Elle Macpherson said this great quote:

“I used to wear heels because I wanted to show people I wasn’t ashamed of being tall. But I don’t wear them any more because you don’t have to wear heels to be beautiful. I can’t even remember the last time I wore heels.”

I was 5′11” by the time I was 15, and ever since then I’ve dodged questions about my basketball playing, volleyball playing or modeling ability (or lack thereof.) To clear things up: I played basketball in junior high, never cared for volleyball and the only time I model is for THF.

Nearly every tall woman has similar problems. Finding pants is impossible. Every knee-length skirt looks mini on you. You may have long legs, but you can’t find pajama bottoms to cover your ankles. Being tall as a woman is simultaneously the best and worst thing in the world. You feel empowered when you walk down the street, but end up in tears in the dressing room because pants just don’t fit.

I harbor such a hatred of changing rooms from all the disappointment of never finding pants that, to this day, I’ll rarely try anything on. I’d rather buy it and take it home and return it, than stand in a barren, too-bright changing room trying to pull pants down on my hips so they fit my 37-inch inseam (35 inches, plus two extra inches to allow for heels).

So, to save you the toil and trouble of searching for pants long enough to fit your legs, I’ve picked out some of my favorite styles in denim and trousers for spring…along with complimentary shoes.

Alloy.com is a tall girl’s fantasy. Pants and jeans come readily in 37” inseams, running all the way down to the petite 32”. Skinny jeans are perfect for tall women, too. They compliment your long legs, and you don’t have to worry as much about length, since skinny jeans look fine hitting you at the ankle, or slightly above, depending on what shoes you want to wear with them. This black pair is super-flattering in cut and wash, since everyone looks good in black pants.

Try skinny jeans with a punchy colored shoe for spring. It will update the look and bring it out of the dark winter doldrums.

Tall women can get away with wearing trendy jeans a lot easier than most petite women. Wide-leg jeans, trouser jeans and skinny jeans all look equally good on a tall woman. The proportions work great — just look at supermodels! Having height on your frame gives you more liberty with how “fashion-y” you want to dress. For petite women reading this: check out my posts on Rachel Bilson and Ashley Olsen for good ideas on dressing to fit your height. Once again, these wide-leg jeans are from Alloy.com, which (and I can’t say this enough) is an unbelievable source for denim.

Wide-leg denim looks good with a substantial shoe. Think square or round toe pumps with a thick heel, oxford booties or, my personal spring favorite, wedges. These are from Old Navy and are such a steal.

Every girl needs a pair of go-to jeans that work for every occasion. I like the sophisticated cut and fit of this pair, but the rips in the front keep the look more casual and appropriate for my age. Sometimes I like to dress more casually like this for weekends or on excursions downtown in DC. Being over-dressed all the time can get really old: these jeans keep the look fresh.

Mix more casual denim with more casual shoes, like these red flats. They also come in a metallic color, as well as black. I have to give these flats props: they are some of the most comfortable shoes I own. The leather molds right to your foot, and you feel like you’re walking on air. Great if you have to do a lot of walking…plus, they’re really cute and quite inexpensive at $35.

Finding good trousers with long inseams is hard, but Alloy.com really changed all that. Although they don’t offer a huge selection of dress pants, the ones they do have are quite nice. These come in a few colors and are really versatile for work.

Peep-toe heels like this would dress-up trousers for a more stuffy workplace.

Delias.com, tween-clothing haven, has grown up a lot since I first started receiving their catalogs. These skinny jeans have a great wash, but I must warn you tall women out there: Delias only makes denim up to 36” inseams, so if you’re taller, beware and stick with Alloy.com instead!

Skinny jeans tucked into boots with a tunic and jacket is a foolproof outfit idea that I wear all the time. By the way, how great are these Steve Madden boots?! Love the gray color.

The Gap has a “tall” section on their website now, so if you’re blessed with extra height, be sure to check it out. My only gripe with Gap denim is that there can be variations of fit within each size. For instance, you may try on three pairs of size 4’s in the Long & Lean style, and they will all fit differently and have slightly different lengths. Be cautious when purchasing their jeans online since you can’t try them on. But, if you are tall and need long inseams, online from the Gap is the only way to go: their in-store longs are often not quite long enough.

Since Gap denim is so classic and preppy, shake things up with your

Now for the big leagues: Tall Couture is an invaluable website for tall women, offering links to other sites with clothing for tall women as well as offering a huge selection of their own. If you prefer higher-end brands for your lower half, Tall Couture is the site for you. These Hudson trouser jeans come in long inseams, and you can’t argue with the fit.

These mod wedges would really compliment the flare of the Hudson jeans.

These trousers are a little more trendy than the other pants I’ve shown, but if you don’t want to look like a clone at the office, why not go for it?

Because the trousers above are so trendy, go for a more simple shoe.

Sailor pants always strike me as a little flirty and mischievous. I’d wear this Banana Republic pair to work with a button-down tucked into them. Subtle sexiness at its best!

And my favorite shoe of the moment: these color-blocked Steve Maddens. They come in three color combos and look a lot more expensive than they are. I’ll be watching for them to go on sale–effects of the student budget, you know.

What kind of clothing is hard to shop for when it comes to fitting your body type? Are you petite? Tall? In-between? No waist? Too much waist? Tell me about it!