Duh. I have long arms.
I have long everything, actually.
Sometimes I am in denial about this. I buy blouses with sleeves that are three-quarter length (on me) and think, "I can just roll these up. That won't look dumb." I wear capri pants all summer, but I call them "shorts." I listen when short people say, "I have the same problem! All my pants have to be hemmed," and I don't point out that while you can make pants and sleeves shorter, it's really hard to make them longer. SO IT IS NOT THE SAME PROBLEM. (I'm sorry. Was I shouting?)
I was in a wedding once. My husband, John, measured me and we called the bridal shop and gave the lady the numbers. When I told her I was 6 feet tall, she told me that she didn't believe me, then had John measure from the divot between my collar bones to the floor. The tape measure wasn't long enough. She didn't send the long that I requested, and as a result, the skirt and blouse did not meet in the middle. (I never found out why she had me measure from collar bone to floor. Don't ask me. It must be some Bridal Store Secret.) Luckily, there was a sash that could be lowered.
On the plus side, when I was a bride myself, I didn't have to have the dress hemmed. Nor did I have to stand on that platform thing.
Also, when my hair color is fading and I have bad roots, nobody can tell.
But the sleeves are a problem.
I am currently knitting a sweater from Inspired Cable Knits that has ties on the sleeves to pull them up. They're supposed to be long (before you put the ties in.) I will have to make them 2 inches longer so that they're the right length. And even that is sort of a guess. Worst case scenario, I'll roll them up and make them look "sporty". That's how I think of the rolled-up look. Store-bought sweaters? Forget it. They're all "sporty".
I went 'round and 'round with my mom once in the Pendleton Store in downtown Portland. She really wanted to buy me a sweater. Or a blouse. Or a blazer. I tried on 5 tops before getting frustrated and refusing to try anything else on from Pendleton. That Christmas, there was a Pendleton box with my name on it. It was a vest. Mom was triumphant.
I've vowed never to buy clothes that don't fit properly, which means I'll either be naked or making my own clothes. Now that I've designed and made a few sweaters for myself, I feel a little better about the vow, and my wrists are much warmer.
Don't get me started about pants, though.
8 comments:
Steph--
I knew it was only a matter of time before you entered the blogosphere. With all your little projects, and all the intarsia hat insanity, you will, I am sure, keep us all amused. You could even have installments of your own version of "you knit what?"
yr pal,
Elaine
I'm not as tall as you, but I feel you on the pants thing. I can't dry any of my pants or they become too short and forget about wearing heels with any of them! Husband knows what you're talking about on the sleeve thing. His ape index is plus four and the medium shirts that fit his torso are way too short for his arms.
Expect to get flamed though! I have gotten in so many fights with the shorties out there about the hemming nonsense. I challenging them to hem my pants longer. I'd gladly pay 10 bucks to have my pants fit me right.
Meh.
Nice of you not to mention how annoying it is when kind of tall but not REALLY tall women say "oh, I know how it is" because really we probably don't (though the sleve thing is actually still a problem for me, even if I can find pants...).
I will open with this: I do *not* know what it's like. I dislike the fit (although, what I mean by that, ironically, is the non-fit) of clothing in my hip-arena. That notwithstanding never signifies that I can't eventually find something that works, sorta.
This is clearly not the case when they make NOTHING for people who are a certain height/weight. I've always been sympathetically galled for anyone who falls outside of the "S/M/L" category (which, I'm guessing, is a fairly sizeable number of the dressing humans).
p.s. argh.
Hah! I found you! I am so sorry to hear about your sleeve problem, if it makes you feel any better I am also a bit of a freak. I have a very tough time finding shoes because my feet are too narrow and flat...maybe I should become a cobbler.
there's definitely scope for some sort of exchange programme. my partner has short arms, but refuses to spend a few extra quid on shirts that fit properly. opting instead to always have his shirt sleeves rolled up. meaning suit jackets don't sit right. meaning shirts go in the washer and out againw without ever having been unrolled. meaninglumps int he laundry pile.
I reckon there's a good 4-6" to spare on all his upper cladding garments . . .any takers?
An addendum to the post: If I ever catch anyone putting ANY shirt or pants belonging to me in the drier...well....I don't even know what I'll do. But it won't be good.
my husband is 6 foot 4 inches and loves that most people are too short to notice the bald spot.
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