I wear a size 9/43. Most of the time. So this is the first problem. Not many places do a 43. Next do but they always seem too small. As a result I've got about 3 pairs of Next shoes that I never wear because they kill my feet. Barratts is the same. It's very hit and miss. Most of the time size 9 is too small. Yet a 10 is ALWAYS too big. Plus a 10 looks too big.

Tall Girls do shoes but they are totally overpriced and of very, very poor quality. My advice is to steer clear. I got my most favourite pair of shoes from La Redoute but I think it was a stroke of luck as I've never seen a pair I like since I bought them. They were a little more expensive but worth it as they are still going strong after a whole summer of wearing them nearly everyday. More than cen be said for my Barratts shoes which last a few months at most.

After 8 has a store near me. I was thrilled when it first opened. The shoes and boots are a lot more expensive than I can usually afford (particularly when I was a student) and a lot of the styles are aimed at an older audience but I figured I'd get one decent pair that would do me for a year or so. You can imagine my disappointment when I first visited the shop in Kingston (which has very obscure opening hours by the way) only to find that they don't do refunds. Exchanges only. A student like me is not about to spend £200 on a pair of boots if I can't take them home and make sure they are definitely comfortable and go with my clothes etc. Shops that don't do refunds make me very irate. Needless to say I've never been back!

There are quite a few other online retailers that do womens' shoes at sizes 9 plus but I've found them to be all too expensive or the shoes too outrageous. Which brings me to my next gripe: Most of the bloody shoes have ridiculously high heels. I do not wear high heels. Never, not ever. Not even a few inches. One inch is probably my limit. Yet well over three quarters of the shoes on these sites have heels 3 three inches and above. Surely there is a correlation between bigger feet and height? Grrrrrrr it's so infuriating.

So I only wear flats. But that comes with it's own issues. When I was younger I used to get so worried about my feet looking really big in all these flat shoes. I'm not so bad now, although some styles just don't work in bigger sizes. And then comes the issue of what to wear with dresses or skirts. I basically don't wear dresses or skirts. I wish I could. I SO wish I could. I envy all my friends with their lovely dresses. But what shoes do you wear with a dress if you are over 6ft and female? I would love to hear from others. Flat shoes either look too big/long, not smart enough, chavvy, or I simply can't get any that fit (I particularly struggle with the pointy styles which you can just about get away with with a dress). So ladies, if you have any ideas and/or pictures. PLEASE SHARE!

I found these shoes from Barratts which are a GOD SEND. Thanks to them I've started wearing dresses again. I think they fit because they have the mesh so they are not too restrictive. I literally couldn't live without them, although they don't last THAT long - so I have 6 pairs!! And at the moment they are only £6 a pair!

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Issues I come across when trying to buy clothes are the limited ranges, questionable quality, high prices and too frumpy. But beggars can’t be choosers so if you use different retailers for different things you can just about get a decent wardrobe. I’m constantly on the lookout for new retailers of tall clothing so will update the blog whenever I come across anything.

Worth noting the differing fits of the different retailers.

Here’s my pick of the tall retailers:

Tall Girls - Tall clothes and shoes aimed at the younger market. Fairly extensive range. For jeans it's great but other clothing items seem to be overpriced and not great quality. Same with the shoes. Very expensive for very cheaply made products. I normally fit a 12 but the sizing can greatly vary so lookout for notes on the site as particular items come up really big.

Top Shop Tall Range - Fashionable, good quality clothes. Reasonably priced compared to other tall clothing shops. Sadly the range is limited but it is updated all the time. I find the trousers are on the on the short side of 36" but the skinny jeans are fab and it’s a godsend for jackets and coats. I recently got a pair of black work trousers with a 38” leg. Clothing has a ‘teen’ fit so sometimes I find I can’t get into a size 12. Trousers tend to be quite low waisted makes a change to the other tall retailers. Free delivery over £100 and you can return to the high street stores. I couldn’t live without it.

Long Tall Sally - Widest range out of all the tall clothing shops. Quite expensive but this is reflected in the quality. Personally I find the clothes too frumpy and as a result don't really buy from here other than suits for work. I know it's a godsend for lots of tall women but it’s just not for me. Maybe when I’m 40. Cut for women rather than teenagers so I can get into a 10! Lovely!

New Look Tall Range – New Look have recently started selling online which is great because I’m yet to find a store that carries the tall range. Great value and a nice range. A welcome addition to the tall clothing market and nicely fills the 'affordable' gap in the market – but don’t expect the clothes to last forever. The clothes are definitely cut for a younger woman so I wear a size 14 from here.

Dorothy Perkins - Good range and reasonably priced. Aimed at a slightly more mature woman than Topshop and New Look - this is evident from the slightly higher waistbands. I’m not sure I’ve actually bought anything from here yet but I’m bound to sometime in the not too distant future.

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1. Lovely long legs
2. People tend to remember you
3. When you walk into a room, heads turn
4. You generally get more respect
5. You can see over crowds at concerts and shows
6. You look skinner than shorter people of the same dress size
7. You usually get offered the front seat of the car
8. If you smoke, people don't tell you it will stunt your growth
9. Your head doesn't end up in someone's armpit on a busy tube or train

Please do comment if you have anything to add!

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