I'm 5'10", and These Are the Fall Trends I Will and Won't Wear
Being tall is a blessing and a curse when it comes to shopping. I rarely have to get my jeans hemmed, but I also can't wear those up-to-there dresses and skirts that don't look quite as minuscule on shorter girls. When it comes to fall trends, there are styles that I'm super excited to wear, like head-to-toe leather, and others that are simply not made for me (hello, chunky lug-sole boots that make my size 10 feet look even bigger).
Take, for instance, the voluminous dress trend. Our 5'4" editor Allyson says that the trend would swallow her whole, but those with taller frames have an easier time pulling off the oversize look—something I was more than happy to take advantage of during my recent trip to Copenhagen Fashion Week. (Even though I'm 100% a proponent of anyone wearing anything they please!) Scroll down to see and shop my favorite and least favorite trends that fellow tall girls will certainly relate to.
Skipping: Leather Accents
Supporting: Head-to-Toe Leather
Why not go all out? Instead of just a leather jacket or leather skirt, I'm excited to wear (faux) leather head-to-toe, which is a major trend for fall. Leather-on-leather could possibly overwhelm those with smaller frames, but if you're working with some height, it's particularly easy to pull off. I'm quite partial to Nanushka's buttery-soft vegan leather dress I'm wearing below.
What I'm wearing: Nanushka dress; Philosophy top; Bvlgari bag; By Far shoes
Skipping: Party Minidresses
Supporting: Voluminous Dresses
In her fall 2019 starter pack story, Lauren mentioned that party minidresses will be huge for this season, but it won't be a trend I'll personally be trying. A minidress on most people is basically a blouse on my 5'10" frame, so I gravitate toward knee-length or midi dresses instead. Right now I'm specifically in love with voluminous iterations like Cecilie Bahnsen's cloud-like confections.
Skipping: Mini Bags
Supporting: Crescent Bags
The numbers don't lie: According to The RealReal's data, Jacquemus's pint-sized Le Chiquito bag is still extremely coveted right now and can hold 89% of its value on the resale market. However, mini bags just seem ill-proportioned on my tall frame, so I'll be sticking to my favorite bag trend: crescent bags. Staud's brand-new Moon Bag, which I'm wearing below, was perhaps the impetus for the trend, but I also spotted a different brand's version at Copenhagen Fashion Week when I was there.
What I'm wearing: La Double J dress; Staud bag; By Far shoes
Skipping: Lug-Sole Boots
Supporting: Sleek Ankle Boots
In my opinion, the most inconvenient downside to being tall is needing a larger shoe size. Chunky lug-sole boots are trending for fall, but when I try to wear them in size 9.5, they look exceptionally unwieldy. Instead, I'll be wearing sleeker ankle boots in simple silhouettes.
What I'm wearing: Paloma Wool sweater; Diane von Furstenberg coat; J.Crew jeans; Who What Wear Collection boots
Follow me on Instagram for more tall-girl outfit ideas.
Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 13 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of Associate Director of Fashion News (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.
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