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Intentionality Through the Holidays

If you’re trying to find a keyword to get you through the holidays, might we suggest intentionality? Recently Caitlin shared a post on Facebook with a cry for help. Our Mom had let us know that our 90-year-old Grandma was quite depressed. She had tried repeatedly to put up her Christmas tree herself, to no avail. Being that she lives four hours away from us, it’s not a quick trip in which we could help her out. She’ll have some family visiting for Christmas, but in the meantime, she was cheerless without some twinkling lights to sit beside. 

Luckily, social media has its moments of magic. Within an hour of posting a plea for paid assistance, she received countless offers of support and all of them refusing payment. By the end of the very same day, we received the best picture of her standing beside her beautifully decorated tree, smiling proudly. Not only that, but the two women who came to help her out walked away feeling like they made a new friend, someone they can continue a relationship with. 

That blesses all involved tremendously. Our Grandma, who wants to continue to live in her home even as it’s more difficult for her to get around, now has other people who care about her well-being and friendship. I’ve been reading a devotional and it keys in on how much more generous and forgiving people typically are during the holidays. Then it goes on to question how much our lives could improve if we carried that mindset throughout the rest of the year. It requires intentionality, to be sure. Letting those little things slide off your back because you’re just glad to be able to be in community with friends and family. 

Those two women had to be intentional, saying yes to the request of help, and then sacrificing their time to actually follow through on it – to someone they didn’t even know! If we could all be a bit more open to helping a neighbor, we could do a lot of good. Tis’ the season for giving, and that doesn’t always mean monetarily. Help out with something a bit outside of your comfort zone. People will be sure to appreciate the extra effort. If they aren’t in the right mindset to express their appreciation, giving them grace in this sometimes difficult season can be the right thing as well. 

All of that to say, a little intentionality goes a long way towards relationships. Letting people know you care about them/love them is never wasted breathe. The holidays can be tough on people for various reasons. Especially as I get older, I just want to be together with the people I love and enjoy their company. So how does that all relate to clothing, you might be wondering? If you guessed that we appreciate companies who illustrate intentionality, you’d be spot on. We would be talking about none other than Amalli Talli (yes again!). 

A lot of people are dressing up and showing off gowns and sequins and everything fancy. While we love a good dress-up sesh just as much as another girl, it simply isn’t realistic to dress that way in our lives. We absolutely wear something nice when we attend church on Christmas Eve, but it’s a bit more covered up and less glamorous. As for the rest of our Christmas festivities; they just aren’t that fancy! So when we’re gathering with friends/family, it tied closely with comfort level. 

This outfit covers comfort and cute in one go. Caitlin is wearing her Amalli Talli dark smokey wash denim in the 35’ inseam and a size 31. If you haven’t tried their jeans yet, you must! They have a great stretch to them but don’t lose their shape. Plus, if there is such a thing as denim that’s too long for tall women, they’ve done it! This wash is so versatile and we’ve been wearing it with EVERYTHING. Plus we can’t forget their Hollis jean jacket. Ladies, you simply will not find a better quality, better fitting denim jacket. That’s why Amalli Talli epitomizes the word intentionality. They take our needs into consideration and then cover every little detail to make sure our clothing fit is incredible. She wore one of her favorite button-front waffle shirts from Urban Outfitters and her Adidas sneakers to finish off this perfect versatile look. 

Don’t forget you can use our code THEREALTALL15 for 15% off your purchase. If you or a loved one has been eyeing something up for a while, a tall woman would be overjoyed to receive as a gift. Let us know in the comments below, do you have a word or a mantra you’ve been focusing on this season?

Outfit Details

Link to Jean Jacket

Link to Blakely Jeans

Thermal Top

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Finding Tall Items on Amazon

We’ve seen Amazon really ramping up their fashion section over the past couple of years. It has been super interesting to watch and see it evolve. All along the hope (as usual) has been that they’d provide a tall section where we would gladly continue to shop online. Especially with the introduction of Prime Wardrobe where you can fill a box and try everything on and return what doesn’t work, it seemed like a dream come true. Alas, they haven’t introduced anything specific for us yet, tall sisters. So it remains a dream for the time being. But if anyone is large enough to make our dreams come true, it should be Amazon! 

I know we’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by browsing through the endless pages of options on Amazon either. It seems you can find 20 sellers who are within a dollar or so selling pretty much identical items. That always leads me to the reviews. I check for the total number of reviews and scour the pictures and descriptions of sizes as well. 

People who take the time to leave reviews, bless you! We definitely appreciate you taking the extra minutes to share your experience so we might have an easier time purchasing or moving along. (Take notes, ASOS) That’s always been our intention when sharing on the blog as well. We hope to make your shopping experience a little (or a lot) easier than ours was. The frustration I’m sure we’ve collectively experienced growing up has made shopping a burden enough times. 

Recently we’ve started to browse Amazon a bit more than usual for clothing. There are some very reasonable options that always lure us in to try. Plus, even without Prime Wardrobe, we’ve had no trouble returning items as long as they are Prime. But always check that specific seller out to make sure you’re not going to get stuck with an item if it doesn’t fit! One area of clothing shopping that has been a bit easier on us, has been sweaters. A lot of the sweaters are made for an oversized fit, which ends up working well as far as sleeve and body length.

So I came across this gorgeous colored chenille sweater and had to try it out! It arrived in a vacuum sealed package, which was disconcerting because it was shaped nothing like a regular sweater. Once I pulled it out and unsealed the package, it quickly regained its size. It is the softest, coziest fabric. I tend to struggle all Winter long to find sweaters that won’t instantly irritate my skin and this one fits the bill! Plus the body length is nice and long, it hits about my mid butt. The sleeves are the perfect length on me at 6’4 without any tugging as well. I didn’t have to size up either to accomplish it, so I ordered my regular size large and me and this sweater will live happily ever after together.

Caitlin ordered the other version they had on the same page, and everything is ideal for her as well. It’s a gorgeous green color, which is one of our favorites. The mock neck is always appreciated because she doesn’t want her neck to feel super constricted. The difference between the two is the sewing of “stripes” on mine versus a just plain design, otherwise, they are cut the exact same. Plus they are under $35, which for a sweater is really reasonable. 

The other thing we’ve appreciated Amazon stepping their game up on is shoes! One of the messages we get most often are women bemoaning the lack of large shoe options. We hear you loud and clear. Our goal for 2020 is to be able to provide better options/lists of retailers for you to shop for your size footwear. We hope to include shoes in our series on grading retailers for tall friendly/large shoe size friendly. Luckily, Amazon’s own brand Amazon Essentials has several basic shoe styles we’ve shared recently in up to size 13! I ordered three different options, block heeled sandals, ballet flats, and loafers, and all were true to size. Therefore, I feel comfortable recommending them. Especially with the price point being so reasonable, they are all under $30 which I can barely find anymore!

So let us know below, have you shopped Amazon for clothing at all? Drop any of your tall finds in the comments to share with everyone! Also, let us know any other retailers you want us to grade in 2020 whether it be for shoes or clothing!

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Flowers For Dreams Holiday Surprise

If you recall, we have shared Flowers for Dreams with you once before. Read here if you’d like. However, now we’re back to share a completely different seasonal bouquet that features a pretty amazing treat. First, we want to give you a little bit of backstory on this amazing company! 

Flowers for Dreams started as a college project they set up to sell roses outside of a high school graduation. The goal was to sell out and donate half back to purchasing backpacks for low-income students. The high school loved the idea and invited them back again and not too long later 600 backpacks were donated. Little did they know a company was taking shape. Following a lot of trials and tribulations, they set out to change the game and provide an alternative to overpriced flower delivery. No hidden fees or upsells on beautiful bouquets. They offer bouquets for just $35 to Chicago and Milwaukee area. And every single bouquet sold benefits an amazing local charity (each charity changes on a monthly rotation). 

Not only do they donate to a different charity each month; they work extremely hard to help raise up and promote small local businesses. Cue them starting local bundles of gifts you can add to any bouquet. We received the gorgeous winter bouquet in addition to the Milwaukee bundle which featured a delicious candle from Milwaukee Candle Co. It smells like a winter miracle! It also includes 12 Oz of Kickapoo Coffee whole beans, 8 Oz of Indian Summer Farm Honey and Indian summer honey farm lip balm. 

You know we are a sucker for our local economy and promoting small businesses so when we heard that Flowers for Dreams, a company we already love, added this to their menu we were over the moon thrilled. Seriously can you imagine a better treat to send someone you care about? These beautiful blooms and local goodies are guaranteed to make anyone’s day. It is an especially good gift for those people you just aren’t sure what to get! Or perhaps you are going to a friend or family members’ house and would love to show up with a host gift. There are three winter bouquets to pick from, one of them is sure to catch your attention. They also sell some gorgeous wreaths as well and if you want to check them out in person they are popping up at the Christkindl Market! 

Well, what are you waiting for? Make someone’s floral dreams come true and feel good about what you’re promoting behind the scenes of your purchase. They also even have a winter wreath if you’re looking for a door decoration – even better! Just click right here to get your order started! 

P.S. If you’re into dressing for the season, these skirts fit the bill. I am all for filling December with as much Green, Red, and sparkle as I can. Jenilee and I both own this red skirt and this green skirt came back fully stocked for another season (lucky you!). This skirt is part of the club in my closet of items that always get complimented. Anyone else know what I mean?  But seriously I should wear it on days I am feeling down, because it brightens my day all day: in the locker room, at work, at Qdoba, walking down the street, people just love it! If you’re in need of a holiday party look these skirts are a solid option for you! Check the widget below for where to shop them!

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Being Professionally Tall

Sometimes being tall really does feel like a job title you can’t shake. A lot of us have the luxury to choose where we work, and I know some of us necessarily don’t. Our height is definitely with us regardless, and even if there’s a day where being shorter might be nice, it’s just not an option. My feelings are fewer and further between these days, thankfully. But I definitely still have them! It usually comes after some clueless person says “how tall ARE you?!” for the thousandth time, or when someone refuses to stop staring even after I’ve given them the best death glare I’ve got in my arsenal (and I have a lot). 

I have been enjoying myself more when I’m out in public, feigning shock and awe, doing double-takes or elevator eyes right back at people gaping. If we can’t have fun with it, we’d be pretty miserable at times. You might have even caught our stories last weekend when we were in line at a local Christmas Market and these gentlemen were having a conversation about us while staring us down. We turned it around on them and had a good laugh in the meantime. I think sometimes what helps me shift my mindset during these occurrences, is usually thinking about what type of person I want to be. It’s nothing to do with being liked, it’s more about operating as an integral person. 

So while I still have the knee jerk reaction of giving these fools a piece of my mind, I realize my response can only be about me. Who I am, and who I’m attempting to become. What it doesn’t mean is you not being able to have fun with your response to people. Part of my personality is using humor, and I think a lot of tall women have used humor as a way to cope with their height contrast. So crack a joke in response and enjoy the bafflement on people’s faces. Straight faced telling people I was a cheerleader in high school when they inquire if I played basketball and volleyball. An alternative is choosing to say nothing at all, which sometimes feels like the safest choice. Just look at someone and walk away, you aren’t obligated to engage with them. Maybe they’ll learn from their encounter (maybe not haha). 

It goes back to what I said at the beginning; which is you didn’t choose the tall life, it chose you. So instead of being an amateur about it, I want to be a professional. A professional tall person to me means someone who is at peace with themselves. They know their worth has nothing to do with their height, despite countless people trying to assign it based on that value. Someone who chooses to stand their full height, and present themselves well with their shoulders back and head held high. That’s just a short definition that comes to mind, but something I’m constantly striving towards. Everyone is their best self when they’re living authentically, and I think the more we move towards it, the better off we’ll be. 

Part of that process is figuring out your style, and buying based on your own rules. We’ve talked about it pretty extensively in our posts, but Amalli Talli actually just posted a how-to blog that lays it out more efficiently. If you want to read up on that, click here. It’s worth thinking about before spending (or wasting) any more money on items that will just gather dust in your closet until you donate!

One of the colors I’ve been leaning into more has been red. I’ve been paying attention to the colors I reach for in my closet and just accepting that it’s one of my favorites. Plus, I’m all about wide-leg pants so that makes this the ideal pair. I bought these from Asos Tall range. Size reference I’m 6’4 and typically wear either 10/12 in pants. I have on a size 10, and they are still plenty generous, but I am the smallest by far at my waist. So if you’re more apple-shaped, go off of your true waist (your belly button). My inseam is 37.5/38 to the floor and I’m wearing my favorite snakeskin flats from Long Tall Sally so no heel on them. As you can tell the pants are to the ground, which is ideal for us ladies with longer inseams. I finished my work look off with a turtleneck I found an H&M a couple of years ago and a chunky gold necklace. You’ll find me living in turtlenecks all Winter long, and that’s just another thing I’m embracing about my preferences!

Tell us below, your evolution of embracing your height or something you still struggle with. Or tell us what you’re learning about your style preferences!

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Tall Bodysuits Year Round

Once we hit December it feels like a blink and the month is over! Does anyone else feel this more and more as we get older? I used to think it was funny whenever adults would say that to me, but it’s always hindsight of realizing just how truthful that is. So with that in mind, we plan to soak in all of the events and gatherings as they come. I (Jenilee) leave for Mexico next week, and I always feel like it’s an ideal time to get away because it forces relaxation and slowing down during arguably the busiest time of the year. Plus it doesn’t hurt that I’ll get to warm up for a bit, as we’ve already experienced plenty of cold temperatures.

With all of the frosty weather we’ve had (since October), we’re looking for long sleeves! If you’ve been reading/following along for a while, you know we love us some bodysuits. There is just something so sleek and chic about them paired with pretty much anything. Plus, you can’t overstress the practicality of never having to adjust your shirt to re-tuck it in every time you move. They have many positives to them, and therefore we’ll continue our obsession indefinitely. 

If you’re thinking, “well that’s great and all but I don’t like tight shirt bodysuits,” girl we get it! There are so many times I ate or drank a bit excessively the day before or plan to indulge while wearing a bodysuit and don’t want it broadcasted to everyone. There are so many different cuts and styles of bodysuits that everyone can be happy. Along the way, we’ve discovered we don’t love the full butt coverage bodysuits. Mainly because of the underwear looking line that it portrays. Obviously, we have curvier butts than some, so maybe that’s not an issue for you!

We have a lot of places that we’ve found tall or tall friendly bodysuits. Our top choice has continued to be Asos Tall. That’s what Caitlin has on today. It’s the perfect mauve and is ideal for the Winter months. It’s more of a sweater material, to keep you cozy while avoiding the frumpiness of a regular bulky sweater. Don’t misunderstand, we love to wear our big sweaters and be toasty warm, but sometimes you want to go out at night and this is a perfect combination of having both.

Caitlin paired it with our favorite type of jeans right now (especially for comfort) the American Eagle curvy stretch Mom jeans. She’s wearing in size 12L, which is ideal for her 35″ inseam. We have been wearing them nonstop, because they’re super high waisted, which is a must for our preferences. Plus they are loose but cut correctly to still hug your curves so you don’t look like a bag lady. Basically, they’re completely ideal! She finishes it off with snakeskin booties from Nordstrom Rack and of course layered with our go-to Moto Jacket from Amalli Talli. That is a size Large and fits perfectly in the shoulders. The summary is that you can look ready for a night out while still being the comfiest ever.

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