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No Faux Pas with Tall Faux Fur

Yesterday’s post was all about finding coats/whatever your closet actually needs to live a functional life. If you missed and want to catch up, click here. Coincidentally, we’re back today talking about more coats, because Wisconsin. Winter has arrived early here and we’re glad to have our coat collections in order to brave the elements. Our temperatures dropped drastically the last couple of weeks and we’ve gotten snow more than a few times already. Coping with grey skies more than normal, we like to put some “fun” in functional. That’s how Caitlin ended up with this sumptuous faux fur leopard coat. 

Isn’t it just divine?! There is something so classy and expensive looking about faux fur. Plus we’ve both longed for a tall faux fur of our own, but never wanted to spend the money because it seemed like it was a frivolous purchase. There is something to be said about delaying purchases to see if you really still remember what it was you “had to have” at the moment. We both are add to cart girls and especially in Asos we’ve got our favorites saved on their handy saved items page. When it comes a time that we’re ready to purchase though, you can always tell which items you really had to have, because you didn’t even need to save them. If they stick in your memory, you know it’s a good purchase. 

That was definitely how Caitlin felt when she saw this faux fur on sale. The price was right and she had been yearning for it. So when it arrived, it was love. It fits our tall proportions like a dream. No cold wrists here. Plus it’s pet-worthy. You’ll find yourself getting a lot more hugs wearing this coat, it is so soft. Caitlin wore it to a play last week and sat there petting it the whole time. The coziest, while still being super chic. 

You’ve seen us rocking leopard print a lot, so clearly it fits her wardrobe. I’ve been thinking about colors/prints a lot lately. Normally I’d try to build my wardrobe with different colors to stretch it. In theory that’s a good idea. But in practicality, I just went through my clothing to donate/trash and I always end up getting rid of the colors I bought to have a “different” color. One of the colors that I need to let go of, are most blues. In looking through my drawers and closet, it’s a color I just don’t reach for and don’t keep. Which is ok, and helpful to realize! As you’re going through your closet, we challenge you to do the same. 

The better you realize where your buying habits aren’t aligning with your wearing habits, the better your closet will serve you. Especially, anyone who is interested in capsule wardrobes, this will do you a favor. It will be much easier to mix and match looks, plus it will definitely help you pack for trips! Since Caitlin loves to wear black and white, this leopard coat will go great with her most worn tops. She has been utilizing Pinterest a lot lately to help her expand her fashion horizons and find fun new inspo. We’re all about building a wardrobe that is foremost well-fitting, followed closely by often worn. You’ve heard it here often, but getting that cost-per-wear is more important than ever. We definitely do fast fashion shopping, but we loathe wearing items once or twice and discarding them. You better believe we’re going to wear items until they fall apart. 

Caitlin’s jacket sparks a lot of joy in her life, and I think it’s all the sweeter because we haven’t been easily able to find tall statement pieces. It’s worth waiting around for one to show up. You won’t be wasting your budget on something you’ll eventually have to toss after you admit it doesn’t fit you as well as you hoped. I’m only speaking from experience (here’s looking at you the perfect fitting jean jacket). 

She paired it with her other surprisingly smart purchase, which is these American Eagle Black skinny jeans. She is wearing size 12L for size reference. They were inexpensive, comfortable, and a true closet staple. You’ll be able to wear them out to any events you have for the upcoming holiday season. Plus they have a great stretch feel yet maintain their fitted shape. So if you wanted to be fashionable yet as comfortable as can be for your turkey dinner, you could do it comfortably with an oversized sweater. Especially because they have a true high rise that goes past your belly button. She tossed on her go-to pair of black booties and was out the door. If you are looking to add a little height and a little class these booties are for you! 

Are there any recent purchases you were surprised to find you wear much more than anticipated? What about vice versa? Did you buy something you were sure you’d wear a ton and then it’s sat collecting dust on your shelf? Let us know in the comments below!

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Mad for Tall Plaid

Good Morning! I know we haven’t exactly been staying consistent with posting on the blog. Given that Instagram is ever-evolving, with the removal of likes and whatever will come next; we’re more resolved to stick with posting on our blog to control our content. It still seems there could be some evolution in what that will look like on the blog, but we always welcome your feedback. Whatever you’re looking for, we’d be glad to hear it and help you if possible! As for Instagram, we don’t share the same sentiments of living and dying by engagement/likes, etc. People have their reasons for why they don’t click like or leave a comment, and that’s your business. We’re going to keep on, and not badger anyone to engage with us. Know that we appreciate it when you do, and love hearing your messages if we’re able to help you!

So anyway, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the one thing that we can never seem to avoid mentioning: the weather. It’s unavoidable and starts to get understandably annoying but it directly correlates to what we have to wear. So for that reason, we must come to terms with its connection to our love of clothing. If we love wearing clothing, we have to understand and accept the types/styles our climate allows us to comfortably do so. You can spend all of your money buying the cutest tank tops and mini skirts, but when the time comes they’ll sit in your closet collecting dust because you’d rather be warm wearing something appropriately suited to the day.

Not sure about you, but this can still be difficult to reconcile. I think as we’ve matured in years and hopefully wisdom, we’ve been able to gain an understanding of smarter purchases. So while we always admire certain looks we see on Pinterest and Instagram, we know it shouldn’t be a big part of our closets. It can be easy to focus on the negative aspect and what we can’t/shouldn’t do, but we’d also like to reframe it and focus on the positive. We can have a bigger sweater collection. Our jeans can arguably be worn year-round because of work and lower nighttime temperatures. Lastly, we can have a bigger coat collection! All of these make sense to invest in because you’ll get your cost per wear down.

There still comes a point in the winter where only the winter parka will cut it for daily use. But for the most part, if I wear a scarf, gloves, and a hat, I can easily wear my dressy thinner coats. They make for a more put-together look, which is ideal for workwear. As we all know, people are immediately making judgments/assumptions based on appearance. As tall women, we’re much more noticeable (whether we like it or not). We command attention when we walk into a room and I’d much rather present a positive, classy look, than a negative one.

So as we discussed a couple of weeks ago, we’ve seen the benefits of investing in a couple of coats throughout the years. Obviously, it isn’t feasible to go out and buy up lots of coats every year. But with sales/markdowns, it’s an option to find a tall sized coat for under $100 or right around $100! The best bet is to start with really classic prints or colors to have a versatile coat that will never go out of style. It goes back to what I was mentioning above. It can be the most fun to shop for more “fun” clothing, but it’s not fun when you have to pass by it every morning because it doesn’t work as a cohesive member of your closet. Just food for thought on building a thoughtful wardrobe. 

I paired the coat with a pretty green blouse I bought from H&M a couple of years ago. That’s another mindset shift I’ve recently realized. At first, I thought I shouldn’t have too many frilly romantic blouses in my closet. But every time I get dressed, I’m looking for something feminine and girly, that’s just like those blouses. So I pass by the other plain options that I bought because it’s the “right” thing to do. Then they just sit there day in and day out because it’s not truly my style. It’s all a learning process. 

Lastly, I’ve been wearing my new Amalli Talli denim non-stop. I have on the size 30 in 37’ inseam. If you’re wondering about sizing, I normally wear a size 10/12 which translates to 30/31. They have great stretch to them, and I’d say if between sizes size down. If you don’t like to cuff your skinny jeans, also go for the shorter inseam of 35”. They have filled a hole in my closet of a black jean with a grey tone to them. They are perfect to wear to work because they look super classy and streamlined.  In fact, we shot this over lunch on a casual Friday. I finished the look off with loafers that I found at Nordstrom Rack. They go up to size 13, and you can find some good options on their website as well.

I hope your week is off to a great start! Tell us below, what have you realized about your shopping habits that aren’t serving your closet well?

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Your Curves Will Thank You Later

I hope you’re hanging in there with daylight savings time change. This one at least works in our favor to catch an extra hour of sleep! On the other hand, I wondered why I was ready to tuck into bed at 8 p.m. on Sunday night. Now we will get some sunlight to wake us in the morning, which I’m sorely in need of to drag myself from my cozy bed. But I’m already ready for it to be past December 21st which is the shortest day of the year. I happen to enjoy daylight before and after work, thank you very much.

One of the things that has been nice about the weather turning cold is taking advantage to slow down the schedules. We’re so guilty of saying yes to anything and everything, and not taking into consideration how we’ll feel come the moment of the event. I ended up in three different fall sports leagues. While I always enjoy playing, compounding them leaves me feeling resentful of the little alone time I’m left with. It took a bit to catch up, but I set aside two weekends in a row where I made little to no plans. Caitlin and I are planners, especially when we’re together. 

As you can imagine, it felt foreign to walk into a weekend and have nothing tugging your time or attention. I finally got through some of my closet to sell/donate pile after putting it off for a month. My plant babies all got pruned, and just in time for the dry season of heating the house. Plus it’s all the deeper cleaning items that you don’t get to when you just need to tidy up before someone walks into your house. When you get a chance to exhale, I first typically take it to rest. So now I had a second exhale, I was able to channel my energies into productivity that I’ve neglected.

It couldn’t come in a more timely manner. We’re all going to be ramping up towards the holidays. I know the running joke is that everyone is ready to decorate for Christmas already because we’ve already gotten six inches of snow in these parts. I can’t say I oppose it, because it’s a lot of work decorating for Christmas and the longer I can keep it up, the better. Plus studies say that it makes you more cheerful the earlier you get your decorations up. I think the retail stores have taken that a little too far.

All that to say, I hope you’re going into this holiday season with a bit of intentionality. You only have so much of yourself to give. Don’t overextend yourself, whether it’s mentally, financially, or however you have a tendency to do so. It can feel countercultural to do so, but I don’t think you’ll regret it. We’re bombarded with messages about what we can do or buy to improve our holidays. Surrounding yourself with people you love and cutting yourself a break will be your best bet. 

I’ll get off my earnest well-intentioned horse to talk about the lighter part of the post; the clothing. This year has got to be called the year of the jeans. Never have I had a better year of shopping for jeans. It started with experiencing Height of Fashion’s denim launch – check our post here. From there I finally hopped on the American Eagle denim bandwagon after seeing Caitlin rock their Mom jeans. Finally, our beloved Amalli Talli launched their namesake denim line as well to ice the cake (check that review, here). So basically, feeling spoiled. 

Today we’re talking American Eagle though. I have to stop and give credit where it’s due. They’ve long been pushing for people to embrace themselves and have stopped airbrushing/editing to further solidify this positive agenda. We’ve heard so many retailers tout their inclusive sizing that we’ve become deaf to it at this point. Why? Because it’s been a lie. Inclusive sizing has pretty much become synonymous with plus sized. Which is great, and a victory for all the women that have long been yearning for options. That still leaves a portion of the population out; namely tall women. 

Luckily, I was lured in by seeing other (shorter than me) tall women wearing American Eagle. I reasoned that I had nothing to lose by ordering them and returning if they didn’t fit. So I made the leap and although the first order was a bit of a snafu with quality control and inseam length, I ended up keeping a pair. Suffice to say, I haven’t looked back since then. You could call me a bit of an expert on the fit and which works perfectly on my frame. The best part? Caitlin can order the Long length, while I fit into the XL length. Now that’s some inclusive sizing for a big-box retailer. Plus they go up to size 14 in XL length and 24 in L length. I know that still leaves a bit to be desired for anyone 6’4 and bigger than a size 14, but good progress in our direction.

As for my favorite styles, it is hands down the curvy! The rise on these is 11.25”! It actually covers my belly button. Plus because they’re curvy, there is no waistband gapping. They’re stretchy, but after wearing them and being soaked by rain continuously for hours, they didn’t stretch out either. I got them in a 12XL. I probably could wear a 10XL but I prefer a comfortable looser fit as long as they aren’t falling down. It feels so exciting to be able to buy the “fun pants” that I’ve seen on other women. 

Pairing it with my glorious moto jacket from Amalli Talli is a no brainer. You’ll catch me wearing this ultimate tall girl jacket all winter long. I have it on in size L and if you’ve been eyeing it up, only XL and S remain, so I wouldn’t sleep on it. We’ve still got our 15% code for you to use, THEREALTALL15 if you’ve been hoping for a discount. Wearing both I can still look rocker chic and ready for a day/night out, but feel like I could curl up on the couch and nap comfortably. I’ve got on my square neck t-shirt I snagged from the N-sale and I’m ready for whatever. 

Tell us below, how are you slowing down to enjoy the Holiday season this year?

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The Case For a Camel Coat

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Amalli Talli content to let you know that it’s officially coat season in the Midwest. Ugh, writing that alone gives me a chill. It’s always humorous looking back at what point we stop wearing coats as the temperatures increase. By the time winter is over, I think our blood is much thicker and we can handle a lot of cooler temperatures. If you survive through polar vortexes then I think it has to be true! So point being, right now it feels really cold, but it’s all relative! The temperatures will continue to drop and we’ll eventually acclimate to them. 

It’s time to bring out your coat collection because wearing just a sweater won’t cut it anymore. What better way to get excited about the cooler temperatures than with a new coat? We’re not talking about going crazy and spending a bunch of money on a coat either. There are many options available on sale or clearance that will help you look your best. We’re constantly lurking on the clearance section especially at Asos because you can buy a coat in the offseason for such a reasonable price. Plus, they always have the best selection of coats for tall women. I haven’t found anywhere else that can compete yet!

Clearly this coat is also from Asos then, as well. We came across it back in the Spring when we were able to visit the Asos showroom. We tried it on there, and our Mom ended up loving it – so she took it home with her. It has an oversized fit so the size 8 worked on her, despite her wearing pretty much the same size as us (aka a 10/12) in jackets/coats. Caitlin couldn’t get it off her mind, so she ended up ordering it a little while after we got back. Due to it coinciding with Summer, she hasn’t been able to wear it much; until now. 

The weight feels pretty equal to what you’d expect from a trench coat. So it’s a coat that will get you through those transitional months into and out of Summer. She got it in a size 10 and feels like there is plenty of room to move around with shoulder space. I know some ladies have expressed their frustration with Asos sizing (and lack of reviewability), so we’re always happy to answer any questions about certain brands they carry or let you know if any pieces are a #tallfail. We keep a story highlight devoted to it on Instagram, you should check it out! Let us know what you’d like to see more of, and we’ll do our best to help you out.

As I got out of college, I think I had one coat. Guess what, it was a winter coat. Not gonna cut it for life. Yes, you definitely need that heavy winter jacket when you live in Wisconsin and the temperatures inevitably drop to single digits. But what about the other months where there just might be a biting wind. Plus, I hated showing up to a nice event with my winter jacket on. It doesn’t exactly match the aesthetic of your nice dress and heels! So every couple of years, I find a nice mid-weight jacket that is on sale and add it to my little collection. If you pick a solid color or classic print, you’ll be able to hold onto it for a long long time.

I think we all can agree that camel color is not only a classic but also is neutral at this point. So buying a camel-colored coat, whether it’s a trench or a variation like this one, should be at the top of your coat list. You’ll instantly look put together, and be able to wear it in a professional work setting as well. Win-win in our book. We’re constantly looking for versatile hard-working items for our closets.

Caitlin paired it with the cutest, softest leopard print cropped tank she bought from Express. Her jeans are from Gap and are the beloved Cigarette style she can’t get enough of. They just hug your curves so perfectly. She finishes it off with Derby shoes from Vionic. Talk about a classy pair of shoes. Plus they have the inserts to make wearing them effortlessly comfortable. 

So tell us below, how many coats do you have? Is there a right number? Are you on the hunt for any particular styles? We linked a couple of our favorites we’ve been browsing as well.

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Asos Coat Roundup

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Cool Girl Casual with Amalli Talli

You know when you see an item that you didn’t even know could exist for you? Like you didn’t know how to dream for it, because you set limits on what you could hope for as a tall woman? For us, it’s these moto leggings. When Amalli Talli mentioned they were coming out with a pair of leggings, we were pretty blase about it. Let’s face it, leggings have been done before and I think we all might have a long enough pair floating around our house. 

But these aren’t just leggings. They’re like a hybrid of a legging and a jogger. They keep the best part of the leggings, which is the streamlined look. The cuff at the bottom gives it the jogger feel, as well as the waistband at the top with the drawstring closure. A lot of times I choose not to wear leggings because I end up feeling exposed if I don’t have a long enough top. This pair definitely has enough visual interest to keep it from feeling like everything is on display. 

The cool factor is upped by a million with the addition of the moto knee. I’ve long admired moto pants on other less vertically gifted women. There has even been a couple of times I’ve attempted to purchase some moto pants for myself. Alas, the knee placement was ill-advised and they were quickly returned. So, I had to resign myself to letting go of that trend… until now! Our favorite tall sisters coming in clutch for us, as usual. 

I know we’re not alone in feeling like Amalli Talli is just going from strength to strength recently. With all of our recent reviews, we’d swear to you they covered everything a tall woman could need… until they pop up on stories with another incredible teaser of a product drop. Just this week, they showed three new sweaters and they are some of our absolute favorite colors! We’ve heard from so many happy ladies about feeling like a queen in their new purchase, and we couldn’t be happier for all of us!

We’re both wearing the moto leggings in a size Large. That’s true to size for us. Obviously the knee placement is on point, as mentioned before. Truly, the best part about these? They are a thick, luxe feeling material. So none of that see-through nonsense when you’re bending over that we’ve all dealt with too many times. Don’t be afraid to move though, because they are incredibly comfortable. 

With all of the movement, whether it’s lounging, walking, or running around with your kids – we were most excited to realize how well they stay in place. Not sure if it’s our shape or if all women experience the constant tugging up and in place of their clothing. Whatever the case, there was none of that! Once they’re on, you don’t have to worry about them! Even if you don’t want to tie the drawstring tight, they aren’t going anywhere. It’s THE BEST. 

If that wasn’t good enough, they’ve conquered the jean jacket. We’ve literally pulled our other jean jackets out of our closets to donate after receiving these. Caitlin was wearing hers JUST FOR FUN while she was lounging around the house. Like what kind of sorcery is in them to make them this comfortable? They have an ideal amount of stretch to them, plus they’re correctly cut for our shoulder width. You know they never skimp on sleeve length, so no more having to push up the sleeves to avoid people realizing they don’t make it to your wrists. Again we’re wearing the size Large, and it is true to size for us. We’ve got some room that we’ll be able to layer and wear a sweater underneath (like one of their new ones perhaps!). 

So here’s to sounding like a broken record, but we’re ecstatic about all of these new arrivals. They are so thoughtfully designed and made to flatter our bodies. We can all rejoice together because Amalli Talli has our backs (and arms, and legs). Use THEREALTALL15 for 15% off your purchase. I wouldn’t wait around forever, because I know women are snapping these up fast!

We want to thank @leptitcreator again for these pictures!

Outfit Details

Link to moto leggings, here! Link to denim jackets, here!

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