Women's Clothing Sizes

I just had to cut off a bit of frayed fabric from the bottom of my jeans because they are just long enough where I walk on them a bit. I'm 5'9" and I usually buy they "tall" size in jeans because the regular more often than not are just a tad too short to look nice on me. However, since there is a 2-3 inch difference between regular length and tall length, tall is sometimes a bit longer than I like.

It's only been relatively recently that the tall sizes have been available in stores. When I was in high school and even college, I'd have to either special order my jeans or live with my pants being about an inch above where they should be. It drove me crazy that men's clothes can be ordered based on actual numbers -- the waist measurement and the inseam length. Men have never had any problems getting their exact size. I don't understand why women have put up with being forced into one length pant for so long.

Another big problem for me is sleeve length. I can hide this by buying short or 3/4 length tops, but coats and jackets can't be taken care of as easily. In the past I would just buy a men's coat and be happy, but now that I'm getting a bit more interested in looking feminine, I'd love to have a pretty jacket to wear. But every time I try something on, I get discouraged because my wrists stick out about 2 inches. A few years ago I ordered a super cute suede coat from Long Elegant Legs, but unfortunately the shoulders were too narrow for me, so I sent it back. I guess I'm just built too much like a football player to find cute women's clothes that look good on me.

Although it's easier to find more choices for the tall woman and losing 80 pounds made it easier to find size selections, I'm still quite frustrated with women's clothing sizes. And with my daughter at age 11 already taller than I am, I'm worried about what her future clothes buying experiences will be like.