Good Bye, 2021!

2021 has been a year full of.. A year. LOL. I think we can all agree that we didn’t envision this extending on as long as it has. However, 2021 brought me my biggest joy. The birth of Wesley, so it wasn’t all bad! We’re hopeful you had bright spots and moments throughout the year as well and encourage you to try to reflect on those as the year ends. 2021 definitely brought me less consistency to the blog. I know there are people still out there reading it and we hope that it helps you in some small way. That was and is our intent!

Another exciting thing 2021 brought us was becoming Amalli Talli ambassadors. As longtime fans of their quality clothing, it was all too easy to say yes to an official partnership. We especially loved being able to share items AND a discount code to you. Our partnership is coming to a close for now, and we wanted to highlight some of our favorite pieces in case you’re after Christmas shopping and can use the code one last time before it goes away.

Moto Jacket – Black and Wine

One of our most reached for pieces. You aren’t going to find a better fitting, more comfortable jacket than this. It is ideal for everything! Most of all because it is sweatshirt material, but makes you look tailored and chic. Some sort of sorcery involved in the making of this jacket, I swear! We both wear a size large in this jacket. Amalli also released a deep red version that would be a perfect addition to your closet as well!

Shacket – Multi Plaid, Solid Grey, and Red Plaid

Another layering piece that we have integrated seamlessly into our wardrobes is Amalli’s shacket. They have two (almost sold out!!) plaid options and also just released a solid gray that we are just on the cusp of purchasing. With the Midwest weather, it’s something you can easily grab for cold mornings and again know that you’ll have that tailored look instead of a bulkier men’s version! Also wear size large in these shackets, which seems to be our go-to for their outerwear.

Plaid Blazer

If you’re anything like us, you’re constantly on the hunt for tall blazers. Look no further for the perfect plaid addition! We’re typically hesitant about blazers because we constantly have to compromise sizing with our broader shoulders. Not the case thankfully with this blazer. Caitlin has it in large and it feels perfectly comfortable. Plus it’s another piece you can wear casually or professionally!

Sunchaser Cardigan

Are you sensing a theme yet? It’s layering season in the Midwest. We’re just trying our best to stay warm, y’all! Caitlin bought this cardigan, and it is the perfect piece to match both the mustard turtleneck sweater AND the mustard ribbed long sleeve (which already are in her closet). Caitlin got this cardigan in a size medium and it has a nice fitted look.And of course comes with their signature long sleeves.

Ribbed Long Sleeves, Dusty Rose, Mustard, Hunter Green, Burnt Orange

That brings us to the under layering pieces, and these definitely top our list. They are made of a nice thick material, which also has some nice spandex stretch to it to keep it fitted well. There are a plethora of great color options, so something for everyone’s preference. Our pro tip is find the colors you love and buy them instead of picking different colors for variety’s sake. You will end up always reaching for your preferred colors, plus it makes your closet much more cohesive for putting together outfits! We both wear medium in the ribbed long sleeves. We have dusty rose, mustard, hunter green, and burnt orange.

Ribbed Mockneck Long Sleeve – Black and Dark Mauve

If you’re like us, the more body parts covered in the Winter, the better. This ribbed version just adds the mockneck. We would say, it fits a bit tighter than the regular long sleeve and feels less stretchy. Still stick with your regular size, unless you’re looking for a looser fit and then you *could* size up. We both wear size medium in the mockneck.

Smocked Sleeve Top

We also both have this in several colors and luckily Amalli Talli decided to restock the black so more ladies could get their hands on this perfect top. It has the perfect fit in size medium for us and the sleeve detail is everything we look for! I only linked black above but there are a few left in the wine and white!

V Neck, Crew Neck, and Turtleneck Sweaters

Depending on your neckline preference, Amalli Talli has you covered with all! We like a good crew neck but are drawn to the v neck in this soft sweater style. My sensitive skin loves that this sweater has no wool content in it and that it is lightweight and therefore can be easily layered! We both wear a medium in this sweater and it is an easy looser fit. I have the berry color and it is an amazing vibrant sweater for those dreary winter days. The mustard turtleneck is also one of our favorite colors!

SALE SECTION

If you haven’t been paying attention, you might have missed some great Amalli Talli items that are marked down to either sale or final sale!

Camo leggings

We both have these tall leggings, because CAMO and they are a great crossover, meaning you could wear to workout but also as athleisure (which is our preference).

Tall Tweed Jacket

Another great tall jacket from Amalli Talli and this one is also perfect for your workwear needs! I have this in size large and also love that there are plenty of colors to mix and match. 

Brighton Sweater Dress

A truly beautiful vibrant sweater dress, you won’t find a better fitting option than this sweater dress! Caitlin has it in size large and it lays really nicely.

Linen Shorts in Natural or Sage

Honorable mention to these shorts because we don’t technically have this iteration, but we have the linen shorts from the year prior and they are great. A good length on our legs to feel comfortable and confident and a nice lightweight fabric!

We could go on and on about everything you need in your closet, but we have plenty of other Amalli Talli posts waxing on about it for you to reference as well. Legitimately we could recommend most of the products with ease, which again made this ambassadorship very easy to say yes to! All you really need to know is use the code THEREALTALL10 for 10% off your purchase and rest assured you’ll be happy with whatever you buy. Lastly, always happy to answer any questions discussing fit if you’re concerned! 

Happiest of New Years to you all!

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Gap Tall Favorites

It still feels slightly strange to be shopping, as life has morphed so much over the last almost 2 years (insert emoji holding face in horror here). The gradual shift to what we need and now even want is still happening. I thought there would be a cap on the amount of workout clothing and athleisure I’d want to buy but I haven’t found the limit yet! So with that in mind, we just want to talk about what we’ve been buying lately. Apparently, we have been shopping Gap a lot and have a lot of Gap tall favorites! Also, holiday shopping is upon us so keep these in mine for gift inspiration!

I wish I could blame the baby, but I am terrible about spills without him. Instead, I’ll pivot and blame trying to multitask eating while pumping during the work day. The amount of times I’ve stained my clothing is no joking matter. Looking on the bright side, I’ve upgraded some workout wear (since that’s all I wear during my WFH days). Check out our Gap tall favorites below!

ATHLEISURE

Matching Waffle Knit Sweat Suit – Hoodie, Joggers

Caitlin bought this matching sweatsuit last year on major sale and has been loving it! We love to show you how clothing fits on both of us and I’m super pleased to show that it still works well on my 6’4 frame. I’m wearing her set in size medium tall. Be forewarned that it is a shorter cut to the hoodie so don’t expect it to cover your hips. However, the joggers are high rise so there is no skin showing. Luckily they brought the sweat suit back in some additional great colors. Guess who had to have one for herself? 

Vintage Soft Crewneck Sweatshirt

We have a penchant for buying Gap items on deep clearance and this sweatshirt is no exception. We bought the balloon sleeve version of last year, which is now sold out. But this year’s version has so many yummy colors and the length of these is perfect for a slouchy laid back weekend look. Plus the inside fabric lives up to the name and is like wearing a hug.

WORKOUT CLOTHING

Sky High Rise ⅞ Leggings

I have to say it. These are my new favorite workout leggings. Gap has so many fun patterns and the fit of these are like butter. I prefer my workout leggings to go above my belly button comfortably and these easily do. Plus they don’t move around when I’m doing burpy after burpy (looking at you Burn Boot Camp). I wear a size medium tall, and the inseam works quite perfectly. 

High Rise Blackout Full Length Leggings

Another thing that Gap does super well? Make sure you aren’t showing off your underwear during all of the inevitable movement of a workout. Right now they only have black, but as these are a customer favorite, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they restock more colors. I have a pale pink leopard pair and a tiger print. 

In comparison with the above Sky High Rise ⅞ leggings, I’ve found that there is a bit more compression associated with this pair. Other than that there is minimal difference beyond a miniscule lower rise.

High Rise Print Pocket ⅞ Leggings in Sculpt Revolution

Of the three I tried, I like these the least and probably shouldn’t have kept the pair I did. It’s not to say they are bad leggings, it’s just a fit preference. If you look at the product page you can see the waistband panel is cut differently to lie flat and suck you in. That’s all well and good but I think I would like them more if they were sky high rise and sat up higher on my waist. Plus they don’t have a tie cord on the inside of the waistband, like the others which I missed. Other than that the fit is the same, so if you find that you like more compression then these leggings will suit you well. Also wearing medium tall in these leggings.

Breathe Halter Tank Top

I found this tank top returned in store when we were shopping at Mall of America. The length is great for me and I like that it skims over the body while still giving a shape. I wear a medium tall and it is definitely true to size! They also have an option with a built in bra available here if you like all in one tank tops. I recently tried one of Old Navy’s versions and was very surprised how much I like it. Plus it makes one less thing to remember in my gym bag!

LAYERING BASICS

Modern Crewneck T-Shirt

I bought a couple of colors of these long sleeves last year in red and olive green and the length on them is great. They are a nice weight for winter but not too heavy so you can easily layer them. If you’re more partial to a V neck long sleeve, fear not! They also have them here. 

Featherweight Funnel-Neck T-Shirt

We both got this funnel-neck t-shirt as well last year. I wouldn’t say the sleeves are super generous compared to Gap’s “modern” line of shirts but they are still long enough on my arms! Note that the sleeves have a very wide cuff and the hem is rounded. I was able to wear it well into my pregnancy. Next on my list to grab is one of their Modern turtleneck options as well, click here to shop the turtlenecks. Lastly, if you prefer ribbed fabric, they have turtlenecks in more fun colors, here.

We hope you found our Gap tall favorites round up helpful! Have you grabbed anything from Gap you love recently? Share it in the comments below!

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Lola Long Tall Sleepwear is a Dream

One of our more regular requests is where to shop for tall pajamas. We are back and pleased to introduce you to Lola Long Tall Sleepwear today! Sorry to disappear for some time, life gets busy and we are still quite active over on Instagram. We would love it if you’d drop some comments below and tell us what kind of blog posts you love the most and/or find the most helpful! Anyways, back to the good stuff – all about these magnificent pajamas!

You would think sleepwear should be the least of our concern, as tall women. Selfishly, it actually has been a low priority for us, especially when it came to assisting our tall sisters in shopping. That is because we are spoiled and have a Grandma AND Mother who have made us wonderful pajama pants for 30 years running. We realize most of you might not be so lucky and that is why it is exciting to be able to share Lola Long tall sleepwear for your shopping needs.

Sustainability

We’re excited about Lola Long tall sleepwear for a myriad of reasons. First, we believe they combine sustainability with accessibility. What does that mean? You’re not spending hundreds of dollars on pajamas but you can also feel great about shopping with Lola Long. The pajamas are made in California, so you know you’re supporting the US economy plus someone is getting paid a fair wage for the garments.

Fabric

The fabric is bamboo and is so lovely and luxurious. We tried out the long set (the long sleeve tall top and the tapered leg pant) and the tank and shorts set and honestly we both need both in our lives. Especially since becoming a mother, I had never been someone who ran warm at night. Now, I regularly find myself having hot flashes and sweating much more easily. Bamboo fabric is what I didn’t know I needed in my life! It is super breathable plus it is so soft and moisture wicking. 

Perfect Length and Colors!

As you can see, the long set is an amazing length on my 6’4 frame. No wrists or ankles hanging out in these frigid Wisconsin winters. The tapered leg is a favorite for me, because it is not skin tight or too baggy. It is absolutely something I would wear when having company visits on weekends! I consider these my grown up pajamas, they are luxe looking and the color options are also perfect. Navy, grey, or pink will never go out of favor! At least not in my house, haha.

Mix ‘n Match Pajamas

Lola Long also carries a straight leg pant option which sports a 35/36 inch inseam. Despite being wide leg, they also manage to look much chic-er than my other wide leg pajamas. If you prefer sleeping in shorts, check out the perfect pair Caitlin is rocking (tall tank top and relaxed sleep shorts). As we continue to shop, we’ve become much more selective about what we will and won’t accept in our closets. A certain inseam is required to sleep! Lola Long hits the mark perfectly, so again you wouldn’t feel strange wearing your pajamas in mixed company! A mid thigh without making you feel like you have on Bermuda length.

We love that you can buy everything separately, which allows you to customize to your sleep needs. Plus if you like wearing complementary but not matching sets, this allows you to get different colorways in each piece as well! All of our pajama separate’s drape beautifully. That is another pet peeve of mine. You may like how a garment feels, but you look in the mirror and the fabric is super unforgiving and shows too much for my preferences. Especially with thin fabric. This fabric must be magic because it is very thin but still skims just how I need it to! Lastly, did we mention that this fabric does NOT shrink?! Can’t tell you how many times we have bought items only to wind up heartbroken after one wash due to shrinkage.

Perfect Christmas Gift

So in summary, Christmas is coming! These Lola Long pajamas are the perfect gift to your favorite tall woman (even if that happens to be you!!). As we continue to clear out our closets we relish holding onto the quality well-fitting pieces from tall small businesses more than ever. You better believe Lola Long is on the “to keep” list!

PS, if you think you’re checking out those slippers we aren’t surprised! They are from SAE London and are super luxe and well fitting for anyone with larger feet like us! Also check out our large size shoe guide here, they are included!

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Amalli Talli Tall Tops Round up

If you pay as close of attention as we do to Amalli Talli’s launches, you likely have been snatching up items as often as we have. Amalli Talli is going from strength to strength as they expand their offerings. We have been loving all the new color ways, as well as the different cuts. Basically, Amalli Talli tall tops are a must add to your closet. I think the valuable lesson here is to make sure you’re on their email list as the new items tend to sell out (within hours to days!). Today we’re back to talk sizing and share our recent favorite Amalli Talli tall tops. The last time we shared some of their tops, were the amazing turtlenecks and henleys. Check out the post, here.

Smocked Sleeve Tall Top

One of our favorite recent pieces is the Smocked Sleeve Tall Top. Luckily there are still all sizes left in white. Black and Wine colorways are sold out except for XL. To discuss sizing, we went with our regular medium. This top is meant to have a relaxed fit and despite it fitting a bit looser, still is very ideal for tucking without adding additional bulk. It is a thin fabric, so if you go with white, you might choose to wear a cami underneath. The feminine details drew us to this top. The shoulder and wrist detail create an ideal top you can be proud to wear anywhere. Plus, you can always rest assured the shoulder placement will be perfect.

Josephine Button Back Tall Top

It’s been many years but I feel super happy to announce that Caitlin now loves turtlenecks like I do. Super bonus points if they are a looser neck fit, which was the original deterrent from her conversion. Josephine arrived on the scene and we were smitten. Still a very streamlined fit but more of a skim than the Amalli ribbed mock neck drop of last Winter. The buttons on back neck are there to elevate it from a basic. Given that we both love to wear our hair in a top knot bun, you better believe that will be our go-to hairstyle to show off the back! We also adore the two neutral colors, mocha and dark grey. Sizing, we stuck with our usual medium but you can size down accordingly if you prefer a tighter fit. Personally I like the difference of being able to go tighter with my mock necks vs this skimming fit. Click here for my mocha or here for Caitlin’s dark grey.

Thermal Henley Tall Long Sleeve

Get you a company that can do both. What do we mean by that? Peep the Henley’s Amalli Talli dropped last Winter and then check these updated versions. Why should we have to choose between the tight fitting option and the heartier thermal option? Wisconsin, while relatively reasonable in the Fall, gets frigid indeed the rest of the long Winter. Which means there is a necessity for both! Plus we love that the buttons are functional for personalizing your look. Stuck with medium in these Henley’s and they have a nice roomy fit. Go ahead and size down if you prefer something tighter. Click here for my black henley and click here for Caitlin’s white henley!

Ribbed Long Sleeve Tall Tee

I don’t know about you, but it feels like every time I find a long sleeve style I like, the company never makes it again. Au contraire, with Amalli Talli. They not only brought their best seller back, but they improved the fit with a bit of extra stretch to the rib fabric. It makes the tee look AND feel super luxe. We all need high quality basics in our wardrobes, because they get much more wear than special occasion pieces. Now the only question is, how to choose which colors to add?? Our problem is to not always “treat ourselves” to every single color. But they are all SO GOOD! These are the problems we like to have. We snagged the dusty rose color here and the hunter green, here.

We hope this Amalli Talli tall top guide is helpful for you! Click here to shop the Amalli Talli site. I know we’re all anxiously awaiting for their future sweaters as the temperatures are already starting to drop in Wisconsin. Lastly, don’t forget to use code THEREALTALL10 for 10% off your order!

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Lonia Large Size Shoes Roundup

We still get asked regularly (way too regularly IMO) where to find xyz pair of shoes in larger sizes. We’re back today to share a Lonia large size Shoes roundup! They are definitely one of the retailers that fill in the gaps for us with their stunning 10-15 size shoes. Lonia shoes know better that your shoe size doesn’t mean you should be relegated to basic and boring functional shoes. They don’t skimp on color or quality, and they also don’t believe that you should be stuck in flats so they have heels galore on their site. Check out our first post on Lonia, here.

Despite most of us feeling like professional online shoppers at this point, it can feel like a stretch to make a purchase on a new-to-you site. What will the quality be like when it arrives? Does it actually fit true to size? All questions we ponder when we’re scoping out new retailers. We love sites that provide plenty of information with measurements and bonus points if they reference how the shoe fits on the description. Lonia Shoes does all of that and more, which makes your shoe buying process as simple and seamless as possible.

At this point, Caitlin and I have each tried two pairs of shoes from Lonia and we feel confident enough to strongly recommend them to you! Lonia offers quality shoes that despite having a decent heel height, somehow manage to retain their comfort. If Caitlin and I are wearing heels, you know we need them to be wearable. Another thing we love are the amazing colorway options. A lot of times we have to settle on black or nude shoes, thankfully Lonia large size shoes has embraced a vibrant color palette so we can be bold and on our own terms!

Without further ado, lets get to the Lonia large size shoes roundup below! We’ll give you a brief description of the shoes we have so far and what we love about each!

Leonie

Enough of the full on cowboy boots, they just aren’t our vibe to wear in our everyday rotation. Leonie; however, has all of the fun updates/additions to bring the Western vibe fun while still fitting Caitlin’s wardrobe. Tassels hanging off the back? Check. Western stitching across the toe and around the heel? Check, check. Also a great option for picking a boot that isn’t full on white, as I know a lot of us Midwestern ladies are a little on the fence about wearing (and ruining) white boots in our gross Winters. For sizing, Caitlin went with 12. She is typically between 11/12 and they fit more than comfortably. 

Fabrizia

Also a 3 inch heel, can you tell yet that that is my sweet spot? More and more I’ve embraced red as my power color choice, so these sandals were a must add to my collection. The vegan leather is so beautifully luxe AND comfortable that they’ll be a no-brainer to wear regularly. I also love the square toe and block heel. They provide a solid base while still looking super chic. A perfect fit for my size 13 feet. Also worth noting, they have so many amazing color options in this sandal, I’d dare to say a color choice for everyone!

Ember

Another example of normally not finding any trendy options, Ember is a perfect sandal to participate in wearing clear strapped shoes! Plus the square toe cut with the block heel are just what Caitlin appreciates in a shoe. As with all of Lonia’s shoes so far, they keep the comfort we desire in our shoes! She ordered a size 12 and these may be borderline bigger than normal because I (Jenilee) was able to wear them and am normally a size 13. We’re thinking she would have been safe with an 11 in this case. 

Emilia

A beautiful black sandal with an oversized bow. I feel like I got to add a timeless statement piece to my closet. The bow is in satin and makes the shoes Simple to slip on and off and a 3 inch heel. If you have wider heels, I would probably steer clear of this style. Definitely true to size, I’m wearing my usual size 13. Emilia is versatile and classic! 


If you haven’t checked out Lonia Shoes yet, consider this your sign to do so! Plus we’re happy to share if you use the code JENILEE20 you get $20 off your purchase.

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