Tall Facts & Information

It’s one of the most observed issues surrounding tall women: Should you date significantly shorter men?

Personally, I’ve never bothered to read those articles in the past as I don’t recall a time when I have ever been attracted to a much shorter man. AT 6ft2, I’ve had dalliances with men of 5ft10 and possibly 5ft9 when I was a teenager, and I’ve dated men of 5ft11, 6ft and 6ft1 far more than I’ve dated men of 6ft5 and above but what about proper ‘short’ men? It’s never really crossed my mind, until the other day….

Following a friend’s party recently, I’m now racked with a gigantic schoolgirl crush on one of the sexiest men I think I’ve ever met.  He was so much fun, so hot I nearly fainted and had a body that could make you think that skinny dipping in the Thames in Spring was a great idea (don’t worry, we didn’t).  And to be honest, it wasn’t so much a case of ‘You had me at hello….’ like the movies, since his first words were  ‘F*!k me, you’re f*****g massive’ (a line usually guaranteed to ensure the cold shoulder from me all evening).  However, when he was maybe 5ft7 and I’m 6ft5 in my heels, he might have had a point.

Short man/tall woman couples are all over the media, even more so since Sophie Dahl started dating Jamie Cullum.  So, why are shorter men attracted to tall women who only accentuate their lack of stature?

Several studies have investigated whether height is  a major factor of attractiveness to the average man and almost all of them have found that it is definitely not .  Whilst supermodels are almost always over 5ft9, singers and film stars are often far from statuesque.  Much of the earlier research seems to suggest that  tall women are not more physically attractive than their shorter friends but are perceived as more glamorous and prestigious.

Therefore, to the extent that tall women are preferred as mates, it is probably so that the man can show her off as a hard-to-acquire status symbol, like a Lamborghini. If you’re honest with yourself, you know that when you see a shorter man with a very tall girlfriend or wife, you do wonder just who the hell he is or what he has. It is possible that broadcasting his status in this way may also allow him to be taken more seriously by his male colleagues, friends and inferiors, and so to rise further in status: “Hey, that guy has a 6′ tall wife — he must be a real go-getter”.  And more importantly, parading around your tall wife is a far less vulgar signal of status than, for example, driving up in an obscenely expensive car or sporting tons of jewellry. Consequently, the man does not suffer a loss of reputation as he would with those other signals, and because it is less conspicuous, he is less likely to draw the jealous scorn of those around him. He will provoke class envy in them, for sure.

I was lucky enough to be sent to Monaco yesterday for my day job and I bizarrely ended up at a dinner party with 15 of the most beautiful, supermodel-thin, tall women and 5 older, very successful and much shorter men.  The men were more than enthusiastic about their taller wives and girlfriends and explained that it was almost the norm in Monaco and many have only dated women who were much taller than themselves. It seems the notion of tall women as a status symbol is definitely a reality.

So, the question still stands, do I choose to pursue a man significantly shorter than me? Or am I too tall for him? Maybe, as he’s not an international financier, film star or Formula 1 boss, he doesn’t find tall women attractive and doesn’t need the status boost.  As he’s not wealthy or famous (and those things have never been attractive to me), I’m guessing that I experienced proper sexual  chemistry and, alas, I don’t think there’s a cure for it.

Now, can someone just pop round and explain to him that I’m the next best thing to a Lamborghini except I’m more affordable and I handle better than a Murcielago….

I only have winter shoes. This never really conciously occured to me before and it’s quite a shocking discovery. I’m guessing it’s not because I have a phobia of any footwear in a bright colour, or that I mind showing parts of my feet in mules or sandals. I think it’s because I don’t see clothes like other women do. Clothes cover me up and, if I’m lucky, might make me look a little slimmer. When you’re 6ft2 and you’ve have a life-long fight to find anything to fit you, even a t-shirt, then fashion doesn’t really hold the same excitement for you as it does a 5ft6 girl. So summer clothes? No, I don’t have those either.

Anyway, since starting the blog I have got better - my wardrobe is no longer just filled with midnight blue jeans and navy trouser, a couple of more interesting items have found their way in. Shoes however, are a different matter.

I don’t know about you but summer shoes are things that elude me every year. In around April, I think to myself, ‘There’s lots of lovely summer clothes around but I don’t have any shoes to go with them. I should pick up some sandals and wedges’.  So I’m going to get some, I do some research, I even choose my favourites, and then I never get round to buying them.

My entire Summer months are commenced every morning with a choice between what I’d like to wear (linen trousers), and what I end up wearing (which is always sensible cords or jeans so I can wear them with some shoes I actually own).

The thing about most summer clothes is that they don’t go with your winter shoes. If you feet over a UK size 8 (US 10), then finding something summery to put on those big flippers is akin to finding a unicorn on Oxford Street on a Wednesday afternoon.

Well, thank your lucky stars that the girls over at Amazona Style are coming to your aid. For the next two weeks, you can pick up any of their summer sandals for half price (saving over £50 on many styles). Whether it’s blue or green, pink or metallic copper, they’ve got something to flatter you at Amazona Style. Flat Gladiators you’re after ? Or even some platform, heeled ones? You’d better be quick - they’re selling fast.

…if only!!

Firstly apologies to all those tall girls who thought all their Christmases had come at once reading that title. If I were Prime Minister, it’d be the first law I’d pass.

Now, I know I’m not the only tall woman to think there is a problem… What’s the deal with you half-grown, fairy-sized women taking all the big boys??   Why do you see so many tall men (I’m classifying this as 6ft3 and over for my purposes) dating short women?

Today I saw the latest pictures of Christina Ricci with her comedian fiance, Owen Benjamin, who, at 6ft6, saying he towers over her is a tad of an understatement.  Obviously, they are madly in love and well done them for finding each other in this cynical, transient world. However, it does also leave me furiously wracking my brains wondering why so often the phenomenon of massive–him/mini-her.

If you see almost any picture of a US NBA star with their wife (such as Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant, pictured here), they always seem to tower metres above.  Even our English rugby stars are the same – just take a look at Simon Shaw!

Kevin Garnett & Wife

As a tall woman you notice the same everyday in the street. Why is this? What is it that makes many very tall men date women so much shorter than themselves?  Aidan and Carrie – yes, it may be TV fiction but it’s everyday reality for us amazonian girls.

Kobe Bryant & Wife

Do petite women somehow make men feel more masculine?

Is is that us tall girls emasculate men? Or Intimidate them? If you’re a tall woman you will be told on an almost daily basis that you are ‘scary’ or ‘intimidating’ by some (usually male) stranger.  Quite why people feel this way, and also feel bold enough to tell me, confounds me.  Surely a very tall man is not intimidated by a tall woman? It’s not as though we are taller than them! (Generally!)

Well,  if this is the reason then you tall girls have to be thankful that you are not stuck with these way too metro-sexual, insecure boys. Quite frankly, any man who feels less masculine in my presence can remove himself from the vicinity and take some therapy.  I like my men to be secure in their themselves and their masculinity.

Maybe it’s simply that smaller women are easier to throw around the bedroom?

At 6ft2, I admit that there are not many men who have managed to throw me around the room in a moment of passion (some, but not many ) and considering I have often dated professional sportsmen, that’s saying something. However,  one of my male friends (6ft3) is adamant that tall men and very short women do not, ergonomically.. er… work either.

Is it some kind of subconcious, genetic correction in the mind of these short women that makes them pursue tall men?

Perhaps some short women, either conciously or subconciously, actively seek out and pursue these hero-sized men in a basic biological attempt to ‘improve’ their offspring ? (What man really resists when it comes to a woman being single-minded enough to get them?) With tall people being perceived as more successful, intelligent and earning more than their shorter colleagues, wouldn’t you want to increase your children’s potential by ..er.. marrying up?

On this point, I think a strong factor could be the determination of many a shorter-than-average woman. Many girls I meet who are more ‘shortie’ than ‘supermodel’ in their proportions are polished in the skills used to get what they want in many areas of life. Therefore maybe they are just using their feminine whiles to get those big boys.

Or could it be that tall women draw attention away from tall men?

Personally, this would be the reason I probably agree with most. Think about it. If you’re a very tall man or woman, then everywhere you go you attract attention. People are drawn to look at you. Now, if you have a very tall man and very tall woman together, I reckon the very tall woman would gain more attention since it is further from the ‘norm’.  Therefore, if a tall man dates a tall woman, he has to relinquish some of the attention that he is used to getting.

Whatever the reason, I wish some politician would pass a law stopping these altitudious, alpha men being snapped up by all those diminutive divas. Otherwise I’m going to have to admit defeat, marry a short man and have wedding photo’s that will look just plain ridiculous!

What is it with the Apprentice? It’s like a caricature of women in business – either they are are more aggressive than a Rottweiler with PMT or they are so over-emotional they’d give Gwyneth Paltrow a run for her money doing an Oscar’s acceptance speech.

Everytime a new series turns up, it seems the women follow some kind of un-written script and immediately slot into one of these stereotypes. Once they have done that, you have to cringe through the first few tasks where they then begin arguing, b*tching and incompetently muddling their way through. Ultimately loosing the battle of  Men ‘V’ Women. Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not obssessed with winning said battle but if we do loose, I want to loose for the right reasons.

My worry is that those who believe everything their TV tells them might believe that this is actually a true representation of women in business and that just isn’t true! Women have incredible strengths, tolence and a huge range of  talents. However as a young woman in business,  it can sometimes be extremely difficult and that is without some of your colleagues making some crack about you being cold-hearted, ruthless and ineffective. Of course, on top of this you then add the fact that I’m not only a young woman but that I’m very tall as well and that has people immediately making assumptions and shoving me into a box that not only doesn’t fit but that I can’t seem to ever escape.

So, being seen as professional woman was already sometimes challenging and then, as if she is the poster child of my worst nightmare, along came 6ft tall Debra Barr.  She is very quickly proving to be the sterotype incarnate of exactly what everyone expected and for me, the epitome of everything I abhor about the worst of women in business. It’s almost like she feels that she must ‘act like a man’ (as she must see it) and overly develop traits often more associated with a city trading shark. Throughout this series, she has shown little talent for anything other than an aggression and shown herself to be a cold person who domineers, bitches and lies her way through tasks.

Any tall woman will tell you that she is endlessly tagged as aggressive, dominant and scary – and that’s just from walking into the room yet alone when you open your mouth and prove to have a both a mind and an opinion. Many people seem to find extreme height in women a truly intimidating force and men in particular seem to find it threatening.  Now, combine that pre-conception with the traits that Debra has shown in Series  5 and you have a walking, talking thorn-in-the-side every tall woman out there, and most definitely those in business.  There is no finesse, no kindness, no sublety,no yield, no grace…

Consider some of the most successful women in business, Anya Hindmarch, Sahar Hashemi, Kelly Hoppen or Linda (LK) Bennett and none of them seem to have anything in common with women like Debra. Whereas I am not disputing that businesswomen do need to possess a tenacious, determined nature and that there are times when the stereotypically more ‘male’ traits, such as aggression and ruthlessness,  are indeed required, I think it gives the wrong message to young women today as to how they should be in business to succeed.

What people are saying about Debra:

Paula (Fired in Episode 4): “”The thing with Debs is which is why I do respect her and I do kind of like her is she absolutely doesn’t give a t**s”.
(Hmm I’m don’t usually find that an endearing or likeable trait!)

The Guardian: Debra would be the offspring of series two finalists Michelle Dewberry and Ruth Badger, should their genes ever be spliced

Even more than usual this week, Aidy Chiles’ follow-up - The Apprentice - You’re fired – was far better than the programme itself. The likeable, articulate, quietly amusing Paula came out with one of the best comments of the show so far – asked if the endlessly self-grooming, self-adoring Debra Barr was tall, Paula demurely but devastatingly replied ‘oh yes, she’s about 6 foot….. 7 with her mouth open.’ Just so

Daily Star: Apprentice b*tch Debra Barr is in pieces at being dubbed ‘Jigsaw’ after the demonic doll in horror flick Saw. Show hopefuls reckon her pale, moon-shaped face and chiselled features make her a dead ringer for the film’s monster.

It’s official: children born in the summer are taller and have stronger bones than their winter classmates. Well, I’d like to say a big thanks to my parents for having me in March. Heaven knows what size I’d have been if they’d have got cosy in Autumnal months!

Latest research has concluded that by the time they are 10, summer children are an average of 0.5cm taller and have almost 13cm more bone area than winter kids, British researchers said after studying 7000 children.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Dr Ted Weaver said vitamin D exposure had a big impact on baby size, which continued into height and health in later life.

Dr Weaver said ante-natal screening for vitamin D was becoming increasingly important, particularly for Muslim women who are shielded from the sun by their burkas.

Born on Tuesday at Monash Medical Centre in Australia,  after one of the state’s sunniest periods, Alasdair Duell measured 54cm -well above the 50cm average for newborns and enough for East Bentleigh parents Megan Fisher and Ken Duell to dream of a future as an AFL ruckman or big-serving tennis star.

The Amazona team’s personal mission of trying to persuade tall girls and women to get into some heels is well evidenced. Not only do they improve your posture, give you better legs (and a better bottom!) and make you look more confident, they also improve your love life! (Check out our original blog ‘Why Tall Women Should Wear Heels’)

The single most cited reason for tall girls not to wear heels is that it makes them ‘just too tall’. Now our view is that this is just nonsense. If you’re like us (we’re between 5ft11 and 6ft2), then you’ll probably be the tallest person in the room, regardless of whether you wear high heels or not and quite frankly, with the average height here in the UK being 5ft7, the difference to someone looking up at you of 7 inches or 10 inches is not very much! It’s all relative to the shorties…

Luckily, we’ve just come across yet more evidence to support our views - high heels don’t add more than just over 2.5 inches to your height, regardless of the size of the heel!  Now, it is best to qualify that statement somewhat - we are talking about heels with no platform.  It’s all to do with how much your foot pivots (which is what happens when you wear heels).  Don’t assume that 3.5 inch heels will add the same to your height because it’s unlikely they will unless you have a platform too).

If you don’t believe us, check out the full articles at celeb heights here.

So ladies, now there is no excuse not to grab a pair of fabulously high heels and embrace your height.

Luckily for tall women all over the world, the first ever blog radio broadcasts (just for us) were launched in February. Tall Expression is an online Magazine for tall women but also hosts weekly radio broadcasts discussing tall issues. Founder Adrienne Williams’ aims were to have a place for tall women to express themselves and to find helpful information.

Tall Expression is a place for fashion, shopping tips, advice and information - a community. Like many a tall girl, Adrienne started the magazine after years of trying to find advice on anything from fashion to relationship issues for tall women, and finding very little:

“There are many issues surrounding our unique life experiences, dealing with dating someone taller or shorter than you—finding the right size shoe that is fashionable, and self-esteem issues from teen-to-adult and beyond. This is the place—the moment is now and Tall Expression is here for everyone who continues to see challenges in everyday life and a community where you can meet like-minded people just like you!”

Why don’t you check out Tall Expression and listen to their latest podcast interviewing Roy Parkin of Tall Genez - the first ever designer range of jeans, soon to be launched, which are available in up to a 45 inch inside leg!

As a tall woman, it can sometimes be difficult to feel comfortable in a group full of people smaller than you. You feel like you’re sticking out, and for all of the wrong reasons. Well, we at Amazona are here to tell you that you are actually sticking out for the RIGHT reasons! Stand up straight! Stop hunching your shoulders and slouching in an attempt to look shorter; you just look like you have very bad posture. I am a strong advocate of good posture, as I spent my youth slouching in order to fit in and had back problems because of it. I have compiled a list of TALL celebrities in the fashion and beauty world. Next time you feel the urge to slouch and blend into the crowd, just think of these fabulously FIERCE role models!

Measuring in at a respectable 5’10” are: Miss Tyra herself! Supermodel turned super TV mogul Tyra Banks has never been afraid to don her heels and show her height. The ANTM presenter encourages girls to be happy with themselves and it looks like she definitely takes her own advice! Another 5’10” girl is Dior perfume spokesmodel and actress, Charlize Theron. This golden-haired South African beauty is never one to shy away from the crowds!

Stretching up to 5’11” are: Legendary supermodels Jerry Hall and Rachel Hunter. It was their super-long legs that helped them find fame, not just their rockstar husbands! Jealous, us? New fashion icon and First Lady Michelle Obama also measures 5’11”, but that doesn’t stop her strutting around the world’s stage in a pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos!

And finally, at a mighty 6 feet tall, the one and only Elle Macpherson! She is as pretty as she is tall and the business and lingerie entrepreneur certainly knows how to impress!

I assure you that I could have listed almost every model in the industry, but these are just a few examples of the greats. A few more elevated ladies that caught my eye are:

5’10” - Lucy Lawless (Xena Warrior Princess!), Minnie Driver (actress), Princess Diana (national treasure), Zoe Ball (TV/Radio presenter), Joss Stone (singer), Kelis (RnB star).
5’11” – Brooke Shields (actress) , Nicole Kidman (actress) , Brooke Hogan (singer and HULK’s daughter), Amanda Lamb (TV presenter and ex-model), Uma Thurman (actress).
6’0 – Kimora Lee (fashion designer)
6’2” – Maria Sharapova (tennis star)

I gathered all of my information from http://www.celebheights.com and if you go to the website, you can see how you measure up against other celebrities!

I spent most of November and December with wet feet from leaking boots and torrential downpours in delightful Birmingham at university, then in a soaking Barcelona, at home in Lincolnshire and at my boyfriend’s house in Hertfordshire. Moral to the story? Stop wearing leaky boots. Glitch to this solution? Try finding me some that fit the mould!

Back in October, I fell in love with a pair of boots that I bought very cheaply on a whim from Primark. I wasn’t sure about them at first, but I had been after some ankle boots for a while and they seemed worth it at the time. After about a week of not taking them off, I was hooked and kept thinking to myself that I should go and get them in other colours, or just a back-up pair just in case. Did I bother? No. And, about a week after that, the inevitable occurred. They began to leak. Nothing can compare to that feeling of soaking wet socks at the beginning of the day when you know that you won’t be warm and snuggly again until at least 6pm. So I stopped wearing them, unless I was convinced that it wasn’t going to rain, but that didn’t last long as my trusty black sheepskins, bought from Barratts by my mother as a present before I moved to Santiago, also began to leak and then fell apart. At this point, I was pretty screwed. I had work piling up, both pairs of black boots leaking, the weather was not my friend and I just didn’t have the time to go shopping for more. So I kept telling myself that when I did have time, all would be well.

However, no such luck. I couldn’t find anything that matched my Primark beauties (I was looking for the exact style, but much better quality, and couldn’t even replace them for the time being as they had sold out everywhere I went!) Finally after weeks of making do, I found 2 pairs of boots, in New Look of all places and I love them both!  The first is a gorgeous pair of fringed ankle boots in black suede for £30 (minus student discount!) and the second were half price (reduced to £30) leather faded black cowboy boots, with a slight heel! (I continue embracing my height, Amazona!) It is very difficult to find a pair of boots for a reasonable price in a wide UK size 8, when you are quite picky about what you like! What made it all even better was that my boyfriend bought me BOTH PAIRS as a belated Xmas present! (Yes, that is how long it took me to find the flippin’ things!!)

The plan now is to alternate wearing them along with other shoes so that I never end up in that situation again! I shall also be using protector spray on them to keep them in tip top condition. I can only hope that this all works!

If you’ve been searching for the perfect pair of winter boots (anything but wellies!!) but never found them, tell us what they are and we’ll endeavour to get them in at Amazona Style!