See The 6-Foot-2 Amazon Model That Caught Beyoncé And Tina Knowles' Eye

She wants you to never "bow down" to those hating on height.

Not many people can say they’ve modelled for Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles Lawson.

But when you have confidence (and a walk that won’t quit), you'll find yourself gracing the runways of New York and Paris Fashion Week - and making a debut at the Wearable Art Gallery honoring Beyoncé and Gloria Carter.

Meet Cole Woods: a 6-foot-2 fashion model, based in Los Angeles, whose life experiences would not have been possible if she paid the haters any mind. 

Growing up, Cole was always taller than other girls - which created several obstacles. From the struggle to find clothes that fit to dealing with rude comments, Cole had to make the best of her height in order to blossom into the person she is today. 

Constantly taller than the boys, Cole found herself pushed into the world of basketball. She not only excelled in the sport but was drafted to play professionally. 

Now she’s going viral thanks to an open letter she posted on Instagram that crushes the idea that being a tall woman is something to slump your shoulders about.

Despite her now 50K followers, Cole was surprised to learn there were so many others going through the same experience. 

“After I posted the ‘open letter’ to tall girls and women on my Instagram, I received so many positive responses,” Cole shared with BET Style exclusively.

“When I was writing it I didn’t even consider just how many other tall girls/women with the same experience were already following me! It has been very uplifting and it has really made me want to push myself even harder to reach platforms where I can continue to be an advocate/ambassador for those ‘taller than tall’ women.

“I just strive to be the type of woman that I’d like to see more of in the forefront of the media. A strong, intelligent, confident African-American woman that young girls and women can be proud to look up to.”

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We Talked To 69 Tall People About Shopping For Clothes That Actually Fit

By Olivia Muenter | 12 hours ago

Even though it's supposed to be fun, for many people, shopping and finding clothes that actually fit is an emotional, difficult, and frustrating process. In a fashion industry where sizing is inconsistent and largely exclusive to people with bodies that don't fit into a standardized mold, shopping for clothing can be downright depressing. For individuals over 5 feet 9 inches, shopping can be an especially frustrating process. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services, the average height of an American woman is around 5 feet 3.5 inches. While vanity sizing and a generally complicated history of sizing in the U.S. has made standardized sizing more confusing than ever, generally speaking, most women's clothing caters to those who are close to this average height. Naturally, this leads to sleeve lengths, pant lengths, and dresses which are almost always designed for a person who is 6 or more inches shorter than a tall woman.

Regardless of height, though, shopping can be a difficult process for any woman (or person, for that matter). In an effort to get to the bottom of people's biggest frustrations with shopping, learn their best tips, and share their favorite places to find something that fits, Bustle surveyed more than 400 people of many different sizes and body types about shopping, sizing, and how they feel about it all. This included getting the perspective of 69 people who self-identified as tall. Of those 69 people, 8.7 percent fell into a size 00-4, 31.9 percent fell into the size of 4-8, 43.5 percent identified as size 10-14, and 15.9 percent identified as 14-18 or above.

What They Think About Shopping & Sizing In General

Almost 90 percent of those surveyed noted they had never used a sizing app, which ultimately reflected a larger trend we saw in the survey - that, regardless of their size or body type, the vast majority of individuals don't know their measurements at all.

Less surprisingly, those surveyed who identified as tall noted that length is a reoccuring problem when it comes to tops, bottoms, and dresses.

Nicky Bates, a Detroit-based marketing and development associate, is 6 feet tall and a size 16/18. Bates tells Bustle that finding plus size clothing that is also the right length is a particular struggle.

"Most of my shirts with longer sleeves are 3/4 sleeve length on me, but were made to be full length. I'm a triathlete so I swim a lot and have chubby/muscular biceps and broad shoulders. In most shirts, I have to go up a size to fit my arms and shoulders even if the size down fit the rest of me," Bates says.

Some people surveyed mentioned other work-arounds for problems like these, with one suggesting "going a size larger to get more length in shirts then tucking/tying them in the sleeves, waist, etc. to fit."

What They Think About Shopping In Store Versus Online

Of those surveyed, only 2.9 percent said they shop either in-store only or online only. Interestingly, despite online shopping have far more access to niche sizing for tall people, more than 53 percent of those surveyed said they shop mostly in store and sometimes online. Alternatively, almost 41 percent of those surveyed said they shop mostly online and sometimes in stores.

When asked in the survey about their favorite places to shop in store, one person who identified as tall simply wrote, "Makeup stores lol, clothes shopping can be overwhelming and I need to be in the zone and not annoyed with people."

This quote perfectly highlights the general frustration that many people can feel with shopping in stores that often don't have sizes that work for their bodies. When clothing that fits you isn't available, sometimes it's easier to avoid the IRL trying-on process altogether.

But as Dallas-based Customer Service Agent Madison Hunnicutt, who is 6 feet 2 inches and a size 16, tells Bustle, shopping online also presents it's own unique set of problems when you're tall.

"I would say my height is definitely a unique factor when it comes to shopping, especially online shopping. Because you never know when you order something, if it is going to actually fit they way it should," Hunnicutt says.

Hunnicutt's description of the problems of shopping online might explain why so many tall people still opt to shop in store and see the items in real life while shopping.

Bates tells Bustle a similar story about shopping online.

"My size makes me really hesitate to shop online. Sometimes I'll fall in love with a pattern or how it looks on the model and be really disappointed when it doesn't fit," Bates says. "If I do it in store, I just won't buy it, but if I order it online, I'll think that maybe it'll fit one day and it'll sit in my closet forever, unworn. Once I've found something I love (a brand, a dress/shirt style, etc.), I tend to just stick to that. It makes me hesitate to branch out in terms of fashion because often I feel like I couldn't 'pull off' a look because I only see people much smaller than me wearing it."

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Few relationships in a woman's life are as love-hate as the one she has with her high heels. We love them because they look great and make legs appear longer and leaner, helping petite women appear taller and tall women statuesque. The hate, however, comes when the pain begins.

High heels are the No. 1 culprit of foot pain for women, according to an American Podiatric Medical Association survey. Nearly half of all women wear heels, and 71 percent of heel-wearers say those shoes hurt their feet, the APMA reports.

"With many types of heels, like very high stilettos, foot pain is hard to avoid," says Dr. Matthew G. Garoufalis, a podiatrist and immediate past president of the APMA. "But it is possible for women to find a happy mid-point between great looks and great pain."

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So many of us need to have a car to get around. You may use yours to commute to work, take your children to school or even just run errands every once in a while. As a tall woman, it's important to find the best car to suit you and your commitments.

If it's time to get your next vehicle, don't assume that you're limited to the largest model on the lot that's within the budget. There could be options that are better for you as a taller driver, or particular features that you need to note. Here are some of the items you could think about before you choose your next car.

Try the height-adjustable driver's seat

It is just as important to be able to adjust the seat up and down, as much as it is to see how far it moves backward and forward. The seat height can affect where your seatbelt will rest on you: the shoulder part should lie flat across the chest between your shoulder and neck, with the lap part sitting snugly across your hips.

Check the headroom

You should ensure you have enough headroom once your seat is in the position you want it to be, which is particularly important if you have a longer torso. Also consider the angle and location of head restraints, as some people may find it difficult to find a car where these don't push against the back of your head, but are still placed correctly.

If your perfect car is just out of your budget, or will need some work, you could consider getting a loan from brands such as loanpig.co.uk. Choose the amount you require and for how long, and see what options are available.

Consider the sunroof

You might believe a hole in the roof might be good for headroom, but the opposite may be the case. That's because there needs to be space for the sunroof panel tracks and mechanical parts required to open it, plus the shade. These components mean you may lose one or two inches of headroom. This may not matter in some models, but in those with lower roofline, this could make a big difference.

Look at the steering wheel adjustment range

It's a lot easier to get a comfortable driving position when there's a broad range of adjustment available in the steering wheel. You may find telescopic adjustment is more important than tilt, particularly in cramped cabins. Some models will have a better range than others, so make sure you try this out when looking at different vehicles.

Think about door openings

You also need to think about how you get behind the wheel of your car, so take note of these when looking around. You may find vehicles that have enough space for you up front, but a tight door opening can make it awkward to get in and out. You could also find that, once seated, your head is level with or behind the B-pillar, so you may have to lean forward in some to see any oncoming traffic at junctions.

What is it like being exceptionally tall?

People exceptionally tall only, 6' 2" (1.88 m) is a normal height in Netherlands. [6'7" = 2.00 m]

Dawniece's Answer

Dawniece Trumbo, 6'2" creative extraordinaire, fine artist, teacher, stylist & reinvention queen (and Tall Woman of the Month for February 2008)

First, I love this question, but there aren't many female responses. So, I'm adding my experience to the bucket.

Second, this is my first Quora posting, so I am super excited (finally something I am well versed in). Please be nice!

My 31 years have been interesting to say the least. Barefoot with a fresh blowout, I stand at a solid 6'2"...which, I believe, places me in the top .005% of women's height. Now, tack on the fact that I am also African American, a raging extrovert, living in the middle of Iowa, with a love for heels and big hair…

Let's just say, I wasn't created to blend in.

And I never know what attribute to attribute all the stares (see what I did there, hehehe).

I'll try not to rehash prior answers too much, but if I do, I'll try to share some unique anecdotes.

1. It's one thing to be tall, it's another to be proportioned funny and tall. I have extremely long legs, arms, fingers, and feet (they'd be appropriate for someone 6'5"). However, my torso is wee...like the bottom of my ribcage and the top of my hips are one finger space away from touching. Oh, and apparently, my head's big.

This fact has made for some interesting clothing experiences, especially when I was young. I was made fun of for wearing high-waters (I was sheltered, I didn't understand jean length etiquette). I wore petite tops, until I figured out they exaggerated my proportions. And cutesy matching sets were a fail all around (unless I was trying to make it a capri and 3/4 sleeve fix).

Now I just bite the bullet, order stuff online and wish for the best. Though my adult default is pretty dresses, fabulous shawls, and boots to hide the short pants.

2. Everyone (grown men in particular) thought I was older than I was. I was a tall kid (almost 6' by 8th grade), and because of this, I was forced off of the age-appropriate softball team, I was given way more responsibility than I was ready for, I was continually mistaken for a boy in middle school, and I was constantly hit on by grown men when I was still a pre-teen (even being underdeveloped with a baby face). My youth was traumatizing, especially since I was a sensitive and super self-conscious kid (I just wanted to be smart and personable).

3. People can’t help but strike up conversation...even if I’m trying to be low-key and invisible (not possible). Always, “how tall are you”, “I wish I had some of your height”, “I’m jealous, you can eat whatever you like” (lies!), “did you play basketball/volleyball/sports?” (I was awful! Super uncoordinated until college), “are you an athlete at ____ college?” (I’m almost 10 years removed from that age range, but thanks!), “do you model?” (I’m actually too tall and too big to pull that off mainstream, but thanks!)…and, my current fave, “are you a power lifter” (Hahahaha!!!)

4. I am constantly told that I am intimidating, and when I walk in a room I await "the size up" (watches me walk in, looks up to the top of my head, looks down to check for heels, then looks up again with slack jawed disbelief) from strangers.

5. Regular tall guys (6’-6’4”) tend to respond the strangest...especially if I'm in heels. I've had some of the oddest interactions with complete strangers in that height range. I think I must throw them off a bit. Here’s a handful of tales:
There is the tendency for guys to walk up to me, stand a little straighter, and randomly yell out a height...like we’re playing some amusement park guessing game. (Not sure how that is normal behavior.)

Then there is online dating, where I clearly state how tall I am...but once they arrive to the date, they tell me that they thought I was joking (why would I make that up?), or will literally argue with me until I have someone take a photo and show them that I am not as giant as they think. (Apparently, no one understands how tall a 6'2" woman really is, until they meet one.)

In grad school, I was challenged at a house party. The host didn't believe I was only 6'1.5" (I gained a half inch when I was 27, thanks Pilates), so he stopped the music and had an attendee measure us in the middle of the get together. I was right...and his ego inch came crashing down in the form of a tantrum (apparently his coaches lied to him).

One evening I, unfortunately, met the acquaintance of a bodyguard for 50 Cent who ran his hand over my throat to see if I had an Adam's apple, while we were debating over a TV channel in the hotel bar.

And then there are the inappropriate pick-up lines: "We'll aren't you a tall drink of chocolate milk", "I'll climb that tree", "Mmmm, I like ‘em tall", etc. (Seriously, who does that work on?) I could go on and on...but I won't.

6. Tallish ladies are interesting bunch too. I call them "cute tall" girls (5'7" - 5'11" - tall enough to catch attention, but not tall enough to incite intimidation). A lot of the time, a "cute tall" will come over to me and relay how excited they are to not be the tallest girl in the room; or how they were the tall girl growing up; or how they are used to being the tallest one all the time; or how they "feel short", etc. I just try to withhold my eye roll.

But when I meet a truly tall sistren (any woman >6’), we form an immediate connection in acknowledgement of “the struggle”. Though I will admit a pang of territorialism when a guy or a girl 6’5” or taller enters the same room I am in (I’m supposed to be the tallest person in this room!). *Cue “cute tall” hypocrisy*

7. I’ll end this list on lucky #7. Being tall and working in corporate America is a win. Half of the BS I hear my female friends go through seems crazy to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been outright disrespected by chauvinists and dudes with a Napoleon complex – but I know that when I see it. The subversive and passive sexism or the catty woman-on-woman bouts are almost unheard of in my personal experience. I chalk it up to looking like I won’t take any sh*t…which is true. Positively though, I stand out without trying, and that’s a plus when you’re on your networking and ladder climbing grind.

So overall, I love being tall and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sure, my lower back hurts sometime, and nothing is built for my stature, and I can’t wear vintage, and I encounter many low-confidence dudes. BUT I receive effortless attention, and I’ve learned to wield it to my benefit.

**Update 10/1/15**
Oh my gosh! Quora Peeps, you guys are awesome!!! Thank you for welcoming me with open arms!!! Woot!!!

**Update 10/4/15**
A photo was requested to put my height into perspective. Here you go:

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When I was 12 my mom took me shopping for pantyhose at Younkers department store in my Iowa hometown. I had a piano recital coming up, and a recent growth spurt meant the tights in the children's section no longer fit. On the back of the hosiery packaging there was a matrix chart: height on one side and weight on the other. You were supposed to find the box where your height and weight intersected, and the color code would tell you which size to purchase. As I dragged my finger along the package to find my size, I felt a wave of panic. At 6'2", I was off the matrix. A total freak.

It was an objective confirmation of how I already felt. I was the tallestperson in my junior high school - bigger than all the other girls, all the pre-growth-spurt boys, even all the teachers. And there was nothing I wouldn't have given to be just an inch or two shorter. I try to remember that feeling now, when women I don't know approach me and say things like "What I wouldn't give to be your height." I've spent my entire life hovering almost a foot taller than most women. And while it's often been a source of insecurity, the older I get, the more comfortable I am with myself. I'm far less comfortable with the feelings my body seems to bring out in other women.

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By Rachel McCarthy James Jan 24, 2018, 9:32am EST

Height is practically a prerequisite for wearing clothes professionally: Models are on average 5 feet 9.5 inches. ”When I was a size 2 or 4, [it] was really easy to find high-end items at a great discount,” says Falasha, a Switzerland-based fashion blogger, “especially items used for models or styling. Size 6 and 8 are much harder to find higher-end.” But women who are model tall but not sample size have a harder time finding stuff to fit them — especially if their torsos are long, and especially especially if they’re tall and plus.

And often enough, they can only manage to find anything at all online. Tall women are a specialty market, as those over 5 feet 8 inches make up only about 10 percent of all women, and so they are not a priority in brick-and-mortar retail. Even stores that carry tall sizes generally restrict their selection (save a few pairs of long-inseam jeans) to regular and perhaps petite sizes, offering tall clothes online only. “I prefer to shop online because I hate going to stores, trying on things that don’t fit, and leaving completely demoralized,” says Ashley of Salt Lake City, adding, “I see you Anthropologie Sale Room, with all your petite blouses”

Old Navy, which offers one of the wider ranges of tall clothing styles, says that a focus on online marketing makes it easier to reach tall customers. “Our online store provides a tailored experience for extended-size customers, allowing them to filter products for specific fit needs,” says Loretta Choy, senior vice president and GM of Old Navy’s women’s and men’s divisions.

But even when they reach them, there can be further complications. “Returning clothes to online-only brands is always a hassle and, even if I know my measurements, it’s almost always a crap-shoot,” says Luisa of Salem, Virginia. She prefers to seek out retailers in person.

“I can go into a Torrid or a Lane Bryant, try things on, and adjust sizing as needed without having to wait weeks or spend extra money on sizing options,” she says. Most don’t feel that they have the option. “I can’t just go to any store and buy pants,” says Melanie of Bristol, Virginia. “Most stores don’t carry pants in lengths that fit me. Dress pants are even worse.”

Trying to know how to dress for work is always a trial. “What looks like a professional dress when you buy it quickly looks unprofessional at work. Especially fabrics that ride up combined with heels draw a lot of unwanted attention,” says Falasha.

A modest skirt cut for a 5-foot-6-inch woman can turn into a mini real quick on a 5-foot-10-inch body. “Because I’m so tall, clothes often look inappropriate or sexy on me when I’m not even trying,” says Shannon of Los Angeles. “I cannot wear short dresses to work. Especially if they are tight.”

Athletic clothes can be just as difficult. Ashley, a dance teacher who works in elementary school, struggles to find athleisure that provides enough coverage for “wiggling in front of kids. I end up wearing nice leggings but need to cover up with maternity tank tops and cardigans and am basically in my pajamas and humiliated.”

Tonya of Chicago notes that even when she does find a reliable option, it could still disappear. “Both Victoria’s Secret and Lululemon carried pants extra long, but they both stopped over a year ago and I am bummed,” she says. “I discovered Long Tall Sally last Christmas and am now a loyal customer.”

Long Tall Sally targets women 5 feet 8 inches and taller, and emphasizes the need for an all-around fit. “Long Tall Sally never just adds inches to a hem or sleeve,” says Camilla Treharne, creative director at Long Tall Sally. “Jeans are more than just a ‘longer leg.’ A 6-foot woman needs a longer rise, deeper yoke, adjusted knee positioning, [and] a 34-inch, 36-inch, or 38-inch inseam.”

Retailers beyond specialty brands seem to be getting the hang of designing jeans for taller women, at least. “Not only do we offer multiple lengths in our core denim styles, we account for how anatomies differ between shorter and taller people such as the position of the knee,” says Jill Guenza, global vice president of women’s design at Levi’s. “We make adjustments within the pattern and in finishing to account for these differences, which has a big impact on how the jeans hang on the body and ensures that finish features like shading and holes are in the right place.”

But inconsistent sizing makes it difficult to find the right fit consistently. “I have shouted out to the universe and still haven’t received a clear answer of why women’s jeans cannot be sized as men’s are — a simple waist size available in a variety of different length sizes — in inches, not the manufacturer bias of what they think a certain size is,” says Deanna of Overland Park, Kansas. “I will occasionally wander through a store and see a super-cute pair of jeans on a store mannequin only to look at the rack and find the item ‘capri-length’ for me.”

Much as long legs are fetishized, not all bodies are 90 percent legs, and women with long torsos often struggle to avoid an unintentional 2008 midriff look. “It’s much easier to find pants,” says Jody from Westchester, New York. “If [the arm] is long enough, the body is often short-waisted.”

”I had to learn what types of shirts and dresses would not only be long enough to cover my stomach at normal times, but also to allow for real-life movement before buying them,” says Carly of Little Rock, Arkansas. “You may think a shirt is cute on the rack or even on, but I’ve given so many clothes to Goodwill just because they’re slightly too short and I hate wearing them.”

Some companies are more eager than others to service this exact need, and Old Navy is a standby for many tall women. “I pretty much only shop online at Old Navy, especially when it comes to long pants and long-sleeve shirts, jackets, and sweaters,” says Emily of Spotsylvania, Virginia.

”Old Navy is fashion for the people,” says Loretta Choy. ”We want all of our customers to have access to great styles at great prices, regardless of shape or size. We are proud to offer 70 percent of our women’s tops assortment in tall sizes.”

Gap and Old Navy are often the most reliable option for tall-size shirts in styles everyone else wears, but they aren’t the only ones. Ann Taylor also takes a pragmatic approach: If someone buys tall pants at Ann Taylor, they want to sell her tall tops, too. “We want to be able to dress our customer in Ann Taylor head to toe and to solve any wardrobe issues that women may have,” says Lauren Blane, the company’s styling director.

Still, having only a few options at only a few stores leaves many long-torsoed women feeling frustrated. “There are more options for adjusting the inseams on pants, but for tops? No,” says Ashley. “There are petite sections in virtually every department store, but no comparable section for tall women.”

Petite women make up at least 50 percent of the female population, and they have issues too — especially petite-plus women. Their larger share of the market, though, does not always translate to greater options. Alex Waldman is the co-founder of Universal Standard, which was founded in 2015 and makes “elevated” clothing for sizes 10-28. The company first expanded its brand by offering longer inseams in denim, but for now, it’s focused on shorter women. “Our first concern for the underserved would be toward petite, because they’re the ones who are more underserved,” says Waldman. “We’re trying to be as maximally inclusive as possible, so we’ve taken steps toward inclusivity across the spectrum, always starting with those who are most underserved.”

While most clothing retailers offer a shop for men who are tall and plus-size, there is no such thing as a big-and-tall shop for women. Tall plus-sizes are limited, harder to find, and usually online, making a good fit all the harder to achieve. Lane Bryant offers jeans in long inseams, but has no specific tall shop or tall shirts. Ditto Torrid. Ditto Target. “I would love be able to shop Ava & Viv at Target, particularly their jeans,” says Luisa. “Paying over $50 for jeans at Torrid is not always an option for me, financially, but Ava & Viv denim is always Butt-Crack Central.”

Several women I spoke to mentioned Old Navy as their go-to place for some actual options without the attendant stress of wondering whether or not they will fit. “After much trial and error, I pretty much know that whatever I order from there will fit and I don’t have to waste time trying on clothes I know are going to not work,” says Emily, and Carly agrees: “Old Navy has the benefit of a huge plus-size section, so you can always find something without the emotional struggle.”

“When developing product for all women, our focus is creating fits that flatter,” says Loretta Choy. “We want our customers to participate in fashion, and our extended categories allow us to provide great styles designed for every body.”

Sometimes, styles offered in tall are not offered in plus-sizes, and styles in plus-sizes are not offered in tall. Old Navy offers a wide range of tall-size options among its straight-size stock, including tall shirts in XXL. But while it does offer long sizes, including long inseams in plus-sizes, there are no length options for its shirts. Its sister/parent brand, Gap, doesn’t technically have a plus store; it does offer women’s shirts up to XXL and pants up to size 20, but tall sizes only go to XL and pants to 16.

However, Gap is expanding its options for tall women. “We will begin offering tall and petite sizes for our GapFit leggings as we look to support our customer in their total lifestyle,” says Mary Castilow, VP of women’s merchandising at Gap; the new sizes will be online only.

While clothing options are difficult to find and mostly online, it’s still better than it was to many tall women. “I remember most of the time tall women would have to shop from catalogs for longer items and now everyone shops online so it is really easy,” says Falasha.

”I think the market is finally realizing that it’s not a one-size-fits-all world anymore,” says Jessica of Baltimore. “Inseams are coming in more options now, in everything from yoga leggings to jeans, and I know there are specific brands catering to tall women, such as Long Tall Sally. It’s not just a ‘regular’ and ‘petites’ world any longer!”

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Average height folks will never understand the struggle tall people face when trying to find stylish clothes that fit well. We won't even discuss the added headache of looking for items with ample fashion flair. Yeah, it's hard out here for a tall chick. But have no worries, tall darlings. We're here to guide you on your journey to immaculate style. Here's what to wear if you're tall. Your essential fashion rules await...When you're tall, sometimes shopping can be a pain in the ass (so much for retail therapy, huh?). In at least several of your shopping jaunts, you've probably come across an amazing top with sleeves that just weren't long enough. Or how about those times you tried on a pair of must-have pants that looked like they must've shrunk in the dryer? In a word: frustrating.

But don't be deterred from purchasing the wardrobe of your dreams. Instead, go in armed with knowledge of what clothes work best for your height and get styling yourself like a pro.

Need a little help? We're at your service. Here's what to wear if you're tall.

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Yes, how tall or short you are decides a few health issues you may experience in your lifetime, says a study. Read on to know more…

By: Praveen Kumar Published: Thursday, December 22, 2016, 8:01 [IST]

Most of us would love to be tall. However, many factors like genetics and lifestyle factors decide your height. And then does height decide your health?Well, some studies say that being tall or short can also decide the kind of health issues you experience or may not experience.Yes, some health issues are seen more in short people and some are seen more in tall people. So, read on to know what height says about health.

Heart Issues

A recent study claims that women who are tall have 25% fewer chances of suffering heart issues compared to shorter women. Though many other factors play a role, height can also be one factor. The taller a person is, the better it is for cardiovascular health.

Cancer

When it comes to cancer, shorter women are at an advantage, says a study. Some types of cancers like colon cancer, breast cancer and kidney cancer seem to affect tall people more.

Blood Clots

Another advantage of being short is that the chances of developing blood clots are lesser. The chances of suffering stroke due to clots in the blood are more in tall women, says a study.

Pregnancy

Tall women have higher chances of undergoing an effortless pregnancy. Also, the chances of developing gestational diabetes are lower in them. According to studies, shorter women may undergo more stress during pregnancy.

Dementia

Even in the case of dementia, taller women are at an advantage. According to a study, shorter women have higher chances of suffering from dementia.

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Who is Buried in Famous Tall Betsy's Tomb?

"To Fort Hill Cemetery she will go, to her mausoleum, with YOU in tow!"

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - October 29, 2018 - (Newswire.com) 

Tall Betsy, the 7-foot 6.5-inch official goblin of Bradley County, Tennessee, is known worldwide for her legendary Halloween appearances at 150 Centenary Avenue in Cleveland, Tennessee. However, she wasn't always the "Official Spook of Cleveland."

In the early 1900's, Tall Betsy was a real person who happened to be very tall and walked the Cleveland streets at night. Speculation about the resident's identity varied. Some suspected she was a police officer who dressed in black to scare people off the streets. Others believed she was a tall woman garbed in black who roamed the streets only at night to avoid being gawked at because of her odd appearance.

Whatever her true identity, she was the perfect fodder for legend. Cleveland parents in the 1920's and 1930's told their children that if they failed to come home before dark, they would likely encounter Tall Betsy, sometimes called Black Betsy or simply The Lady in Black. 

Hearing this story from his mother and grandmother as a child, businessman Allan Jones became enamored with the tale. He dreamed of dressing up as the legendary lady, and made his first attempt in 1970 as a high school sophomore. In preparation, he dyed one of his mother's white sheets black with Ritz dye. He mixed the dye in a horse bucket out by their barn and started a fire under the bucket. He also cut down two saplings to use as stilts. Unfortunately, the stilts bowed while drying, causing Jones to appear less gruesome girlie and more bowlegged cowboy.

Though his initial attempt failed, Jones clung to his goal of donning Betsy's clothes and keeping her legend alive. Ten years later, his dream came to fruition.

"Cleveland's Central City Action Association, which later became MainStreet-Cleveland, wanted to establish an official downtown spook," Jones said. "I fought to make Tall Betsy the official spook, and I promised to make her costume and dress up like her if she won the title."

Thanks to Jones' insistence, Tall Betsy won out as the official spook of Cleveland. With Tall Betsy poised for local — and later, national — celebrity, Jones suddenly had to flesh out her backstory and he made it up off the cuff during an interview with the Cleveland Daily Banner.

Like the rest of the legend, the location of Betsy's permanent quarters came from this interview. The reporter asked where Tall Betsy resided, and Jones gave the first answer that popped into his head. He said the Lady in Black lives in a mausoleum at the highest point of Fort Hill Cemetery, where Jones became a legend in his own right.

"Around 1969 my friends and I, who were all around 16 at the time, heard about a mausoleum in Fort Hill that had been vandalized," said Jones. "The result of the vandalism was that curious kids could look in and see the exposed casket." 

Jones and his friends visited the cemetery that summer and noticed that the back window bars of the mausoleum had been removed, and the inside had been vandalized.

"About 25 percent of the marble was lying in the floor, allowing me to look in at an old casket on the shelf," Jones revealed. "There were nearly 18-inches between the side and the casket, and a friend dared me to crawl in and lay next to the casket. Then he double-dog dared me. So I crawled in quickly. We all ran back to the car, but my bravery became legendary."

When Jones glanced back, he saw it was the tomb of Flora Shields (also listed on census records as Emma F. Shields). The name became etched in his mind forever.

Eleven years after reading Flora Shields' name, Jones donned the Tall Betsy outfit for her first Halloween outing at Johnston Park from 3 to 5 p.m. Afterward, she laid in the back of a pick-up truck driven by Jones' childhood friend, Lou Patton. Tall Betsy then made an encore appearance at Jones' Centenary home. There, Jones' mother and then-girlfriend Janie Pangle were throwing a Halloween party for Jones' daughter, Courtney, of whom Jones was a single parent.

The children were enraptured with Tall Betsy, as were a handful of trick-or-treaters who came to Jones' house that night. Exhausted, Jones relaxed that evening, counting it a one-time success. He'd succeeded in dressing up as his beloved childhood spook and made sure everyone in Cleveland knew of her legend.

Jones figured his Tall Betsy costume would hang in his closet untouched for years to come, but other people had different plans.

"Lou Patton's sister, Janie, called me before Halloween of 1981 and asked if I would dress up as Tally Betsy again," Jones said. "If it weren't for that call, I may have never donned Betsy's outfit a second time."

According to Jones, 1981, his second outing as Tall Betsy, is when the legend really took hold of Cleveland's imagination. From popular demand, Jones went on to make appearances as Tall Betsy year after year in front of his then-house at 150 Centenary Avenue NW, the gruesome girlie gaining more notoriety each time. Eventually, Tall Betsy became so popular that people flocked to Cleveland on Halloween just to sneak a peak. In 1998, the Jones family official count was that 11,201 trick-or-treaters came to their Centenary door, each receiving a single piece of bubblegum.

As Tall Betsy's popularity soared, Jones reflected on the legend he created. He spent a lot of time through the years wondering about Flora Shields, the lady who was buried where Jones claimed Tall Betsy lived.

"After the legend of Tall Betsy grew to the point where people were traveling from across the South to see her on Halloween, I started trying to figure out who Flora Shields was and why no one knew anything about her," Jones said.

Eventually, Jones hired Michael Slaughter — one of the nation's most respected genealogical researchers — to uncover who built the mausoleum and when. Jones also tasked Slaughter with finding out who's interred there, and when and where they lived. He wanted to know who Flora Shields was, and why none of her family members complained that her grave had been transformed into Tall Betsy's home.

Slaughter's research revealed that Ms. Shields was born in August 1866 and died in 1951. She never married, never worked and never crunched any child's bones. And though interred here, she spent only a handful of years in Cleveland.

Nearly 70 years after her death, Ms. Shields has no surviving family members. Hence why no one complains about Tall Betsy taking up residence in her tomb.

"Flora was 85 years old when she died in Miami," said Slaughter. "She was essentially an old maid who never worked nor married, whose source of income was her wealthy grandfather, William Shields, who reported a significant net worth of $20,000 in 1860."

For comparison, the richest person listed in Cleveland's 1850 census was Thomas Callaway, whose net worth was $27,000. So Flora's grandfather, the first of the Shields family to move to Bradley County, was one of the wealthiest people in Polk County at the time.

Slaughter noted that although Flora's name will be forever linked to the famous Tall Betsy of Centenary Avenue, she only lived in Cleveland between 1866 and 1870. It was during this time that Ms. Shields' father, John Caswell Shields, owned a grocery store across the courthouse on Ocoee Street. Mr. Shields went on to practice medicine for decades prior to his early 20th-century return to Bradley County, Tennessee.

Born in Murray County, Georgia, Ms. Shields was in Smith County, Texas, with her family for the 1870 census. A decade later, she, her four siblings and her mother, Emily Howell Shields, were in Murray County, Georgia, while her father, John Caswell Shields, was in Eugene, Oregon. The family later reunited in Umatilla County, Oregon, returned to Bradley County in the early 1900's, and moved to Miami, Florida, following John Caswell's death. Flora lived in Miami with her mother, niece Esther and Esther's husband, Mr. Dupont (the first name is unreadable in the census). Following her mother's death in 1924 in Dade County, Florida, Flora began living with her niece Lena B. Donovan, and by 1940 lived by herself in Homestead, Florida.

In conclusion, Slaughter reported that Ms. Shields passed away on September 27, 1951, in Dade County, Florida. He further stated that the Shields mausoleum was likely built between 1900 and 1908, with Flora and her parents, John Caswell Shields — who died in Bradley County on November 12, 1908 — and Emily Howell — who died in 1924, its only occupants.

For more information, videos, and pictures about Tall Betsy visit TallBetsy.com.

Contact: Daniel Brantley
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(423) 472-1000

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Who is Jane Doe? Woman found burned 7 years ago in Irvine still unidentified

May 13, 2016 | Updated May 16, 2016 6:45 a.m.

Beaten, strangled, burned; her body was left overnight in the parking lot of an Irvine office park.

Nearly seven years later, the two brothers who admit to taking her life have also pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, saying the killing wasn’t planned.

One of those brothers, Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman, faces retrial after his case was declared a mistrial last week in Santa Ana Superior Court. The second brother, Gabino Baldivia-Guzman, is expected to face trial later this year.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys debate whether the killing legally was first- or second-degree murder, but they don’t debate who was responsible.

But even as justice grinds forward, a mystery remains.

The woman had no ID when she was found. She was left with her clothes and a pair of unusual shoes, but without a driver’s license or bank card or phone. No one who knew her witnessed her death.

And the things she did have, the things we all carry – fingerprints and teeth and DNA – have provided only half of a puzzle. After seven years of relentless and sometimes unusual effort, the street cops, detectives and criminologists working on the case still don’t know who she was.

All of which raises a question: In 2016, when seemingly every public act can be tracked online or on video, when a single keystroke can send our secrets or our faces around the world, how can a woman found dead in a parking lot spend seven years with the name Jane Doe?

LESS THAN A GALLON

John Ring saw her before he could park.

Sept. 5, 2009, was a Saturday, and at 8:30 a.m., the parking lot at Pasternack Enterprises was empty except for Ring. And he was there only because he wanted to catch up on work in his job as vice president of sales and marketing for Pasternack, a military supplier based in the part of Irvine that borders northbound 55.

After he pulled into the lot and saw the woman, facedown and almost certainly dead, Ring was unnerved. He told police that he kept driving for a moment before stopping, a few spaces away, to call 911.

Investigators from Irvine’s fire and police departments arrived within minutes, calling in a description of the body: a woman, early 20s, black, about 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, a single piercing in each ear. Her face was bloody and bruised, her left eye was swollen, and her tongue was protruding.

She also had been burned.

Orange County Fire Authority investigator John Abel determined that she had been set on fire in the parking lot, probably in the same, slightly curled up position she’d been found. Based on the damage to her body and clothes, Abel believed less than a gallon of gasoline was used to set her ablaze, and the fire burned itself out. A crime scene investigator working near the body found, among other things, a blue lighter.

Authorities couldn’t say exactly when she’d been dumped. They knew only that the cleaning crew saw nothing suspicious before they left, between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., about 10 hours before Ring drove up.

So, around midday, the investigators and crime scene techs gathered the few clues they found at the scene, collected what was left of the woman’s outfit – shorts, a top and a pair of high heels – and went off to begin the hunt.

SEARCHING high, LOW

As an obvious homicide, the investigation started with two goals – to find the killer and identify the victim.

On both fronts they had half a clue: The woman in the parking lot had been burned. If the crime scene and the body didn’t generate many leads, maybe the accelerant or the flames it produced would.

Irvine police Detective Vicky Hurtado, who led the investigation, explained to a jury this month that because police had no address for the victim, she told detectives to visit 15 hotels and motels between Santa Ana and Irvine Spectrum. Initially, she said, they pressed the fire angle.

“Anyone who came in smelling of gas, or who had burns on them.... Anyone who left a room in a hurry. Really, anything that could help us identify a suspect or a victim.”

Police also began the tedious process of looking at video taken from a half-dozen businesses, watching about 100 hours of cars pulling into parking lots and people signing documents and walking through hotel and motel lobbies.

After a few days, when the hotel queries came up empty, police expanded the search to gas stations and local hospitals. Had anybody bought gas and taken it away in a can or bucket? Had anybody shown up in an emergency room with burns on his hands? Those questions also led them nowhere.

Soon, investigators printed fliers about the woman in the parking lot, the same tactic a family might use to find a lost pet. They handed them out at medical and social service agencies, at child protection units and mental health offices. They took their message to other police departments and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

They heard nothing.

WHO SHE WASN’T

Investigators did learn one thing about the woman: She’d never been arrested.

As investigators fanned out to hotels and gas stations and other police agencies, technicians at the Orange County Crime Lab sent the woman’s DNA and fingerprints to state and federal databases. But the samples didn’t match anything in those systems, meaning the woman in the parking lot had never been a criminal suspect or perpetrator or, before her death, a victim.

They also learned she grew up without dental care.

With no matches coming from DNA and fingerprints, crime lab techs next focused on the woman’s teeth, hoping to find evidence of dental work that could be traced to a particular dentist and, critically, his or her billing records.

But it appeared she’d never had any dental work, and her dental X-rays did not match any in the Department of Justice database. Her teeth were another dead end.

With little else to go on, investigators turned their focus to the woman’s footwear – a pair of Glaze high heels, size 10.

“The shoes were really the only item of clothing that had a full label we could identify,” Hurtado testified.

Detectives looked up shoe manufacturers. They traced shoe retailers. And, once again, they talked with every store owner and sales associate who might have sold a pair of size 10 heels to a 6-foot-tall woman. But none had.

The investigators also contacted online retailers to see if they had sent any size 10s to anyone who matched a description of the victim. Again, no luck.

They took an unusual step, turning the shoes into the subject of a media campaign.

Within weeks after the body was found, a picture of a pair of size 10 Glaze high heels, black with a metal zipper in the front, manufactured by Elegance Enterprise – plus a police sketch of the woman and contact information for Irvine police – appeared on TV news and in print and online media. The tactic generated several tips but no solid leads.

Investigators even considered a plan to trace her through familial DNA, a rarely used tactic in which DNA is partially matched to biological relatives who might be listed in a state or federal database. That idea was dashed when investigators learned the search could be used only to track down suspects of crimes, not victims.

In all, investigators looked into more than 6,000 missing persons cases. None helped them learn the woman’s name.

THE OTHER HALF

Investigators had more luck on the other side of their hunt.

One clue at the scene was DNA under a fingernail on the woman’s left hand. The DNA had a Y chromosome; it was male.

In November 2010, about 14 months after Ring saw the woman in the parking lot, the male DNA found under her fingernail popped up as a match to Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman, then 24, a Santa Ana auto detailer who recently had been convicted on a charge of domestic violence.

Within hours of being taken into custody, Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman and his older brother, Gabino, confessed to taking part in the woman’s death.

The brothers offered horrific, incriminating detail that matched up with what investigators had discovered.

They said they’d been drinking the night before the body was found and decided to take their work van out to find a woman with whom they could have sex. They described meeting a woman who matched the victim’s description near Harbor Boulevard and First Street in Santa Ana.

Gabino told investigators that he and the woman negotiated a price to have sex and that she got into the van’s passenger seat willingly. But, he added, she began screaming when she realized that Zenaido was behind her, in the back of the van. Zenaido, both brothers said, pulled her into the back of the van and struck her in an attempt to quiet her screaming.

When the tall, strong woman fought back, Zenaido choked her – hard enough to break a bone in her neck and long enough to end her life, prosecutors believe.

Unsure of what to do, the brothers decided to dump the woman in a parking lot they knew near the 55. They’d detailed some cars there and believed the place would be isolated.

Gabino also told police that he was the one who grabbed a can of gas they used for a generator and used it to set the woman’s body on fire.

The brothers knew many things about how the woman spent her last moments, but they didn’t know her name. And, in a final indignity, they told police they tossed her cellphone into a street.

That wiped out one last path to her identification.

NOT ALONE

The woman is No. 16.

That’s how many women are listed as Jane Doe by the Orange County Coroner. Other Jane Does include a woman found decapitated in a Santa Ana park in 1988, a woman whose bones were found in Anaheim in 1987 and a woman found in a field in Huntington Beach in 1968.

While technology is making it harder than it once was, it’s not unheard of to die nameless.

In a typical year, about 4,400 people die in the United States without identification, and about 1,000 of those remain unidentified after a year of searching. In all, about 40,000 human remains have been buried or cremated in the United States without being accurately identified, according to federal statistics.

Some of the unidentified dead are tied to suspected serial killers. Others were trying to start new lives, away from family or friends. Still others died before the advent of DNA identification and other modern investigation techniques.

Experts say modern data tracking prevents most people, particularly adults, from falling through the cracks. But the sheer number of killings and unexplained deaths in the United States also means it’s not uncommon for a person to die – like the woman in the parking lot did – without being identified even as their killers are brought to justice.

“They are the people who maybe no one is looking for,” said Todd Matthews, a director with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, sometimes known as NamUs.

Investigators haven’t forgotten the woman in the parking lot. In any homicide, police and prosecutors want to catch the killer and ease the pain of the victim’s family. Without a name, the family can’t be helped.

Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman has offered a message for the woman’s family, wherever they are. A translation of a handwritten letter of apology, written in his native Spanish, includes this:

“I know I took someone so loved.... I do not know how to live with my conscience, because I also have a family.”

The woman in the parking lot eventually was cremated. Her death certificate doesn’t say when that happened. No one who knew her took part in the service.

Contact the writer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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By Sheryl Nadler

At six feet tall, Melissa Lodge Rodney has a problem with pants, and skirts, and shoes.

While clothing retailers in Canada have made some (albeit not enough) accommodation for petite, plus and maternity sizes, there is only one shop in the GTA where this new mom says can find pants and skirts to properly fit her 38-inch inseam - Long Tall Sally at the Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga.

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Why Are You Still Rejecting Short Guys?

Tracy Moore

Lots of hetero people are hung up on height when it comes to dating. Men, it is assumed, are supposed to be slightly taller than women (average heights in America differ by 5 1/2 inches). They are supposed to, in turn, be big and strong; women are then supposed to be dainty and petite. In the dating process, men and women both perpetuate this notion by eliminating people who won’t help them achieve the status quo visual. But what is to be done?

At the Independent, a woman has written an essay saying that women who won’t date shorter men are as bad as men who won’t date fat women—maybe even worse, because you can at least change your weight but not your height. Charlotte Gill argues that she feels sorry for short men and wants to make a stand for them. It has somehow become perfectly OK, she argues, for women to disparage the short man in public and rule them out on height alone as a romantic prospect. As a result, shorter men are discriminated against on the dating market. They have more trouble getting dates online than taller men, who have been shown in studies to receive more messages.

Gill’s ultimate point is that these women are shallow, which is ironic to her because, as she sees it, women sure do expect men to forgive their many violations of the aesthetic social code.

Gill writes:

But what especially vexes me is this double standard of women criticising and making fun of short men, then expecting them to tolerate all different types of weight (which isn’t even a fixed state). For a man to openly reject a woman because he found her fat would be social suicide.

Yet for women to complain about a man’s height is fine, apparently. Hilarious, even. (And they call us the fairer sex…)

It’s not really ok, though, is it? Any more than telling your friends you dismissed someone because they had black hair, or small tits, or anything else that is, undeniably, genetics. And that is, actually, not that big a deal.

The thing is—it is OK to reject people for dumb reasons, or, at least, it’s better to do that than to lie to yourself and that other person about what you want. To begin with: who has the right to tell anyone what their personal criteria for dating can or should be? Moreover, I think that A) men openly reject women for being fat all the time by never dating them in the first place, and B) women are, yes, just as picky, but it’s fine. When it comes to dating, nearly everyone is some form of Garbage Pail Kid somewhere in there. The question is what specifically hideous Garbage Pail flavor. What I’m saying is that we are all dumb, and no one type of physical preference or repulsion is in the abstract better or worse than another—if some preferences, of course, do carry much more social connotation and weight.

So Gill’s not wrong in asking us to stop reflexively falling on someone else’s idea of what a couple should look like, and on this topic, she’s not alone. Recently, writer Ann Friedman put out a call at Esquire for men to date taller women, and for women to date shorter men, because dating is ostensibly about widening your potential pool of prospects, and ruling out people on height alone is bullshit. It’s one thing to have a stated preference for a beard or hair color, she says, but online, people tend to actually filter out everybody who doesn’t meet a certain height criteria, which makes it a “sweeping prejudice masquerading as sexual preference.” This is because, she argues, women have internalized a message about having to be smaller.

Friedman wrote:

To be bigger than men is to worry that you’ll turn them off. Webb found that it isn’t just men lying about their height online, women do, too—to appear shorter. (With good cause: Women over six feet receive forty percent fewer messages on OkCupid than their 5’4” counterparts.) Ask any super-tall woman about her dateless teenage years and the number of times a well-meaning adult said to her, “The boys are just intimidated by you.” Taller is mannish. Taller is… weird.

It is regarded as weird to be a taller than average woman—I can attest. Growing up pale, “too thin” and taller (5’11) than most dudes in the short, tan, blonde hair, big tits worshipping South was not a cakewalk in the boyfriend getting department. Barring a couple exceptions, it wasn’t until I hit college that guys my own age even noticed me, much less approached me with any indication that being taller was actually part of the attraction.

I always equated being taller with being less feminine, although I never actually went the other way with it by insisting on boyfriends being taller than me; most of them were shorter because most men are shorter than me. Had I refused to date men who were shorter, I’d have hardly dated at all.

But this is where I get confused, because whenever we try to politicize attraction to certain physical traits rather than other physical traits, it gets tricky. When talking with someone about their preferences, particularly when they “happen” to be culturally condoned preferences, people tend to get defensive.

Hey, can’t people just be attracted to whatever they like, they argue. Is it really discrimination to prefer a man who is tall, dark, or handsome to a man who is short, pale, and just OK-looking? Alternately, is it really so wrong to want a woman with blonde hair and big tits versus one with brown hair and smaller ones? Is it even shallow, especially when physical attraction is a necessary component of any lasting romantic endeavor? You can’t help attraction! I just like what I like!

Furthermore, what—are we supposed to right social evils through dating more inclusively? Is that anyone’s job? And can you differentiate what you like from what society gives you, not by your own choice, but through chance and circumstance and pattern? Take me, for example: Am I attracted to shorter men because that’s just “what I like,” or is it possible that my so-called deviant height status guided me to consider personality or faces as much or more than heights? Is it possible that likewise, I attracted people who did the same—either liked me for my height or they liked me in spite of it, because they too felt outside conventional norms as well.

Maybe I just got lucky and happened to like shorter men and simultaneously needed to like shorter men. Had I been a shorter, tanner, bigger-titted blonde-haired version of myself, what might I “like” in men? Tall, dark, handsome athletic types? Wish I could find out, but I can’t.

Here’s the thing: On some level we are all shallow when it comes to dating, and that’s nothing to apologize for because it’s how it works. We all like what we like. Attraction is sometimes something that forms out of a lifetime of exposure to one thing or another, the familiar or the novel. Sometimes what you like is inexplicable even to you, but it has a pull on you regardless. It’s all so arbitrary, so specific to the situations and relationships that shape us, the images we all see and embrace or reject.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question it or even go against it on purpose. You can and perhaps should choose to consider another type outside what you like before you think about it. Awareness in most things is typically a good thing, if for no other reason than that it expands your options. Dating is no exception.

This has happened to me by virtue of moving out of the region I grew up in. I’m from an extremely homogenous place with that’s largely white people of European heritage. Moving to Los Angeles has opened my eyes to so much, but on the most shallow level, I have begun to find people attractive from an astonishing variety of cultures I’d never been exposed to before, whether it’s longhaired Filipino hesher dudes on skateboards or sun-baked surfer beefcakes. Before I lived here, I couldn’t have included these traits on any short list of what I “like,” because I’d never been exposed to them. I had a frankly generic idea of what was “hot” that I then revised, happily, with all the new examples of beauty I’d see.

So the answer here then is not to shame anyone’s preferences—most of us come by them honestly—and certainly not to enter them into an Olympics of egregiousness. No shame if your tastes run to the conventional. But in the same way some of us like to examine our privileges and biases, we could also consider why our attractions are what they are, and what forces have shaped them, and simply let ourselves open to other kinds of allure.

It’s kind of like falling in love with someone at work you might’ve never chosen from a lineup of potential dates, but whom you end up being drawn to because you got to know them, be around them, and weren’t so focused on the physical. When you’re willing to suspend your more reflexive assumptions, you can be opened up to so much more, short or tall, in any direction it takes you.

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Why being 6ft 2in tall makes it hard to be a woman

Jes Fernie has never fitted in to society’s idea of a typical female. Now her daughter’s height is shooting up, will she face the same problems?

As a teenager, I lived on a prostitutes’ beat. Walking home in my school uniform was an exciting affair. I wasn’t in the slightest bit sexy – I attracted a niche market of desperate men looking for absurdly tall, spotty women dressed as schoolgirls. I never felt remotely threatened. The drivers were profusely apologetic when I explained that I was walking home from school.

As a 6ft 2in woman, I have been able to monitor, on a daily basis, the extent of society’s limited parameters of what it is to be female. Now that my daughter is fast approaching my height, I am looking at the situation anew, scratching around for any signs of progress. Will she be called “sir” with the regularity of a finely tuned clock? Will she be mistaken for a transvestite and nearly beaten up in a dark Manchester side street? Will she be offered sex in Soho (“Looking for a good time, mate?”) or be asked if she is a model (“A model what? A model citizen? Certainly not an aeroplane”). Will she have to cross to the other side of the road late at night when walking behind a woman who thinks she is a man? (The mental gymnastics!)

But let’s go back a bit. It is 1985. I am 15 and living in Edinburgh. I walk into a barbershop and take my place in a row of men and boys waiting to be shorn. When my turn comes, I ask the slightly ageing barber to give me a flattop (all the rage in those days among the boys). I am pretty certain he has never cut a girl’s hair, but I am also pretty certain he doesn’t know I am a girl. I am wearing a black poloneck jumper, black jeans and smart black suede winklepickers. I have no boobs and no hips. When he is finished, I look like a pencil. I look incredible. Something neither male nor female; a pale, sullen, chisel-boned, androgynous entity. It was clear to me then that my experience of being female was in direct contrast to almost every female around me.

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Ladies, it’s time we had a chit-chat about a certain double standard you’ve been allowed to brashly flaunt for far too long.

And sorry^{(not sorry)} to call you out like this, but you had to know it was coming. You think we haven’t noticed all that shameless discrimination against guys lacking in a certain, shall we say, vertical asset?

Face it: we’ve got a female "height supremacist" problem, and there are a lot of you taking part. Thank Tinder and Reddit for the outing.

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Joerg says: I don't approve of the content of this article. I believe everybody has a right to have preferences so I wouldn't condemn a woman just because she wants to be in a relationship with a taller man. Is she shallow? Maybe. But I'm not in a position to criticise her for it.

Sabrina Rojas Weiss - Yahoo Lifestyle, 30 January 2018

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have been together for almost a year and a half and the couple have been engaged for about three months, which seems like enough time for Turner to get used to feeling like she’s in a “fishbowl,” as she once told Glamour. It is not enough time for some onlookers to get over a simple fact about this couple: At a reported 5’9,” the Game of Thrones star is taller than her 5’7″ DNCE fiancé.

The paparazzi caught the two walking out in unseasonably warm weather in New York City over the weekend, with Turner wearing a pair of boots with tall chunky heels as Jonas strolled along in his Converse. Gossip site Just Jared posted a photo of them to Instagram, and immediately the comments section became host to a load of criticisms over their height difference.

“She is sooooo much taller than him,” noticed @aurmichkell.

“And why does she wear such high heels?” wondered @csre27. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being taller than your partner, but it just seems uncomfortable to accentuate it like that.”

“So … Joe is the little spoon,” wrote @amandachristy12. And @geronimogl was meaner, joking, “Caption should say, Sophie’s fiancee and her little bitch!”

When they first started dating, a couple of tabloids made a big deal about their height difference, but they’re hardly the first celebs to demonstrate that sometimes taller women like men who are ever-so-slightly shorter than them. See also: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (or Tom Cruise), Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik. Jonas has dated other statuesque women, such as Taylor Swift and Hadid. Why do people get so fixated on this kind of pairing? Does it have any bearing on the internal workings of their relationship?

A lot of that depends on the couple’s past, New York-based relationship therapist Jean Fitzpatrick tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

“Because we think of man-as-taller as ‘normal,’ sometimes this height difference sparks anxiety, usually at first,” Fitzpatrick says. “A very tall woman may have felt like a giant growing up and dating, and may sometimes wish for a guy who feels like her match in height. A shorter man may have been the smallest guy on the team and so dating a taller woman may be an uncomfortable reminder of shame he hasn’t worked through yet. The biggest height difference any of us experiences in life is the one we have with our parents growing up. When we were small and they were tall, we felt taken care of and loved, or deprived and judged, or both.”

But none of that baggage is insurmountable, Fitzpatrick notes, particularly if both parties are willing to talk about it.

There’s one way in which Turner and Jonas are already getting past one shorter-man stereotype: “Tallness in men is associated with career success, which isn’t an issue for couples who are already successful,” Fitzpatrick says. “And with today’s partnership marriages, I find couples less interested in height and more in sharing career, household, and parenting equitably.”

Fitzpatrick says there are much more important questions they’ll have to face together than physical differences.

“Once a couple have been together awhile, it’s the quality of the relationship that matters: Do they listen to and understand each other? Do they express care for each other in everyday ways? Do they trust each other?” she says.

Regardless of height, “Jophie” look pretty happy together, as they begin to plan their wedding, which will feature Maisie Williams as a bridesmaid and some kind of speech (or more) from Nick Jonas. Then we’re betting Turner’s choice of footwear will have everything to do with her dancing plans, not her groom’s height.

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Why finding large women's shoe sizes can be a problem

By Caroline Bullock
Business reporter

18 August 2017 Business

The UK footwear chain Jones Bootmaker was saved from administration earlier this year but its new owners are still closing a number of its stores - which is a setback for women with larger feet and few options.

And I should know: as Jones is one of the few High Street staples to offer a larger than average range of big sizes, my local branch was the first port of call to accommodate my own size nines.

Now it lies empty, the latest instalment in a troubled footwear history that sentenced me to boy's lace-ups at school and overhanging toes in any sandal since.

With independent shops rarely stocking shoes above size seven and larger brand outlets offering merely one or two options - if I'm lucky - finding suitable shoes remains the Holy Grail.

Since the 1970s, the average shoe size of men and women in the UK has increased by two sizes, from a size eight to 10 and four to six, respectively, according to research from the College of Podiatry.

"When size five was average the industry would think providing two sizes above to a seven was just about the fringe of adequate for women, but now that it's a six, we should be seeing far more eights and even nines as standard," says the college's Dr Jill Halstead-Rastrick.

She believes the footwear industry is not moving with the times to accommodate a nation that is taller and heavier and so by evolutionary logic, has larger feet, and warns this is an issue that could be a time bomb for the next generation.

"Increased weight splays the feet and we are seeing a lot of adults wearing shoes that are too narrow or small. This is only going to become more of a problem as we continue to grow in stature - we need a wider variety of larger sizes."

It's a familiar narrative to Laura West of the Society of Shoe Fitters.

She estimates around 30% of inquiries she receives are from girls aged around 12 unable to find school shoes above a size eight, and who have to wear boys' shoes as a result. Irrespective of any aesthetics this has serious repercussions for girls' foot health, she argues.

"Boys' shoes will fit differently, and ill-fitting footwear does change [girls] physiology.

"If feet hurt you shift your weight unnaturally when you walk and this wears out other joints and tendons leading to hip, knee and ankle and neck problems later on."

West believes the problem stems from the demise of British manufacturing in the 1980s, when many UK brands shifted production overseas to cut costs. This has meant less research into foot development and a deeper disconnect between the manufacturer and consumer needs, she says.

"When we produced shoes here we could run short production lines including larger sizes at little extra cost, but in an overseas factory you have to order in far greater numbers, which becomes cost prohibitive.

"Independent shops can't compete with low cost imports - and they would have been the ones to feedback the inability to supply certain items like larger sizes to their manufacturers' representatives.

"Now consumers trawl from High Street chain to supermarket and the staff have little involvement; it is a self-service mass market approach and an 'if we've got it you can have it - if not tough' mentality, so manufacturers don't have a clue."

A focus on fashion over quality has compounded the problem for many UK women's shoe makers. By contrast the men's market has benefitted from higher-priced items such as Goodyear welted shoes which enjoy a healthy export trade to Europe, Asia and US.

"The price commanded for them makes UK production profitable," says British Footwear Association chief executive John Saunders.

By contrast "most UK women's shoemakers were operating in the volume to mid-tier market," he says, and were hit hard in the late 20th Century by increasing Asian competition, retailers demanding a greater share of profits and consumers turning to cheaper shoes.

China now accounts for about 65% of shoes made worldwide, and with this production coming from a country where the average female shoe size is a UK three-and-half, this virtual monopoly has hit shoes sizes.

Former luxury shoe buyer Naomi Braithwaite, now a fashion marketing and branding lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, recalls how standard sizes of shoes at the company she worked for reduced after it switched production from Italy to China.

"Sample sizes were based on Chinese feet which are smaller boned and narrower. As well as this, many of the designers at the luxury end simply didn't like to see their shoes in bigger sizes as they didn't think they looked as beautiful as the more petite sizes."

The additional cost involved in producing larger sizes to cover the extra material and increased shipment weight is another deterrent for a somewhat already reluctant industry, she concedes.

It's a gap in the market that Long Tall Sally, a specialist in fashion and footwear for tall women, has successfully exploited. Its shoe range starts at size seven and goes up to 13.

Making shoes above a size eight costs the firm about £5 extra a pair because of the extra material, and it also uses a bespoke 'last' - a three-dimensional foot shaped mould on which each shoe is made.

Yet it seems to be paying off with footwear growing from a 5% to 15% share of the total business. Size 10 is now its most popular size, representing 30% of footwear sales.

"Demand for larger size women's shoes has risen steadily," says Long Tall Sally's shoe buyer, Chris O'Shea.

The other option if you've larger feet, is to buy German.

"Germany is very much an exception - it has always had much better selection in larger size footwear and what they do well is shoes with quality, comfort and longevity'" says O'Shea.

While Germany still outsources production to Asia, many of its footwear brands retain head office, marketing and design in the country - with a consistent focus on function and quality over fashion.

It's why Dr Halstead-Rastrick often directs patients to German brands. But she says the industry could better use technology to provide more personalised fittings without the prohibitive prices that handmade shoes usually command.

"You can even scan and measure feet via a phone app now, so surely we can't be that far off a situation where we can send our measurements to companies and say, this is the shape of my foot can you make me something?"

Here's hoping change is afoot.

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At 5ft 10ins, Anna Lisinski is taller than most British women - and men. It shouldn't really matter in life, except it does when it comes to dating, she admits. But why? And what's our obsession with having to date a taller guy?

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A call to arms against the last acceptable dating prejudice.

The first question most strangers ask me is "How tall are you?" If I'm feeling charitable, I answer honestly: "6-foot-2." They often follow-up with, "Do you ever date shorter men?" Consider this my full answer.

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By Sara G. Miller, Staff Writer | November 16, 2016 01:51pm ET

NEW ORLEANS — Taller women are more likely to have physical or mental health problems by the time they reach their mid-70s than their shorter counterparts, a new study finds. However, rather than resigning to such a fate, women can take certain steps to ward off the negative effects of a tall stature.

Several factors, including genetics and certain circumstances that take place early in life, influence how tall a person will be, the researchers wrote.

Previous research showed taller people have a reduced risk of heart disease, but a greater risk of cancer, said Wenjie Ma, a doctoral student in epidemiology at Harvard University's School of Public Health and the lead author of the study. Ma presented her findings here Tuesday (Nov. 15) at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions.

But researchers didn't know how women's height would affect their overall health as they aged, Ma told Live Science.

In the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 68,000 women who were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study. The women's heights, along with information about their BMI, smoking status, physical activity levels and diets, were recorded in 1980, when their average age was 44. [5 Key Nutrients Women Need As They Age]

The study follow-up continued until 2012, when the researchers determined which women met the criteria for "healthy aging." A "healthy ager" was defined as a woman who had no reported memory problems, no physical problems, no mental health limitations and was free of 11 chronic diseases, such as cancer, Type 2 diabetes and kidney failure.

The women were placed into five groups based on their height, Ma said. The median heights of the groups were 62 inches (157.5 cm), 63 inches (160 cm), 64 inches (162.6 cm), 66 inches (167.6) and 68 inches (172.2 cm).

Compared with the group that had a median height of 62 inches, the women in the 68-inch group were less likely to meet the criteria for healthy aging, Ma said. The findings did not change when the researchers adjusted for factors such as ethnicity, marriage status, menopause status and family history of disease.

It's not clear why taller women may be less likely to experience healthy aging — future studies should look at this question, the researchers said.

But when the researchers studied the women's lifestyle factors, including diet, they found that tall women who reported eating a healthy diet fared better than those who didn't. In other words, eating a healthy diet appeared to soften the association between taller height and unhealthy aging.

The healthy diet that appeared to have a positive effect was rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, Ma said.  

The researchers noted that the study found an association, and does not prove there is a cause-and-effect relationship between being taller and experiencing more health problems during aging.

More research is needed to see if the findings apply to other groups of people, the researchers said. The findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.  

Originally published on Live Science.

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