At Tall Plus Life, we actively encourage women to show off their curves, not shy away from them. I’ve come across a few articles on this online and honestly most places class “curvy” women as women below the national average dress size; plus size women are barely represented. So, with that in mind, here’s some style tips that I’ve picked up in my many years of being lucky enough to stand 5 foot 11 and weigh over 300lbs.
FYI: I want this article to be continuously updated. I’m constantly discovering inspiration on how to show off my height and size through clothing so I’ll regularly update this with new suggestions, and of course, if you have any tips just let me know in the comments, or email me: tallpluslife AT gmail dot com!
long jeans that fit
As a tall plus, it’s no secret that I love love love jeans. With a myriad of brands offering plus size jeans in long lengths, there are plenty of denim options to style for summer or winter looks. I usually go with skinny high-waisted jeans that have a bit of give as I can tuck my tummy into the jeans while accentuating my ass and long legs. I complete the look with a simple one-tone top or halter top. You can pair denim with just about any footwear too, be it sandals on a summer’s day or boots or booties for fall and winter.
I wrote at length about American Eagle sizing down their jeans which was a point of contention for me as they were my nailed on number one, These days my #1 choice for jeans that fit great and are comfy is Torrid, but there are plenty of options. For my full roundup, consult my list of best jeans for tall curvy women.
If we take a look at how Susan Curry (5’11”) does it here, she’s pulled off the high-waisted jeans look beautifully with a striped cardigan over the top.
embrace patterns
I was always told growing up not to “wear stripes” because it made me look larger. Firstly, so what? Also, you should not stray away from patterns such as horizontal stripes or floral designs because these patterns actually create visual interest, and draw attention away from any one body part. You can also incorporate stripes with just one element of the fit as opposed to going all-out pattern. Just take a look at Susan Curry, for cryin’ out loud!
midi, or long maxi dresses?
I get it, a lot of tall girls feel uncomfortable going for maxi dresses because the lengths can vary so much from brand to brand. Well, we took the liberty of scouting the longest, plus size maxi dresses around and put an article together detailing our best finds.
So often with a dress that falls above or on the knees, we can feel extra tall and like we’re standing out. With long maxi dresses, you’ll get that drape to your lower calf or even right to your ankle to avoid this. I’m a big fan of one-tone maxi dresses this season: think bright greens and purples.
If you don’t mind flaunting your figure and legs, then midi dresses should be on your radar too. They hug the waist and skim the booty to give a sexy silhouette look.
tops and skirts for a flowy boho feel
I’m throwing it over to 5’10”, size 4X beauty Mikayla Wain for the inspo here. The loose skirts work great on body types like mine where we have a bit more around our tummy and they feel so comfy. The skirt/top combo is one of Mikayla’s go-tos and I love the boho look on her.
turning it up: wrap around dresses to accentuate all curves
I recently wrote about the 5’11” Charlotte Coyle being something of a style icon for us tall curvy women, and you can see why in this vibrant shot of her in a Monif. C wraparound dress. If you want to turn it up a little in the bedroom, literally every body looks great in one of these. The wraparound will accentuate your curves through the waist and hips, and remember what I said about patterns being your friend!
angular glasses, please!
I didn’t want eyewear to be overlooked! If you have a more rounded face and carry a bit of extra weight on your face, angular glasses will cut a wonderful contrast and work to elongate your face. While rounded glasses are super in fashion, I tend to find these only accentuate the roundness of your facial features.
temper the turtleneck
Turtlenecks, or really any top that covers your neck, are not a go-to for me as they make me feel like a wrapped up pork pie. But seriously, they draw a lot of attention to your bust and you end up kind of impersonating a large kite, so in my experience I tend to stay away from them but I also encourage everyone to “do what makes you happy!”