Suits for an Amazonian: Where to Find Great Women’s Suits if You’re Very Tall
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If you're a tall woman, what are your favorite stores for suits? Today's question comes from, well, an Amazonian, wondering where to find the best suits for an Amazonian…
My question has to do with where to find professional clothing that will actually fit me. I am 6′ tall and usually need a 36″ inseam in pants and “longs” or “talls” in jackets, so the sleeves are long enough. It's interesting that almost all women's clothing comes in petites or plus sizes, but tall sizes are hard to find. I've ordered suits from J. Crew in talls, and they fit me perfectly. I also order most of my work pants from Victoria's Secret, as their tall pants seem to fit me very well too. I was just wondering if you had any other ideas of where to find tall sizes in work clothes.
This strikes us as a question that must be a common problem for tall women. While we're not the best suited to answer the question ourselves (barely 5'4″) we're hoping our readers will be able to chime in. We do, however, note that website LongTallSally.com seems to have a lovely selection of office-appropriate wear.
{related: best stores for tall women}
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Suits for an Amazonian… and Other Extremely Tall Women
As of 2024, these are some of our favorite stores for extremely tall people…
- Acne Studios
- Alloy Apparel
- Amalli Talli
- American Tall
- Ann Taylor
- Aritzia (long lengths)
- ASOS
- Banana Republic
- Banana Republic Factory
- Betabrand
- Boden
- BooHoo
- Chadwicks
- Eddie Bauer
- eShakti (they can do totally custom sizes or “off the rack” sizes customized to your height, 4'6″-6'11”)
- Etsy shops may also take custom measurements, such as the celebrity-inspired suits at heartmycloset and the vintage-inspired suits at VigilanteLabs (here's our whole roundup of 7 fun Etsy shops for workwear!)
- Express (long lengths)
- Filippa K (reader recommended for tall people)
- Gap (5'9″ and up)
- I Love Tall (good for slender and very tall women, according to readers)
- J.Jill
- J.Crew
- J.Crew Factory
- Lands' End
- Loft
- Long Tall Sally
- Madewell (two sections: tall AND “taller”)
- New York & Company (5'9″ and up)
- Old Navy (5'10” and up)
- QVC
- Reiss (long lengths)
- Talbots
- Tiger of Sweden
- Ulla Popken (12L-32L)
- Uniqlo (several options with 36″ inseam)
- White House Black Market (long sizes)
Stores With Good Reputations for Tall Women (But Without Separate Sections)
- Anne Klein
- BCBG
- BOSS/Hugo Boss
- Brooks Brothers
- Escada
- Gianni Bini (at Dillard's)
- M.M.LaFleur (filter by “tall-friendly” – they also have a lot of pants with adjustable hems)
- Tahari
- Ted Baker
- Theory
- White House Black Market
Comfortable Heels in Extended Widths & Sizes
In our last roundup of classic black heels for business attire, we rounded up some pumps that came in extended widths, including:
- Extended widths (AA, C, W): Target (M/W), Rockport (NMW), Ferragamo (2A, B, C), Trotters (M,W, WW), Sam Edelman (NMW), Bella Vita (AA-EE), LifeStride (AA-E), Naturalizer (N-WW),
- Extended sizes (4-13): Sam Edelman (4-13), Naturalizer (4-12), Rockport (5-13), Ferragamo (4-11), Smash Heels (10-14), Sarah Flint (4-13), Burju Shoes (4-15)
As of 2024, some of our favorite heels for work that are available in extended sizes include Sam Edelman, Naturalizer, Ferragamo, Sarah Flint, Rockport, VIONIC, and Margaux.
Some Comfortable Flats in Extended Widths & Sizes
In our last roundup of comfortable flats for work, we rounded up some flats that came in extended width sizes…
- Extended widths (AA, C, W): Børn (M-D), Sam Edelman (NMW), Ferragamo (N M W 2A B C D),
- Extended sizes (4-13): Børn (5-12), Sam Edelman (4-13), Ferragamo (4-11), Sarah Flint (4-13), Rothys (5-12)
Please note: this post was originally written on August 11, 2009 — but updated in 2021 to add our latest favorite stores for tall women who would offer women's suiting options!
I’m 5’9″ with long arms and legs. BCBG pants are usually at least a 34-35 inch inseam and they work very well. Elie Tahari jackets usually fit too, though I have to wear flats with their pants. Hugo Boss is pretty good. Banana Republic has talls on the website, as does Ann Taylor.
J. Jill has tall pants. I am only 5’9 but I always have to wear heels if I get their pants.
don’t theory pants come with an inseam that long? i’m 5 3 and it always seems like i have to lop off at least a foot at the bottom. (slight exaggeration possible.)
They’re not the best quality, but New York and Company has tall suit pants and jackets in store. Sometimes Ann Taylor outlets carry the tall sizes since their stock is mostly closeouts.
Great question. I’d like to chime in with a request for good sources for tall sized (or just slightly longer) skirts – most suit skirts hit the model at just above the knee which does not translate to office-appropriate if you have significantly longer legs. I’ve managed to find a few just-below knee skirts from time to time at Banana Republic, JCrew etc, but it is pretty rare.
Unfortunately for we tall women, the best way to get clothes to fit properly is to have them altered. I read somewhere that when Brooke Shields was working on a TV show that required her to wear a lot of suits, her costumers ordered men’s suits that were a couple of sizes too big and then had them altered. It’s expensive, but if you have a tailor altering your clothes, the upshot is that they should hang better on you because they’re specifically tailored to fit your body and your proportions.
Very happy to see this post – I’m 6’2″ and am rather short-waisted with long limbs. Have always struggled with finding professional clothing that fits well but is not mind-numbingly boring.
Victoria’s Secret does have long lengths, but the quality is poor.
Banana Republic has some great styles and some of them in tall sizes – I wish more of their things came in talls.
J. Crew and Gap are pretty good, but more for casual wear than for professional wear – the “long and lean” cut from Gap is a great pair of jeans w/37″ inseam.
And, although they aren’t identified as “tall” sizes, there are often several choices of stylish pants at Anthropologie that have lots of seam allowance you can let out, or are just plain long.
Now, if someone would sell jackets and professional blouses with sleeves that are actually long enough for us tall gals, I would be so very happy…
really looking forward to reading the comments here!
Lands End has great stuff, y’all. Their wool suiting is well made, and they will hem the pants to your specifications. The skirts are usually 27″ which is over my knee at 5’10” and many come in a longer calf length, that you could hem to your taste. They might even do it for you for a price.
Talbots also has longs and longer skirts.
Chadwicks.com has Tall sizes. Quality can be hit or miss though.
Theory is also a good option. Their suits are very classic, but they run slim, and very long. I think I’ve heard of something like the Tall Girl’s Shop, or Tall Girl’s Store… anyone else heard of it?
Banana has the best tall selection online (I’m 5’9″ and generally fall half-way between their regular and tall sizes) but my favorite place for generous pants is Benneton. I have spoken with a variety of tall professional women who agree they have the best length in pants and jackets. I have broad shoulders, a smallish chest and really long arms and their suit jackets generally fit me better than most others. They also do great alterations in-store – their long pants have a generous seam that allows for even longer lengths!
Hallelejah–A fellow Stretch Armstrong!
I too am a short-waisted gal with super long limbs. Finding properly fitting business attire when I graduated from college in ’01 was a huge chore, and I was even so desperate that I contacted the I contacted the basketball coach at my DI school, Tara Vanderveer, and asked where she got all of her suits. She pointed me straight to JCrew.
For suits: JCrew–great quality, but they are carrying less and less of their suits with Tall jackets these days. Keep an eye out for their sales, as you can get tall blazers and pants in their most common fabrics (wool crepe, gabardine) as they change the colors for very, very cheap. You can save money by ordering multiple cuts in-store (they waive shipping) and then returning what you don’t like.
Banana Republic–iffy quality, pants can be cut quite large if you are tall and skinny. Many suits do not have Tall jackets to match. Many of their designs do not “size up” well either.
Gap–I do not buy suits here because their stitching quality is poor, but occasionally they have very classic A-line skirts that come in Long or Tall (Tall being longer than Long at Gap). Keep your eyes peeled.
Nordstroms–carries some brands that have long inseams, particularly Faconnable. I have to hem their pants! I often find them at the Nordstrom Rack, and they have very high quality wool. Ralph Lauren also carries very long pants–these are formal, wide-leg suit pants.
Benetton–mix on quality, often long jackets and pants. Their sales are legendary. I stock up on suits. Their suits are more edgy, often in cheaper or more trendy fabrics. They don’t last years like my JCrew suits, but they are fun.
I disagree on Theory being long enough–their stuff almost never is. Their jackets are particularly short. Talbots also has long pants but very few long jackets. Ann Taylor is the same. You can work around this by looking for 3/4 style jackets, or making shift dresses and cardigans a signature look (I do, and it makes me look glam!)
You might also want to try some UK brands if you ever visit London. I loooooove Whistles and Reiss, but they are pricy. Zara Woman also carries some very lovely long pants, though the jackets can be a smidge too short. H&M and Mexx are also known for having longer-cut pants as well. All of these stores take patience and commitment–you have to keep returning. Zara does have stores in some cities here.
For shirts:
Try some of the longer Thomas Pink fits, TM Lewin, Charles Tyrwhitt and other similar British bespoke-type shirtmakers. They make some off-the-rack shirts with very long sleeves. Quite honestly, I find that good 3/4 sleeve shirts (like JCrew’s) look polished if you wear them with nice suits and good heels, and it doesn’t matter if your blazer is full length and your shirt ¾. It’s not too casual! Brooks Brothers’ shirts run very long in the arms, and some of Gap’s shirts are long enough too (and they are always on sale at the end of the season). JCrew and Zara Woman sometime have nice shirts too.
If you are really going to go for it….
The best-fitting suits I ever got were in Singapore, with my friend’s trusted high-end tailor. If you are taking a job that requires you to look sharp, I am NOT kidding–consider using some airline miles to head to Asia. The grand total for one three piece suit in cashmere wool (pants, skirt, blazer), two pants and three shirts was less than $700. It was so worth it. And I get compliments EVERY time I wear the stuff! It’s fantastic quality.
Good luck and welcome to the tall girl’s club!
Corporette–can we do a post for big-girl shoes? I am a size 11-12 :) and I have a fantastic shoe collection, which I am forever looking to augment!
PS–Dear Corporette,
I didn’t appreciate that Amazonian comment. I don’t refer to you as a twerpy midget, do I? Some of us are tall and lanky, and that’s cuz our parents are tall and lanky! I am 5’11”, 36 inch inseam (longer than my 6’5″ brother’s!) and I wear size 11.5 shoes. And I’m not fat. Again, tall and lanky. Don’t knock me for being huge. I am just tall, and strong.
And by the way, my freaky long limbs got me a college athletics scholarship (to play waterpolo), so who’s calling names now? Tall physiques can make money for more than models!
Shame on you, Corporette, for calling names!
Sorry! Wondered if that comment would get me into trouble… I think it’s a compliment! Wonder Woman was an Amazonian princess, wasn’t she? Who do us short girls have as our mascot?
C: yah same here, I don’t see ‘Amazonian’ as a slur, it’s an historical reference to a strong tribe of women, can’t see anything wrong with that. While I’m here, http://www.tallgirlshop.com used to carry decent quality, although for one reason and another I haven’t shopped there for a while, so can’t vouch for their current stuff. Also, do look into tailor-made, it’s often not as expensive as you might fear, and you get to pick exactly the fabric you like, and exactly the cut.
I don’t take offense at the Amazonian comment, but I thought the picture choice was poor. If a petite woman wrote in with a question, would a picture of a dwarf/little person be appropriate?
I actually thought the picture was a nice reminder that we are not all the same size! The other pictures of clothes are always on models. That said, the Amazonian comment did made me wince.
I’m only 5’9″, but I need 34″ (with flats) to 36″ inseams and have the craziest long arms (longer than my husband’s, who is 6’3″). Someone above mentioned that J. Crew is too casual, but they have some great professional suits and long-sleeved blouses (not the same selection as in regulars and petites, but at least there’s something). Sleeve length is the hardest thing for me, but their talls fit great. Also Banana Republic, as others have mentioned. Every now and then I have to get the sleeves let out even on the talls, but at least there’s enough material to do that.
J Crew really varies from region to region. In my area, it’s at the Gap level with mostly casual and some business casual offerings. There is nothing from the professional line in either the main stores or the outlets.
Zara is probably the worst offender with this. Everything in my store is ultra casual and seems to lean more toward the teen demographic.
Someone upthread mentioned H&M having longer pants, but I’m of average height and have found that the pants need no altering or tend to be on the short side for anything other than flats.
PPS–Long Tall Sally is HIDEOUS. I lived in the UK for several years and they carry weird mom-ish clothing for people who are sized much larger all over (so as a 5’11” size 8 with skinny arms and legs, I was swimming in all of their clothes.) And many of them are weird rayon blends. STAY AWAY!
Dear mj – Chillax with the “Amazonian” comment. I’m 5’11” too, and I didn’t take offense. And no one was calling you fat either. Geez!
That aside, THANK YOU for this post because I was just thinking that I needed to head to the mall and buy a new suit, which I dread doing because I end up with drafty wrists and looking not unlike a Hurricane Katrina victim (i.e. in floods).
I’m a person with the opposite problem–my inseam is only 27”. In reading through the posts, I could relate in a different way. It has me wondering, Corporette or anyone else, why aren’t women’s pants sized like men’s? Are there too many variations to account for with hips?
NY and Company–for casual offices, their dress pants are great. I can wear their tall pants with heels (I’m 5’10). They wear out quickly, but they’re usually on sale for around $20.
Agree with NYC wearing out quickly…almost like disposable pants.
Hi.
Someone else mentioned the Tall Girl Store which does exist in both the USA and Canada. Their suits are mainly low price but if you are able to go to the store and try them on then you may find one that works well. Last season I got a nice linen suit from them that I took to Africa and it was perfect.
Recently I got so frustrated searching for tall-fitting suits in Canada that I took an opportunity on a London layover (UK) to go suit shopping. I got a fantastic and perfectly fitting suit a Jaeger. It cost about 500 pounds for the pants, skirt, and jacket and is a nice black pinstripe. I am VERY happy. I have a 36 inch inseam but a normal torso and their clothes fit perfectly without needing any alterations.
L.
Max Mara always have pants with lots of adjustable length. Great quality too. Their jackets sleeves are always too long for me by 1.6″ and I am 5′ 6.1″.
Something a lot of “fashionista” women wouldn’t think of…JCPenney.
They actually have a section of tall suits (and other professional wear)…
http://www.jcpenney.com/products/C64768.jsp
Quality is good enough for “passing in circles”, especially when paired with unique accessories. Also, their Worthington tights last forever.
Here, here. I have bought several suits from JCPenney, as well as shirts, blouses, pants, etc. I’ve been very happy with the quality/style.
My mother said in the 80s the attorneys would go to JCPenney on their lunch breaks for suits, because they looked like Brooks Brothers’ suits, obviously for much less.
I’m not in this demographic, but it’s got me thinking–maybe a post on getting tailor-made clothes would be helpful? I’ve always been intrigued, but have no idea where to start. How do you find a good tailor? Does anyone know of ones in the major metropolitan areas? Do the tailors that I take my pants to for hemming actually make clothing too?
Great idea L!
There a company here in Chicago (and New York) called Tom James and they come to your office. They take your measurements and show you fabric samples and you can even pick out the color and fabric for the lining of your suit jacket (I paired a hot pink lining with my black suit and a steel blue lining with my grey suit). There are lots of different fabrics that come in different price ranges.
http://www.tomjames.com
My husband is a Tom James addict. Most good-sized cities have their reps. The quality on his suits is great, plus he sometimes gets suits made with “end of the bolt” fabric, which makes the suits more reasonable. I’d say that their low end men’s suits start around $700.
Menswear tailormade-from-scratch places often do women’s suits, too. They usually have a few examples of their womenswear around for you to get an idea of how they cut things – can’t always tell from a photo or drawing. My fantasy order would be a jacket (bit boxy, not too long, Armani-ish), 2 pants and a skirt. Charcoal wool with a little silk or cashmere in it (god, I love textiles too much). Jacket lining in charcoal-on-black tiny thin pinstripes. Mmmmm.
One thing to beware of with Long Tall Sally: the quality isn’t particularly good. If you’re looking for high-end corporate clothing, you’ll want to go elsewhere.
On the other hand, their pantyhose have been a godsend. I’m 1.84 m (6 ft), and I take a medium. You can order via their catalogue, though not online.
I am not super tall but about 5’10 and I love heels. Theory suits fit me amazily (except for that whole cut small thing and you have to go a size up- not good on the psyche) but for a more cost effective ‘everyday’ suit I love ann taylor loft suits. They come in tall and the quality is great for the price. They also look much more expensive as they are not made with that cheap looking material.
Sorry I should spell check! Amazingly
Long Elegant Legs has what seem like nice suit separates and shoes in a size 10 minimum, and they do have long skirts. The website selection is kind of slim, though– if they still have a catalog, they might have more styles.
For long athletic clothes (and great travel khakis and so on) I recommend Athleta, a company that Gap just acquired. I absolutely love their “dipper pants,” and everything I’ve gotten so far has been extremely well-made. (They also have C-DD cup swimwear, including long-length tankinis!)
Hi, I’m 6′ and i’ve bought a few suits or black trousers and shirts from long tall sally that really fit me.I love their latest collection. they have also a new collection more fashion http://www.longtallsally.com/lts-boutique
Athleta’s long length tankinis are never long enough for me…I am 5.8 but like the top to come down over the bottom. I find Vicky C’s to be much better.
BCBG pants are always too long on me so might work for some of you taller girls.
I agree re: post on tailor. The last time I went to a tailor was to have fabric added in to a non-maternity bridesmaid dress to make it maternity. It cost $50 and looked fine. The time before that, I had a bridesmaid dress (top and skirt) taken in and it cost $130. I really can’t stomach paying that much for alterations.
Hi
I work for fashion company Long Tall Sally, you can find us online: http://www.longtallsally.com/ or visit one of our stores around the UK: http://www.longtallsally.com/stores
In response to some of the previous posts on this thread, we are sorry how you feel and are constantly looking at ways to improve and develop. Most recently we have launched a number of ranges appealing to all customer groups. These include: LTS Boutique, our catwalk inspired high fashion range, Lisa for Long Tall Sally: a capsule collection designed by style expert Lisa Butcher, as well as updating our main collection and offering a range of third party brands. Our Boutique range offers a size 8 range, plus we also carry a size 8 in selected additional styles, therefore our sizes should no longer swamp a slimmer frame.
We take pride in the fabric, styling and fit of every garment with everything cut proportionally to fit a tall woman. However, we have been looking at ways to improve the quality of our garments and introduced a variety of new fabrics for the new season. Our new collection of suiting and separates in particular, are available in a wider range of blends and textures, including; wool and cashmere blends and satin, crepe and check finishes. We wanted to offer more of a selection to our suiting, fabrics and styles in order to provide you with a wider choice.
LTS
in response to the request for shoe options (I’m a size 13 narrow).
Kathryn Kerrigan http://www.kathrynkerrigan.com has some great shoes – high quality and great customer service.
http://www.designershoes.com also good options.
Zappos has a lot in large sizes but not so many narrow.
Thanks to all of you for the suggestions – I am 6’2″ and have very long arms and as I am just now moving into the professional world (wish I could say I am as young as that comment makes me sound, heh), I’m hoping these suggestions may save me some frustration. So again, thanks!
RE: shoes, I’ve had great luck at barefoot tess (http://www.barefoottess.com/) and sometimes at endless.com