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Tall Women Roundup

We are pumped to be kicking off a new type of post that can hopefully be reoccurring going forward: Tall Lady Roundup! We grabbed some of our favorite tall bloggers/Instagrammers and wanted to get everyone’s take on items that use to be very difficult to find and now have become much easier. So without further adieu, let’s get to everyone’s take on it and hopefully it will inspire you! Also, the ultimate hope is, as usual, to make your shopping experience pain free and even hopefully fun!

We’ll start off with our choice which had to be swimsuits and more specifically one-piece swimsuits. Growing up, tankinis were all the rage so we didn’t really delve into one-piece suit shopping for years. That was a whole different ball game trying to find tankinis that we’re long enough, but soon enough we grew out of that. From there we moved onto bikinis, and for the most part, that’s what we stick with because we like them the most. But there have never been more options for one-pieces than right now! We’ll always have a need for a least one one-piece in our rotation, for whenever a bikini isn’t going to cut it. For awhile we’d buy whatever we could find just so we could have a “workout” swimsuit. Seeing other women rock the cutout sexy one-pieces just made us laugh every time we’d contort ourselves to try one on.

Enter La Blanca swimwear. They reached out to us to see if we’d be interested in trying out their swimsuits, as they pride themselves on their collection being inspired by real women for real women. Say no more, considering our blog name and philosophy is all about realness. So obviously included in designing for real women, are tall women (us)! We both picked out suits and sized up one to ensure the length would work well. We’re wearing an XL and would normally do an L. One of the biggest issues with one-piece suits is always pulling up in the butt/crotch region. It normally leaves it looking a little too cheeky for our comfort. Definitely not an issue here, and a great coverage on the butt! We are both over the moon that these are on-trend, amazing quality and make us feel like our best selves! 

Eliska

We connected with Eliska on Instagram right from the start of our journey. She is from the Netherlands and is also 6’4. We always love seeing her classic choices, and she has the best-printed dress collection for tall women we’ve seen! She’s got y’all covered for the younger crowd, as she’s only 21 as well. For this challenge, she immediately thought of rompers. We’ll still admit that rompers are hit and miss for us depending on the brand, but she picked out a clear winner with this YAS brand (via Asos) romper. It’s a classic design and we love the button detail PLUS its short sleeve which is also tough to find. It’s a clear winner! If you’re not already, go give her a follow on Instagram, her handle is @eliskaxo

Jenna Brennan

Where do we begin with our Californian sister from another mister? Jenna has also been an Instagram friend from the start for us, we had an instant friend in her from so many miles away. She is also part of the 6’4 crew and is consistently posting amazing budget-friendly tall fashion finds. She is such a supportive gal across the board and does a monthly tall girl takeover where she features a fellow tall sister. For our link-up, she chose to feature this gorgeous daisy print maxi dress from none other than Long Tall Sally! As you can tell, she easily can rock some heels with this maxi and have it be the perfect length. Check out more from her at @tallgirltakeover_jenna and her blog is Tall Girl Takeover.

Mallory

This girl is a blast, from what we can tell through her hilarious Instagram stories. We easily connected with her when she started her Instagram, and we always banter back and forth about how it’s only a matter of time before we all meet in real life. But seriously, we will be meeting up! She shares a bunch of try-on’s from various stores and outlines how well they work on her 5’11 frame. Another one of our favorite things about Mallory is that she takes the time (SO MUCH TIME) to post a plethora of roundups from different stores. We don’t typically do this because, well, the time commitment. One of the items she’s been hard at work on finding is flare jeans. Luckily she’s cracked the code and found some seriously good options from American Eagle. Tall women deserve flares too, and another great option we’ve found at a higher price point is this pair. So go follow along with her at @thatothertallgirl on Instagram!

Lindsey Simon

Our Midwest partner in crime, Lindsey! She may just have the most fun feed we have ever seen. From fun out of the box, sometimes edgy clothing, to the most drool-worthy Chicago treats we are constantly loving her content. She stands at an even 6 feet tall, closer to the Caitlin club. We love following not only her fun fashion sense, her travels, and all of the fun Chicago happenings. If you’re looking to brighten up your feed we found your girl! She chose to feature this killer cobalt blue lady suit from Long Tall Sally. It’s such a perfectly fitting suit for tall women AND a statement maker. We shouldn’t have to choose boring pieces just to make them fit us. Her handle on Instagram is @simonsaidd – go enjoy her feed!

We hope you enjoyed this first round of Tall Lady Roundup. Let us know if you think we missed any particular pieces, and maybe we’ll catch them for you in round 2! If you’ve got any other ideas you’d love to see in action, we’re all ears. So glad to have this wonderful community of tall sisters that we can join arms with and empower others! And if you have any favorite tall fashion accounts please recommend them, we love following and supporting all of our tall sisters!

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Why Cigarette Jeans Are Life

It’s Friday, and we’re back with another post before you head off to enjoy your weekend. My whole week has been thrown off because I traveled to North Carolina Monday and then worked remotely Tuesday – Thursday. Cue me asking Caitlin about her day but always being one day off! *Face Palm* We’re still operating on that Summer mode busy level, what about you? I kind of expected it to slow down by now but I know Caitlin is already booked through October basically! 

We’re both looking forward to attending Farm Aid next weekend with our cousins. My favorite is Nathanial Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Caitlin’s is Luke Combs. Being the planners that we are, we’re plotting our big breakfast to fill up for the day and then how to strategically pack the best snacks in our one allotted bag we can carry in! It’s going to be a marathon of a day but in the best way. 

Speaking of Farm Aid, we’re still plotting out our outfits. It’s made more difficult because we won’t really know what Wisconsin weather will bring us until we get closer to the day. The ongoing joke is that we actually have twelve seasons, not four. So currently we’re in fake Fall where everyone gets super excited about all the clothes and pumpkin everything. So by next week we might be back to Summer temperatures and wanting to wear shorts, you just never know! I think the bottom line will be layers, which is usually the answer if we’re not in the dead of Summer.

But back to today’s look. This is an outfit that will take you from Summer nights well into Fall. You know for our night looks, heck even a lot of our day options we like to reach for bodysuits. I think a lot has to do with that sleek tucked-in look. Plus we both hate sitting down and reaching back to make sure that our underwear is peeking out the back of our jeans. Which happens a lot more than you’d think, considering we both are high waisted jean girls. But one thing to mention is that some bodysuits are still cut pretty high and might still end up having that gap. 

This bodysuit, in particular, is on the shorter end of being considered a tall. I doubt I (Jenilee) would be able to wear it, as Caitlin had to keep making adjustments. It probably has a lot to do with the fabric being stiffer, so it has limited stretch to it. The details on it, make it a perfect night out piece for your closet. The off the shoulder sleeves, the bow detail on the front, and the seams all class it up more than our other basic bodysuits.

Paired with Caitlin’s favorite pair of jeans for Fall, you’ve got the perfect date night or girls night out look. These jeans from Gap are the Cigarette style and she’s wearing them in a size 30 and for sizing reference, she is also typically a 30/31. They have some stretch and are stiffer than a lot of our other Gap jeans. They should have less stretch because they have more of a shape on their own whereas with skinny jeans your legs “make the shape.”

Lastly, we’ve got to give some love to these heels that Caitlin lives in from Amazon. She’s gotten SO MUCH wear out of them. The best part is the price tag, them being under $30! It doesn’t get better than that. They only go up to size 12 but we’ve linked some other similar options that have further extended sizing. That’s all for today, hope you have a great weekend! Drop your plans below if you’re doing anything fun!

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Not Your Mother’s Jeans

So I guess since it’s unofficially Fall around here, all we’re going to be discussing is denim now. Just kidding, but when we keep finding jeans that we’re super into sometimes it just be like that! It is the key denim time of year anyway, so we’ll just assume y’all are looking for your own denim as well. If you don’t remember what other denim we’ve talked about recently, check out the perfect tall flare jeans here, and the best cigarette style jeans here, as well as some killer skinny jeans with the perfect knee rip placement and length. 

We also would love to know what type of jeans you’re shopping for, if you’re in the market. Are you into specific washes? Do you like distressing or rips? Is it a certain style you haven’t found yet? We were just discussing with our cousin last week, a lot of jeans call themselves high rise and then depending on torso length, don’t even make it up to our belly buttons. In our opinion, that’s what would make it constitute a high rise. Certain companies are more helpful and talk about the rise inseam as well as the actual inseam. Knowing those distances will definitely help you pick out the right version for yourself.

Another issue we’ve faced is the knee placement. Maybe you don’t even realize that the knee placement is off because it’s in the correct spot for you. But a lot of companies end up having “knee rips” well above where our actual knees hit. Aesthetically this is displeasing. More importantly, it makes wearing the jeans uncomfortable anytime you’re sitting down or bending your knee.

One of the things that’s gotten better is having any pant length be acceptable. Obviously this doesn’t work on every jean style. Considering skinny jeans still reign supreme for a lot of women, it definitely works on those. Especially with boot season’s imminent arrival, like ankle boots that sneak up the legs to above the ankle, we’ve been able to accept certain pairs of jeans that we might have called floodwater length in other circumstances.

American Eagle hasn’t been a brand we’ve discussed a ton, but we’ve been wearing their denim on and off for many years since high school. We’ve heard from a lot of different people that the common misconception is that their denim is for high schoolers, like the rest of their store. I think the argument can be made that a lot of their items aren’t really teenage specific and our Mom definitely was confident in us shopping there because it wasn’t inappropriate or boundary-pushing like a lot of other teen marketed stores. Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t have “tall” denim mini skirt options so those definitely were suspect!

If you haven’t looked at American Eagle in many years, it might be time to look again! They are one of the few retailers who claim to have inclusive sizing and for the most part, mean it! I still think they could add one more additional inseam length for non-skinny jeans, but their sizing also extends up to 24 long! Talk about options for all of us. 

So one of the jean types we’ve both been interested but wary of trying has been Mom jeans. We have perused through vintage shops many times and come close to finding vintage Levis or the like. But for one reason or another, we just couldn’t pull the trigger and commit. It’s always interesting trying on “vintage” denim to see and feel the difference in stiffness as well. It makes it difficult to gauge whether they’re too tight or if they just need to be worn in. As women who have worn-out the butts of many pairs of jeans (ie split pockets), we’re understandably cautious to not buy more that we’d ruin easily.

All this to say, that I ordered several options of the American Eagle Mom jeans to try on. When they arrived, I was very excited to put the first pair on. They are the original Mom jean style and I ordered all of the pairs in size 12XL. Be aware they have long and extra-long as inseam options. Also for sizing options just a reminder that I waffle between 10/12. I was glad I ordered the 12’s because I think it’s a better look to skim the thigh for Mom jeans to fit correctly. 

I also tried the stretch Mom jeans and didn’t look close enough at the picture to realize they have an elastic section at the waistband. As someone who doesn’t like to wear belts, I thought it made the jeans look a bit juvenile or cheap and so I sent those back. I could definitely tell the difference in the stiffness of the stretch versus the original Mom jeans. I preferred the look of the Mom jeans as well but possibly could have tried a size 10XL in the stretch option to get the same look. Also worth mentioning was a several-inch inseam difference between the two washes I tried in the stretch jeans. A little quality control issue worth noticing.

Overall, I’m glad I took a chance on trying a new shape of denim, and I’d definitely come back and order other options again from American Eagle. They really seem to want to make well-fitting denim for all shapes and sizes and we’re all about supporting them with our business!

Outfit Details – Mom/Stretch Mom Below

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Feasting at Cousins

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but we don’t eat out very regularly for lunch anymore. We’ve taken to packing our lunches to save our dollars and our waistlines for overconsumption. All priorities on where we like to spend our money, right?! But we still do enjoy meeting up for lunch sporadically. So when we do, we like to choose places that we know we’ll truly enjoy. Subs are one of the more obvious lunchtime spots, and we all know there is a dime a dozen to choose from. We get to be more selective in our choices because we’re definitely not hurting for options. 

If you know anything about us at this point, it’s that our Wisconsin pride runs deep. So when Wisconsin native Cousins Subs reached out to us to see if we’d want to come try their new limited-time subs, you better believe we jumped at the chance! We headed over to their West Allis location and got to check out one of their newly renovated stores, which was absolutely gorgeous. 

Once we settled in, we started with their Mac and Cheese which is a newer menu addition, as well as their cheese curds. They’re made with Wisconsin cheese, because of course! Both were delicious. The Mac and Cheese was perfectly creamy and the cheese curds had the perfect light layer of deep-fried breading. Plus you get so many for the large size!

After we did some serious work on those sides, the main event was brought out. First, we tried the Hot Ham & Cheddar Deluxe Sub, which is like an upgrade ham and cheese. It had ham, bacon, white cheddar cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and mayo. Fully loaded up and nothing better than a warm sub! We loved the extra touches, like the bacon and the fact that they used Wisconsin white cheddar cheese. A great update on a classic.

The second sub was the Chicken Cordon Bleu. While we loved both, this one definitely stole our hearts as the winner. It was topped with ham, chicken, white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and honey mustard. It was the perfect melding of flavors, and it reminded me of my favorite Po Boy I had in New Orleans!

To send us on our way completely stuffed to the gills, we tried their chocolate shake and a vanilla shake. We’d both say they easily rival Culver’s (gasp – we said it!). All in all, we’re telling you to get over to Cousin’s and try out their new menu items. They’re only sticking around until November, so don’t sleep on them either! It was a great experience and we’re definitely all about Cousin’s for our first choice for an amazing sub sandwich!

Check out locations near you, here!

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All Things Tall Co.

Oh weird, we talked about animal print being our obsession for Fall. Here we are back again today in something animal print! What a coincidence… I think not. Caitlin dropped some heavy thoughts inspired by animal print yesterday on Instagram. If you aren’t following along on there you should go check it out and let us know what you think or if you’ve ever had it happen to you! 

On a lighter note, we know a lot of you have been missing Payless for your larger cheap shoe options. While they’re not quite up to snuff yet, Amazon has been quietly adding options to their Amazon essentials. Did you know that we have an Amazon storefront of curated products we like to shop from there? If you haven’t checked it out yet, click here! We try to round up some footwear options for you past size 12 ideally. Otherwise, we put a widget at the end of the post to check out some of their basic footwear. I’m thinking of making a purchase with Amazon wardrobe to test them out and maybe do a try on for reference. Is that something people are interested in? If so, please leave a comment! 

The real excitement for today’s post comes from another new to us tall small business. Introducing All Things Tall Co! Founded by Lauren Givonne, she felt much the same as we did growing up. Being enamored with fashion but admiring from afar, because things weren’t made to fit her (our) size. Realizing that she didn’t have to settle, and there was nothing wrong with having a beautifully tall, athletically shaped body, she set about on her quest to provide chic options for us lengthier ladies.

I couldn’t relate to her feelings more. My experience paralleled Givonne’s. It started out with shopping and having to quickly size up to the older children’ options. I’d be admiring the items in my age range, only to understand that they weren’t actually made for me. It meant dressing in items that I wasn’t matured to mentally. Browsing at places like TJ Maxx and having to look in the women’s items because the teens were far too short made me feel frumpy and isolated from friends. I ended up borrowing clothing often from our Mom, which works in many senses but as a teenager, it left me feeling matronly at times. That’s no knock on her impeccable style, I think we all just look back and understand that yearning to fit in and wear similar styles to our peers.

One of the items that I found myself sized out of the market most quickly were jeans. Of course, there were still options available, but at a premium price. I would spend the afternoon at The Buckle trying on the limited options available. The pairs would whittle themselves down until I found one pair we could purchase for the school year. Luckily, they were of great quality, so they lasted really well. The downside was the obvious pocket embroidery, that announced itself loudly.

Clearly, we’ve had a lot more options become available since then as evidenced by our blog options shared. Even some of the pairs we’ve showcased here, have length or shape left wanting. Suffice to say the hunt was still on for the perfect pair. We entered the giveaway from All Things Tall Co and were elated to find out we won a pair. Which pair would it be?! We anxiously anticipated the arrival. When they showed up at my door, I tore open the package and pulled them on. Like a dream, I now finally owned the perfect pair of flare jeans. Down to the floor they gracefully followed my curves. Not too wide of a flare, but not a boot cut either, they balanced out my athletic thighs better than I could have imagined! 

What I’m saying is, these jeans were made for us tall women. As you can tell, they easily touch the floor on my 6’4 frame. Worth mentioning that my inseam for floor length is 38”. I’d feel comfortable wearing a heel with these as well. As for sizing, I am typically between a 10/12 or 30/31 for jeans. I went with a 30 for these, and as you can tell they fit. They are definitely tight, but I prefer flares that way and the high waist keeps me feeling sucked in. The stretch is on point, and I haven’t noticed them losing shape after wearing over 5 times and washing them. I know a lot of women are concerned with getting the sizing correct when they try new companies, but their sizing chart worked well for me, and they are available to chat and answer any sizing concerns you have!

Also want to mention that the top is from Express and is the softest material! It feels so incredible and the print is obviously perfect. The flats are from Long Tall Sally and are the Mary Jane style, you can check them out here. Limited sizing available but they are marked down to $40! The hat is from H&M and is where Caitlin and I have had good luck for our large head needs!

We couldn’t be more grateful to all of the women who take the fight upon themselves to provide a better way for the rest of us. It’s such an inspiration to see other women realizing their dreams, and along the way blessing us with incredible options that we can feel good in!

Outfit Details

Check out All Things Tall Co. Here and the specific Frankie Flare Jeans, Here!

Amazon Essentials Shoes

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