I’m the average adult female height: 5’4 1/2.
I’m somewhat fascinated by very tall people, like over 6’5. I’ve dated several men that tall or more. It doesn’t actually work physically as well as I’d like, but that’s another thread for another time.
I’ve often wondered what it’s like to be very tall. I imagine you get lots of attention and comments. Is it like being physically handicapped except people feel free to make comments about it but they would never do that to a handicapped person? Is it something that’s constantly remarked on and you get sick of hearing it? Do you ever wish you could be shorter? Are you more attracted to people that are tall than short or average people? When you started getting tall were you scared you might not stop growing? Heh. I think I would’ve been worried about that if I were very tall at 12 or 13.
Thank you.
We’ll… I’m not extremely tall but I am tall for a woman (6’1)
I don’t seem to get comments now, though some people do still ask if I play basketball (Uh… nope. I like volleyball when I do play sports). Sometimes I do wish I could be shorter. Like when I am searching for clothes, usually in the mens sections. It’s easier and cheaper for me to shop there than it is to shop at a tall girl store. I find there are some places where I’m afraid to hit my head, even though I know I have enough clearance (some parkades, stairwells and buses for example).
I also really hate the heels in fashion. Anything more than an inch added to my height and I feel awkward, I’m more likely to hit my head and I end up walking very carefully because my center of balance has completely changed. This makes it hard to find stuff like a nice pair of calf high boots (which all seem to come with 2-3" pencil thin heels around here).
I find that height doesn’t matter a whole lot for attractiveness to me. I mean, I’d prefer a guy who’s taller than me but that’s because it makes it easier to cuddle. You can’t imagine the crick you get in the neck until you’ve cuddled on the couch watching a movie with a guy who’s at least 6" shorter than you. Either you end up falling off the couch, or your neck hurts like heck after awhile. I find I don’t like guys who are shorter than 5’6 or so though, mainly because the guys I’ve met that height are small enough I’d be afraid I’d smother them if I rolled over in my sleep, and it’s just awkward (IMHO) Of course if I met the perfect guy who was short that wouldn’t stop me 
But I find I usually date the sturdily built guys no shorter than about 5’6, and have never actually dated a guy who is taller than me. My exact height (which is great too) but not taller.
I never really started getting tall. I’ve always been among the (if not the) tallest in my classes and even now at college I find that’s the case. At one time I thought I might get as tall as my Dad (6’4) but thankfully I stopped growing before that.
I’m also tall. Not huge, around 5’9". Always been tall.
I prefer heels when I have to wear dress shoes because my feet are so big that flats look like boats, or Oldsmobiles. So when I dress up I am very tall.
Once at a wedding I was introduced to a man who looked me up and down and said
“Wow, you’re tall ! How do you find anyone tall enough to date you?”
I think he was trying to be ingratiating. I laughed inwardly.
The fellow I was dating at the time (who was, in fact, shorter than me) said “I wish I had been there, I would have said ‘She’s worth the climb, baby!’”
6’0’’ female, like Flutterby, “not extremely tall but tall for a woman”
I’ve always been tall. I was 5’10’’ by 13, and the men’s jeans section and I have been good friends for a long time now.
The only time I’m conscious of my height is when I can tell I’m making someone else uncomfortable (there are men who are not comfortable with women who are significantly taller than them); when I’m surrounded by people that are noticably shorter than me, or when I’m clothes shopping - unintentionally midriff-baring shirts, wedgie-imposing pants, capris that aren’t supposed to be…
Despite the hassles, I’ve always liked being tall - my dad is 6’5’’, and was always really positive about my height, which helped a lot.
An anecdote - I wear heels (though I absolutely refuse to wear skinny ones - nothing but chunky heels, and no more than 3’’) because, heels or not, I’m tall. So, I might as well wear what I like.
I was shoe-shopping once, and overheard a mother telling her teenage daughter (who was about 5’9’’), “No, don’t get those boots. They have too big a heel, and if you’re too tall, boys won’t like you.” I suppose that is true sometimes…it’s hard enough finding a guy that I’m interested in, let alone having to worry about height (ideally, about my height or a bit taller - hugging and kissing are excellent when you can look each other in the eye, and spooning is great, both ways). But, I dress how I do because I like it, not because of what I think guys will think of it.
I used to get comments a lot in high school - I don’t much anymore, but I atttract attention. Whenever I see a girl around my height, I think, wow, she’s tall, then realize she’s the same size as me. 
I’m a 6’8" guy. For the most part I like being tall, although there are some things that take getting used to.
Good Parts About Being Tall:
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You can always see in crowds. You can always reach things.
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You can pretend to be a monster and rampage around, making Frankenstein noises.
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If you like to play basketball (which I do), height makes up for quite a bit of skill. A good solid block is incredibly satisfying.
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There’s a uniqueness to being really tall – it’s a natural conversation starter. If you’re going to be at the extreme end of the height distribution, as a guy it’s much better to be really tall than really short. Short guys have a hard time in our society.
Bad Parts About Being Tall:
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It’s hard to buy clothes. If Eddie Bauer (which carries tall sizes) ever goes out of business, I’m in big trouble.
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Airplanes are incredibly uncomfortable even if you’re not tall, which means air travel sucks big time if you are. I’ve gotten to airports four hours early to try to get the exit row (and sometimes failed).
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It’s not unusual to have the exact same conversation 5-6 times a day. Every day. Your whole life. Namely:
X: Wow, you’re tall! How tall are you?
Me: 6’8".
X: Do you play basketball?
Me: Yeah, sometimes.
I really don’t mind, as I like talking to people, but there are times I have a hard time pretending it’s a particularly interesting opener.
- Dating: a huge height mismatch when you’re dating can be a hassle. I haven’t danced with many girls in any fashion approaching cheek-to-cheek. It’s usually chin-to-top of head. My ideal height for a woman is 5’8" to 5’10", or taller, but I invariably end up in relationships with women who are 5’5"-5’6". So it’s obviously a pretty weak preference compared to other factors. For example, Mrs. Giraffe is 5’6", and while it would be nice if I could give her four inches (don’t bother), I’d rather be with her than a 5’11" supermodel. She’s neat.
I read somewhere that today’s Americans are not becoming that much taller than previous generations, but I wonder. I am 50, a woman, and don’t feel so tall anymore.
I used to feel tall, especially as a self-conscious teen (am just under 5’7") but now, in terms of female height, I feel very average. I now know many women who are around 5’8" or 9, and several hovering around, as this one woman friend says, 5’12." Another girlfriend I knew but lost track of was 6’3". (Both of her parents were very tall.)
I have two very tall uncles and I know they would say a lot of the same things as Giraffe. Being tall is mostly good.
But there are drawbacks. Every time I complain to myself about airplane seating, I think about those so much taller than I.
Been married a long time now but I agree with Flutterby about no height requirement for attractiveness. Two of the guys I dated seriously were the same height as myself.
6’4" male here and being tall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Baths are small, cars have too low ceilings, airline seats are tight, my feet hang off the end of the bed…
The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill, but I’m kind of fond of me as I am. Y’know?
6’5". I like being my height. I like being able to see (and be seen) in crowds, to reach the top shelf (the janitor was changing a light in my office yesterday, and he couldn’t reach. I just reached up and popped it in the fixture), to walk and run at the speed I do, etc.
I once dated a girl who was 5’11". I think half the reason she went out with me was so that she could wear heels. Most of my relationships have been with women in the 5’6" - 5’9" range, although I did once date a 5’2" girl… but we’re all the same height lying down .
I HATE basketball!
6-4" guy here. Not that tall but taller than most. In fact it really makes me feel strange when I run into someone taller than me. Just not used to it.
Airplanes are the absolute worst. I have very long legs, and if I can’t get an exit row flying sucks.
Same with some cars, not enough leg room.
Clothes can be a problem, but it seems to be getting better. I have recently bought two coats, and they both fit fine. I usually have a problem with arm length.
Like others have mentioned, it’s nice to be able to see over a crowd. And reach stuff. My wife is on the short side and I’m always having to get stuff ‘down’ for her. That must be pretty aggravating for short folks.
I feel that my size might make me less of a target for violence/robbery. Can’t really say for sure, don’t go to the city that often, but it does make me feel safer.
Usually, with height/size comes a bit of extra natural strength. That’s nice. Yesterday a dragged a power-vent water heater out of my SUV up some stairs into our house. No problem. That’s one of the best parts of being big.
Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the car problem! I was car shopping recently – it’s nearly impossible to find one with both enough leg room and head room. SUVs are the worst, for some reason, in terms of head room. I guess despite being big vehicles, they’re intended for soccer moms now. I bought a Honda Element which is wonderful, despite being ugly, for both head room and practicality (it’s great if you have a dog).
I’ve decided that if I ever buy a house I am somehow going to get a good sized bathtub. I love taking baths but I haven’t been able to have a nice one without having at least half my body out of the tub since I was 10 or so. The other irritating thing is showers, almost every morning I hit my head on the showerhead because it’s shorter than I am.
I think guys have it a little easier in the coat and arms department. It is very rare when I can find a women’s jacket that has arms long enough.
Don’t get me wrong I like being tall. I can see over people’s heads, I’m easy to find when shopping, I can reach the top shelf easily! It’s just things are made for average height people and I’m not average height.
Many cars are uncomfortable for my 6’4" size, and some are physically impossible. A few cars are hard against my head or knees. I tried on a Corvette a few years ago, and I was very disappointed.
All tall people have an array of scars on the top of our heads, from light fixtures, hanging plants, ceiling fans, and such.
I seldom think about being tall. Some folks seem to think I believe I’m better than short people; I don’t. I don’t even think about other people’s height unless they’re taller than me or under 5’.
I once dated a woman who described her height as “five foot twelve.” My wife of 25 years is 5’4".
I can buy clothes from Lands’End, JCPenney, and Eddie Bauer, by computer. Regular brick-and-mortar stores don’t believe I exist, so I don’t even walk in.
How many … does it take to change a light bulb? Never mind, just hand the bulb to me.
My parents were both tall (6’1" and 5’10",) so when they had a house built in 1958, the countertops were 39" instead of the standard 36". By the way, although the average human height has gone up, countertops are still a default 36" and furniture standards haven’t changed. Silly. I can get a sore neck washing dishes or chopping vegetables if I don’t remember to force good posture instead of slumping down to my work.