Let’s Talk About Pants: Tall Girl Friendly Edition
Tall girls to the stage!!!
As a tall girl, I curated a list of some of my favorite brands for pants and denim. Shopping for jeans has been difficult for me for years, and it made me too insecure to even shop for bottoms. Now that I’ve found some great brands, I thought I’d share the wealth with anyone who might be experiencing a similar struggle.
For reference, I’m 5’9” with a 35” inseam. I wanted to mention this because inseams are important. I have tried many brands that claim to sell “tall” bottoms, yet they still end up being way too short. With the average inseam being 25”, many brands will market a pair of pants that are 27” as tall; however, one length is not universal.
Another thing to note is that I don’t always trust what the size chart says, and that goes for all measurements. I will give a brand a chance even if the inseam claims to be a bit shorter than what I’m looking for. Sometimes, they’ll end up working, and that goes for some of the brands I have listed here.
These are in no particular order, btw. But I’ll start with my all-time favorite…
1. American Eagle: I fell in love with their denim about six years ago. It was such a canon event for me; that’s why I remember. Aside from most pants being too short, I also struggled with the overall fit of denim, i.e., they’d be too tight on the thighs but have a giant gap on the waist. You can imagine my surprise when I tried on my first pair of jeans from American Eagle, and they fit like a glove.
Wanna know something even better? They come in not only long but extra long as well! For my short girls, they also have short and extra short. I always appreciate an inclusive brand, and for them to fit as perfectly as they do is the icing on the cake.
The only thing I will say is that their low-rise isn’t low-rise; I would consider it more mid-rise. If you’re someone like me who prefers low-rise, I’d keep that in mind, but as I said, they fit so well, so it’s not a deal-breaker for me.
2. Abercrombie and Fitch: This is a more recent discovery. What’s great about Abercrombie is that in addition to extra long and short inseams, they also have a line called Curve Love, which are the same jeans but for anyone with curves. I own a pair of cropped jeans from them that I was able to purchase in long, but I made the mistake of not buying the curvy ones. They fit well, but I do have thicker thighs, so the curvy ones probably would have fit much better.
3. Princess Polly: This brand is based in Australia, but they have a distribution warehouse in Los Angeles, so they deliver very quickly. I love this brand. Along with well-fitting denim, they also have the cutest clothes with great quality. According to its website, 100% of its “tier one factories have a valid ethical manufacturing audit,” with a focus on producing more sustainable garments and representing a diverse range of models within their marketing campaigns. Not sponsored.
I own two pairs of jeans from Princess Polly, one of which is from their tall line, the other is not. Both are low-rise and fit perfectly. Tens across the board. A good majority of my wardrobe is from here.
4. Levi’s: These jeans fit in all the right places, let me tell you. However, there are two downsides: their low–rise options are lacking, and their inseam only goes up to a 34. There is one 38 option, but not 36. If you’re tall but don’t have as long an inseam, they’ll fit great, but that one inch prohibits me from wearing these jeans with specific shoes, like sneakers. They look great with sandals and flats, I just have extremely long limbs. This brand, in particular, has pretty accurate measurements listed.
5. Old Navy: I adore Old Navy. Not only do they have long (and petite) denim, but they also have long and short options in every pair of pants. From sweatpants to leggings, I’ve been able to find long options in everything on their site. However, they don’t have low-rise denim, so I hope they get on board with that soon.
Their jeans don’t fit me as well as the rest of the brands I have listed, but I do have a pair of high-rise jeans in tall that are so long they drag on the ground, which is exactly what I want.
Honorary mentions: These are brands that I have yet to try out but will be purchasing from in the not-so-distant future.
1. Wrangler: The inseams on these jeans go up to a 38; enough said.
2. Alta Clothing: A clothing brand dedicated to tall girls. Ranging in inseams for heights 5’8”- 6’6”, there is something for everyone. They have denim, but the most popular pieces on the site are the two-piece yoga pant and jacket sets. Drops aren’t very frequent, so quantities can be limited.
Here is Alta’s mission statement:
“We are dedicated to redefining the fashion landscape by offering a diverse range of stylish and well-fitted options for the tall, empowering them to embrace their height with grace and confidence!”
I hope this little guide is helpful to anyone struggling to embrace their height. I’ve come a long way in my self-confidence, and being able to find the right pants was a huge step in that process. It’s a freeing feeling that I wish for everyone who is going through the same thing I was!
