Primark has started to sell ladies trousers in a choice of Regular or Long - & the long ones (34”) are too long for me.
Fifty years ago it was simply impossible to buy trousers which were long enough - except from a few rare specialist outlets; thirty-odd years ago Marks & Spencer came to the rescue with extra-long; for some time now, mysteriously, one size seemed to fit all (except petite); now I am not even long.
Waistlines – even on the slim – have expanded dramatically; as have bra sizes.
Mens arms have got longer too. A smart white mans cotton shirt was always part of my wardrobe - £ for £ much better quality than a ladies. Not any more, not unless I get out the scissors & the sewing machine on the sleeves.
But the trousers are a bit of a mystery. Although girls are definitely getting taller, there are not very many who are 2” taller than I am – nowhere near enough to account for that high a proportion of Primarks stock.
The fashion for high heels may contribute to the need for longer trouser legs.
My own legs are, relatively, not all that long – much of my extra inches lie between shoulder & waist (a fact again I know from my own home dressmaking days).
But a good part of the growth must surely come from girls getting proportionately longer legs.
Do we have theories about what it is in our diet that is precipitating these changes?
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