Sometimes being vertically blessed isn't such a blessing

January 24, 2007 8:57 AM

Tall, female MeFites: where do you find buy pants?

I'm a tall-ish girl (5'8") and have a hell of a time finding pants that are long enough for me. Anthropologie, for example, has awesome pants but very few options that are appropriate non-shorties.

What American stores have a good selection of "tall" pants? Any recommendations for particular clothing lines/designers? I'm looking both for pants that are appropriate for work and casual pants -- willing to pay in the under-$200 range for slacks that will fit.

posted by hazelshade to shopping (37 comments total)

My SO (5'11") buys her at Brooks Brothers, which has a very good line for women. I love her choice of trousers, BTW.
posted by parmanparman at 9:03 AM on January 24, 2007

I buy all of my jeans at the GAP, though it used to be a lot easier for me (at 5'9") there than it is now. Their long sizes were perfect for my height (keeping the extra long sizes for those around 6'0" solely to online sales), but now they've lengthened them so that the long lengths are absolutely *ridiculous* on me. I tend to be able to wear their regular length pants now, though those fluctuate a bit, so I have to take several pairs of the "same size" into the dressing room to find the pair that has the longest inseam. Frustrating, but I wear the jeans for several years afterwards.

But I'll be watching this thread really carefully - I'd love to buy pants somewhere else...!!
posted by AthenaPolias at 9:06 AM on January 24, 2007

Banana Republic. I am 5'10" and their pants are always long enough and sometimes too long for me.
posted by sulaine at 9:08 AM on January 24, 2007

For cheap day to day stuff, my daughter (6') and I (5'10") have had good luck with Old Navy's long/tall stuff. I used to have some jeans from Long Elegant Legs that I loved and Eddie Bauer also has longs that work. Also, try mens' pants. I have a couple pairs that I found at the thrift store that I occasionally wear to work - it's great having the option of a 34" inseam right there. Forget Talbots, though, or Ann Taylor, or LL Bean, or J. Crew - I've never been able to find pants long enough at any of those places, unfortunately.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:11 AM on January 24, 2007

For casual, Old Navy, the Gap, and Banana Republic- - which are all owned by the same company -- are all good for us tall ladies. I favor Old Navy, just because they're cheaper. (I'm 5' 10" and their size 10s fit me perfectly.) I've also had good luck with Levi's.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:12 AM on January 24, 2007

New York & Company has some great pants in tall lengths. Also, Tall Girl has not only longer pants, but also shirts, coats, etc. with sleeves long enough to cover the wrists, if that's an issue for you. Also, I Nth the Old Navy suggestion. Most of the time, they don't have tall lengths in stores, but you can get them online.

You're not actually that tall, so I'm guessing that you probably just have unusually long legs for your height. If that's the case, try looking for tall pants with a medium or low rise, as that's likely not to overwhelm your torso.
posted by decathecting at 9:20 AM on January 24, 2007

I second NY & C. I have found that their pants are cut so long that occasionally a "tall" is too long for me! (I'm not super tall but am 75% leg.)
posted by wallaby at 9:27 AM on January 24, 2007

This thread is like a gold mine. :D

Why didn't I think of asking this question back when I was single?
posted by fusinski at 9:30 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm 5'9', and I've found that there are many more options these days than there were even a few years ago. For work pants, I find that J. Crew and Banana Republic both have "tall" sizes that fit. Sometimes they're even too long. A decent tailor will be able to remedy this for not too much money (hems are running me $12-$14 in Manhattan). The problem is that these stores may not stock the full range of tall sizes in the brick-and-mortar locations. If your size varies by brand, I'd suggest going to a store, trying on the pants you want to determine the correct size, then ordering the tall versions online.

I also just got a pair of Buffalo jeans (found them at Macy's) that I looove. They were a splurge (for me) at $108, but the inseams are 33 1/2', so I can wear them with a 2- or 3-inch heel, and they fit perfectly.
posted by CiaoMela at 9:34 AM on January 24, 2007

I am 5'10". I find long inseams at JCrew, Gap, Old Navy, JCPenney, and sometimes Target. I really like Worthington line at JC Penney for dressier pants. They hold up well.

I will echo tulaine and say sometimes JCrew, BR, and Gap are too long. I like to know the exact inseam number. Online retail sites are great for this.
posted by LoriFLA at 9:39 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm 5' 9"- I love Spiegel.com- they have tall size pants. I've been shopping with them for 20 years. My "freakishly" tall daughter (her opinion) shops at Alloy.com. They have exact inseam sizes, but a little too youthful for me (I'm 44). JCpenney.com has jeans, casual and career tall sizes.
posted by designinpassion at 9:48 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm 5'9 and buy most of my long slacks/jeans from Express. Sometimes their regular-length Editor Pants will even be long enough to wear with heels -- but this is a crapshoot, especially since most of their styles are only available in one length.
posted by phatkitten at 9:51 AM on January 24, 2007

My tall friend buys a lot of pants at Eddie Bauer, but I believe she orders most online to get the "Tall" sizes. I'll ask her if she has any other recommendations.
posted by tastybrains at 9:52 AM on January 24, 2007

For jeans, I wear Levi's. I've also found pants at The Limited, New York and Co, and Old Navy.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:53 AM on January 24, 2007

6'0 here. I buy pants at Eddie Bauer and Land's End (they do free custom hemming in 1/4" increments). Eddie Bauer also has almost every shirt they sell available in tall sizes on their web site. Their wrinkle-resist dress shirts are beautiful and fit perfectly.
posted by Coffeemate at 9:57 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm 5'10", and I buy the "long" or "tall" version of pants from Old Navy and The Limited, etc. Many stores either stock tall sizes in store, or have them available if you order on-line. Also, even if your brick-and-mortar store doesn't stock your size, they can often get it from another store across town. (They won't offer up this knowledge, because it's a hassle for them, but they can quite often do it.)

Um, also, I sometimes rip out of the hems of regular-length pants and press the folds out. You end up with just the little overlocked edge, and on most pants it's not really noticeable. I know I shouldn't really do that, but quite often, "long" isn't long enough (particularly if I'm wearing anything but flats) and sometimes I just really like a pair of pants that ends at my ankles.

Also, I'm freakishly short-waisted, so I have to buy lower-rise versions or the waist ends up under my arms. I end up buying most of my pants from brands targeted toward trendy young consumers, because of this. Most pants for adult ladies just come up too freakin' high, even though they're appropriately long.

Because of the low-rise thing, I've occasionally found pants at places like (don't laugh) Wet Seal, Forever 21, and Delia's.
posted by thehmsbeagle at 9:59 AM on January 24, 2007

This thread IS like a gold mine! However, is there anyone here who is long in the rise, not in the leg, as I am? I'm not terribly tall (5' 8"); most pants are fine for leg length, but WAY too short in the rise -- and I mean ALL pants, not just the trendy, low-rise numbers. I have heard that J Jill has pants that are long in the leg. Eddie Bauer has good jeans, but I find their dress pants fit in a really unflattering way plus their non-wool fabric choice is truly creepy. I do like their tall-size shirts, though.
posted by Lockjaw at 10:12 AM on January 24, 2007

Seconding everyone who mentioned J.C. Penney... I'm 5'7, so I'm not "tall tall" but I have long legs, and J.C. Penney is one of the few places where I can always find an affordable selection of long inseams in stock.
posted by amyms at 10:21 AM on January 24, 2007

I just want to pile onto the Eddie Bauer bandwagon. I'm a tall tall woman (6'5") and while their women's stuff is still too small/short for me, their tall men's clothes are a godsend.
posted by jodic at 10:56 AM on January 24, 2007

This question was made for me. I am almost 5'10." My number one recommendation is a Spanish chain called Zara. The only Zaras in the U.S. are in New York City.

If you're not in NYC, get thee to a good department store (Bloomingdales) and shell out for a nice pair of Sevens, Rock 7 Republic, Citizens of Humanity, or People's Liberation. All the designer $100+ jeans/pants are cut verrrry long (sometimes too long - with 37+" inseams). Yes they are expensive, but think of it this way: you will wear them ALL THE TIME right? And they are built to last. That expensive dress you bought to wear to ONE wedding doesn't make any sense. Expensive designer pants that fit right, make you look amazing, and last - that makes sense.

But fine, I'll give you cheapies an option too. Alloy - Inseams up to 37".

You're welcome =)
posted by infinityjinx at 11:17 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm almost 5'10" and this drives me nuts (though I find it even worse trying to get shirts and jackets that have long enough sleeves and don't bind under my arm). Most of my jeans/pants are from the Gap, J. Crew, or Banana Republic. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a couple of the styles at H&M are long enough -- they don't have a specific "long" or "tall" sizing, but apparently some styles are just cut with longer inseams.

Also, Boden has a tall option for pants/skirts -- I haven't bought anything from them, but another tall friend swears by them.
posted by scody at 11:33 AM on January 24, 2007

I just wanted to nth the New York and Co. suggestion - I'm six feet tall and always have great luck with their "tall" length pants.
I'm glad I read this thread, now I have a few more places I can check out and be pleasantly surprised by!
Also, there's a chain here called Tall Girl and they specialize in all kinds of clothing for taller girls (clever name, right?) I'm not sure if they're all over the place, I'm in the Detroit area, but it's worth a shot!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who has this problem.... :)
posted by slyboots421 at 11:50 AM on January 24, 2007

I'm 5'10" and just bought some work pants from Dillard's called "Investments" that I love. They're almost too long and they're washable. I don't know if they're a store brand or not.
posted by BluGnu at 11:57 AM on January 24, 2007

By work pants, I meant pants I wear to the office, not to mow the yard or anything.
posted by BluGnu at 11:58 AM on January 24, 2007

J. Crew has 32" inseams.
posted by k8t at 12:36 PM on January 24, 2007

FYI, there are Zara stores in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC.

I can second the designer jean path. I'm a 6'8" guy, and paradoxically, it is much easier to find extremely long women's jeans than extremely long men's jeans. It's the heel thing.
posted by trevyn at 1:14 PM on January 24, 2007

FYI, there are Zara stores in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC.

Ah, you're right. Back when I first started shopping at Zara I checked the store locator on their web site and the only ones listed were in NYC.

I'm happy. Zara is an awesome store especially for tall, thin women. Stuff just fits!
posted by infinityjinx at 1:24 PM on January 24, 2007

Oh, I am feeling the tall girl love. Thanks, all, for the responses.
posted by hazelshade at 2:04 PM on January 24, 2007

If you are looking for longer designer jeans, Paige Premium Denim jeans are VERY long. I think they have a 34 or 36 inch inseam, and most average height women need to get them tailored. I have decently long legs and I can only wear mine (untailored) with 3 or 4 inch high heels.
posted by hooper4 at 4:13 PM on January 24, 2007

If you wouldn't feel silly wearing them (at 26 I don't yet) Alloy's sister company, Delias, has pants with an inseam up to 36" as well.

Buckle also has pants in long (33") and super long (35").
posted by birdie birdington at 4:25 PM on January 24, 2007

Same answer as for short woman pants: Land's End hems, and does inseams up to 36".
posted by ilsa at 5:06 PM on January 24, 2007

Lululemon athletica provides very functional, flattering and fashionable pants in a 35" inseam (and they provide free hemming for those who aren't so tall). They are expanding to the US and have a store locator on the website.
posted by Count at 5:32 PM on January 24, 2007

I wear a 36" inseam. In flats. In the US I only buy work pants from the Gap or Kenneth Cole pretty much, although I will try some of the suggestions here! For jeans the Gap and Lucky brand are the longest (I can wear 4" heels with some of them, they must be 38"+) but Topshop, Seven, some Levis and sometimes even Banana Republic fit me with flats. It's really hit or miss though in terms of the rise.
posted by fshgrl at 7:07 PM on January 24, 2007

Just to add to the chorus, my mom is 5' 8" and she's been buying pants at NY&co for like 25 years.
posted by MadamM at 8:26 PM on January 24, 2007

I'm five ten with a very (35") long inseam. I second Paige, and also nominate some Chip and Peppers. I am in the evil size zone though: too tall for normal clothes, and a size 15/16, which is too large for "girls" size and too small for "plus" size. I have to rely mostly on designer jeans, because designers figure people who can afford their jeans can afford tailoring. Also, check out Yanuk and Joe's Jeans. All tend to be long (and nice!).
Oh, and I also have HUGE feet (size 12+). I use designershoes.com. They are amazing for women who have "unusual" sized feet, 8-16, all widths.
posted by nursegracer at 9:27 PM on January 24, 2007

Tall Girl has a location in Tyson's Corner. I'm 5 foot 11 and live in NYC where they have another, slightly bigger location. I don't shop anywhere else for pants anymore. FYI they sell shoes too, but only in Canada!
posted by lorrer at 8:50 AM on January 25, 2007

A lot of stores have a tall option if you order through their website. For instance, American Eagle (I mention it only because I don't think anyone else has) will give you free shipping if you order at the store, and you can return the pants at any store if they don't work out.

Also nthing Tall Girl and NY&Co.
posted by ramenopres at 8:26 PM on November 4, 2007