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Going Midi with Megan Reilley

We’ve got another Amazon warrior goddess back in the game today. Who might we be talking about?! None other than newly relaunched Megan Reilley Clothing! We’re betting that you’ve heard of her before, but if not, we’ll be glad to catch you up on the relevant details. She popped onto the scene in 2018 after being fed up and frustrated with shopping for well-fitting clothing for herself. Standing at a statuesque 6’1 herself AND being a size 12, she knew that there was a gap in the marketplace waiting to be filled. Just writing her stats, fills me with excitement! Knowing that she’s pretty much our size and designing garments, means that we’re headed for a happy future of well-fitting clothing.

To add to all of that goodness above, she took it upon herself to ensure that anything she created was made sustainably. We’ve been admittedly enamored with fast fashion. Especially understandable given our background of a poverty mindset regarding shopping and finding well-fitting garments. So despite our initial hesitancy of purchasing a pricier garment, we returned to the trusted cost-per-wear rational. These aren’t pieces of trendy clothing that you’ll grow weary of easily. Megan chose to design a line of garments that are fashionable, yet timeless! The first piece we’re sharing is the Gisele midi bodycon dress. 

We’ve long abided the rule that one can’t have too much black in one’s closet (does that make us sound super fancy?). Honestly, it’s sound reasoning because black pairs well with anything. So having a black dress that’s the perfect weight to wear *at least* 3 seasons out of the year, and is ideal for layering, is the smart choice. A lot of times in the past we’ve purchased tall dresses from fast-fashion retailers, only to wear them a couple of times and have them be ruined because they’re made cheaply. The other alternative is buying it and then it is too trendy to hold onto for long term use. Neither is particularly smart but very easy for us to fall prey to doing! 

Instead, we’re working on building up a better foundation of basics to keep the mixing and matching possibilities endless. The Gisele dress is a true chameleon and a wardrobe winner. It’s made of knit stretchy fabric. While it’s clingy, it’s not the same type of jersey that will show every little imperfection you’d rather camouflage. Caitlin chatted with Megan about the fit, and ultimately decided on sizing up to the XL. She’s glad she did because it will probably go further in her closet now that it’s not skin tight. 

She wanted to make it Fall ready, and what better jacket to grab than our new favorite moto from Amalli Talli? Wearing two tall small businesses’ clothing items makes you feel like the ultimate winner. We’ll be sharing more on our thoughts about the jacket soon! Then she grabbed her favorite hat we have from H&M. They have several sizes and the large fits our big heads! To finish it off she brought her booties out of storage, as the temperatures continue to drop.

Like we mentioned, the styling possibilities are endless with this dress. I (Jenilee) dressed it up, with a pair of nude heels and some red lipstick. I could wear this to a wedding, or a date night. Caitlin styled it with a pair of Converse and a denim jacket to dress it down for an easy weekend look or a travel look. An additional way we didn’t get pictures of yet, would be with a blazer for a perfectly chic work look. 

So all in all, Megan Reilley is another amazing tall retailer option to add to your list. All of their clothing is sourced ethically and can provide a living wage to their employees, plus it’s made in North America! Their shipping packaging is recycled and the fabrics are also local. Whew, I think she’s covered it all! The future of tall clothing is looking bright, thanks to all of these tall sisters thoughtfully pursuing solutions for our fashion woes!

Outfit Details

Click here for link to the Gisele midi dress!

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Lounging with Figleaves

Recently we’ve gotten a few questions regarding athleisure wear. Where do we find it, how does it fit, etc. I know for us, sometimes the line is blurred on athleisure and loungewear. What better option than having something you can wear to the grocery store and curl up at home comfortably? Plus, the best part about loungewear nowadays, is that you don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort. 

I remember all of my original athleisure/loungewear from high school being super masculine. Of course, it was masculine because it was literally men’s athletic wear. Otherwise, I’d size up as far as I could go in hopes of achieving enough length, which left me looking like a shapeless blob. That started way back in middle school, unfortunately, and I hadn’t even pulled away from the pack enough to be the tallest in my class!

From there, I just maintained a status quo of wearing my pants pulled down as far as I could with layered shorts underneath. Back then I was making different fashion statements, haha. Plus leggings were JUST beginning to gain popularity and be socially acceptable to wear as pants (it was early to mid-2000s). I remember all of the leggings I owned being capri length at best. It was a time of settling in my life. 

While I was settling for humongous sweatpants and sweatshirts, the only thing working in my favor was homemade pajamas. We were lucky to have a Grandma who was good at sewing, and who passed it along to our Mom. At least every Christmas, we’d be gifted a new set of flannel pajamas, that were made to our size. That was the best feeling! Nowadays, with our Grandma being 90, she doesn’t get to sew as often as she used to. Caitlin and our Mom made us all matching pajama pants a couple of years ago for Christmas, which brought back all the good feelings. 

For when we (and you) can’t wait around for someone to personally sew us a great loungewear outfit, we’ve been looking around for better options to share with you! Cue us finding out about Figleaves being tall women-friendly! Any time we try out a new company, our inner self is busy screaming, “that can’t possibly fit/work for you,” because of all the bad experiences we’ve had with other attempts. We’re happy to report that this isn’t the case with Figleaves. 

I (Jenilee) tried out their chemise set. I’m always looking for sets that will elevate my sleepwear to a more grown-up look. What initially drew me to it was the built-in cami bra shelf. Speaking for myself, but I don’t like wearing a bra to sleep. Then if you have guests visiting, you also can’t just wear your pajamas around the house (unless you plan on showing off the goods). With the bra shelf, you’re covered adequately to wear to sleep and then not have to immediately throw on clothes in the morning just to drink some coffee!

Caitlin got the coatigan, which is really a sweater weight bathrobe. If you live somewhere that gets cold in the Winter, you’re going to need this bathrobe. Probably asap before the temperatures drop further. Just this morning, I was complaining about the heat needing to be turned on because it was too cold to get out of bed! I know Caitlin has to stock up on items like these because she likes to save some money on her heating bill as well. It’s the perfect cozy addition to help you enjoy your mornings and evenings, while still looking put together. The argument can be made to even throw it on and wear out and about. I doubt anyone would bat an eye because it’s one chic layering piece.

With the holidays on the horizon, it’s never too early to start thinking about gift ideas. A lot of women don’t like to spend a lot of money on items “most people won’t see,” but we’re always thrilled to receive elevated basics like these loungewear pieces. To any men reading this, buying this for your significant other is typically mutually beneficial. They get something lovely to wear around, and you get to see them in it! In addition, fig leaves offer a huge variety of tall friendly swimwear! 

Outfit Details

Link to the chemise, here and link to the Coatagan, here!

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A Cardi Party with Amalli Talli

AHHHH, is all we have to say after returning from up north totally refreshed. It’s that feeling of realizing you’ve been breathing polluted air once you get even two hours north of Milwaukee. Not saying Milwaukee is nasty, but as with any city, you have a different air quality. Fall feels that much more magnified when you’re surrounded by nature and not buildings. 

Plus it was great to get some Grandma time in! She’s our OG tall matriarch of the family. We wouldn’t exist without her and our Grandpa meeting at a tall people club in Milwaukee many years ago. Isn’t that such a fun thing to think about? Our height pride goes two generations back! Nowadays she just gives our brother (who is 6’8) a hard time about dating a tall woman. You already know we can’t get enough of that!

The temperatures have already dropped up north and the boats are out of the water! We’re fully embracing the layers that Fall requires. Luckily we have this cardigan from Amalli Talli to throw on over anything and everything. This is the third piece we’re sharing from their Fall drops, check out the leopard sweater here, and the duster here. As always, if you follow along on Instagram we’re sharing our thoughts on the fit on Instagram stories. Don’t worry if you miss it the day it’s posted, we’ve made an Amalli Talli highlight and saved all of them there! 

So as with the previous pieces we’ve discussed, this is one versatile sweater. Whenever they design these pieces, they are making darn sure that they’ll be hard workers in your closet. So you might look at the cost and be hesitant about spending a little extra money initially; however, we always like to consider cost-per-wear for our items. So if we buy something really trendy, even though it might only be $24, it might also be really cheaply made consequently. So you wash it once and then maybe are able to wear it once more. That’s $12 per wear, not so good when you calculate it out. But we live in the chilly Midwest, where you’re in need of a sweater/light jacket 8 months out of the year. So buying a neutral cardigan that literally goes with everything, seems like a way better investment. 

Plus this cardigan is like wearing a hug. Who doesn’t need more hugs?! We’ve long admired that cozy, slouchy cardi vibe that smaller women seem to pull off effortlessly. But when a lot of retailers only stock up to size XL, and we’re already sizing up for the sleeve length, it doesn’t have the same effect. Alli, one of the founders of Amalli Talli was showing the difference between their striped basic long sleeve and the Nordstrom long sleeves she use to wear. We were astounded to see the sleeve length difference. Then I was flabbergasted to see how short the sleeve length was on her at 5’10. To make matters worse, she already had sized up one. 

Really, we can’t overstate that our bodies require a vastly different cut than the average woman. She then went on to show how items end up being that boxy fit which takes away from the feminine fit that a lot of us are going for. So many times I’ve felt drab and manly because of ill-fitting clothing. Now we have these great options, like this cardigan that gives us our confidence back!

To touch on the sizing, this one again is a medium. Like I said above, it is a slouchier look than the duster is. So if you prefer a less fitted, then this is the one for you! This cardigan does have some tendency to shed, but Alli shared the perfect trick with us to minimize that. You put the sweater in a plastic bag and freeze it for 24 hours! Try it out and let us know if you agree. 

Caitlin styled it with a basic white ribbed v-neck layering tank from Express. She just went through her denim and was getting rid of some midrise styles she doesn’t wear anymore, and realized that this pair got lost in the mix. They are the cheeky style from Gap. We’ve both really started to embrace more of the looser leg options, beyond the typical skinny jeans that we know and love.

So this outfit can basically be your new weekend uniform. It’s effortless and comfortable, just how we like our weekends. Don’t forget, you can snag it for 15% off, using THEREALTALL15 code. It makes it a no brainer. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Outfit Details

Click here for the direct link to the Cardigan

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Amalli Talli Sweeps the Competition With This Duster

As you read this, I’m happy to report that we will already be up north for the weekend. One of the bigger events in the Fall is Cranberry Fest and we wanted to do a girls weekend up there with our Grandma and our cousins. We haven’t been getting a ton of the leaf changing in Milwaukee yet, only a tree here and there; so we’re really looking forward to the full fall foliage. Plus a lot of cranberry themed treats, obviously! 

The weather hasn’t cooperated all week long, and as of right now we’re still supposed to get rain on Saturday when we’re planning to go to Cranberry Fest. Insert crying emoji here. We try to keep positive through contending with a bad week of weather, but we want to do a quality job with our blog and it makes it all the more difficult. It’s especially hard when you have all these fabulous new pieces you’re excited to share!

You better believe we just pushed through and focused on the thrill of spreading the good word about well-fitting Fall items, like today’s Duster from Amalli Talli. This is the second piece we’re sharing with you. If you missed the statement sweater you need in your closet, click here to catch up!

I (Jenilee) went to a local consignment sale. It just reminded me again how difficult we have it when attempting to shop like regular women. I picked up a few pieces that looked long enough and stuck my arm in them only to realize that they still didn’t hit my wrist! However, I did get super lucky with a chartreuse sweater that extends almost to the tip of my fingers and a sleeveless black duster that still had the tags on it. I know I’ll be getting a lot of wear of them as the temperatures continue to drop! As with a lot of in-person shopping, you better bring your energy, your patience, and low expectations. You might just walk away with something great or could be a complete strike out!

Point being with all of that consignment sale shopping talk, I also got to chatting with another leggy lady. We were oohing and aahing over her Chanel vintage bag find, and then it turned to where to find clothing (because of course). It made me feel grateful that I could show up casually to a consignment sale, and not feel super desperate to make some ill-fitting options work. Why is that? Due to Amalli Talli providing us with some ideal options, we don’t have to search fruitlessly!

We both took one look at this duster and knew the options were endless for styling. It is the perfect neutral color to pair with just about anything. Plus it also lends itself to wearing to work (if you’re more business casual) and very clearly in any casual situation. We’ve talked about it before but when you work in a corporate veritable icebox, you NEED layers. So basically I see myself wearing this all year long. It’s lightweight enough that you won’t cook in it either. 

To discuss sizing, we got the medium. For Amalli Talli, this is our true to size. With other places, we’d probably be more of a large, especially for sweaters. We’re a true 10 and if the fabric isn’t stiff then slightly smaller. A lot of times we have to size up only due to our shoulders/arms. Our torsos just aren’t a size 10. That’s just another tall girl adjustment that we don’t have to account for when shopping at Amalli Talli!

Caitlin styled it up for a neutral workwear look. She snapped these pants up from Asos as soon as they dropped, and for good reason! They’re already sold out or close to being sold out. The plaid print has enough color in it to draw in the duster color easily. The top is the beloved puff sleeve from Express. We have it in most of the colors because it’s the perfect work blouse and has enough length in the body for us. The last thing we’re really excited about with this duster is that there is still enough room for us to layer underneath it. With it being lightweight, a lot of other cardigans are stretchy or impossible to comfortably get sleeves underneath. With this duster, I’ll be able to wear turtlenecks all winter long, easily. 

It’s all in the details, and we know how much attention to detail Amy and Alli bring to their designs. Our shoulders feel happy and not constricted, without sizing up! The duster length is actually the ¾ look that it’s supposed to be. Overall we’re happy customers, and you know you’ll be seeing a lot more of this duster remixed in the future!

Don’t forget you can use our code THEREALTALL15 for 15% off your purchase! If you want to see any try-on videos, head to our Instagram and check under our Amalli Talli Highlight!

Outfit Details

Link to the duster is here! Pants are already sold out but similar options linked.

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Dustings of Falls

You all know we’re here for a good pun, but this title was way too fitting! We are literally seeing dustings of fall in our parts. By that, we mean little splashes of reds, oranges, and yellows mixed in with the green leaves. Meanwhile, the mornings are growing crisper, it’s getting darker earlier and pumpkins are surfacing everywhere.

 I was at Trader Joes earlier this week and couldn’t believe the number of pumpkins, mums, and an entire display of pumpkin flavored foods! I then took to our Instagram stories to ask why none of you ask for my food recommendations from there..cue me laughing hysterically to myself. I don’t know why so many “influencers” are always posting responses saying everyone asks for my favorite Trader Joe finds. If you’re a food blogger, that checks out. But in these parts, we mostly try to stay in our lane.  Unless of course, we have something as incredible as a homemade crunch wrap supreme to show you. That very well could be our most reacted to story of all time. 

So I guess I just took myself full circle there, from lightly joshing about the Trader Joe stories to actually fully understanding it. We all just love food and want to share that love together. And what better way to get a recommendation from someone you have grown to trust. Even if it is just an internet friend!  Wow, that really escalated quickly and I’m shockingly not even hungry at this moment. 

We all know that I am a big fan of recreating an exact outfit, if the inspiration is there. I saw this duster and after immediately realizing I had all the makings for the outfit the model was wearing; I should probably just go ahead and purchase it. The entire length and fit are a long-limbed dream. Just take a look at that sleeve length. I am seeing myself cozied up in this soft beauty all winter long. 

Being the thrifty gal I am, aka cheap with weird things, I often find myself wrapped up in my bathrobe at home just to stay warm through the winter. My roommate and I loathe paying that higher bill so we keep it just warm enough to make sure our plants are happy. Now, this duster pretty much makes it acceptable to wear something the same size as my robe outside of the house which is a huge win in my eyes. 

This cami is something that I would consider a staple in my closet. The lace detail is so feminine yet simple and the fit is great for me even in a mainline size. I find myself pairing it with work skirts, the culottes from this post, and anything else you can imagine! It comes in a huge variety of colors as well. We’re talking 10+ yummy colors. And they are typically part of a BOGO 50% off.  I would buy them all if I could, but that seems a little out of hand, even for me. 

Insert here the million blog posts I am wearing these simple everyday heels in. You can shop all of our Amazon shoes here but these are easily a favorite of mine and they also come in a huge variety of colors. 

Happy Hump Day Tall fam, I hope you’re enjoying the beginning of this beautiful new month!

Outfit Details

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