Tall women, I need your help!

[Firerise]

Please help! I might be a lost cause.
I’m a 40 year old 6’2 with broad shoulders, size 14 top half, and size 16 bottom half. I just can’t find any clothes to fit me that aren’t aimed at much younger (ASOS/boohoo) or expensive and a bit boring (LTS) and just want some nice t shirts/tops , shorts and skirts but can’t find anything. Any other tall women out there with any suggestions?

What is your lifestyle and budget? Work or casual clothes? I am 6ft, size 12/14, and while I often struggle with fitted dresses (the waist is inevitably too high and the whole silhouette gets distorted), I find there are many suitable brands. I tend to avoid most French and some Italian designers as they work better on a petite figure. On the other hand, German and Scandinavian brands fit tall people better. In high street, I am fond of Cos (but you need to try things on) for casual / smart casual, and Uniqlo for basics. Over the years I have had a few Marc Cain pieces (German). For work, I used to rely on Armani (but it feels too fussy and formal for my sensibilities now) and Etro, lately switched to Victoria Beckham and Helmut Lang. These days I tend to go for shortish boxy jackets / wide trousers with high waist or fitted tops /jackets with wide mid-length skirts (Cos is excellent for this).

Max Mara is good for incredibly pricey dresses

Thanks, great suggestions! I’m looking for casual rather than work clothes and budget is more high street than designer, other than for special occasions. I really love the style of the Marc Cain clothes and Max Mara, they both currently have some beautiful pieces that I’d definitely be interested in if they weren’t beyond my budget for the day to day!

Any of the H&M brands are worth a look - Cos, Arket (my favourite) and H&M itself. Not all pieces but dresses are good in Arket, t-shirts in H&M...

There's a LTS Facebook group that shares ideas and will often post if they find a long item in a standard retailer...

I’m 6’0 and live in Cos with some occasional Zara, Massimo Dutti and Arket. Cos tends to look bad on the hanger but often is flattering, esp on tall women!

Can I ask on Massimo Dutti sizing - the only people I know that wear this brand are quite small so never looked for me but think some of their designs are beautiful. @linguaphile is it hit and miss or do you find it easy to find longer lengths?

Dorothy Perkins tall range is good

I’m 5’11” and shop almost entirely in LK Bennett, Jigsaw and Reiss. I used to love Hobbs until it went to the dogs a few years ago and now is incredibly frumpy (imho). I am admittedly a bad casual shopper though and most of my wardrobe is workwear. My friends mock me for being too smart all the time but I can never find casual wear to suit me! LK Bennett will no doubt die completely under COVID as it was on its last legs anyway and then I don’t know where I will find clothes that fit anymore 😩

I’ve found Laura ashley do some tops that are quite long, to avoid the inevitable midriff exposure with most high street tops! (In fact, do they still exist? Just trying to remember if they were one of the recent high street casualties!)

Next tall range have some good staples.

I'm 48 buy a lot of tshirts from H & M I usually buy a bigger size.

Hobbs has gone wrong, I agree. Not sure what happened.

All Saints and Jigsaw do long tops, OP. Otherwise, like legions of tall women on here, I wear Matalan ultra longline vests under everything and embrace the colour block.

Have you looked at John Lewis? Their Kin range is similar to Cos.
Oversized shirts,some striped ones too would look good on you,with straight legged trousers,

6ft here size 10/12 - once i started to shop the menswear section I found so much better options!

1. most things comes in more muted colours snd is less frilly/decorative and results in a more expensive look somehow.

1. jumpers, T-shirts, cardigans, sweatshirts - buying a mens size S/M has the right length - woman's M has shorter length than mens S.

1. IT'S CHEAPER! KOOPLES especially and All Saints - mensear is cheaper than the woman's wear

Also 6'2" (and somewhat 'bigger' than you - size 20 ).

Love Danish brand Masai, great tunic style tops that are long enough in the body.

Otherwise I usually end up in men's tops because the body/sleeve length is much better. I wear supermarket or M&S bootcut jeans which could do with being a couple of inches longer, but tbh I gave up on clothes many years ago. 6'2", female, flattish and nice clothes is a combination that does not compute!

Fattish, not flattish! (I wish.....)

Have a look at Palones. Their main model Hera is just under 6ft so gives you a good idea of how their clothes work for tall women.

palonesofficial.com/collections/all

I buy a LOT of my clothes from them (I know their creative brand director and she's very talented). Their fabrics are amazing and the clothes much better in real life than on the website.

They're currently doing 30% off with code THANKYOU30

I'm 45, 6'2, size 12/14 and get most of my clothes from Next Tall. Occasionally, ASOS Tall have some nice stuff too.

Hi
Have you tried Poetry. Sahara, and Sand Copenhagen ?

Not as tall as you but also find things cut too short in the body and the arm. Baukjen and Gap are my suggestions. Or Banana Republic. Also both of the two last suggestions do tall ranges but I find even their regular range is ok for me. Use eBay and search for new without tags.

Also I bought some super ASOS tall stretchy jeans for 7.50 last week. I think they were by ‘glamorous’ even the regular price wasn’t bad new look also have a tall range.

Gap Tall is good for tops, but they have massively reduced the range recently.

Very moda and hush do good extra-long basic tops. Also Dutch brand hema. Next for jeans.

I love dresses but that’s where I really have a problem as I have a very long waist and the waistline on dresses is always up under my boobs. So I tend to make my own dresses! Or dresses without a waist can work, like a plain shift-shaped jersey or linen maxi or midi dress. I have nice ones of these from H&M and toast.

I definitely recommend sewing if you’re at all that way inclined. I don’t make very structured or complicated things but I can make simple dresses, skirts, sleeveless tops, pj trousers that all fit :o and the range of fabrics you can get is fabulous. I also alter things e.g. I might buy a dress off eBay because I like the print, and turn it into a skirt.

Vero moda

Also agree re men’s clothes, especially all saints. Men’s clothes are also cheaper on eBay. So for example if you want a cashmere jumper, look in the men’s section. Cheaper, wider and longer. If you want more fitted you can alter the shape of the sides.