The Unofficial Tall Girl Guide To Pants

Take it from someone who's 6'2"

This letter has been a long (…) time coming. I’ve struggled with pants being too short my entire life. In middle school, I wore boy sweats, sagged for a few extra inches, and hated being made fun of for it. So I showed them! And built an entire newsletter on my favorite places to buy longer inseams—advertised or not!

Not every website is aware that they’re catering to a longer clientele, so they might forget to market sizable inseams. And secondhand isn’t much better, unless you beg the seller to send you a picture of a tape measure against the inseam of the pant because you can’t trust the measuring skills of a stranger on the internet.

From a future tall girl xo

But you can trust me, dear reader, as I have an inseam that’s about 36 inches long and a low tolerance for an unintentional ankle. I’ve had dozens of pants let out over the years, some returned home only to discover it was never about the length. Why is doing to the tailor so much like dating?

This is a hits-only compilation of search terms and sleeper brands and ideas for dressing your long legs. And to our petite friends, some of my best friends are short! No, really, Ruby's Recs is a foot shorter than me. My POV? Most of the brands that intentionally serve taller shoppers do the same for shorter ones! And the tips? Well, just chop a few inches and you should be set.

I Dream of (long) Jeans

The majority of my jeans are secondhand Levi’s because this is where I can consistently get long inseams. Try searching by inseam on eBay! But like I mentioned, not every seller measures perfectly, so size up in waist and inseam when you’re buying vintage denim online.

If you’re shopping IRL at a thrift store, my favorite tip is to eye which pair drags lower than all the others. Bingo!

IYKYK

Karlie Kloss (fellow tall Midwestern girl) collabed with Frame Denim to make a 36 inseam jean in 2018. You can still score some secondhand! There’s a flare or a skinny style, and most used are under $100.

These Levi’s jeans come in a 33 inch inseam option. I still think vintage is your best bet. Here’s a secondhand pair distressed for $22. If you’re looking for something baggy, the Silvertab Baggy is a great pair from the 90s. Here’s a pair for $50 with a 36 inch inseam.

Did you know Free People offers some denim in longer inseams? Same with Good American.

But then sometimes you have to roll the dice, like with these Eckhaus Latta ones I wear cropped with sheer socks.

These jeans are $425. Let’s get that out in the open. But they’re a 37 inch inseam!!!!!

Looking for something more affordable? We all know and love Gap and Madewell for tall denim. Once you find a style from a more premier brand you love, or even a brand like Madewell, you can then shop on sites like ThredUp or Poshmark with a mission in mind. Just make sure to see if the seller has had the pants tailored in any way. Also, try Aritzia for tall denim under $200. I like this pair.

Boy do I love a Cowboy Cut from Wrangler. $60. Inseam up to 38 inches. And better yet, visit a local farm store to try on in person. I’d size up! They’re tight.

Here’s a 34 inch inseam from Anine Bing. And you’re not going to believe me, but a really great $80 pair from Buckle that comes in an inseam up to 36 inches. I know Khaite jeans run long, but I can’t really recommend $800 denim with a straight face.

Me bowling in vintage Levi’s so long I have to cuff them…wearing Bea

Sporty Spice

Here’s the real challenge. But in some ways it’s a blessing because it does exclude me from trendy athleisure by principle. Lucky me?

My tried and trues are from Athleta and Lululemon. I also love Athleta for tall swimsuits!

Adanola is the one trendy-ish brand that does longer lengths. And their leggings are only $65. Here’s a jogger from Viouri in an extended length.

I do a lot of trial and error with vintage sweats I find on eBay.

Pant-Pants

If you’re in person, this is a category that can go VERY well shopping secondhand. Try on mens! Ignore sizing! But if you’re in need and more of an online shopper, I’ve done some research to save you the trouble.

Here I am in a sleeper hit for long trousers: TWP's Didi pant. I'm hosting last week's EV Salon at Air HQ. The platform is a creative ops system for creatives/marketers that makes managing content simple. And for the aesthetically driven reading this letter, it's top of the class. Think of it as Claude x Dropbox x Frame IO and the magic bullet for wrangling creative thinkers like me :) If you're curious how Air can support your creative, social, and marketing teams, book some time with one of their team members. As a thank you they'll send you a free visit to Lore Bathing Club.

I have on very good authority that Favorite Daughter is a tall girl dream. The Favorite Pant is the place to start and it’s a 34 inch inseam.

Sarah Kim Harned had these made in a custom length for me. I’ll wear them forever. I did the same thing with Rose Room for a silk suit I treasure. And Chava is great for custom lengths, too!

The category is: comfortable pants that look fancier than they feel under $150! I like this pair from Lululemon and got my mom this pair from Spanx. More affordable dress pants that happen to be tall include Argent and Abercrombie.

These are technically joggers from Tibi, but I found them on a tall girl reddit thread. Look out for Rachel Comey pants secondhand, too! They can run long.

These Filson pants are stellar and come in a 34 inch inseam. They’re $230 and will last you four lifetimes.

There are lots of affordable Etsy sellers who will make you pants to your specifications! I like these for linen, these for wide linen, and these for wool! (These are all fully custom pants for under $160)

Add tall or long at the end of your search. You might find these bad boys for $40 :)

Bonus Round!

For skirts and dresses, I’ll buy a longer style and tailor it to my ideal length. For example: a midi skirt becomes a mini. A maxi skirt becomes a midi. Measure off of a piece in your closet with a great fit. I also find J.Crew and Boden consistently offer good tall options in these categories.

Me messaging sellers for inseam lengths

You need pajamas that are long enough. It’s important! My go-to has always been these from Lands’ End. I also love Printfresh for this.

Honorable Mention

Come hang IRL and talk about romance next Wednesday!

Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can order my romance novel, Exit Lane, on Amazon and Bookshop. Follow along on Instagram + Tiktok. Shop all my favs here. Get matched at EV Salon. If you’re interested in partnering, email evan@erikaveurink.com x