Long evening dresses for taller women are specialty items coveted by those endowed with extra inches of height. While more petite women can take their gowns up instead of wearing them too long, one can't simply make material appear by letting a dress down. This also doesn't work for exceptionally tall women, who might like a dress with a slight extra hem allowance, but know that the amount provided still won't make the dress an appropriate length.
Choosing a Long Evening Dress
A long evening dress sounds specific until you realize that the description covers a multitude of colors, cuts, and shapes in the evening dress category. If you get a little more specific about evening dresses, then you can choose one that suits your body type, and the occasion, better.
- Seamed Evening Dresses: Dresses with decorative seams up and down the front are excellent choices for those who crave either body-trimming lines or vintage-style seaming. These dresses are often very successful when designed in a light-reflecting fabric.
- Princess-Seam Gowns: Dresses with princess seams look incredibly classic, and they are easy to make if you are a home sewer. Princess-seam gowns are very elegant as well, and blend nicely with a shawl or a wrap.
- Fringed Dresses: Need a dress with some party appeal? Get one with a line of fringe along the bottom for a shoe-skimming silhouette or something with more pep. Fringe might seem excessive, but it will add kick to long satin and flair to dull fabrics.
- Silk Gowns: Silk rustles delightfully when you are walking, and it can make longer gowns look very glamorous. Silk gowns can be pricey, but they have longevity when it comes to style and material.
Dress Tips
Taller women, even with the right gown, still need dressing tips to guide the rest of their wardrobe. This advice should get the rest of your outfits, from cocktail dresses to jeans, back on track. People might envy you when you are tall, but it is still challenging to shop.
- Don't be afraid of heels. Celebrate your height and flaunt it!
- Embrace things like shaped armholes, U-necks, V-necks, and puff sleeves to complement your height. Taller women can find more detailed pieces and pull them off beautifully.
- Don't forget that you can work challenging prints like large flowers and horizontal stripes.
Special Shoes for a Longer Dress
The right shoes will blend into your look effortlessly. You'll look neat and elegant, with a flair for the beautiful, and you'll never worry about blisters, bumps, trapped hems, or too-pointy toes. These shoes for evening dresses are well-known for having a good track record.
- Sling-back Heels: Sling-back heels are great, because the back of the shoe won't catch on the hem of your dress--a real concern. Mules are especially problematic with this detail.
- Booties: If you wear a jersey evening dress, don't be afraid to wear booties with it. Booties look adorable with the right hem length, and peeking out from underneath a long dress, they're even cuter.
- Flats: If comfort is your aim, then you have the height to pull off trim flats with an evening gown.
Shopping for Long Evening Dresses for Taller Women
A long evening dress isn't just something you'd shop for on a whim, so be prepared. These sources all carry special-occasion dresses in lengths for tall women.
- Go to eDressme.com for a selection of lower-priced gowns for taller women.
- Select extra-long, designer pieces at Net-a-Porter.com.
- Pick a long gown at JCPenney, which offers a free ship-to-store service and coupon codes.
Long evening dresses for taller women are a wonderful thing to source. Perhaps you or a friend have been stuck in cocktail-length gowns, and now you have a chance to wear something that goes the extra mile. A long gown is dramatic and elegant, and necessary in some cases. Once you have found a style and a designer of a gown you like, you'll be able to build a collection of evening dresses and always be prepared for a special occasion.