Do's and Don'ts when it comes to dressing as a tall woman.


Sometimes I wonder if my personal style would be different if I was not tall. Would I gravitate to dresses and simpler silhouettes if clothes generally always fit me? Did my style become defined because of the choices I had? I think about this often and believe that most tall women are in this same predicament. If we lived in a world where we could simply shop for what we like, what would you wear? It may even be hard to answer that question because we have always been limited, self-conscious, or uncomfortable getting dressed. Regardless of personal style, every tall woman is connected by this challenge and one of my primary goals of Liv Tall is to help change that feeling and offer fashionable, stylish choices that most tall women have never had before.

Independent from what our options really are, I do have a point of view on what types of clothing I believe look best on a tall frame and in short (no pun intended), less is more. We are naturally gifted with a strong presence, simply because of our stature, we don’t need much else, other than properly proportioned and fitting clothes to make a statement.

Below are my Do's and Don'ts for Tall Fashion, enjoy!

We already know that “Tall” is a body type on its own, but within that you must know your proportions before you go shopping. The same rules apply when you are tall or average height and an “Pear” shape, it’s just harder to find the right clothes for your body type than most, amiright? Here is a visual guide I created based on body type to help create proportion and balance with your frame.

Large tote, wide belt, statement earrings, oversized sunglasses? Do it! In addition, go for Bold colors, prints. You can pull it off! A large print will swallow up a petits frame, but on you, it’s a vision!

These details instantly show a garment is “too short” for a tall woman. Aside from the overall fit of the garment, these small details give it away! For example, a Blazer might “look” long enough from the font but in the back, how high does the slit go? If it’s at your mid-back, it’s not right. If the rest of the Blazer looks/feels right, have a tailor sew down that slit! I have done that a few times! Another example, if a dress has a waistline or a belt, does it sit at your actual waist and not too high up?

We can sometimes still find items right off the rack that are close to perfect, if it needs a slight adjustment, get it! Find a local tailor that you can alter your items with so that you always have well-fitting clothes.

More and more brands are popping up for tall women that are giving us more options than ever before! Create a Pinterest Board for Style Inspo and Pin looks that you actually want to wear, not what you think will fit… I think we get stuck in that psyche and don’t even realize it.

So now you have my Do’s… I also have some Don’ts… These are my personal opinions on things that either scream “tall girl” or I feel don’t compliment a tall frame.

Most of my shoes are either black or nude (right?) but one type of black shoe that I always struggle with are black flats. I believe they emphasize our large feet and are not flattering. If you must (or prefer) flats, then look for a shorter toe box or a pointed toe like below from Low Heels and Sam Edelman.

We have all done it, purchase a cropped pant or jogger that is intended to fit cropped but let’s be honest, its too high on our tall legs and if you really stopped and looked at the proportions, you know it isn’t right. Cropped pants should hit right above the ankle, not on the calf. Go for full length pants or purchase a cropped leg in a tall length, that way it hits where it is supposed to. I have these Madewell Cropped Jeans in a Tall length and I LOVE them

I believe this is an exclusively tall girl thing because it does not look good. We have a tank top (maybe it’s a men’s one?) that we layer under our shirt for extra length. There are enough options when it comes to basic shirts and sweaters that we do not need to borrow a men’s shirt or tank top for extra length.

I personally find it unflattering with large feet and know that too often we have been stuck wearing thong sandals as a “dressy” shoe option, maybe in those awkward teenage years… speaking for a friend…I prefer flat slides like this one from Otto and Ivy as a chic alternative.

Lastly, I will leave you with a funny story that I think you will all relate to. My sister and I came up with a phrase long ago- it’s the “UDU” (we say it like Oodoo!) which stands for Up, Down, Up, because everyone that sees a tall girl looks up, then down (to checkout your shoes because you must be in high heels) then back up again in shock or disbelief that you are so tall!

And you know what, every time I get the UDU, I smile. #UDU

Thank you, tall friends!

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."
- Coco Chanel