A Long Legged Love Story

Hi, my name is Anastasia and I have Long Legs. Whenever I say that I feel like I have just stepped into an AA meeting but it’s true that, whenever I meet someone new, I have the urge to just blurt it out, to just get the fact that I have outrageously long legs out in the open before anyone else can comment on them. Why? Because, as I stand there among a group of people I have just met, my legs dominate the conversation. They become the quintessential elephant in the room because, as much as I ignore them, as much as I try to jut out my hip and appear shorter, they stand there ready to take over the room. Then, the conversation becomes about ME, ME, ME! Or really, more like LEGS, LEGS, LEGS!
They really are exceptionally long at a mind-blowing 38’’ inseam. People aren’t exaggerating when they notice that my legs seem to stem out of my armpits, flowing down until they meet my size ten shoes. Yes, they are size tens. Not thirteens, not fifteens – tens. You can measure them.
It isn’t easy being bombarded with the stereotypical “tall” questions when you hardly know the person quizzing you. Being asked “Do you play basketball?”, “Are your parent’s tall?”, “Is it hard to find a boyfriend?” can really get on your last nerve. It always strikes me as funny that people assume that it is perfectly fine to demand answers to these questions when you are tall. I sometimes wonder if it works in reverse and have a secret desire to ask short people, fat people and skinny people some questions of my own.
Me: Do you play mini-put?
Short person: No, why?
Me: Oh, just because you are so small…haha! Get it?
My legs certainly grab attention. And, while I didn’t always see this as a good thing growing up, I can’t help but relish the attention now that I have grown into my body (well, as much as is humanly possible). My long legs have afforded me many opportunities. People remember me by my long legs. This has come in handy in interviews where the only thing differentiating me from my competitors is that “something special” that I most certainly have. It’s helped me in modelling, in public speaking and has helped me “stand out” (ugh I can just hear the short people laughing) from the huge university classroom crowd. And, contrary to popular belief that men have to always be taller then women, my legs have given me power in relationships. Short men love long legs. Tall men love long legs.
And so you see, the questions that people ask when I meet them may annoy me, they may shock me and they may even make me blush. But do you know what’s great about them? People are asking about me because I’m special and they want to know me. And that’s more than I can say for any average gal. So, instead of gritting your teeth the next time you are asked a “tall question”, laugh and smile and answer it with pride. You have been made to stand out and rock out, girl, so take the time to create your own Long Legged Love Story!!

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING TALL

I’ve been asked quite often throughout my…ahem, 35+ years, what it’s like to be a Tall girl and quite honestly, I’ve never given exactly the right response. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve always given a response that’s typically tailored favorably to the situation but it’s taken me years to figure out my answer and you may not like what you are about to hear.
Before I get too deep allow me to give you some background about me that may help you understand me a little bit better.
I grew up on a farm in North-Central, rural Iowa. In fact, the population of the closest town to our farm was about 200 people. Everyone knew who the Jennings’ girls were; in fact, everyone knew the entire Jennings family. Our family has been living and farming in the area since the early 1900’s and we are tall and outgoing in a small community. Everybody knows everybody.
I wasn’t the tallest girl in Northern Iowa. There was one other girl taller than I was. She stood 6’5” and although I didn’t know her personally in high school, I did play basketball against her in college. I actually felt short! However there were quite a few tall girls all over Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota, many were right at the 6’0” mark or just above.
There are so many facets to the question “What’s it like to be a Tall Girl” and the simple answer for me personally would be: ‘It’s awesome’. However, that’s not the full truth. In fact, it’s far from the truth. It’s not always awesome. I wouldn’t change it for the world but here’s what I normally wouldn’t tell you.
· Sometimes the stares and the comments get overwhelming—when I’m alone and I don’t feel like talking I can ignore it but when I’m with my very protective youngest sister, she tends to get a little frustrated. I went through a period of being angry but I realized that it did me no good. People typically don’t mean to be rude, they are merely curious.
· It’s not always fun to be the tallest person when there’s no other tall people around—yes, its true. When there’s a large group of people that are much shorter than you it can be uncomfortable. It’s difficult to hear what everyone is saying so you bend awkwardly in order to hear.
· Dating is difficult—either the guys are scared/intimated of you because of your height or some woman want a taller man. I spent my high school years and a few college years limiting myself to only men taller than me until I realized how much I was limiting myself. Even if you don’t care about your height, others do.
· Let’s face it, clothes shopping is hard—if I need a new pair of jeans I can’t go into a store and simply buy them. I have to buy them online. In high school and college, this was horrible. I was a walking mess. Now thankfully, we have stores like Long Legs to help us fashionably attire our long bodies.
So am I saying that being tall is horrible? NO WAY! 95% of the time I enjoy standing out in the crowd, I like the attention it gives me, and it’s my conversation starter. But, there’s that 5% of the time when I wish I could blend in and not get noticed because I don’t feel well or I didn’t shower or I didn’t wash my hair…whatever the reason. I’m so happy that I don’t have to dress weird to get noticed or wear crazy makeup and a Mohawk to have someone talk to me. I can simply walk into a room and immediately I turn heads. That’s some pretty awesome stuff. Thanks mom and dad.

Casting call for TALL families.

Gay Rosenthal Productions, the Emmy nominated producers behind "Little People, Big World", are casting an exciting new series TALL! The show will explore the offbeat and often-complex lives of a family or individual with a dramatic physical difference: above average height.If you are a tall family with some of your members at least 6'6" tall, you may be the next famous family!The show will explore the offbeat and often-complex lives of a family or individual with a dramatic physical difference: above average height.Casting Directors are looking for people of towering height who are willing to share their stories on a television series to be aired on a major cable network. The show will feature a family of tall people, an individual and/or a group of tall people, with members at least 6’6”. (Though not everyone in the family needs to be tall.)It’s not easy being tall... The series will address the large set of unique challenges that tall people face every day, from custom-tailored clothes to adapting to a world not made for people of exceptional height. The show aims to explore the fascinating daily lives and journeys of unique and very tall people.If interested please email: casting.jenniferdyal@gmail.com with name, age, height, location, a brief bio, and please include several recent photos of you and family if applicable.

CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET

It’s feeling like spring and I’ve decided to clean out my closet. I tend to shop a bit too much and the clothes I don’t wear anymore get thrown into the back. It has caused my closet to overflow and although the cats love this area to sleep, I can’t find anything.
The task itself seemed insurmountable so I broke it up the best I could. I took the entire contents of the closet out in sections and placed them on my bed. Then I went through the piles and sorted it into 2 parts: keep and give away. If I decided that I was going to give it away, that piece of clothing immediately went into a large suitcase to send home with one of my sisters. The keep pile stayed on the bed. I’m amazed at my results and I’ve tried to sort the results into categories so you can better understand. I have a feeling I’m not alone:
Pre-Tall Clothes—these are the clothes that I purchased before I really knew how to appropriately clothe a tall body. I would shop at a normal store and attempt to fit into clothes that weren’t made for me. They would cover the parts of me that needed covering, but they didn’t fit right. Some of these clothes are from high school or just after college!
Goal Clothing—these are the clothes that I’ve either bought thinking I was going to lose some weight or I honestly thought I was thinner than I was and I ordered the size smaller from what I was wearing. The clothes are a bit too small. I keep these around because you never know when I’m going to miraculously drop 20 pounds.
Different Sizes—I have the same clothes but in different sizes. If I like something so much I might buy 2 of the same thing, but one in a size smaller (see reasoning as above—those same 20 pounds).
Nostalgic Clothing—I have my Grandma Iva’s red shirt, my Grandpa Ray’s brown sweater, and my Uncle Mike’s green sweater turtleneck. I’ve got high school basketball jerseys and college basketball jerseys and coats with my last name on the back. I don’t wear any of these items but I keep them because they bring me good memories.
What I’ve also realized regarding my wardrobe is that I tend to wear one outfit multiple times especially if I like it. This definitely cuts down on my laundry however I’m beginning to wonder if people notice. I recently ordered the Supplex Black Hoodie from Long Legs and I haven’t taken it off in about 2 weeks. I wear it with different colored scarves to spice it up. I’ve worn it with sweatpants or jeans. I’ve switch up the shoes from a pair of Mary Jane’s sneakers. I love this hoodie!
I spent most of the day cleaning out my closet and I now have a pretty good idea of what clothing I have. I’ve discovered that I’m truly eclectic in my style and I can only hope that outwardly I’m reflecting a fun manner of fashion and not a wacko who throws clothes together.
Another thing that I realized is that although I have my favorite outfits it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing as long as I’m surrounded by friends or family. My favorite pictures are when I have loved ones near me and it really doesn’t matter what I’m wearing. I look my best when I have that wonderful, happy look on my face that’s caused from being giddy with love and happiness. Huh….lesson learned.

A Tall Girl's Lessons from a European trip

I was fortunate enough to travel throughout parts of Europe for 2 full weeks this year. 2 weeks! I’ve never taken this long of a vacation in my life. I went to Ireland once with my best friend for 9 days about 3 years ago. It was the longest, best, 9-day pub crawl I’ve ever done. But this was different. This was with my boyfriend of 3+ years and we wanted to sight-see as well as visit his French family.
I also wanted to simply be me. When I’m me, things happen. My height attracts attention and I wanted to record the extra-ordinary events that take place when you are tall. Being tall creates opportunities. However sometimes it’s difficult to see these situations as opportunities. Every city holds a special piece of me now because I can say that I’ve been there and in every city, something special happened. In fact, it all started in the airplane. My boyfriend told the flight attendant that I was a former Miss Tall International and he wanted his picture with me. He then announced it to the crowd as we were waiting in line to get through customs.
In Amsterdam I was absolutely astounded at how tall people were. Everywhere I looked I was staring people in the forehead, or even in the eyes. Sounds silly, huh? Not if you’re 6’4”. Typically I look around and all I can see is hair or the tops of heads (sometimes bald). But this time I saw faces and it was beautiful! Amsterdam had scores of tall folks everywhere I looked. I felt very at home. When I visited the Anne Frank historical site there were several other tall folk there and we all had some trouble on the teeny tiny stairs. I had to go up the stairs sideways because of how steep they were and it gave our tall group something to giggle about even though it was a very somber historical setting. I had a feeling of camaraderie with these strangers and I wouldn’t have had this without my big feet.
In Brussels I’m fairly certain I was hit on by a homeless man. I can’t be sure of the language he spoke nor can I be sure that he was homeless but he followed me along making gestures and speaking. I simply nodded and smiled the entire time. He kept making this tall motion with his hand and when he realized that I didn’t understand, he winked. Now that I’m familiar with so I understood part of what he was saying but it’s too bad we couldn’t understand each other. That really would’ve been a fun conversation.
We took a side trip to Bruges. I would highly recommend this city to anyone and everyone as it is so beautiful! As we sat in the restaurant overlooking the smaller town square I asked the waiter if he could recommend a local brew. He suggested one and I always go with suggestions of waiters (they know what they are talking about!). He brought the glass of Leffe beer and it was huge. He had this cute little grin and he impishly said, “Grand beer for grand lady”. I couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, I know I’m grand. The beer was delightfully spicy and I was pleasantly surprised to find a store here in Portland that carries it.
In England, London Bridge was where I had the most fun with my height. Visiting the London Bridge was a popular place for schools to take tours and I ran into many, many children who would laugh with me as I had to bend over to fit through the tiny doors.
In Paris I wanted to shop. I could’ve shopped along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées but I’m a bargain shopper and I really don’t care about brand names or couture. I wandered all around Paris and I found a shop called ‘Sunshine’. I found exactly what I was looking for in this shop. Longer tops, fun and feminine, I even saw a few dresses that looked pretty good but I was looking for tops. I went into H&M and found a couple of cute shirts there too. See, tall people can find shirts…we tall girls simply can’t find pants and fitted pieces of clothing. It was fun watching my boyfriend speaking in his fluent French (he’s from Montreal) and me pretending that I understood exactly what was being said by everyone. I think the best part of shopping in Paris was when I wandered into a plus size shop and the saleswomen were trying to fit me into everything as well as teach me French, to the amusement of my boyfriend.
What I learned from my European trip is simple: People are generally the same everywhere…Period. It’s wonderful and consistent and as long as you continue to have a smile on your face you’ll be received as such. For me, this lesson was life-changing. The better my outlook, the better I feel, the better I’m received by strangers. It’s such a simple thing and it goes far beyond my vertical measurements.

Fitness meets Fashion: 38" Inseam Yoga Jeans

Jeans are not generally associated with perfect comfort. They tend to impede the large movements of the body and restrain any unusual stretching. But Second has changed all that! Combining fashion and comfort, Second Yoga Jeans are perfect for a lifestyle where the emphasis is on well-being, and where flexibility and relaxation are part of daily life.
“Yoga is currently very popular in North America. Some 9 million people practice this discipline uniting body and mind. And they appreciate anything that contributes to balance and well-being,” notes Second designer Eric Wazana. "That's why we've created these fabulous jeans that combine the height of flexibility and style.”
Offering the flexibility of a yoga garment, Second Yoga Jeans establish a perfect balance between the trendy styling of 5-pocket jeans and the comfort of lounge pants.

The secret is in the fiber Made of top-quality denim containing 97% brushed cotton and 3% elastane, Second Yoga Jeans hug the curves of the body in any position. They fit the ups and downs of a hectic day and metamorphose into laid-back fashion in the evening. For those who rack up air miles, Second Yoga Jeans are the ideal transatlantic traveling companion, because Second uses denim with 92% shape memory, while the industry standard is only 64%. And thanks to their revolutionary treatment, the cuts and styles actually shape, hold, and lengthen the body and help mask its defects. We are so excited...they will be in stores this weekend (April 30th) !!!!!

TALL FASHION FROM EUROPE

Listen up ladies I’ve got the skinny on fashion. I’ve been visiting Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and France) for 2 weeks and I’ve got to tell you what I’ve seen. Now keep in mind, I’m no fashion expert. I love fashion but I’m a stickler for being comfortable. My personal fashion mantra is “I wear what I like.” Sometimes I hit it really well, and then other times I think I miss the mark, but overall I enjoy clothes. My go-to outfit this trip were my super long jeans and favorite purple sweater (both from http://www.longlegs.ca/).

Below is my inventory of what I saw during my travels. Please keep in mind that I was in bigger cities and of course the fashion that I saw doesn’t necessarily reflect what you should wear; it’s more of a fun ‘This is what they are doing on the other side of the pond’. I always say, “Wear what YOU like.” I should also mention, it’s tough to snap good photos of fashion in action so I don’t have any great shots of what I’m going to describe below. Hopefully you can imagine all of the sophisticated women dancing lightly along the sidewalks of Europe looking fabulous!

Scarves—Holy cow! Scarves everywhere. Even the men wear scarves. I wasn’t completely sold on the look before my vacation however I’ve seen so many different looks that I’m now on the bandwagon. You can wear them in your hair, around your waist, around your neck, thrown casually about your shoulders, it’s so versatile. Plus…(this is key) your scarf doesn’t have to match. Prints go with anything and a full colored scarf will make any outfit ‘pop’. The light-weight scarves are great for warmer weather, and grab a knit when it’s cold. Love it!

Skinny Jeans—I love this look on ladies with svelte figures however this is a tough one to pull off if you don’t find the right cut of jeans. I can’t wear this look very well. I have wide hips and the skinny jeans seem to accentuate the parts of me that I’d prefer to keep hidden. Women in Europe are wearing this look everywhere and it looks really…cool. I can’t think of a better word to describe this.

Boots—Tuck your skinny jeans in your boots, throw on a scarf and off you go. Seriously, boots are everywhere too. I wish I would’ve gotten a picture of this one woman who had lighter, brown, tall boots with a matching purse. She had on dark jeans and a dark shirt with a colored scarf. It was a sharp look. I’m going to attempt this look myself with a twist on the skinny jean. (It’s going to be fun!!)

Dressy Coats—I love coats. I have way too many and I see that I would fit in very well in Europe. Coats that are fitted (Trench Coats in particular) seem to very popular although short fitted coats are quite prevalent as well.

Jewelry—Yes, ladies jewelry is everywhere. Long chains, lots of bracelets, and big rings. I love key pieces of jewelry but I actually found myself wondering a few times what the point of wearing so much jewelry when it’s covered by a scarf…but I’m only here to report what I saw, not judge. I literally found that I could sit and stare for hours at all of the fashion that walks by. In fact, that’s what I did a couple of times in London, Paris and Brussels. I ordered some local beer or wine and my boyfriend and I would split a dessert and I sat and simply enjoyed my environment. So, there you have it. These are the looks that I found extremely popular while overseas. I have to admit, I love seeing the outfits that people put together. Some hits, some misses…hmmm, a lot like me.