Body Party

Body Party

For many, many years, I thought of my body and myself as two separate entities. Isn't that weird? I freely thought about and talked (at least to myself) about my physical body in ways that I would never have talked about "myself." My body was weak, a failure, too much of one thing and not another. I would never have described myself as weak or a failure, but this body I was living in? I threw it under the bus on a regular basis, as though the two were not the same thing. I have since come to learn that the way that I think about my body reverberates throughout my life-I can't be proud of myself without being proud of the part of my self that is my physical body. It's impossible.

Part of loving to help style other people and create a closet space that reflects who they currently want to be-and are- is a celebration of our physical bodies. Part of separating this blog from my personal Cheddar N Grits blog is wanting to create that space for us to show off our physical bodies in a way that we don't often get to. I am blessed to have friends who look incredibly different from me, and I have so much fun dressing them (in my head or in real life!).

My best friends represent the variety and beauty of the female body, but so often our shapes are not the ones that are represented in magazines and even online. There is this strange uniformity to the type of female body we celebrate as feminine and beautiful, and it's typically a skinny, but busty, taller,but not "too tall," form. Today, I'd like to move away from that shape, and I'd like to celebrate that shift here over the weeks. 


Today I'd like to talk up my tall women. I'm not sure exactly what constitutes "tall;" different people and stores have their own measuring sticks, but I know that I'm not it. However, I tend to have at least a few good friends who are tall everywhere I live. I love tall women-they tend to be confident, thoughtful, and good fun to be around! Yes, those are stereotypes, but in my experience taller women have been through it with their bodies and what perfect strangers feel is appropriate to say to them, and they're often incredibly sensitive as a result. Here's to you, and those legs that go on for miles!

All photos today via

It's hard to find pictures of tall women without ending up with a lot of celebrity shots or women's torsos that may or may not belong to a tall woman. But, I know that you guys won't let me off the hook with just two pictures. You want to know where to shop!

One website that was new to me but seems like a keeper is Long Tall Sally. The name is a little weird, but the clothes look great (love that blue dress with the yellow necklace!), and they have free shipping over $100. 

Find these and other links for stores that are easy to find near you or online (look at you, JCPEnney, TopShop, and Gap with the stylish options in talls!) on my Pinterest Board.