Blazers for tall women. Difficulty level: Canada.

November 29, 2015 9:03 PM

I am a tall (6'0) queer lady. I'm on the hunt for a versatile blazer/tuxedo jacket to wear to holiday work parties and events, but most things I've found have short arms/torsos. I've tried the usual suspects (Zara, Club Monaco, The Bay) but to no avail. I'm happy to invest some money in something that will last for years!

While I'm more androgynous than super butch, the holiday-season sequins and sparkly dresses are not really my thing. I've tried men's jackets but they tend to be too big in the chest and arms, but I'm not looking for a super feminine cut. Something like this: [link] or [link] would be great. Ideally it would look a bit more "evening-y" than "office-y".

The challenges:
- finding something with long enough arms
- and finding something that's cut for someone tall (the waist tends to come in too high, and if I go up in size to get something that sits lower, the chest is too big
- finding something in Canada - online is fine, as long as they will ship.

Suggestions, wise hivemind?

posted by asparagrass to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

I'm happy to invest some money in something that will last for years!

Vintage men's may be cut more helpfully in terms of chest/arms, but as you've hinted, height and sleeve length may be an issue. I still think that vintage plus a good tailor may work better than trying to find something off the peg. If you're somewhere with good thrifting or consignment, then look there rather than the usual suspects; if not, then seek out eBay listings with very specific measurements.

(That's all cutting things very close for the holidays.)
posted by holgate at 9:28 PM on November 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My top three androgynous Canadian queer lady blazers are from Le Chateau, Express, and Simons. Simons in particular might have something that would suit your taste.
posted by bibliotropic at 9:44 PM on November 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm taller than you (and just as Canadian), and long ago quit trying to buy anything other than tall-specific lines. Some tall blazers for your perusal:
Long Tall Sally
L.L. Bean
Eddie Bauer
J. Crew
posted by monkeymonkey at 9:48 PM on November 29, 2015

If you're willing to invest, the first thing I thought of was Helmut Lang.
posted by like_neon at 1:12 AM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]

Came in to suggest Long Tall Sally. I think they might even have a brick and mortar store in Canada, although that doesn't mean it is anywhere near you.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:18 AM on November 30, 2015

Best answer: I would get a men's slim cut tux jacket and have it tailored to you.

Menswear is just so great for this, it will stand you in good stead for decades!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:50 AM on November 30, 2015

HauteButch is a small company that makes menswear-inspired clothing cut for a womans/trans man's body. (In other words, not translated to be more girly, but cut differemtly than traditional mensweear.) Not sure if thy deliver to Canada but it's worth a shot.
posted by Brittanie at 9:56 AM on November 30, 2015

Long Tall Sally does have a store in Toronto if you're in the area. It's at Yonge and Dundas, across from the Eaton Centre.
posted by scrute at 6:47 PM on November 30, 2015