5.8 and can't find clothes that fit. What am I doing wrong?

[hollowhallows]

Yesterday I tried on about 20 coats from about 6 different stores and not one fit. I went a size up on each to see if that would make a difference but it did nothing. I can find things in some high street stores that fit, but its often a long process and very frustrating. Sleeves never reach my wrists and clothes are always really tight across my back if I buy something fitted. I end up looking and feeling like a giant in small people clothes even though they are my size. Should I be shopping in the tall section all the time? Can someone recommend me some places I could find some clothing that doesn't restrict my breathing?

I'm between a size 14 and 16 at the moment.

[notyummy]

Depends on your budget and what you are looking for. I am nearly 5ft 10 and wear most of the tall ranges on the high street. For dresses Baukjen def cuts for taller ladies, although it isn't always cheap!

[Skinheadmermaid]

I always find sleeves too short. The only place that does sleeves on coats long enough for me is the Topshop Tall range, I just bought a new jacket from there yesterday.
I also recently bought another jacket, from beyond retro in a mens medium.
I'm 5.8 and size 10/12.

[hollowhallows]

Thanks notyummy.

High street prices for me sadly. The only things I splurge on are good coats and good shoes and a few fancy dresses for special occasions. I'm looking for some high street stores that cater to the longer limbed lady. A problem I usually have is clothing items simply not being broad enough in the back. I'm wondering if buying in the tall sections would compensate for this.

Starting to feel like a freak quite frankly. Surely it shouldn't be this hard to find clothes

[hollowhallows]

Thanks mermaid, will try Topshop this weekend.

[hollowhallows]

Was thinking about venturing into the mens departments too. Thought the fit wouldn't be right but will give it a try.

[Skinheadmermaid]

I have exactly the same problem Hollow, i'm quite broad shouldered and work out and everything is just too tight on the arms and back. I'm hardly Arnold Schwarzenegger!

[hollowhallows]

mermaid it is such a pain isn't it!

When I try on new clothes I always end up feeling like a WWF wrestler. Maybe its a new niche market after tall clothing, a market for broader backs.

[leedy]

I feel your pain, I'm only 5'7 but have really wide shoulders (I spent the 80s pointing out to people that no, this top doesn't also come in a version with shoulder pads, those are my shoulders) and often have to go up a size in coats/tailored things to stop them pulling across my back.

Places I have bought coats that don't cut off movement in my arms:
Toast
All Saints leather jackets (but only particular styles, and their non-leather stuff is mostly tiny-back city)
North Face
Topshop

Arm length isn't a problem as relative to my height I have little tiny short arms, like a T-rex.

[Lampy]

I'm 5.8 and have a topshop duffle coat from there normal range. The sleeves are plenty long enough for me and I gave quite long arms. It is a loose fit so no problems with the back, although I don't think my shoulders are broad.

[Sunmakesmesmile]

I started a similar thread the other day, I'm finding it impossible to get a winter coat with long sleeves. I've recently gone from a size 16 to 8, I've subsequently discovered that smaller sizes mean even shorter sleeves. I've had success with Baukjen, Me+Em and Weekend Maxmara. None of the tall ranges have what I'm after so the search continues and I'm going to invest in wristwarmers!

[crossandcrosser]

I'm cross with John Lewis.
They have loads of jeans online but none in 34" inside leg. There isn't even a search facility for long.
It make me feel like a freak.

[grumblepuss]

I'm part monkey... Nothing is ever long enough in the arms.
I've given up on jumpers being the right length - I just have cold wrists.
My water proof jacket is a man's one. The ladies ones were silly.
I tried on work dresses earlier - they all failed the 'high shelf' stretch test. They do trousers in several lengths... Why not dresses?

[CaffeineDeficit]

I'm another broad shouldered 5ft8! For coats, I've had luck at Gap, occasionally, and Hobbs sleeve lengths are good (sign up for their sale notifications to make the prices a bit more bearable). As mentioned, TopShop Tall are useful. There's lots of options in the asos tall section, though the fit width-ways varies a bit from brand to brand.

Boden's long length dresses in jersey sometimes work for me, though avoid any dress they make with a clear waistline, because they don't seem to have worked out that taller women's waists are further from the shoulders than shorter women's waists!

[leedy]

I'm not even that tall and find Boden dresses bizarrely high-waisted.

[Spidergirl8]

Didriksons coats are great in arm length. My winter last year was first without cold wrists!

[SofaCanary]

Another orangutang here, I second Didrikons wonderfully long and snug and not all of them are complete frumpsville.

[SwiftRelease]

Gap tall online is good sleeve-wise buf oddly the jumper i bought only had longer sleeves not a longer body, fume! Yoasty wrists but cold waist! Feel like starting an online shop cslked "Quite Tall Sally" for us many many inbetweeners . But with decent, non-frumpy clothes!

[SwiftRelease]

Sofa - can i ask, is much of their stuff frumpy/ baggy then? From reading old threads, have nearly talked self into investing in one of their coats...

[grumblepuss]

Swift - yes! Slightly taller than average with long arms Sally would be perfect!

[SofaCanary]

Swift, some of the styles are a bit anoraky - warm and practical but not the sort of thing you'd want to wear in the city if you know what I mean.

I got the Lindsey which is parka style so it's not quite as mumsy - it has an adjustable cord in the waist so you can tighten it to give a more fitted shape.

But yeah, great for octopus arms

[RufusTheReindeer]

I'm five foot eight and I've just bought a coat in M and S

The sleeves come to just below where my wrist creases

I tried on masses of exactly the same colour coat in the same size!!!!!!!!!! Because all the fucking sleeve lengths were different!!!!!!!!!

Ds1 was marking where they came on my wrists.........in biro!!!!!!

Pisses me off!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you find something you like

[SofaCanary]

Ds1 was marking where they came on my wrists.........in biro!!!!!!

They do have their uses

[Blondieminx]

I'm 5 foot 8 too. I have recently bought this fabulous coat and the sleeves are lovely and long. I googled for and found a discount code tho!

[RufusTheReindeer]

sofa

Is that sons or biros?