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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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Our Favorite Tall Sweaters

Well, we all made it through “Black Friday” which has now become a full week of madness instead of one day/weekend. I think most stores have extended their sales to at least the Monday before Thanksgiving now. Did you snap up any good deals? I think the most excitement for me was discovering Amazon had a sale on all of the books I needed to purchase for gifts this year. Talk about kismet! I think I’m now mostly done with shopping for Christmas already, which is a great feeling. Our family was cutting down on excess this year, so we did a theme of “want, need, read” for gift giving. So everyone was able to give lists pretty easily; which made shopping a breeze. What does your family do for gifting, if anything? 

As we’re aging, Caitlin and I are both becoming far more particular when making our gift lists. It goes back to realizing how much better tall clothing can fit than making a regular-sized option work. So our Mom mentioned to me that Caitlin stopped her from gifting me items that weren’t tall sizing, and I told her I was glad! Sure it takes a bit more thoughtfulness to actually follow through on this. No joke though, I got rid of so many things in my closet over the last year and 90% of them weren’t tall sizing. Which illustrates yet again, that we reach for the items that make us feel good. What makes us feel good, is well-fitting clothing. Too many times I’m lured in by the cheap clearance rack and making an item work because it’s $5.00. To no one’s surprise, guess what ends up in the donate bin first!?

With age comes maturity though, right? That’s the plan at least, to become a bit wiser every year, especially with spending. The more thoughtful we are, the better our closets will serve us! That’s where Amalli Talli comes to the rescue, as usual. These sisters are nothing if not extremely thoughtful. Their attention to detail on what tall women need in their closets is impeccable. I think that’s one of the questions tall women get asked the most: What item would you love to have in your size? Honestly, my first thought is – “I don’t feel like I should have to choose!” But whenever I sit with the question further I feel like every item I’ve got in mind, Amalli has come through for us!

Being that they’re located in Minnesota, we know they’ve got a pretty good idea of what a Midwesterner’s wardrobe needs to consist of. Sweaters, sweaters… and more sweaters. When you’re sick of wearing your sweaters, layering pieces. Sounds like what you see when you’re perusing their website, right? Like I said before, super thoughtful. But just because they’re covering our basics, doesn’t mean we have to look basic. Their color choices have just strengthened from each collection and this might just be our favorite yet!

They gifted us the red Mock Turtleneck sweater, and the dusty purple Cable knit sweater, to try. We’re super excited to share these pieces with you today because we’ve definitely been wearing them nonstop. Red has become my go-to choice recently. It’s a power color that can pack a punch with little to no effort. Plus, it always makes me want to throw on red lipstick and take over the world. Win-win, I’d say. This sweater is my ideal because it has a turtleneck, which is a must for me in the winter. Plus the length and the weight are both perfect, in that they keep me warm, but don’t add any bulk as some sweaters inevitably do. 

Once this sweater was sneak previewed on their Instagram page, Caitlin was smitten with the dusty purple color. A little known fact about Caitlin is that growing up, she was absolutely obsessed with purple. Purple anything and she was about it. I specifically remember this fuzzy sparkly short sleeve sweater she had from Limited Too that she rocked for a while. So while she’s exchanged purple for other favorite colors, she was lured back in with this softer hue. Plus the classic cable knit design will never go out of style. Lastly, any time she can wear a turtleneck sweater without it “choking” her neck, she’s one happy girl!  

Obviously, we had to wear our new sweaters with our Amalli denim as well. The versatility of their pieces is such an incredible selling point as well. Finding denim that works on your frame is a beast of an effort, but finding well-fitting and nice colored denim?! Practically impossible. I’ve never had a smoky-black wash on a pair of jeans, and they just go with EVERYTHING! Not to mention their knee-rips on the dark wash pair. Caitlin just posted a different brand and at 5’11 the knee rips were still a good two inches above her knees. All we’re saying is Amalli Talli thinks of every little detail. It doesn’t go unnoticed in these parts! 

So we know you might have missed their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, but we’ve still got your code for 15% off now using THEREALTALL15 if you decided you have to have anything (especially in time for Christmas).

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The Best Tall Athleisure

Guess what… it’s cozy season! Who else is as pumped as we are? Don’t get me wrong; you obviously know we live for our few months of warmth. But now that it’s cold out, we’re ready to cherish our cooler months and dress accordingly. We talked about one of Caitlin’s favorite casual looks last week on the blog to kick that off if you missed it click here! Also can’t forget to mention we’re running two giveaways if you haven’t entered them yet, all it takes is an email! If you wear an Apple watch, click here to win another high-quality band for it. If your teeth are in need of some brightening like ours were, check out our review of Smile Brilliant and enter at the bottom of the post, here.

So back to the matter at hand, which is being as cozy as possible. One of the rules I have about being cozy pertains to being fully covered. I get super cold way too easily in the Winter and need to have a wardrobe that will keep me warm. That includes having my wrists covered first and foremost. And all our tall sisters said “AMEN.” The good news for us is we never have to question that when wearing Amalli Talli. 

They sent us two pieces to review for today, the Teddy Jacket and the white Cowl Neck Sweatshirt. Caitlin and I both make staying active a big part of our lives. It means different things to both of us, with plenty of overlap. We both like to lift weights together, as well as play sand volleyball. Caitlin loves to go hiking and likes to work in some jogging as well. I like to participate in other intramural leagues, like flag football and basketball. All that is to say, we need a good wardrobe of clothing that will work with us to and from these activities. I don’t really enjoy wearing dressy coats or clothing to and from the gym. As we’ve said before, that doesn’t mean we want to look like slobs either. 

There comes a point in your adult life where you feel obligated to draw the line on clothing you’ll wear out of the house. I definitely crossed that line when I hit 30 last year. Before that, I had a lot of suspect sweatpants/sweatshirts that shouldn’t have been seen in public. With age comes maturity, right?! That’s where Amalli Talli comes to the rescue. They’ve introduced these key pieces to add to your wardrobe so you can live your life, while still looking adult and polished. That’s all I ask of my clothing, is to work with my life seamlessly.

So first up, is the Teddy Jacket. As the name indicates, it is a fluffy jacket of goodness. The first thing we were impressed by, was the lining. When we shot these pictures, there was a mean wind blowing. The lining was good enough that I could have worn it in the 30-degree weather and been comfortable for walking in and out of stores/places. Plus it has a hood. So if you throw the hood on, you’re definitely going to stay cozy. Like we mentioned above, the sleeves are amply long. We can trust Amalli Talli to cover our wrists. 

The Cowl Neck Sweatshirt is back and better than ever. They released a small batch test last year of another pullover and it sold out. I can’t imagine this one being far behind. It’s a crisp clean look in white. I think winter white is such a sharp look, and I will be getting a ton of wear out of this. We both wore this and were thrilled with the length of it. Sometimes when sweatshirts/tunics go over our butts it isn’t the most flattering because it ends at our widest point on the body. So with ruching on the sides drawing it up, it makes it look super streamlined and not bulky. That’s a win! With my cold body temperatures, the cowl neck is ideal to add a bit of extra fabric around the neck for warmth, while Caitlin loves it because she doesn’t always like the turtlenecks feel of choking her neck. The drawstrings have a nice metal edge which also makes it look even more classy. The drawstrings are more for looks than use. Plus you have the pouch pocket in the front, for me to stick my hands in whenever they’re inevitably cold. 

We’re wearing both the Teddy Jacket in a large, which has been true to size for both of us. The cowl neck sweatshirt we sized up to Large and are super happy with the fit because it goes over our butts slightly. So maybe size up one in the sweatshirt if you carry more weight in the hips/butt like us! We’re both also rocking our Amalli Talli denim, in the smoky wash. I (Jenilee) am wearing the 30 size in the 37 inseam. I’ve got them cuffed twice, so if you don’t like to cuff, you could easily order the 35 inseam if you’re 6’4 like me! Caitlin is wearing the 31 size in the 35 inseam. Next time she’d definitely stick with a size 30. Amy and Alli did mention that the smokey wash seems to run a bit looser than the other sizes, just a tip on the fit!

As always, let us know if you have any additional questions on fit. We’ve still got the code for 15% off using THEREALTALL15, which is perfect to stock up for yourself or if you have any other tall women in your life. Once you introduce them to Amalli Talli’s clothing, they are never going to look back!

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A Casual Teddy Jacket

Does anyone else feel like the holiday rush is already upon you? No, just us?! I felt like such an adult because I had car repairs and a furnace tuneup on the same day. So this week flew by with planning and trying to get everything in order. We’re hoping that staying on top of it now leads to a more relaxing experience during family time. To be determined if it pays off, but here’s hoping! When we’re talking about slowing down and enjoying the holiday season, it’s more a reminder for us than anything. If it can help you at the same time, that’s a win!

With all that’s going on in our lives, we need to have functional clothing, aside from the fancy party looks that you look forward to this season. As much as my dream closet is all fancy dresses and twirlable skirts, I fully am a sweatpants and casual kind of girl. Caitlin would agree wholeheartedly. We’re two girls who are fully comfortable with looking less than put together. I’m just glad a lot of the items we’re buying lately don’t make you choose between looking cute or being comfortable. 

Last winter we got our teddy jackets from Long Tall Sally, and we still are rocking them with regularity in the cold temperatures we’ve been subjected too! If you can wear something that looks like a teddy bear and feels just as good, why wouldn’t you!? That’s why Caitlin was feeling this teddy borg jacket. It’s a more casual option that the lovely Long Tall Sally knee-length that we regularly wear to work and generally whenever we want to feel polished. Instead, this is like the athleisure cousin that will accompany you on errands or wherever else your weekend takes you. 

Plus, this could easily be the coat you throw on when leaving the gym in case you need to stop for a coffee/juice before heading home. The options are endless, and rest assured you’ll look good and feel polished. Caitlin bought it in size 10 – which is true to size. It has that slouchy oversized fit. However, if you are on the taller size the sleeve length on this jacket sadly won’t cut it for you. She paired it with a white scoop-neck tank and a pair of ripped Mom jeans from American Eagle. She has those in a size 10L. We’re getting to the point where it’s slightly risky to wear white shoes, but she’s rocking her Vans when she still can for a crisp finish.

As a bonus side note, Ellis James is doing a huge thank you sale right now! You can get 50% off any of their items including this travel bag we posted about. Caitlin just ordered the jewelry travel organizer as well because the sale is way too good to pass up. Just click here to get the discount on any of the items. And they are sold through Amazon so if you are a prime member it couldn’t be easier. This is the exact bag we use for travel here. Treat yo’ self, treat your friends, either way now is the time to buy!

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