Apart from not finding shoes their size, tall Nigerian women often deal with comments like, “You are too tall for that dress” or questions like, “Will you marry a short man?”. In this article, Chigozie Obi offers some tips on how to be a tall girl in Nigeria.
1. Wear whatever clothes you want
People often try to police what tall girls can and cannot wear. This is how you learn to be your biggest critic. To overcome this, wear whatever clothes you want. If short dresses or mini skirts are your thing, go for it. People will judge you no matter what so please yourself first, the world will adjust.
2. Sis, wear those heels
I’ve always felt like I was too tall for heels. This affected my style and how well I wear certain outfits. Last year, I started wearing heels and I haven’t looked back since then. I rock them with confidence because I know I look fantastic. I am no longer worried about being the tallest person in the room.
3. You are and can be feminine
This is especially for the big tall girls in Nigeria. People will try to put you in a masculine box which can also influence how you see yourself. You don’t need to be dainty, small or slim to be considered feminine and you don’t need to be feminine to be treated better. Don’t shrink yourself trying to become more feminine. If you are masculine, that’s fine too. No matter how you present, you are worthy of love, admiration and desire.
4. You don’t need to play basketball or model because you’re tall
Please and please! It’s not a must. Find things you love and bask in the joy they bring you.
5. Consider dating people shorter than you
Sometimes, what we have defined as ‘spec’ is really just a manifestation of us being closed minded. The idea that a tall woman cannot date shorter men needs to die. If that’s your preference, make sure it’s not informed by any toxic societal standards. You too deserve your tall person that makes you feel smaller if that’s what you want.
6. Don’t let people fetishize you
As tall girls, we’ll get a lot of, “Amazon”, “Stallion”, “I want you to step on me” comments. They are cool but some people can take it further with an extra mile by making weird requests simply because you are tall. You should put a halt to it if it makes you uncomfortable.
7. Surround yourself with people that hype you
Being friends with people who make you feel bad about yourself is a major vibe sucker. Avoid them. Find your tribe and flourish.
There’s no one way to be a tall girl. Be who you want to be, do what you want to do, don’t shrink yourself for anybody. You’ll thank yourself for choosing you.
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