According to the CDC, in 2018, the average height for women was around 5’4.” Petite-sized clothing typically fits the majority of women up to 5’6.” Essentially, any woman above 5’7” is “tall.”
I’m 5’11,” and my height comes with a variety of challenges that most women don’t often think about. If you’re a tall woman like I am, here are a few situations that you’ll definitely relate to:
1. Finding shoes in your size is a struggle.
We all know that stores rarely carry women’s shoes above a size nine or 10. If you need a size 11, 12 or 13 shoe… good luck. If you’re tall, you probably know that ordering shoes online is (usually) the best way to get shoes in your size. It would be so nice to be able to shop in stores, though!
2. Finding tops and pants that actually fit is a nightmare.
Some tall women have long torsos, others have long legs, and a few have both. This becomes a nightmare when you want to find a top or a pair of pants that actually cover your entire body. If you’re a tall woman, you know the struggle of buying a size up in shirts if it means an extra two inches in length. As for pants, you may as well hold onto the jeans that you’ve had for years because very few brands carry pants for tall women. To make matters worse, sizes and styles change so often that we may never find clothes that fit “just right” again.
3. People always wanted you on their sports teams.
This is one of the positives of being tall. If you’re tall and athletic, plenty of people probably wanted you on their sports teams when you were growing up. Whether you were a post in basketball or a middle hitter in volleyball, your teammates always admired (and envied) your height!
4. Finding a taller guy to date is almost impossible.
If you’re a tall woman who wants to date an even taller guy, good luck! Half the time when you see a guy who’s well over six feet, he has a girlfriend who’s easily six inches shorter than you are. Some guys find tall women intimidating and will only date shorter women, so that really narrows our dating pool. Where are all the tall guys, and why don’t they notice us? (Especially when we can look them in the eyes!)
5. Traveling is really uncomfortable.
Everyone talks about how uncomfortable traveling is for guys, but they forget that tall women struggle too. Traveling in small spaces is not fun for us. There’s never enough room for our legs, and driving isn’t fun when you always need more “leg room.” Yuck. Forget asking if we’ll take the back seat or the middle seat — that’s for people who are well under our height.
Regardless of how tall you are, your height will always have pros and cons. If you’re a tall woman, remember that there are plenty of us around the world laughing about the challenges of being “vertically gifted!” Anything else we didn’t mention? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments!
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Good luck if you’re a tall lady looking for a taller gentleman to date!
They must be emotionally and physically strong, and able to be unaffected by what they see, whether in the past or in the future.