So if you’re still reading this article after seeing the title, then you’re probably more than used to fielding questions like “so how tall are you?” and “hey what’s the weather like up there?” when you meet new people. I know I’ve started many a meet-and-greet conversation with “hi, I’m 6-foot and no, I don’t play basketball or volleyball.”
Still with me? Then you also understand this next dilemma of the tall woman: finding clothing. Specifically pants, I no longer even consider walking into any old clothing store and attempting to fit a pair of pants to my 6-foot frame. Instead, when I want a new pair of pants or a long-sleeve shirt, I go straight to my mental list of websites, and occasional stores, where I know that I at least have a chance.
#1 JC Penney
Price: $$
Quality: +++
With a great online selection and in-store availability in the bigger locales, JC Penney’s tall clothing options take the cake. Dress it up or keep it casual, you can find everything from cocktail dresses, to coats, to running pants that will fit your tall frame. The quality is good, and the prices are reasonable, and they’re always having a sale of some kind (bonus!). Just flag any item you want and check back regularly, and a deal will pop up for it eventually. Their one downside is that the actual lengths on sleeves and inseams are just a generic “tall” length. This means that if you’re extra tall, like 6’2”+, the tall sizes may still be a little short :(
Still, I recommend JC Penney for everything!
#2 Old Navy
Price: $$
Quality: +++
Depending on the location, Old Navy sometimes carries a reasonable tall selection in-store, so you can pay for the gas to get there instead of the shipping (and enduring the hassle of online returns) in order to try things on. And they’ve almost always got some kind of sale going on for pants (bonus!). Unfortunately, as with JC Penney, you don’t get to pick your “tall” lengths: it’s just the generic measurements. Also, watch out for pants made to be worn with heels, as they tend to be a few inches longer. I made this mistake myself recently and had to have my pants hemmed up, which was a first for me.
I recommend Old Navy for filling your casual wardrobe at reasonable prices.
#3 Long Tall Sally
Price: $$$$
Quality: ++++
Designed to provide clothing options for us tall ladies, Long Tall Sally was quite a find for me a few years ago. They only have 4 stores in the U.S., so most of their sales are done online. This means that their website is extremely user-friendly, and if you make an account it will remember all of your sizes from any computer, which is convenient.
Their prices are on the steep side, which is why I haven’t rated them #1, but the quality of clothing is definitely worth the quantity of dollar signs. This stuff will last; I still have a nice pair of jeans from them that I bought 5+ years ago, and they’re in great condition (aside from the small tear in the hem, but if you’re going to let it get caught in the spokes of your bike then it’s going to rip, no matter how nice it is). Also, when buying pants you can select your inseam length between 34”, 36”, and 38” as opposed to being stuck with the generic “tall” length (bonus!). This feature is nice because it allows you to customize a little bit.
I recommend Long Tall Sally for that one really nice article that you’re looking for in order to impress at dinner or an interview.
#4 Eddie Bauer
Price: $$$
Quality: +++
Being from a mountain town myself, I feel it’s expected that I should have an option for the outdoorsy tall woman. And that would be Eddie Bauer, not REI. Why? Well, they’re like REI if REI was a clothing-based store. Eddie Bauer is great for workout wear and outerwear; I have a long raincoat from them that is wonderful on those rainy Davis days (bonus!). Their prices are higher but, as with Long Tall Sally, the quality is definitely worth the price.
I recommend Eddie Bauer for your outdoor and lousy-weather wear.
#5 Alloy
Price: $$
Quality: ++
I like to think of Alloy as the high-quality Forever 21 of tall women’s clothing options. Don’t get me wrong, their clothes will last a lot longer than Forever 21’s, but compared to most other options for tall women, they’re definitely among the cheapest in quality and price. The best part of their tall selection is their pants; they’ve got lots of cute jeans and some great dressier options too. And as with Long Tall Sally you can select your inseam length (bonus!). Watch out with their sizing though, Alloy uses odd-numbered sizing, so you may have to order a few different sizes to figure out what works for you. This is a great place to check out if you often feel like you are an in-between size with the even numbers, because an odd size may be your perfect fit.
I recommend Alloy if you’re shopping on a budget.
#6 Nordstrom
Price: $$$
Quality: +++
What some people may not realize is that tall women need more than longer sleeves and inseams. I’m talking about that stereotypical favorite accessory of womens’: shoes. Most stores don’t carry shoes larger than a size 10 in-store, and many don’t offer anything above a size 11 either in-store or online. And what they do have that big is often mostly tennis shoes. Nordstrom’s online store has an excellent selection of shoes up to a size 13+: from boots, to cute sandals, to satin dress shoes, they have it all. They also offer narrow, regular, and wide in most sizes, making it easier to find that perfect fit. Additionally, there are a limited number of Nordstrom Rack outlets where they carry their large shoe options in-store (bonus!).
In case you couldn’t tell by now, I recommend Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack for tall women’s shoes.
Happy shopping!
None of the images used belong to the author or Her Campus UC Davis.