Tall Girls Guide to Rompers and Minis

Shopping for rompers, jumpsuits, and short dresses can be scary for taller girls lately. Sizing seems to be shrinking, in terms of length in particular. I'm 5'8", which I wouldn't actually consider all that tall here in the Midwest, but compared to other parts of the world it definitely would be. In the stores, clearly you can try on the dress or item and immediately determine if it is long enough. But this can be a challenge on-line when going off of the images provided by the retailer. Some models have long legs and shorter torsos or they size up and pin the back in. It may create an illusion that the item is longer than it really is.

The first time I experienced this problem on an extreme level is when I ordered a fox costume from overseas. The item fit fine - outside of the fact that it didn't even remotely cover my derriere! I ended up purchasing a white mini skirt from American Apparel and I'm hoping I can still pull it off next year.

Since the fox costume incident, I've started to pay attention to websites listed lengths. Some measure from the bust and some list a full length. I chose a dress that seemed longer that I liked and purchased it. Once I received it I was able to create a baseline for lengths I felt comfortable with wearing. The dress I chose was listed on-line as 33 inches and it was almost just right in terms of length. Based off of this I started to always check the length and additionally lean towards options with adjustable straps. Here are my general guidelines I use in terms of length.

Dresses: 34" or longer (may allow 33" if the straps are adjustable)

Rompers: 30" or longer (almost always look for adjustable straps as well)

To help illustrate this, here are two examples from Sheinside and Forever 21 that work, and then two that would not work for my height.

Sheinside Black Spaghetti Strap V Neck Lace Playsuit:

http://us.sheinside.com/Black-Spaghetti-Strap-Floral-Lace-Jumpsuit-p-205394-cat-1860.html

This item on Sheinside is listed for a size medium as being 31.5 and has adjustable straps! This romper would work well on me and I think would look great with a kimono, some booties, and layered jewelry.

Forever 21 Abstract Print Cami Dress:
 
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?Br=F21&Category=DRESS&ProductID=2000054179&VariantID=&recid=product_rr-_-2000055834-_-2000054179-_-613-_-3

This simple little day dress is listed on Forever 21 as 28.5 from bust to hem, which is 5.5 inches away from my standard of 34" for full length, and a reasonable length for the added shoulder to bust line needed. It also has adjustable straps to allow additional length.
 
Additionally, I wanted to share some items that I think look great, but would be better for a petite or shorter girl.

Sheinside Black Spaghetti Strap Floral Lace Jumpsuit

http://us.sheinside.com/Black-Spaghetti-Strap-Floral-Lace-Jumpsuit-p-205394-cat-1860.html

While this Sheinside romper is very cute, it does not have adjustable straps and is listed for a size medium to be only 27.6 inches long. This would be great for my petite friends, but a definite no for my body type and height.

 

Here is a second example involving a dress:

http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress&ProductID=2000079173&VariantID=

I think this is a great summer dress for a great price from Forever 21, but the length would be terrible on me. It's listed as 24.5 inches from bust to hem, which is a full 10 inches short for my full length requirement. The distance from the bust to my shoulder isn't anywhere near 10 inches and even with adjustable straps I'm going to choose not to go for this simple little day dress. Again though, this would be great on one of my petite friends!

There are some sites that still don't list lengths or even measurements, but hopefully they will all begin to do this to help shoppers better identify products they will really want and can wear. Good luck shopping everyone and hope you find the right length and style!