DEAR SHOPPING: Like other 16-year-old girls, I'm always trying to find trendy clothes that compliment my body. But I'm also 6-foot-2. Being this tall makes it impossible for me to find cute clothes that fit my 38-inch inseam and thin frame. I read where you suggested Alloy and was very happy with their jeans, but where can I find (even if online) a place that carries really tall clothes that a teen would find appealing? With the cold weather, I really need long-sleeve shirts and coats, something I've never been able to find.
– Kelly, Sacramento
DEAR KELLY: Online is, indeed, one of the best options for finding cute clothes for taller teens. I checked with a couple of "tall" sources who share your shopping dilemma. While a variety of mainstream stores carry tall sizes, it seems most of them sell only via catalogs or the Internet.
For example, Gap.com has a wide selection of apparel for tall sizes, including jackets like one of this spring's hottest trends, the back-tab Mac jacket, which is $69.50, comes in three colors and four tall sizes. There are long-sleeve shirts and quite a few pants, such as a wide-leg trouser, khakis (which make a great neutral addition) and denim.
Also, certain styles of Banana Republic's pants fit long. And at Macy's, some of the better designer pants like BCBG are long enough but a little more high-end.
DEAR SHOPPING: Striadril eye cream is great for dark circles under the eyes. Until recently, I was buying it at Target. However, the store has discontinued stocking the product. I was told to check with another Target but was unsuccessful. This eye cream comes in 1-ounce tubes and costs approximately $19.95. Could you help me?
– Mary, Sacramento
DEAR MARY: Generix Laboratories makes a version of Striadril eye cream that's sold at GNC for $24.99 for a 1-ounce tube. The Downtown Plaza GNC store had a couple of tubes on the shelf – marked down – but you could check with other GNC stores. You also can order the eye cream from www.gnc.com. Striadril supposedly contains the same "tightening" ingredient that's found in the more expensive StriVectin-SD products. For example, the StriVectin version of the eye cream sells for about $60 at Sephora.
Send questions to Shopping for Answers, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852, or e-mail shopping@sacbee.com.
