Goth clothing tips for tall women

As a goth and a tall woman, Rai gives her clothing tips on an alternative goth style that works well with your height.

As a girl at least four inches above the UK’s average height, and whose best friend is 3 inches taller than me(!) we both find it very hard to find alternative fashion that will fit us. However, here are some of my failsafe tips for statuesque girls out there who don’t want to have to be segregated to the tall brand clothes.

Tall women clothing tip #1: Wear miniskirts with leggings

One of the things I find difficult about being tall is finding miniskirts and dresses that aren’t totally indecent. Since the leggings-as-trousers trend is still very in fashion, wearing leggings under short dresses is a good way to preserve dignity whilst wearing a short skirt – and it keeps your legs warmer than tights on a cold day.

Tall women clothing tip #2: Layer your tops

Unless you enjoy flashing your midriff to everyone, it can be hard for tall girls to find tops that don’t ride up to cropped length if you so much as shrug. My quick fix to avoid this kind of situation is to buy lots and lots of different coloured tank tops or vest tops, though black will go with everything. If you’re especially tall, buy ‘longline’. This should cover you up even if your other shirt rides up.

Tall women clothing tip #3: Chunky shoes

One of the problems I have with my shoes is that due to my height, I have very long feet. This means dainty heels and pumps make me look more Pingu than graceful.

Most shoe brands don’t cater for tall women and shoes rarely go up to size 8.5. I’ve resolved this by turning towards the more chunky shoes, such as TUK or proper chunky goth boots, which make big feet look small in comparison. If you feel heels make you much too tall, chunky flat mary-jane shoes could be the way to go for tall women who prefer their shoes not to have heels.

Tall women clothing tip #4: Tall women’s tights and hosiery

Tights and hosiery is something I have a massive problem with as a tall girl. At 5’9 and a size 14, any ‘one size fits all’ tights I try on generally are stretched out to full capacity somewhere around my thighs. Not all shops cater for this fact, and I’ve even tried on some large tights (size 16/18 in most places) that are way too small.

However, shops like ASDA do affordable, ‘large’ tights that can accommodate for most heights, and if in doubt go for the footless tights, which are pretty much one size fits all. And add nice indie socksies to keep your toesies warm!

Tall women clothing tip #5: Not being afraid of ‘plus size’ bones

It is very hard for someone who is 6ft tall to be a size 8 or smaller without serious starvation (which is obviously not recommended). That doesn’t mean tall women and girls are fat. It’s just a lot more likely a tall girl will be ‘big boned’, meaning the ribcage and hips will be larger to accommodate the extra weight carried on their height.

Tall goth girls, don’t think of yourself as large; think of yourself as Amazonite!