Why are they making dresses so LONG this season?

[JinglingHellsBells]

I saw this reported in one of the papers last week.

The average woman is 5 4"

I have looked at a load of dresses, such as HUSH and one listed as a midi dress is 49 inches long. The maximum I can wear is 44 inches and even that is almost ankle length.

Even on the model, who must be 5 10" it's almost ankle length.

Midi used to be mid calf.

I'm handy with a sewing needle but don't want to fiddle with dresses costing £100 for take off 5 inches.

Am I alone in this????????????

What did the article say about it? It would be interesting to know if there's a reason. Like do they think everyone is wearing massive heels?

I agree and hush is massive. I'm a small 14 I would say. I bought two hush dresses size 10 and they are just enormous. I look insane in them! What is going on. Off to town this morning to return a tonne of clothes to JL.

Fashion is designed to get you to part with money, largely for things you don't really need.

Perhaps the best response is to wear dresses you already have.

As someone who's 5'10 and hates it when a maxi dress comes to mid-calf I am selfishly very pleased about it! But I agree it doesn't really make sense given average height, especially for somewhere like Hush which is going to have an older demographic.

I’m also pleased as nothing is preshrunk these days and always seems to shrink after the first wash, even on 30 degrees. Plus I think the average age of women under 50 is much taller than 5’4 - every generation is getting taller.

I am tall and love the longer length. It's very easy to take up a dress, but near impossible to add any length!

Went to buy some work trousers and I am average height and they were all so long like clown trousers.

@QueenofFox

I’m also pleased as nothing is preshrunk these days and always seems to shrink after the first wash, even on 30 degrees. Plus I think the average age of women under 50 is much taller than 5’4 - every generation is getting taller.

Yes you are right. it's gone up. It used to be 5 3"

www.onaverage.co.uk/body-averages/average-female-height

5ft 4.7"

The average women being 5'4" includes elderly women. If you're 40, for example, it's probably not the average height for your age.
I'm 5'3 and definitely shorter than the average woman of my age, who I'd guess is about 5'6/7.

@Lineofconcepcion

I am tall and love the longer length. It's very easy to take up a dress, but near impossible to add any length!

Very easy if you can sew. Totally impossible for me and adds at least £10 to the cost if I have to pay someone. What I tend to do is buy ankle length trousers as full length ones. Of course, that doesn't quite look right either... I'm sad about the demise of skinny jeans as I was able to wear them without having them taken up.

I'm 5'11" and very pleased about this

5' 1" here

I do a lot of sewing 🤣🤣

Finally. I spent two decades unable to find anything long enough.

I'm 5'4" and don't wear long dresses for this reason. Although I agree that the average height for women is going up, I feel quite short compared to a lot of my friends who are more likely 5'6/7". I guess they take into account elderly women who seem to shrink, my mum seems tiny these days compared to years ago.

I’m 5’ 10”. Maybe this year I’ll finally find stuff that’s long enough.

I'm 5'8" and also very pleased.

All those years of things that are too short because you absolutely can't lengthen a garment. 🙂

Rushing my 6ft self out to get some long dresses that fit lol

I’m 5ft 9 and it depends. Some dresses advertised as midis are just under the knee and some are almost to the ankle. I just want somewhere in between ☺️

I'm 5'4 and agree that everything is incredibly long this season. Much longer than they normally are. That being said, I don't usually have too much of a problem because I often wear them with high heels / boots and the long lines of the dresses & trousers going down to the floor make me look much taller than I actually am. I get that not everyone likes to be in towering heels, but platform boots, trainers and heeled sandals are very on trend right now.

I purchased a pair of jeans from Selfridges the other week and they're too long without any shoes, but I also bought a new pair of platform heeled sandals and now the jeans are perfect. I also own a lot of platforms and wedges so often don't need to actually pay for things to be shortened.

That being said, I tried a needle and thread dress on and it was miles too long even with a heel on. I could probably get away with it if I wore a nice platform though. But a dress like this would be expensive to have professionally taken up with all the sequins and stuff so I'd probably just buy new shoes and get more wear out of them.

If you don't want a high platform heel you could always invest in a platform trainer like these. The wide leg jeans and trousers that are in style right now really suit platforms and look best when they almost touch the floor.

@MermaidEyes

I'm 5'4" and don't wear long dresses for this reason. Although I agree that the average height for women is going up, I feel quite short compared to a lot of my friends who are more likely 5'6/7". I guess they take into account elderly women who seem to shrink, my mum seems tiny these days compared to years ago.

Which simply suggests that the manufacturers are catering solely for the young. Yes?

Of course 'average' is exactly that but equally there will be shorter younger women and taller older women.

My adult DD is 5 5", one friend of hers same age is 4 11".
Variations exist in all age ranges.

@Lineofconcepcion

I am tall and love the longer length. It's very easy to take up a dress, but near impossible to add any length!

This

Variations exist in all age ranges.

Yes, exactly. My eldest daughter is several inches shorter than my youngest, and the youngest hasn't stopped growing yet! It's a shame dresses can't be made in short, regular, tall ranges, just like some jeans and trousers manufacturers make them.

@Ohmnomnom

I'm 5'11" and very pleased about this

Yep, me too! Maybe it's finally our turn. 😁

I don't bother with shop bought dresses anymore. The last few years of trending towards long floaty peasant type dresses have left very slim pickings for a busty short arse who a looks like a pantomime extra in most of the high street offerings.

I make nearly all my own clothes now, tailored to fit and in decent quality fabrics in patterns and shapes I actually like. It's actually easier than you think!

I’m 5’11 and even I find styles SO long lately. I hate longer midi length / calf length at the best of times, prefer a true midi (just below knee) but even at my height it’s become rare to find.