tall girl” isn’t as bad as I’d always thought. Even today, I’m still taller than most of my friends (my best friends are 5’1” and 5’3”, for reference), but I’ve learned to embrace the fact that I’m different.
While things are definitely looking up, there are still a number of things that I find annoying as a tall girl.
- Shopping for clothes that fit
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If you’re 5’9”+, you’ve definitely been to the mall and found the perfect pair of jeans in your size, only to try them on and feel the cool breeze on your ankles.
I’m not gonna lie, there was a period of time in my life that I didn’t care if my pants covered my ankles or not, as long as they fit everywhere else. I look back at my old pictures now and play a fun game called “was it my poor fashion choices, or was there a flood running through my neighbourhood?”
We’re forced to shop in the tall section, which might I add barely ever has the same selection as all the regular people get to choose from. I get it, we’re a smaller group, but if I see a cute pair of jeans and they don’t have that same pair in the tall section, a part of me contemplates going back to my roots and rocking some floods yet again.
It’s not just pants though, tall girls have to worry about arm length too. I can’t even begin to tell you how many long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and jackets I’ve put on that barely make it to my wrists.
Oh, and don’t get me started on dresses … or should I call them T-shirts? Since they’re barely making it below our butts.
My biggest piece of advice: don’t even bother at the mall. Go online and hope for the best.
- Dating
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There are so many insecure guys out there that don’t see the value in dating tall girls. I don’t really have much to say about this one, other than the fact that they’re missing out, but you can’t please everyone and those who like your height are the ones who are worth it. I mean, let’s be honest, having a girl you can never lose in a crowd is a huge perk in any relationship.
- Low clearance ceilings
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You read that right. It’s not super common, but I always have this moment of realization of just how tall I am when I walk into a house and it’s built for a family half my size.
Okay, that’s dramatic, but I’m serious. I may be almost six feet tall, but I’m no giant. If my head is nearly touching the ceiling, I recommend you refrain from inviting any taller friends over to chill. And if you do, it’s probably best you hangout at their place unless they feel like being hunchbacked the whole time
- Absolutely no leg room
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If you’re ever on a plane, a train, or anywhere else with barely any legroom, I want you to think about that feeling, but 10x more for a tall person.
I swear there are times I feel like I’m doing yoga just trying to find a comfortable position where my knees aren’t digging into the back of the person in front of me or knocking into those beside me. I usually end up taking one for the team and being uncomfortable the whole time just so that I’m not ruining the experience for anyone else.
- Wearing heels
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Heels are such a weird concept because part of us wants to wear them to show off our long legs, but we’ve also got to ask ourselves if we feel like being stared at the whole time we’re out.
I’ve been asked countless times why I bother wearing heels when I don’t need them, and my answer is simple: I like the way they look.
So, being tall obviously has cons, but so does being short! So does being medium height, I would imagine. What I think a lot of tall girls can take from this is that being tall isn’t such a bad thing, as much as we may have convinced ourselves it is.
Your friends don’t care that you’re taller than them. Those who matter don’t mind, and you will find the perfect pair of jeans (you may just have to shop online). Go out and date who you want, be confident in who you are, and embrace your long, beautiful legs.
Our strides are pretty long, might as well let them help you get ahead.