About a year ago I was searching through Instagram when I stumbled upon The Tall Society.
Standing at 6’4”, Bree Wijnaar created the account as a place for tall women to come together and embrace what makes them stand out: their height. I remember looking at the account and thinking, “Man, I need to be as confident as this chick.” I’m six feet tall, and although I like being tall, I sometimes feel insecure about my body. I didn’t buy heels the other day, for example, because a friend of mine told me I’d be too tall. Meanwhile, here is this confident, 6’4” woman who, in heels, is taller than some NBA players.
I have a 13-year-old sister who is already is 5’8”, and I want her to feel confident in her body. I don’t want her to think being tall is a negative thing. I want to be a good example for her; I decided I needed to investigate The Tall Society. I needed to find these tall, empowering women that I didn’t know were out there.
The Tall Society isn’t just a website — it’s a community.
The site offers so much. Not only do people share funny and empowering stories, but they have regular reviews on the latest and best fashion options for tall women. They also organize meetups that they call the “Meet Your Tall Sisters Brunch.” (Tell me, what is better than brunch?) This year, Wijnaar has scheduled nine brunches in major cities throughout the US and Europe.
At these events you meet other strong, confident women who aren’t ashamed or embarrassed of their height.
It is an incredibly body-positive environment, so I decided to go. I was thrilled to meet other women my size who also didn’t play basketball, who were confident and sexy. It was nice to be surrounded by women who understand you, who understand what it means to be tall. Because the reality is that life experiences are a little different for us.
We spent the day laughing at all the strange pick-up lines we hear. My favorite: “Girl, you’re blessed. You’re tall and beautiful like a Christmas tree.” It was also great to talk about clothes, and everyone gave their opinion on what store has the best “tall section.” We talked about guys and how we hate seeing them date short girls. It was nice to just laugh at the things that my shorter friends wouldn’t understand.
At the event it was like I finally found my people.
And it was in such a fun atmosphere. Women from many backgrounds were coming together, sharing their stories. It wasn’t like when you see another tall person and you check them out to see who is taller — it was women coming together and having a good time.
There were drinks, there was dancing, and Wijnaar hooked us up with some swag bags that were pretty awesome. Professional photos and videos were being taken and shared after the brunch, and we tall girls loved posing for some fun shots. I was surrounded by strong women who weren’t ashamed of their bodies. It was like a big party, and everyone was having a good time.
I’m lucky enough to live in New York, the city that Wijnaar also calls home.
This means that not only do I get to attend the “Meet Your Tall Sisters Brunch,” but other events as well; sometimes she schedules girls’ nights, or invites us to fashion shows. The Tall Society is not only a community to empower tall women — it has really become a place for women to develop friendships. The Tall Society is a sisterhood. I met so many wonderful tall women who I would never run into in my everyday life. I am friends with real models now! There were so many women from all walks of life, and what brought us all together was being tall.
It's pretty amazing what surrounding yourself with the right people can do to your sense of self and your confidence.
When I’m with these women, I stand tall; I feel proud of the height that I was blessed with. I have evolved and consider myself a proud Tall Sister and I look forward adventures future with my Tall Society family.
Check out TheTallSociety.com for upcoming events in cities around the world.
