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Speaking of too short dresses...

Suz

(website)

Veteran

In the icy fluorescent light of Winner's the other day I tried on some dresses, only to confirm the truth of AviaMariah's recent comments about the dearth of dresses of a reasonable length. I am 5'4" on a tall day, and this, this my friends, is what is out there right now! These wouldn't even be tunics on a tall woman!

The white one was a reasonable length but looked too much like a hospital gown I thought?

Unflattering photos ahead, you are warned. Oh, and I sized up in all of these...imagine their length otherwise.

You do get some sense of the colour of my hair here, though... sort of.

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55 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

MsGreer

love the blue and red, you look great in all

Ginger

Veteran

Oh, my! They're darling (well, I'm not sure about the smock) and very mod but that's a hemline! They would be utterly pointless on me at 5'9". Leggings under a summer dress? Ha!

DonnaF

Veteran

I know, right? You could get away with the black and red ones and probably so could I at 5'1" -- but only if we wore flat and wore these casually. Are they marketing to our girls? Or have they not figured out that most grown women do not wear mini-skirt lengths? I'm so glad I'm only 5'1" when I'm searching for dresses and skirts so that I have more than indecent options. I'm also glad that DD22 is 5'2" so that the short skirts she and her fellow Millenials adore are more or less decent.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

THE HAIR!!! THE HAIR!!! Omigosh Suz - it's GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...now that I've calmed down and can breath again...yeah, the dresses. What is up with the length of the blue and red one? Those are crazy short. I mean you have great legs and all, but you couldn't move in these without fear of a wardrobe malfunction.

As for the white dress, I actually quite like it. The fit is lovely and I like that collar on you. Looks like it has pockets? That's always a bonus. They show a bit but that wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I love the blue and the red. I like the length in white and that color looks great on you. I'm uncomfortable with the length. Hmm. I wonder if I would buy them long then have them hemmed. I really don't like showing my legs. It is my growing edges. I think because I have to shave them after a Chicago winter.

JAileen

Veteran

Your hair looks so cute!

AviaMariah

Veteran

You could actually wear all of those but I understand why you wouldn't be comfortable with the blue and red one. The EF one I posted about was the same length; mid thigh. I actually really like the white one and don't see it looking like a hospital gown. But thanks for making me feel less alone. And they all look fab with your new hair.

Anonymous

Blue and red are cute and you can definitely get away with that length - but for what occasion indeed? Can you sit or bend over? They don't look too big at all though size-wise. Not really a fan of the white - it's not the dress, but rather the colour, or lack thereof in this case.

Sal

Veteran

You look great in all these but I agree they are short. I almost love the White- I feel it needs a small detail to lift it but I can't think what it is.

The hair legs and smile on the other hand look wonderful!!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I much prefer the white but with light shoes. Great length and look.

Don't get me started on too short dresses. TRULY, I don't get why retail continues to do this. And giving us casual maxi dresses is not a solution.

always trying

Veteran

Yeh, dresses sure are short these days. you are younger than me an have great legs, so all these look great on you. I tried on a few dresses at TJMaxx (which is the equivalent of Winners here in the US. I am 5'3" and they were all to short for me. I did find a cotton dress for hot weather at Zappos, on line...Yes Zappos is not just for shoes!!!The dress was a few inches above knees on the model, and luckily it turned out to hit me just below knee, so is perfect.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm loving that shade of red with the new hair, Suz. A little red on the lips will work too.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

I am late to the new hair cut, but I love how it opens up your face. Simply fab. And the shade of red is quite complimentary.

Agree about dresses! Shoshana has some that are mid-length, but most of the summer casual ones are too short, while the evening/cocktail ones reveal too much skin in the torso (aka cut-out patterns).

Chris987

Veteran

They all look great on you! You could definitely wear the shorter ones, but only if you felt comfortable and you've already said you don't.

Like Angie said don't get me started....I just cannot figure out why the retailers continue to ignore the women's age group that is the most likely to have some real disposable income to spend. I think there has been at least one forum posting fairly recently on this so I wont' go on....

Elle

Veteran

It's maddening how many short short dresses there are out there (although I confess that as a teenager, I would have thought your dresses were long). How frustrating that you can't find some in a length that you like. Good look with your search.

You do look wonderful in that shade of red.

Anonymous

I agree that the 1st dress seems like a hospital gown. I REALLY love the blue dress! The red one was okay...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have nothing but sympathy. Add 3" to your height, and you see my plight!

These look cute, but I'm not gaga over any of them, to be honest. I like the white one the best, but I kind of wish it were a different color. The combination of stark white and the style almost reads a bit hospital gown. Maybe accessorizing would make the difference.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

The dress in #3 is actually navy isn't it? I think navy looks great with your hair, and the red too - but the dresses are too short. I thought I just saw a great navy linen short sleeve shirt dress online the other day but honestly I shopped at so many places now I can't remember which one!

I actually think white would be great too, and the length is better, but it's hard to tell in that lighting and with the black shoes and no accessories.

carter

Veteran

You look great in all of these, but the last two really are short, aren't they? What are they thinking? I do like the length and the cut of the white one, but I agree it might be better in a different color.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Oh, I found the dress again - purecollection is the company and it is the French Navy Linen Shirt Dress - with pockets! I ordered one to try myself (and you know I'm not a dress girl).

Diana

Veteran

Hehe I bought a Tall dress a couple of weeks ago, so I don't even know what the actual tall people are doing these days!

The dresses are cute though, but I think you need to hold out for something you can bend over in!

Anonymous

I am so tired of all the short dresses too. I'm 5'9" and the too short looks ridiculous for an everyday casual dress. It throws the proportion to the absurd.

I was walking behind a woman this week and she had on a dress so short I think I saw her underwear. Umm - trying not to relive that visual. Can't you feel the breeze with that?

rabbit

Veteran

Huh, interesting. Proportionally none of the dresses look too short too me at first glance, I'm kind of thinking these particular dresses might not work as well knee length if all else was the same since the red and blue ones are a little mod (LOVE the red one on you). It's different if they are awkward to sit and crouch in of course, and they might be, I find that with short dresses more than separate skirts of that length. It might be just that I'm used to seeing people walking around in dresses this length and haven't really thought about the logistics though....

rachylou

Veteran

You look fantastic in these - altho yes, you have to own your knees and several inches above, lol. But you look great.

I really like the first. Agree with Angie about the shoes. Black sandals give it a nun vibe (not hospital ).

Sheila

Veteran

Who's that woman in those dresses? Jamie Lee Curtis. Oh no it's Suz!!!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Texstyle, thank you! You are right that it is navy and it's also silk! And was a crazy good price -- but I like the sounds of the linen and will look it up.

Carter, thanks -- and yes, I think another colour would be better but this was what they had.

I left all of these in the store, by the way. Just wanted to see what was out there and see how the colours worked (or didn't) with the new hair.

Janet, I thought "hospital gown" too! Too bad it wasn't a different colour...

Sochi, I loved the idea of the blue one...

Elle, thank you. I love red but usually look better in a blue-red. This is a true red -- and I was happy to see it works! It used to, when I was younger, and then didn't for a few years. Now with the grey hair I think it is good again! Fun discovery.

Chris, I know, eh? What are the retailers thinking? They could have sold at least 2 of these to me in a better length.

Gradfashionista, thank you!

Angie, thank you! I was really tickled about the red. See above. And do you truly like the white? It's linen/ viscose and quite nice for summer but it felt a bit draining to me in the white. Of course the lights were not helping at all. And the right shoes and accessories would make a big difference. This was just what I had on.

Always trying, it is some comfort to know I am not alone in this search. It's so silly. As Chris said, it is women of a certain age who have the $$ to spend...but nothing to spend it on! No wonder cropped pants are so popular.

Ah, Sally, thank you. Interesting that you like the white. I guess I liked it enough to take the picture. I'll tell you what I liked -- it felt nice (the fabric and fit) and it had pockets.

Lisa - I could not sit, bend, or buckle my shoe in the red or blue dress. No wonder they are still on the racks. They are SILK! Argh. Could have been perfect!!

Thank you, JAileen!

AvaMariah -- isn't it nuts? I mean, honestly!!! It's not like we are tall!

Ledonna, you and me both. I also have to shave after the Ontario winter! And do not like to expose the thighs in a skirt that might blow up over my bum at any moment!

Aww, Shannon, you are a sweetie. I'm getting used to the hair a bit...

Donna, I think they are marketing to some sort of imaginary person....

Ginger, I had a good giggle thinking of them on 5'9" you. Maybe they are really shirts.

Thanks, MsGreer!!

Vix

Veteran

Well I finally watched the remaining episodes of Mad Men so all these look a little long to me, ha!

Now you know how I find a lot of my tunics -- by searching on "dresses."

Love the blue one on you but unless you're ok with bike short-y things showing with a strong breeze then yeah, no go as-is.

I know you're having so trouble finding summer tops -- would you ever pair this with slim lightweight pants/shorts or a pencil skirt or is that just too far off your style? That's been my go-to look this past year and I swear it's solved a lot of issues.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Vix, that's not a bad idea...tunics tend to look weird with my proportions somehow but I wouldn't rule it completely out if I had the right bottoms. I was actually considering it. Particularly for the blue one, which buttons to the bottom.

Sheila, thanks for making me smile.

Rachy, thank you!

Rabbit, that is one of the issues for me. I was actually enjoying the mod look of these -- to me, that's another "architectural" look and one that is more comfortable and natural to me than some of the other visuals people were presenting. And I agree that the proportions would be off if they were too much longer. But that was sort of discouraging to realize, because yeah, they were too short to feel comfortable for regular wear. Maybe to the beach or something. But who wears a silk dress to the beach?

Delurked, I can't unsee that image...oy!!

Diana -- wow, you bought a tall?! Those poor tall women. What do they do, I wonder.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I really like the white, Suz. Wear stronger make-up, grey or silver shoes and statement earrings. A straw hat could be fab, as would a tonal gauzy Summer scarf.

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