A Tall Person as a Clothing Consumer

Tall consumers should have the same opportunities as the so-called normal-sized consumers. Society is built for medium-sized people and therefore tall persons have to adapt to inappropriate postures and wear inappropriate clothing. Also, the dimensions of aircraft seats are often impractical and amusement park equipment can be life-threatening in size. Tall people are in an unequal position in consumption choices. They must spend more resources searching for products and services for their needs. They must use the offerings of specialty stores, or use personalized tailoring services, to find clothing that fits their measurementsmeasurement. This article presents a Finnish study that examined the experiences of tall people in finding suitable clothing. The material of the study was collected through an open questionnaire distributed via Facebook to the members of the association representing especially small- and large-legged people. The data (N = 229) were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study raised a debate about the clothing and design needs of tall people. In addition, tall consumers find it difficult to make more ethically sustainable clothing choices. At the same time, as fashion is becoming more diverse, it seems that there are challenges in society to take tall consumers into account.