Too Tall? No Way!

By Carollyn Olson

For many crossdressers, being tall is a major concern and problem. But it shouldn’t be.

I’ve stopped counting the number of times I’ve been told, by those reading my series of Tricks of the Trade crossdressing advice books, that “I can't crossdress because I'm too tall.”

My response, to put it bluntly, is (fill in the blank)!!!

Height has very little to do with crossdressing! Just look around! How can you miss seeing tall, beautiful women? They are everywhere! And you can be a tall and beautiful woman as well with a little confidence and the complementing wardrobe.

Women are as pretty as ever. They’re also taller and their shoe, dress, skirt and jeans sizes are bigger. The average height and weight for a woman has increased by one inch to 5’4” and has gone from 150 to 166 pounds in the last 20 years.

When I started crossdressing almost 40 years ago, the Internet did not exist. In the department stores, I could not find decent fashions, let alone shoes that fit. Women’s dress sizes seemed to stop at size 12 to 14 before one had to go in to the large woman or maternity section. Nice heels over size 10 were nearly impossible to find. I somehow managed, but girls today are so fortunate with almost all their needs available in the stores and on the Internet.

I stand close to 6’3” in heels, weigh about 175 pounds and I have never heard a negative comment regarding my height or my body shape. Why? It’s probably due to my “learned” feminine style and fashion sense, body language and mannerisms. If you carry yourself properly, nobody will even think of you as anything other than a woman.

Recently, I was standing in a crowded concessions line at a public event and one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever set eyes upon walked up behind me. She had shoulder length blonde hair and was wearing a lovely long sweater and skinny jeans tucked inside her 4-inch heel boots. She stood at least 6’7”, maybe 6’8”.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a few people “gawk” at us as we chatted (maybe they thought we were basketball players or at least she was), but nobody made a disparaging comment. Why would they? We were just two tall women chatting while awaiting our order. What may have been “rare or abnormal” in the past is now “the norm.”

I have a number of crossdressing friends, among them Jamie Grae and Jennifer Williams, who are from three to five inches taller than me. Height has never stopped any of them from being out-and-about any time they wish.

Confidence is the key to cross-dressing, no matter how tall you are. Locking yourself in the closet because you are “too tall” is a huge mistake. The fear of being too tall can be overcome by going out and having the right clothes, too.

Wearing Ollalaa

Wearing Venus dress and Nine West heels

Being Tall

I am over six feet tall, so when I femulate, I am a tall woman.

About the time I started femulating in my early teens, I became interested in tall women because they affirmed my existence as a tall woman, i.e., I was not the only tall woman out and about in society. Few were as tall as me, but maybe there were enough out there so that I could blend in more easily as just another tall woman.

In the past, tall women tried to blend in with their shorter sisters, so they dressed down (pun intended); instead of celebrating their height, they tried to hide it (to appear less intimidating to men).

Also, tall women did not have a lot to choose from clothing-wise. Few clothiers catered to tall women, so tall women had to make do with what was available, which typically did not celebrate tall women's height.

Today, tall women are out and proud and celebrate their height. They have more clothing to choose from now that more clothiers recognize their potential as customers. They no longer dress down to hide their height. They wear high heels and leg baring skirts and dresses. They don't care if they are intimidating. They've come a long way!

It is a great time to be a tall woman, or a tall femulator.

In celebration of tall females, I created Famous Females of Height, which is a list of tall females of notoriety that I update as I discover additional famous females of height.

In case you just tuned in, you may wonder how my Famous Females of Height list relates to the topic of this blog. The purpose of my Famous Females of Height list is to show that there really are a lot of tall genetic women out there and therefore, height should not be a deterrent to femulators going out en femme.

I just updated the list with the new tall ladies that I encountered, as well as those provided by my regular tall list contributor, Peaches. If you are aware of any tall females of note that are not on the list, please send them along and I will add them.

Enjoy!

Wearing Venus

Ladylike gents, circa 1962

Too Tall, No Way

By Carollyn Olson

For many crossdressers, being tall is a major concern and problem. But, it shouldn’t be.

I‘ve stopped counting the number of times I’ve been told by those reading my series of Tricks of The Trade crossdressing advice books, “I can't crossdress because I'm too tall." My response, to put it bluntly, is… (fill in the blank)!!!

Height has very little to do with crossdressing!!! Just look around!!! Are you blind or have a bag over your head??? How can you miss seeing tall, beautiful women??? They are everywhere!!! And you can be a tall and beautiful woman as well with a little confidence and fashion sense.

Women are as pretty as ever. They’re also taller and their shoe, dress, skirt and jeans/slacks sizes are bigger. The average height and weight for a woman has increased by one inch to 5-foot-4 and has gone from 150 to 166 pounds in the last 20 years, according to www.livestrong.com.

When I started crossdressing 35 years ago, the Internet was non-existent. In the department stores, I could not find decent fashions, let alone shoes that fit. Women’s dress sizes seemed to stop at size 12-14 before one had to go in to the Large Woman or Maternity section and nice heels over size 10 were nearly impossible to find. I managed somehow, but girls today are so fortunate with almost all their needs available in the stores and on the Internet.

I stand close to 6-3 in heels and weigh about 175 pounds and I have never had a negative comment regarding my height or my body shape. Why? It’s probably due to my “learned” feminine style and fashion sense, body language and mannerisms. If you carry yourself properly, nobody will even think of you as anything other than a woman.

Recently, I was standing in a crowded concessions line at a public event and one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever set my eyes upon walked up behind me. She had shoulder-length blond hair and was wearing a lovely long sweater and skinny jeans tucked inside her 4-inch heel boots. She stood at least 6-7, maybe 6-8. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a few people “gawk” at us as we chatted (maybe they thought we were female basketball players or at least she was), but nobody made a disparaging comment. Why would they? We were just two tall women chatting while awaiting our orders. What may have been “rare” or “abnormal” in the past is now “the norm.”

I have a number of crossdressing friends, among them Michele Popkov, Jamie Grae and Jennifer Williams, who are three to five inches taller than me. Height has never stopped any of them from being out and about anytime they wish.

Confidence is the key to crossdressing no matter how tall you are. Locking yourself in the closet because you are “too tall” is a huge mistake. The fear of being too tall can be overcome by finding clothes that are appropriate to your body type and taking that first step out the door. So, don’t delay… go for it!

Wearing Hanes (Source: OneHanesPlace.com)

The always lovely Carollyn Olson, the author of today's post

She's got legs; she knows how to use them*

I recently received another e-mail complaining that my skirts were too short for my height and/or my age (I am 6 feet 2 and 65 years old).

I think the height complaint is a non-starter. Tall women have long and shapely legs --- who to better show off them off then by wearing short skirts?

Online, I found this about tall women and short skirts.

"Tall women of all ages look great in a short skirt. As you grow out of your college-partying days, you will probably want to veer away from the ultra-short, ultra-tight mini skirt, but there’s nothing wrong with a skirt that ends at your fingertips or mid-thigh. If that seems too edgy, try a skirt that ends equidistant between your knees and your fingertips. A skirt this length will help prevent embarrassing Brittany-esque moments, but will still show off enough leg to make people take notice."

I also found this.

Editor-at-Large from Glamour magazine Suze Yalof Schwartz appearing on Today said, "Her 'rule of thumb' (pun intended) is that a mini skirt's hem should not be any shorter than a wearer's thumb when the hands are at the side. I actually think, however, that you have to see the wearer and the garment and that rules like that don't always apply across the board. Plus, the thumb line can be pretty short.

"For example, the wearer's legs make a huge difference in whether a mini dress or skirt makes you look fabulous or half-naked. Take Real Housewife of New York City Kelly Bensimon, for instance... As a tan, statuesque (6' 0" - Ed.) former model, her style is synonymous with mini skirts. Are her skirts, shorts, and dresses a tad too short sometimes? Sure. But does she have great legs and all the business in the world rocking a style that shows off her inherent gam glory: Absolutely!"

Personally, I think that my legs are ok, but other people have convinced me that they are more so. My legs have always received good grades. My mother often said I had beautiful legs (and that "you should have been a girl with legs like yours"). My wife and other genetic women have admitted that I have nicer legs then they do. Friends and strangers have praised my legs. A friend's spouse even nicknamed me "Leggy."

Who am I to argue? The consensus is that I have great legs, so they meet the qualification to be shown and height is not a cause for disqualification. 

But does my age disqualify me?

For starters, I don't look (or act) my age. Even in boy mode, I look younger than my age. In girl mode, with makeup and a wig piled on, I look even younger. People often guess I am in my 40s. But what's age got to do with it?

From the Internet again:

"To use her as an example yet again, Kelly Bensimon is 40 years old and not slowing down when it comes to donning miniskirts. I don't think there should be any hard and fast rule about not wearing something after a certain age. The key is being honest with yourself about how you look in it."

I honestly think I look good in short skirts despite my age, real or apparent. Until I am convinced otherwise, you will see my knees and more.

* You all probably recognize that line from ZZ Top's hit recording "Legs." I wonder if you remember a brief T-moment in the video for that song. In that video, leggy girls, who are dressed over-the-top, are shopping in a boutique outfitting another girl who is more conservatively dressed. The T-moment occurs when one of the leggy girls grabs a dress from a guy who is holding the garment up to himself to see how it fits/looks in it.

(Caveat Emptor: This is a redo of a 3-year-old post.)

Wearing Fashion To Figure.

John Hansen (left) in the 1970 film The Christine Jorgensen Story

Short Femulations

Happy Labor Day! May your weekend be long and your shorts short!

Teen Tidbits

Some of us are late bloomers and are the equivalent of teenage girls discovering the world of feminine fashion and beauty.

With that in mind, I often pass along tidbits that I hope will help us get through those awkward teenage years and become beautiful young woman ASAP. So here is a tidbit from this week's Daily Makeover: 7 Makeup Mistakes You're Making.

Opera En Femme

Aunty Marlena wrote, "I think your readers would be blown away at the amazing femulations done in an opera by two  counter-tenors some years ago. They were performing in an 18th Century Italian opera called  Artaserse which had been performed originally with castrati in the female roles (because the pope at the time decreed no women could perform in any opera in Rome). When the opera  was revived in 2012, it  was done with the counter-tenors playing the parts of the king's daughter and her friend, the top general's daughter."

See for yourself here and here.

Deal Breaking Heels

Commenting on the short suit I wore last week, Pat wrote, "I simply love your outfit and thinks your legs are gorgeous! I’m also a tall girl and reluctant to wear heels because of it, but you’ve now given me courage!"

I wrote back, "Thank you for the kind words. My mother often remarked that with my shapely legs, I should have been a girl! (Guess what, Mom?)

"Anyway, my attitude regarding heels is that being 6 feet 2 inches tall, wearing flats or heels is not going to be the deal breaker as to whether I pass or not."

As a result, I wear the highest heels that I can stand!

 

 

 

Wearing Bebe.

 

 

 

Singer Arturo Valls femulates Shakira on Spanish television’s
Tu Cara Me Suena (Your Face Sounds Familiar) (2013).

She's got legs; she knows how to use them*

I recently received another e-mail complaining that my skirts were too short for my height and/or my age (I am 6-2 and will be 62 next month).

I think the height complaint is a non-starter. Tall women have long and shapely legs --- who to better show off them off then by wearing short skirts?

Online, I found this about tall women and short skirts.

"Tall women of all ages look great in a short skirt. As you grow out of your college-partying days, you will probably want to veer away from the ultra-short, ultra-tight mini skirt, but there’s nothing wrong with a skirt that ends at your fingertips or mid-thigh. If that seems too edgy, try a skirt that ends equidistant between your knees and your fingertips. A skirt this length will help prevent embarrassing Brittany-esque moments, but will still show off enough leg to make people take notice."

I also found this.

Editor-at-Large from Glamour magazine Suze Yalof Schwartz appearing on Today said "Her 'rule of thumb' (pun intended) is that a mini skirt's hem should not be any shorter than a wearer's thumb when the hands are at the side. I actually think, however, that you have to see the wearer and the garment and that rules like that don't always apply across the board. Plus, the thumb line can be pretty short.

"For example, the wearer's legs make a huge difference in whether a mini dress or skirt makes you look fabulous or half-naked. Take Real Housewife of New York City Kelly Bensimon, for instance... As a tan, statuesque (6' 0" - Ed.) former model, her style is synonymous with mini skirts. Are her skirts, shorts, and dresses a tad too short sometimes? Sure. But does she have great legs and all the business in the world rocking a style that shows off her inherent gam glory: Absolutely!"

http://instantstylist.blogspot.com/2010/05/mini-skirts-age-limit-length-guideline.html

Personally, I think that my legs are ok, but other people have convinced me that they are more so. My legs have always received good grades. My mother often said I had beautiful legs (and that "you should have been a girl with legs like yours"). My wife and other genetic women have admitted that I have nicer legs then they do. Friends and strangers have praised my legs. A friend's spouse even nicknamed me "Leggy."

Who am I to argue? The consensus is that I have great legs, so they meet the qualification to be shown and height is not a cause for disqualification. 

But does my age disqualify me?

For starters, I don't look (or act) my age. Even in boy mode, I look younger than my age. In girl mode, with makeup and a wig piled on, I look even younger. People typically guess I am in my 40s. But what's age got to do with it?

From the Internet again:

"To use her as an example yet again, Kelly Bensimon is 40 years old and not slowing down when it comes to donning miniskirts. I don't think there should be any hard and fast rule about not wearing something after a certain age. The key is being honest with yourself about how you look in it."

I honestly think I look good in short skirts despite my age, real or apparent. Until I am convinced otherwise, you will see my knees and more.

* You all probably recognize that line from ZZ Top's hit recording "Legs." I wonder if you remember a brief T-moment in the video for that song. In that video, leggy girls, who are dressed over-the-top, are shopping in a boutique outfitting another girl who is more conservatively dressed. The T-moment occurs when one of the leggy girls grabs a dress from a guy who is holding the garment up to himself to see how it fits/looks  in it. in a boutique outfitting another girl who is more conservatively dressed. The T-moment occurs when one of the leggy girls grabs a dress from a guy who is holding the garment up to himself to see how it fits and/or looks on him.