Elizabeth Debicki is an Australian actress that was born in France. When she was five her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she began to walk down the path that would eventually lead her to where she is at this point and time. This rather tall woman, she stands about 6'2", has been noted as an outstanding student and has gained awards aplenty since her time in high school and is now set on making a film, TV, and stage career worth mentioning. She’s already accomplished at least a third of that goal and is still hard at work to attain the fame that she desires. With any luck and the talent that she already possesses she will continue to shine in the productions that want her and those that she auditions for.

So far she’s done a great job of getting noticed.

5. She’s very much into escaping from her own life for a little while.

As a child she liked to imagine herself as one of the characters that she happened to enjoy at the time. Children pretending to be their favorite stars and heroes is nothing new but this allowed Elizabeth to become her own person and attain a level of comfort with herself and those around her that helped her to grow and develop into someone that could slip into a role quite easily.

4. She doesn’t like to sit still.

Once she’s done with a role she wants to know what comes next. With some people this could be an indication that they are restless, that they have a wandering spirit and can’t settle no matter how comfortable they might be. With Elizabeth it feels more as though she’s eager to see what else she can do and what other roles are out there that might be right for her.

3. She trained as a dancer before going into theater.

She was about five when she started to learn ballet. The performing arts have been her field since then, though she moved into drama after a while and started gaining high marks for her performances and the ability to slip into her roles so easily. Even at a younger age it seemed that she was destined to go further, to possibly show the world what she could do.

2. She made her film debut in 2011.

She made her film debut in the movie titled A Few Best Men. She’s a relative newcomer to film despite having been around for a few years now. Chances are that at the rate she’s going now she could see a great deal of improvement in her roles and a greater involvement across the board if she plays her cards right. She is a skilled actress and should expect to see herself in bigger movies as time goes on.

1. She’s been nominated for several awards.

She’s been nominated for several but to date has only won one of note. She won Best Actress In a Supporting Role for her part in the Great Gatsby. The award was bestowed upon her by Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.

She’s here, and there’s no limit to how high she can go.

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This piece is from 2009 but still worth reading...

Kara Cooney is a striking, six-foot-tall Irish/Italian-American brunette with a quick wit and an odd fascination with things that would bore the pants off of many young women."I love anything old and dead," she says. "I have always loved anything old and dead... but Egypt just had this special quality. I've been doing this since 1994, when I started graduate school, and I have not been disappointed yet.

"It's an incredibly powerful culture and an incredibly innovative culture. I'm still waiting to be disappointed. There are still moments where I go, 'Oh, my God.'

"I'm not bored."

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Ford Model from Lawndale Launches Series of Confidence Chats with Chicago’s Youth

5/16/2018, noon | Updated on 5/16/2018, noon 

Robin Harris, a fashion model represented by Ford Models, with an MBA in International Business has launched a series of confidence chats. Harris has been in the fashion industry for over 10 years, working as a professional model, designer, merchandiser, and creative director. She created MODEL ATELIER to fill the void and frustration that tall women have when it comes to finding stylish clothes that’s the perfect fit and length.

The mission of Confidence Chat is to empower young girls to love themselves as they are, and to know why confidence is so important to develop and have in order to face life’s challenges. The chats are a series of 4 scheduled throughout the year to be held from 10AM to NOON at the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School located at 2641 S Calumet Ave. in Chicago. The first Confidence Chat was held on May 5 and covered topics such as:

• Confidence is a mindset
• Health and Wellness
• Confidence in your appearance and style
• Paying Confidence Forward

ABOUT MODEL ATELIER:

MODEL ATELIER is a luxury design house exclusively for the tall, strong, and confident woman. It offers finely crafted ready-to-wear collections tailored for women 5’7’’and taller. Harris works together with an in-house design team to produce the finest clothing, content, and style for tall women. At MODEL ATELIER, they celebrate tall women and design modern clothing to fit the tall woman’s individual lifestyle. The company shares a common interest of being innovative, exceeding expectations, and embracing an entrepreneurial mindset. Harris is also developing a Historically Black College tour for 10 kids to visit Spellman, Morehouse College and Howard University.

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The International Olympic Committee has introduced a rule which might exclude women with naturally high testosterone levels: statistical evidence suggests that this may not make sport ‘fairer’ and dealing with another ‘T’ might be more effective...

The other 'T'

In 1968 Thomas Khosla, a lecturer in medical statistics at the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff, published an article in the British Medical Journal on what he called the 'Unfairness of Certain Events in the Olympic Games'. The unfairness was caused by another controversial T: Tallness...

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Northern grad, former reality TV star Rabenberg brings comedy act to town

By Kelda J.L. Pharris - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

She's a Mobridge native and former Northern State University basketball player, TV reality star and life coach. Now Krista Rabenberg wants to make you laugh.

Rabenberg, 31, is bringing Las Vegas Laughs, with sketch comedian Steven Briggs, to the Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 1400 Eighth Ave. N.W. Shows are today and Saturday at 8 p.m.

Krista Rabenberg brings a comedy act to Aberdeen this weekend. She once played basketball for Northern State University and was on the show "My Giant Life." Courtesy photo

Comedian wasn't a career path Rabenberg took seriously right away, but it seemed to fit. The reality show wanted to run with it, and being a 6-foot, 6-inch tall woman, she had a lot of goofy things to talk about. Like crouching in bathroom stalls because she doesn't want to stand up and frighten anyone when her frame pops her head up over the doors, she said. Yes, it's a thing.

"(Comedy) is an escape for a lot of people for how crazy it is in the world right now," Rabenberg said by phone Thursday. "People need that coping method. I didn't take it seriously for a while. Once I took that perspective, I thought that I can really help people, just in a different way than I thought I would be."

Comedy is taking the front burner for Rabenberg right now. She has signed contracts with talent management companies in Canada and Las Vegas, where she is currently based. She said her Aberdeen shows are a test run with the potential for a tour through South Dakota, but nothing is on the calendar.

Previously she was on the reality series "My Giant Life." It focused on women who were exceptionally tall. Her roommate in the series was 6-foot-9. It was weird being the shorter person for one time in her life, Rabenberg said. All of those experiences, and a continuous supply from her private life, keep her material fresh.

A large part of her life while she was on "My Giant Life" played out on social media. She'd meet clients online who sought her as a life coach, which her line of work at the time. Because of her TV fame there was some unwanted attention from men who had "kinks" or "fetishes" about tall women, she said. Her decision to try standup comedy yielded better attention than her work as a life coach, she said.

Strangely enough, it has put her extensive education in psychology to good use, Rabenberg said.

Advance tickets are $15 for general admission, $25 for VIP with meet and greet at 6:30 p.m. They are available at bit.ly/2KGuSCA. General admission tickets are $20 at the door.

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Geena Davis: ‘After Thelma & Louise, people said things would improve for women in film. They didn’t’

Having built a career playing strong women, the Hollywood star is taking on sexism in the film industry, with a gender equality project that will launch at this year’s London film festival

By Elizabeth Day

Geena Davis is tall, very tall. In her bare feet, she reaches 6ft. Today, she is wearing 5in wedge heels and towers over everyone in the near vicinity.

This is worth remarking upon not because Davis’s appearance is the most interesting thing about her – it isn’t, not by a long mark – but because it shows her willingness to occupy a space, to lay claim to it. There is an assertiveness to her physical presence. Most tall women feel the need to slouch or wear flats or somehow make themselves seem that little bit less intimidating. Davis clearly has no truck with this. As she walks across to meet me, shoulders back, smile in place, arm outstretched to shake my hand, her entire stance is one of easy confidence.

Davis has long made it her mission to ensure women occupy more space in a notoriously sexist business. The film industry has never been an equal opportunities employer. But we are meeting at a time when the plates seem to be shifting. Several actresses have recently spoken out about unequal treatment and an increasing number of films are being made with complicated, interesting female protagonists at the helm. Are we at a watershed moment?

“The women in the industry, I think, are remarkable,” Davis says cautiously. “A lot of people are becoming very comfortable about saying it’s not fair.”

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She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Lord Byron

Having It Tall - Starts Here

I'm a 6'2" woman. What's the ideal way for me to respond when people (almost always men and total strangers) ask, out of the blue, "How does a woman your height find boyfriends?" - Annoyed 

I'd opt for the macabre approach, delivered totally deadpan: "Actually, I stretch short men on a rack in my basement. You can sometimes hear the screams from the side yard."

Responding with shocking humor - in an uber-cool tone - gives you the upper hand in a way an enraged response to their rudeness would not. And yes, people who say this to you are rude - assuming you don't go around wearing a sign that reads "Hey, strangers, ask me anything! Nothing's too impolite or too personal!"

Of course, when people overstep (as maybe 6,055 other people have done previously), it's natural to get angry - to go loud and ugly in calling them on their rudeness. However, that sort of directness - explicitly telling them that they've wronged you - is probably counterproductive. Social psychologist Elliot Aronson finds that people are highly prone to "self-justification" - the ego-defending denial that they've behaved badly.

Making matters worse, our fight-or-flight system reflexively reacts to verbal attacks in the same adrenalized way it does to physical attacks. So, angry directness from you is likely to provoke a rudester into amping up the ugly - turning around and deeming you rude, wrong, and "Wow…testy!" for your response.

Ultimately, using humor as I suggested - an over-the-top statement, delivered flatly - allows you to restructure the power balance, shifting yourself out of the victim position. You're clearly informing the person they've crossed a line, with minimal aggression on your part. This is important because, as a tall girl, your energy is best put to more productive ends - folding yourself up like origami to fly in coach and fighting the Statue of Liberty for the extremely tall guys of Tinder.

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Height Shaming: Tall Women Tell Us Their Experiences

Lateefah Jean-Baptiste ‎22‎ ‎May‎ ‎2018, ‎08‎:‎10

Growing up, I was always the tallest girl in school. People would often make remarks about my height; standing at 6’2, they still do. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked if I play basketball or model, although these comments never really phase me and, if I'm honest, I find the latter quite flattering. During my teenage years, though, I would often overhear strangers making mean comments about my height. Both children and, to my surprise, adults, would refer to my height as if it were some sort of burden, or an undesirable attribute that would make me incapable of attracting men. That used to make me feel really insecure.

I know I'm not the only one who feels like this. A lot of tall women grow up feeling insecure about their height, and have to come to terms with the fact that no matter where they go, someone is going to make a comment, good or bad.

Ahead, six women talk about how they deal with being height-shamed on a regular basis...

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Conventional beauty standards do not promote health, they rather create the false narrative that there is only one ideal body type, and we unquestioningly subscribe to this

Reesha Ahmed | 04 November, 2021, 01:00 pm | Last modified: 04 November, 2021, 01:10 pm

Although body-shaming has become a popular topic of discussion in our society, there is another aspect of body-related prejudice that we turn a blind eye to. This is none other than heightism – the discrimination against individuals based on their heights.

This phenomenon affects multiple aspects of life in contemporary society, including but not limited to job prospects, romantic relationships, media portrayal and athletics. Unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards objectify human beings, reducing them to their physical characteristics alone. When it comes to height ideals, men bear the brunt of stigmatisation.

"I do not understand why short men think they can talk to me", a 22-year-old woman expressed this sentiment to her friend in a conversation about their preferences in men. The "conventionally pretty woman meets a conventionally handsome man" trope that we are accustomed to seeing on screen has undeniably played a part in perpetuating this discrimination.

When was the last time TV showed you a romantic relationship between a tall woman and a shorter man? The dearth of diversity on screen reinforces these stereotypes, resulting in the attractiveness of men being judged as proportional to their height.

Countless social science surveys have delineated the role played by mass attitudes in the institutional privileging of tall people. The public uncritically attributes positive traits such as intelligence, likeability, dependability, and leadership to tallness.

According to Arianne Cohen, author of "The Tall Book", men who are taller get promoted more, paid more and are considered better leaders than their shorter counterparts, not because they are more deserving, but because, "They've sort of gotten a halo in the society at this point", she says.

A study conducted by Andrew Leigh, an economist at the Australian National University, found that men who are 6-feet tall had annual incomes nearly 1,000 dollars more than men only 2 inches shorter, simply because taller people are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful.

Unsurprisingly, these advantages are conferred partly because taller people tend to exude confidence and leadership.

Eamonn Crowe opens up about the bullying and name-calling he faced at a young and impressionable age in his feature for the University of Exeter's student newspaper. He remembers being referred to as "vertically challenged" by a teacher in a classroom full of students.

"When I was younger, I often included a plea to be taller in my night-time prayers and I remember researching surgeries that claimed to make you taller online", he recalls. Those of shorter stature are conditioned to believe their height is a disability.

Eamonn confesses that growing up, he was conscious of his height, "I saw it as hindering my ability to be cool, attractive or masculine." Even though he has managed to overcome this insecurity later in his life, the account of his hardships is a testament to the fact that the shame many men experience throughout their lives because of the toxic male stereotypes that have been forced upon them.

So it is of little wonder that they do not have soaring confidence. Tall people have their fair share of struggles (discomfort in airplanes or cars, stooping down to talk to people), but these difficulties do not have the "systematic nature of oppression."

The oppression of short people is characterised by the negative view of shortness bound up within the myth of tallness. But discriminatory attitudes change according to gender. That is not to say that women are not discriminated against for not conforming to ideals.

However, in the context of heightism, men suffer the height of prejudice. Within the myth of tallness, tall and short are codes for masculine and feminine respectively. Since women are expected to possess "feminine" traits, it makes sense to society when they are short. Already the downtrodden sex, they fit neatly into patriarchal expectations and eventually are marginalised and disenfranchised on the basis of height and gender.

But patriarchy is a standard that entraps everyone, men and women alike. So, let us have a look at masculinity in the eyes of the patriarchy. Masculinity is defined by a set of immutable characteristics. Being tall, domineering, and imposing, all connote manhood.

The big macho tough guy is the epitome of toxic masculinity, and any man who fails to adhere to these constraining and potentially dangerous societal standards will be ostracised, excluded, rejected, and held up as an object of ridicule.

Humans come in a variety of heights and with the exception of hormonal conditions, overall, there is no way for one to increase one's height. Each person is born with genes that determine how tall he or she becomes. Height becomes an unattainable beauty standard once adult size is reached.

Setting a "normal" acceptable range for something that is beyond human control, and subjecting those who do not measure up to these absurd standards to discrimination and predjudicial treatment are nothing short of outrageous.

Ideal beauty has consistently been unattainable, and has led many to suffer through anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and even death. Crushed by the weight of the feeling of not being worthy, valid, enough, some are pushed to the brink of suicide.

In 2000, Robert Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist at University of Oxford, UK, pointed out the correlation between the stature and social acceptability of men. His research showed that shorter men not only earned less but were also less likely to marry and have children.

"Because you never quite catch up if you start small, so all your life you find yourself at the bottom of the social pile. One could imagine that this might give rise to suicidal tendencies eventually," says Dunbar.

The global news publication Insider combined medical data to calculate the mean height for each of the 25 shortest countries in the world. Bangladesh ranks 9th on the list. The average Bangladeshi is 5 feet 1.92 inches tall, and the average Bangladeshi man is around 5'5.

One may conjecture that the bias against short men is nonexistent in a country where being "short" is the norm. But this is far from the truth. Heightism is just as pervasive and entrenched in our society as in any other.

In our culture, it is unacceptable for a woman to marry a shorter man, and if she goes against the crowd and dares to do so, she will never hear the end of it. Moreover, Bangladeshis, too, have a propensity for cruelty. Shorter people find themselves on the receiving end of teasing and name-calling at school, at work, and even at home.

The effects of short-shaming are multidimensional, culminating in irreversible damage to one's mental health. We must recognise that body-shaming in any form or shape is more than just cruel words. We must ask ourselves why aesthetics are more important to us than kindness.

This is when body positivity comes into play. Some argue that body positivity enables those who are complacent and lazy, and neglect taking care of themselves. This is a common misconception. This argument is rendered invalid by the fundamentals of body positivity.

Conventional beauty standards do not promote health, they rather create the false narrative that there is only one ideal body type, and we unquestioningly subscribe to this. This is damaging for people who do not fit these criteria. On the contrary, body positivity is founded on positive psychology, which focuses on respecting and appreciating one's body, whilst taking care of it.

Self-love and self-care are not mutually exclusive. People are sometimes shamed for physical features which cannot be altered, such as height. A body positive society has no room for bullying. Those who still call body positivity an excuse for being lazy are perhaps just looking for an excuse to be cruel.

For men with a low centre of gravity to have high self-esteem, we need to reevaluate what it truly means to be a man. Viewing something as superficial as a man's physical stature as a measure of his masculinity is one of the many problematic practices that we have to unlearn.

The word "manly" can denote courage, kindness and strength: the courage to stand up against injustice, kindness for all, especially those in need, and the strength of character to flourish even in the face of adversity.

It is imperative that the height hierarchy, beauty stereotypes and conventional expectations are dismantled so that people can take ownership of their authentic, multifaceted selves and understand that they are worthy, valid, enough just the way they are.

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This website is now based on a "Content Management System"... It's called "Joomla".

In the olden days (1998 - 2014) it was a simple HTML-based website that didn't offer much user interactivity or flexibility. Apart from that the layout looked more than just crappy when you visited the website on a wider monitor or a mobile device. That's why I decided to change everything - completely.

Transferring ALL the old content is nigh impossible and, as far as I'm concerned, not even desirable. In some cases you need to re-evaluate what you've got and decide on the content you want to keep (and discard the content that is obsolete).

I will still add some more "old content" in the months to come but let me reiterate again: "This website is FOR, not ABOUT Tall Women. There are other websites whose owners have a different approach. They can be easily found by using one of the main search engines.

What I would like here is more user interaction... especially comments (and ratings) on the companies listed.

This is not a blog. I'm neither a woman nor am I tall. So I can't comment on the most fashionable dresses or shoes (even though I've got a pretty good idea what a gorgeous shoe looks like).

You're a woman and you are tall (5'10" and above)? Participate. This is YOUR website. Help me to make it even better!

BY REID MENE

Sometimes the things we’re bullied for make us stand out in the most special of ways. Take twenty-year-old design student from Florida, Holly Burt, who may have the longest legs in the world.

Holly is 6-foot-5, and her legs measure a whopping49.5 inches, topping the current record holder’s 49-inch legs.

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A new study shows natural selection is alive and well in the Netherlands

By Erin Blakemore
smithsonian.com
April 10, 2015

Home Design Hacks For Those Of Us That Are Taller

Having a little extra height is often a coveted feature. Taller people are able to reach whatever is needed from a shelf without the need for a footstool, can easily see over the person in front at the cinema, and often have the most amazing long legs. However, what a lot of people don't understand is that being tall also comes with its downsides, with one of these being that most properties are designed to better suit the needs of slightly shorter people.

When you're blessed with an extra few inches of height, you end up having to crouch down more, bend over more, and often end up bumping your head on low ceilings and doorways. Living in a home that you love but isn't designed to accommodate your height can be a total nightmare; it can even make life somewhat unbearable at times.

However, the good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can adapt your home to be a better fit for your height. Keen to learn how you can go about doing that? Check out the tips and ideas below!

Start with the bathroom

Bending over the sink to wash your hands and clean your teeth can cause back pain, so why not swap out your sink for a higher set design? You can also swap your toilet basin for a design that offers a few more inches of height. As for your shower, if you have a static shower head that you have to bend to get under, replace it with an adjustable alternative that allows you to adjust the height and actually have a comfortable shower experience. These changes don't have to be as expensive as you would think - there are plenty of discount bathroom stores online that should help to reduce the cost.

Move onto the kitchen

The same issue can occur in the kitchen - if your sink and counters are sat too low, you are more likely to struggle with back pain as a result of having to bend over all the time. It's a good idea to consider raising the height of your counters and sink, to ensure that your kitchen is comfortable for you to use. As for the oven, a wall oven could be your best friend as then you can position it at whatever height works best for you. Should you want a table that's more comfortable to dine at, pick a higher set design - bar-style tables and stools can often be a great option.

Don't be afraid to be creative with the design and layout - create a space that suits your needs. Kitchen appliances can be expensive to replace, so make sure to look into adequate protection for your adapted kitchen, such as insurance or home warranties saving homes money, so that should a breakdown occur, you don't need to panic. Unexpected costs are never a welcome expense, so protecting your home's appliances is crucial.

The rest of the house

What you want to avoid are light fixtures that hang too low, as it's far too easy to bang your head on these. If you're able to, consider having the heights of your doors - and potentially, your ceilings - increased, so that you have a little extra space and can move around your home more comfortable. You shouldn't have to duck to enter a room in your own home, should you?

There you have it, a few handy hacks and ideas for making your home more tall woman (or man) friendly.

A chance meeting in Beijing set Chen Yue’s life on a course that would see her become the first Chinese woman to play college basketball in the US

The 6ft 7in woman from China and the NBA executive who gave her a life stood in the lobby of a Salt Lake City hotel last Thursday night. For a moment neither knew what to do. So many things Chen Yue had to say to Richard Smith yet no words came out. What do you tell the man who handed you a dream and never realized what he had done?Chen Yue tried. She wanted Smith to know he’s the reason she’s here. She wanted to say that when he chose her from a group of 80 boys for a basketball team in Beijing seven years ago it was the instant she thought she could be special, that she believed. And that this belief ignited a hope that brought her to the University of California where she is the first woman from her country to play college basketball in the US.

But Chen Yue’s English wasn’t strong enough for her to say these things. She couldn’t express the thoughts that swirled around her head in a mash of Mandarin and English. Instead she walked up to Smith, the director of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz and swallowed him in a hug.

And all she said was this:

"I'm so glad to see you again."

An NBA producer would eventually tell Smith the story of he and Chen is like the movie The Blind Side. Only in this instance Smith was not a parent taking in a football player but a basketball scout picking a team of children in Beijing and moved to choose a then-6ft 1in girl because she worked hard and he wanted to give her confidence.

“She hustled, I thought she should be rewarded for that,” Smith later said.

He never imagined the compulsive act of selecting a girl over a boy would inspire her to push until she found a way to do something no Chinese woman had done before. He never thought a random selection at a youth basketball camp would someday bring Chen Yue close to tears when she said: “Richard Smith starts my dream.”

He was just a guy from an NBA team halfway around the world trying to do what was right. Then he wound up changing a life.

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Dear Mona,

What is the average height differential between men and women in heterosexual relationships?

Thanks,
John, 24, New York

Dear John,

As you know, I've already written back to ask why you were so curious about the height of romance - partly because I wanted to make sure I was using relevant data and partly because I'm just plain nosy. The information you provided is, I think, significant: You're heterosexual, 5 feet 6 and came up with this question while you "and a fellow short friend were lamenting about heels."

Before I started researching this topic, I held two assumptions that you might share:

Men tend to be taller than women.Women tend to prefer taller men.

It turns out both of those are correct, but the number of inches we're talking about is still pretty fascinating. What's more, there are studies that show who's choosing a partner based on height, why they're doing it and how height differs in homosexual relationships.

Wanting to measure the height difference in existing couples (as opposed to people's preferences for a partner - we'll come to those later), researchers in the Netherlands used survey data from 12,502 couples who were the parents to babies born in the U.K. in 2000.

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Joerg says: "They are not big, they are tall. Why is it so difficult to distinguish?"

Ladies are all bigger than Michael Jordan

16th September 2017 by Julian Cheatle

My Giant Life returns to TLC for Season 3 this weekend — following the day-to-day happenings of six extraordinarily tall women. But just how tall are the stars of the show, which is now in its third season? The answer is…they’re BIG!

The average height of a woman in the United States is around 5 feet 4 inches — while the women on My Giant Life range from 6 feet 6 inches to an incredible 6 feet 9 inches. Two of the stars, Katja and Lindsay are both 6ft 9in, making them nearly one-and-a-half feet taller than the average woman. They are also taller than Basketball players Michael Jordan (6ft 5in), Kobe Bryant (6ft 6in) and LeBron James (6ft 8in).

The new season of My Giant Life has lots in store, with baby fever, pregnancy drama and breakups.

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How Tall Are You - The Pros and Cons of Exceptional Height by Don Doxsie

Don Doxsie, former award-winning sportswriter and columnist, has written a very entertaining book about his interactions with people about “different aspects of extreme height”. Don himself was “only” 6’5”, as he jokingly puts it in the first chapter of the book, when he went on a spring break trip to Florida.

Don also writes about his encounter with attendees of a “little people’s convention” in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As you may have gathered, the comments and questions were rather predictable.

Along the way Don references other authors like Ralph Keyes or Arianne Cohen whose book is also listed in this section. You can say that Don covers every angle of the topic of being (too) tall. This comes as no surprise as this book has been in the making for decades. 

I found "How Tall Are You - The Pros and Cons of Exceptional Height" to be highly entertaining, well researched and always on topic. Since I am well familiar with the subject, I appreciate Don Doxsie's work immensely. It's especially fun to read the names of women who are friends of this website, namely the owners of Amalli Talli, Simply Tall and Talltique. I must say I'm glad that Don found it important to dedicate a whole Chapter (Chapter 6, for this matter) to the question "What Am I Supposed to Wear?"

I will let Don explain his motivation for writing this book:

"I have been studying the plight of being very tall nearly as long as I have been tall, dating all the way back to my growth spurt of 1970, 1971 and 1972. As far back as 1978, I was penning letters to various people asking their opinions about different aspects of extreme height and reading every book and magazine article I could find on the topic. 

Through the decades, there were many times when I set aside my research for a long time (sometimes years) only to come back to it again at some point. Fortunately, I'm a highly accomplished pack rat. I kept everything.

Upon retiring late in 2021 after nearly a half century in the newspaper business, I found the time to pull together all those collected pieces with a great deal of new research and formulate it into something that hopefully is coherent, insightful and perhaps even profound. 

I'm not alone in my fascination with this subject. Many others have been scrutinizing the plight of the tall for a very long time and this book would not be what it is without the trails that they blazed..."

Let me finish this review by recommending this book. I have been richly entertained (which is a tall order, no pun intended) and found myself chuckling more than once.

Buy the book on Amazon.com

How To Date A Tall Chick

Posted by Susannah Breslin / September 29, 2009

I’m tall. I mean, I’m really tall. And I don’t mean 5’10″ tall. I’m 6’1″. That’s ridiculously tall. Kermit the Frog once said: “It’s not easy being green.” Well, it’s not easy being a tall woman, either. Among the more common pickup lines we tall ladies hear: “Do you play basketball?” (No.) “What’s the weather like up there?” (Icy.) “I’d like to climb you.” (Really, I’d rather you wouldn’t.) While some women think being tall is something worth writing a book about, other women perceive it to be a disability equivalent to a clubfoot. Mostly, it’s a blessing and a curse. I can reach the highest shelves, but I’ll never blend into the crowd. Dating? That’s a whole other story. For guys who admire amazons, here’s how to bag a tall chick.

1. Stay Away from the Cheesy Lines. Speaking on behalf of tall women everywhere, I would like to deliver this breaking news: We know we’re tall. “Gee, you’re tall,” “How tall are you?” and “Do you play basketball/volleyball?” will not endear you to us. We live every day in these elongated bodies. Consequently, some of us suffer from Tall Girl Syndrome. We love our height, but we may be ambivalent about it, too. Standing head-and-shoulders above the rest doesn’t always feel so, well, girly. Hit on us about anything other than our height — our brains, our beauty, out favorite books — and leave the tall talk for Turk.

2. Get Over It. Maybe you’ve never gone out with a tall woman. Maybe you’re a little intimidated. Maybe she’s taller than you. When dating a tall woman, operate under this premise: She’s fine with the fact that she’s tall. Let it be fine for you. Unless we hail from Amazonia, intimidating the crap out of men is not our favorite past-time. If you feel intimidated, that’s on you. Relax! Get over it! Forget about it! Most vertically-endowed women don’t care how tall you are. They care what kind of man you are. Let her know who you are, and she may fall for you.

3. Treat Her Like a Lady. We can look Chad Ochocinco in the eye, but we’re like every other woman on the inside, so treat us accordingly. Do: hold my hand, tell me I look hot, put your arm around me. Don’t: ask me to hold my hand up to yours and exclaim over how big mine is, wonder out loud what size shoe I wear, request to breed a basketball team with me. My height does not my character make. I’d rather you open the door for me, send me flowers, or walk on the proper side of the sidewalk (the outside) than make me feel like a … freak. As kids, tall girls get teased for their stature. Not everyone was 5’10″ in the eighth grade, you know. If you love our height, let us know! But don’t make a spectacle out of it. We’ll love you for it.

4. We’re All the Same Height in Bed. Honestly, I don’t totally get why men get so flummoxed about wooing skyscraper-sized women. Sometimes, I wonder if it’s sexual anxiety — are men worried they won’t “measure up” in the bedroom? We know we’re all the same height when it comes to sex. In terms of anatomy, the parts generally work themselves out. In all likelihood, I won’t end up marrying a midget, but, for the most part, height is no big deal when you’re doing the horizontal mambo.

5. And If You’re Worried About What Other People Think … You pick her up for a date. In stilettos, she’s waaay taller than you. Gulp. What will your buddies think when you roll into the party with a woman who towers above you? When other guys see a guy with a woman who’s taller than he is, they assume one of two things: A) He has a lot of money, or B) He’s really good in bed. Bagging a six-footer is big-game hunting. If you land one, everyone will assume you’re a baller. Now, get out there, and find yourself a tall woman. I bet she’s waiting for you — with her heels on.

The article was originally published here: http://www.thefrisky.com/2009-09-29/how-to-date-a-tall-chick/

How to dress when you're a tall girl

By Rosie Boydell, 13 May 2016 • 7:00am

At an above-average height of 5’9”, I am often exasperated by the poor offerings of ‘tall’ clothing on the high street. It seems to me that if you’re in the taller lady category, you’re also supposedly frumpy, wide and have little-to-no taste in clothing (which is just not true). There is, however, an abundance of long shapeless jumpers, baggy trousers, loose shirt dresses and midi skirts on offer. Are we supposed to be hiding away? Why are all the options so bland? Why are none of them even remotely form-fitting?I have spent a large portion of my life shopping for jeans that fit properly. Throughout my teens, there were countless tears-in-changing-rooms moments with my mum because we’d been searching for hours for jeans with a slim waist and long leg, but we had no such luck. For an industry seemingly biased towards tall, slim women, it surprises me that the clothing options available to us are so limited.

Dungarees, jumpsuits and playsuits are usually a total write-off. Thus far in my search I have found one pair of dungarees from ASOS which fit like a dream, while my endeavour for a flattering jumpsuit is ongoing.

Wearing a mini skirt verges on indecent exposure: bending over, ascending stairs and walking anywhere without having to constantly tug on the hem of said skirt are near impossible feats. The prefix of ‘maxi’ when applied to any item of clothing is practically laughable, unless you define maxi as calf/ankle length, while ‘midi’ seems to be more like knee length and, unsurprisingly, unflattering.

Luckily, there are some exceptions and, after many hours spent searching the high street and online for clothes to fit my long limbs, I have discovered a few gems out there. Though they are few in number, these products should provide a solid foundation on which to build your tall-drobe and hopefully inspire other brands to increase their tall variety.

Shop Swedish

Upon asking fellow tall members of the fashion team for stories of their struggles, we discovered a pattern in tall shopping. “Go for viking brands,” says luxury editor Belinda White. The average Swedish woman is 5’9” which dwarfs the UK’s average of 5’3” - no wonder we struggle to find clothes to fit, we’re living in the wrong country. Clothing from brands like Cheap Monday and COS are cut longer than many of their high-street counterparts thanks to their Nordic roots.

Read the full article