Tall Style

Winter Sales Try-On

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There’s a running joke in my family that my dad has never paid full-price for anything. His haggling is legendary and he can smell a sale a mile away. I think I inherited a little of my bargain-hunting ability from him, along with my height.

Today I’m giving you a run down of all the items I bought on Black Friday – most of which are now in the winter sales. This year I shopped Dorothy Perkins (Tall), Coast and H&M. Here’s what I got (and what I sent back):

First up: Dorothy Perkins Tall.

These trousers looked super comfy but they were enormous on me. I bought a UK 12 so they would fit my hips but it felt like I was wearing a size 14/16. If you’re in the 6 foot and up club they might work better on you, but the waist was super high and the leg length was more suited to a 36-38″ length really. They also had a ribbed texture, which was comfy but not as loose and flowy as I had envisaged. (Available in Tall only).

However, this black top with sheer overlay is a winner. The length was spot on, it fit true to size and it’s a total bargain!

This pleated skirt was also a real winner. It looks shiny/satin-like online but is a jersey material in reality. Similarly the picture online shows an asymmetric hemline, but it’s definitely A-line. Feels super-festive and elegant to wear though so no complaints from me! Fits true to size.

Finally, the most chic and cheap winter coat. Double breasted with a snuggly faux-fur collar this coat is just perfect. I could also imagine Cameron Diaz wearing something like it in The Holiday – so it gets extra glam points for that.

All in all (and despite my personal feelings about their CEO) I’ll be sad to see this brand go now that the parent Arcadia Group is in administration – the DP tall line has some real gems.

Next up: Coast

I’m always a bit disappointed that Coast is less size-inclusive than other high-street brands, but you can’t argue with the quality of their garments for the price. I tried just two items and sadly neither was a perfect fit but they both had some major plus-points.

This body-con dress is a Size M and almost fit my body shape perfectly – albeit that the arms were a tad short and gathered at the elbows. I also took issue with the belt which was much too large and sat very high (even for a person of average height). It’s available in 3 colours with limited availability.

I was gutted that this lace detail top was so small on me. The intricacy and detail of the design made it feel really special (for a high street item). Available in two colours.

Finally, I went a bit overboard with H&M while they had 20 percent off the site over Black Friday. Using their size guide I ordered most items in Medium and they were much too large. Everything in a UK10 fit perfectly but if you’re picking a generic size, go one lower!

This black top with twist-back detail felt thick and warm but as you can see – was much too big for me. As was the v-neck/back cream jumper (no longer available online) which was also too short on the body & sleeves for me.

I’ve always been a bit wary of dresses like this Belted Dress as I’m quite broad shouldered and feel this sort of neckline can have the unfortunate effect of accentuating that… but I got over that pretty quickly as the fit and design of this dress were just lovely. I wish my work didn’t have a strict navy-and-white dress code for officewear as this would be the perfect pretty dress for the office. I’m wearing a size 10 and it fits true to size.

I’m rounding off this try-on with another pretty dress. Sadly too large but I would go back for the next size down as this was a really unique take on the shirt-dress. With concealed buttons, pleat detail and a pretty print, it’s really rather lovely. Size down.

Leather-Look

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When I was re-launching this blog recently, I thought about re-naming it and making the tag line into the name. Since “Country Chick, City Chic” perfectly sums me up.

When I was in my first year of university, London seemed very daunting at first. It was a million miles away from the green fields of home, where wellies were my preferred footwear and “on foot” was my main mode of transportation. I shared a flat in halls with (amongst others) another girl who had also come from a small village, like me. One day she came out of her room wearing shorts with tights (don’t judge – it was the hottest trend at the time!) and I remember her saying to me “I could never get away with this look at home.”

She wasn’t wrong. Communities are smaller, gossip is louder and trends are slower to catch on in the countryside. Which is perhaps why it sometimes feels safer to blend in, than to stand out.

It’s not a mentality I like, but the longer you stay in the countryside the more you feel it taking root. So when I started thinking about experimenting with the leather-look, I was a bit worried it was too edgy for me. But then I found the perfect pair of leather-look skinnies and now I can’t stop thinking about ways to style them. (We’ll save that for another blog post though.) First of all let me take you through my search for the perfect pair of leather-look trousers…

First up is this pair of “Leather-look leggings” from New Look Tall via Asos. When these arrived the label on the packet actually described them as wet-look and that’s a much more accurate description for them. They fit true to size and felt like a second skin but they left little to the imagination and it was really the leather look I was after…

Next up was a pair of coated black skinny jeans from Missguided. I’d never shopped from Missguided before and found the quality left a lot to be desired. The material was very unforgiving on me and the fit wasn’t perfect on me either (as my hips are a dress size bigger than my waist) though I would describe it as true to size.

After that, I tried Next. This pair I absolutely loved. The quality is amazing. They’re a snug fit with just the right amount of stretch to be comfy. They’re also lined with a fleece-like material which makes them very cosy for these cooler temps. And they come with the added bonus that they look much more expensive than they are. Sadly though these were also true to size at the waist and therefore not a good fit for my pear-shape. I was gutted but with no way to alter them I opted to send them back.

I went for these coated jeans instead and finally found the perfect pair! I love the zip detail on these, the quality is great and they fit like a glove. No, actually, they fit like the perfect pair of jeans. (I’m wearing a 12 XL Tall.)

P.S. The t-shirt I’m wearing for this post was designed by a very talented friend of mine and it’s part of a much larger range for this streaming channel. You can buy the exact t-shirt I’m wearing here and you can see the full range here. I’ve found the sizing guide to be very accurate (I’m wearing an M) and was pleasantly surprised by the quality – as well as being a decent length and the perfect fit it’s also 100% cotton.

Nasty Gal Try-On

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I’ve never shopped with Nasty Gal before. Mainly because they don’t carry a tall line and that’s my go-to when it comes to finding the perfect fit for me. That being said, I’ve had lots of pleasant surprises from non-tall sections of other retailers over the years, and if you don’t try, you’ll never know. So I tried a lot of their clothes for you!

The Nasty Gal sizing was a bit hit and miss for me. (For reference I am a UK size 10 on my torso but a UK size 12 at my hips.) I used the sizing guide on the Nasty Gal website to select my sizes. However, I found that everything offered in a UK Size 10 came up too small and for other items I should have got a small instead of a medium. At least now I know what to order in the future and hopefully this will prove useful for you too!

Up first are these thigh-high boots. I’ve wanted a pair of over-the-knee boots for ages but haven’t been able to find a flat pair that hit the right height. Of all the items in my order, I thought for sure I would be sending these back but the height was spot-on. If you have narrow feet, I would recommend sizing up as the pointed toe makes for a snug fit. Not suitable for those with a wide fit but perfect for those with long legs!

This square neck top features split sides below the waist – which I guess are there to make it easier to tuck in but that’s not the real issue. The wide neck might be sexy but it leaves no room for bra straps to remain hidden. That wouldn’t necessarily be an issue but (although you can’t see it in the picture above) the top has an open weave to the knit across the chest – so a bra really isn’t optional here. You could go strapless – but either way your bra will be on show. I bought the size 10 and found it a snug fit.

It struck me recently that “girl in the pretty dress” hasn’t featured any girly dresses for a while, this dress was my attempt to rectify that and it wasn’t too bad on. Sleeve length was good and so was the hem length – it’s described as a midi and fit that way. It’s definitely more of a summer dress though as the material is very light and floaty. For me the waist sat too high and the consequence was that the wrap-over was also a little higher than felt safe. Fits true to size.

I ordered a size 10 of this polka dot top but it definitely runs small. The neckline is lovely but the sleeves were 3/4 length on me and the whole thing just felt much too snug and almost corset like. Perfect for petite sizes, but if you’re regular I would size up and tall ladies – avoid!

It turns out this fluffy cardigan isn’t Nasty Gal brand but is actually by Brave Soul – one of my all time favourite brands. They do also have a tall line (available on ASOS). So no wonder I loved it! The material (also available in black) is so soft and snuggly. I ordered a medium which felt really comfy on, but I think I could probably get away with a small. The button detail is lovely and it’s super cosy – the perfect winter cardigan!

I’m usually someone who likes a close-fit when it comes to tops, but I figured that since I was trying a new brand, I should also try some new styles. It turns out the saying “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” goes for personal style too. This statement-sleeve jumper was a disaster on me. Firstly, it runs big, so you’ll want to size down if you’re tempted to try this. Secondly, the colour is a little different in person (the cream is a little more mustard toned). And lastly it’s not tall-friendly. The sleeves just looked baggy on me, rather than stylishly oversized.

Ok, I loved this knitted hoodie. It runs quite big so again I would need to size down but as chic and cosy loungewear goes – it’s pretty great. I’m tempted to buy the set in fact. Again, the colour is a little different in person – it has a slightly more oatmeal tone – but that’s not really an issue. 10/10 would recommend for lockdown.

This ruffle detail jumper was just not for me. The sleeves were ok, but the body was so short it looked cropped and the ruffles did me no favours. I don’t know how this model is pulling them off so well – all credit to her because it’s not easy to make such an oddly proportioned piece look that good! Runs big – size down.

I got this button-down midi dress in a Size 10, which would have been ok, were it not for the gaps in between the buttons. Moving in this dress was a risky business and would be for anyone with curves. It was also knee-length on me rather than midi – but in spite of the sizing flaws I did find it very comfortable.

Lastly I tried this bodycon dress on and I was loving it right up until I noticed the seam across the chest – which sits neither above nor below the breasts and which I just couldn’t get used to. It’s a real shame as it fits true to size and was both comfy and sexy on.

Tall Girl, Small Dog

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I promised a while ago to show you the miracle jeggings I bought at the TallGirls.co.uk pop up. However, that turned out to be a bit more difficult than anticipated – you’ll see why when you scroll down.

It’s been that long since I visited the pop up that they’ve already released the dates for the A/W pop ups – you can find more info on these here.

The jeggings are a brand called e d c and you can find them on the TallGirls.co.uk website here. They are not only a great fit for my hips/waist but the perfect length for my legs (which sit somewhere between 34″-36″ in-seam, depending upon where I shop).

Top: F&F
Necklace: HBE
Sandals: Primark

With one thing and another though this post became a bit less ‘Clothes’ and a bit more ‘Dog’. Or to be more specific, ‘dogs’ – two of them.

Shadow and Cali make the best double act. She has adored him since day one and he got a new lease of life when she showed up – it was like he became a puppy all over again. He though, is more content to chill out in the back ground, whereas (as you can see below) she likes to be the centre of everyone’s attention…

TallGirls.co.uk Pop-Up Shop

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*Update: A/W ’16 Pop Up Shop dates for your diary can now be found here.

Summer’s arrived… how did that happen so quickly?! Time seems to be flying by. I’ve been very aware lately that my poor blog has been a bit neglected this year (I blame the small fluffy one!) but I’m hoping to turn that around a bit now.

Several (oops) weeks ago I went to the TallGirls.co.uk pop up shop in Warrington. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’d heard a bit about the brand but I’d never yet seen the clothes on my favourite tall blogs and no one I know had ever purchased from the site. So it was a bit of a shopping adventure into the unknown…

I’d also never attended a pop up shop before and wasn’t sure what to expect from the experience. While not everything was my personal style, the selection was huge and catered to so many different tastes.

I spent hours trekking to and from the changing rooms trying on different things. In the end though I behaved myself and came away with just a few items. (You can see one of them in this post)

I have to give a special mention to the jeans and jeggings – I’ve lamented before about the struggles of having a size 10 waist and size 12 hips – but Tall Girls provided so many different styles and fits that I now own 2 extra pairs.

I don’t have the usual shoe-woes of a tall girl but every now again I spot a style in a tall store that makes me wish I did (or that the store offered it in small sizes too.)

I am a bit behind the times with this post but many of the items below are still available online.
Happy Shopping! x

Two Sale Steals from LTS

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I am a self confessed bargain-hunter. I like nothing better than shopping the sales – so when Long Tall Sally took an extra 20% off their sale stock a couple of weeks ago, I was helpless to resist!

It may well have been the first day of Spring recently, but Winter hasn’t shaken it’s grip on my part of the world just yet. I have a feeling I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of these pieces over the next few weeks.

The wool wrap jacket is exceptionally cosy with the perfect sleeve length. The fairisle print jumper may look a little out of season elsewhere in the world but with this lovely English weather behaving the way it is, it didn’t feel it. The black jeggings are an old faithful pair (if a little faded now) also from Long Tall Sally – in fact I think they were my first ever purchase from the original LTS Manchester store (you can read my review of the new store here).

The boots are another sale bargain – from F&F. Sadly these exact ones are no longer in stock (although I’m not surprised as they really were a great buy!) but they have something similar here.

Long Tall Sally’s New Manchester Store

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If you’ve been following Long Tall Sally’s Instagram lately you’ll know they recently launched a new store in Manchester (my hometown) with a brand new design. What you probably don’t know is that they sent customers in the area a 10% off voucher to celebrate the opening. A new store and a new summer wardrobe at 10% off? How could a girl refuse?!

I took ‘Mum in the Pretty Dress’ along to explore with me and we were both impressed. The space did feel a little smaller than in the previous store but the layout made everything much more accessible. The most noticeable improvement though has to be the changing rooms – they are so much more secluded and private than they previously were with a lovely plush carpet under foot. Finally there was a very thoughtful inclusion of in-store seating. Initially I thought this was for trying on shoes but there were a fair few men folk using them during our visit while their other halves took advantage of those lovely changing rooms.

If you’ve been itching to see more of the redesign here’s a sneak peek. (Complete with racks of the latest TTYA4LTS collaboration which snuck into the store here early!)

Introducing Indi

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Last weekend we had another uncommonly good burst of sunshine, so I decided to put my previous troubles with self-shooting behind me and photograph a post on my new ASOS Tall shorts. Unfortunately Indi had other ideas.

I’ve introduced my dogs once before on the blog but Indi is not the sort of girl who likes to be outshone – so after my last post she took matters into her own paws.

You would never know it but Indi is actually a senior citizen. The problem is, in her head she’s still 10 months old, rather than 10 years. We called her Indi after Indiana Jones, and she likes to live up to her name. 

Top: F&F (similar here)
Shorts: ASOS Tall (exact ones here)
Shoes: Primark
Sunglasses: Accessorize

Live in Levis

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The last few weeks have been so fun-packed that I’ve not had much chance to shoot an outfit in a while. This post is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time though, so I decided not to put it off any longer. I read on The Elgin Avenue a while back about the #LiveinLevis marketing campaign and realised that I’d never actually owned a pair of Levi’s. 

Jeans shopping for me is always a trying experience. This is largely because I’m pear-shaped and my legs measure 35″ – which is an exceptionally awkward length to find. But after a LOT of experimenting in the Levi’s store (and no small amount of patience from the store assistant) I managed to come away with this pair: a demi-curve with a 34″ leg. 

They aren’t *quite* long enough if the truth be told, but that works for me as it means they avoid the mud (and in summer I’ll just roll up the cuff and wear capri-style). Unfortunately Levi’s don’t sell anything longer than 34″ which is a real shame, because these are hands-down the comfiest pair of jeans I’ve ever owned. Maybe one day they’ll cater fully to us leggy folk… a girl can dream hey?

(Side note: I also bought a pair of men’s 501s – I wanted something more robust as I spend a lot of my spare time outdoors/working with animals and I needed something that would last me a few years. They’re not quite as flattering as the jeans pictured but the fit was good enough. I’d also recommend trying the 501CT if you have a similar body shape to mine.)

Jeans: Levi’s (exact ones here)

Vest Top (worn underneath): Primark

Sheer Top: Zara 

Shoes: Converse

Sunglasses: F&F

Photos by: Rachel Orritt

All Black, Everything

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Way back when I was a student, I spent most of my spare time binge watching ‘The Hills’ and desperately wishing I could move to LA and get a job working with LC and the gang. Then they brought Kelly Cutrone into it and I changed my mind – I wanted to be a tour de force like her.

I’ve always thought her ‘all-black’ dress code at fashion week was a stroke of genius. It’s smart, yet unobtrusive and it’s quick and easy to achieve.

I love this shirt dress from New Look Tall at ASOS. In fact ASOS is doing a stellar job lately of catering for us leggy lovelies.

However, if I’m going to be honest, this is one ‘tall’ item that falls a little ‘short’. In the tall blogging community I’m a bit on the short side at only 5’10” – and this dress only just fits me. But it does fit. Just.

Yay!

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Dress: New Look Tall via ASOS (exact one here)
Tights: F&F
Boots: XTI via ASOS (exact ones here)
Four Leaf Clover Necklace: Orelia
Earrings: borrowed from my mum (sorry mum!)