NEW YORK — The Doneger Group has formed a division specializing in tall women’s clothes and hired Lee Leib, former principal of Tall Buying Service, to run it.
Leib has specialized in apparel for tall women for 40 years. At Doneger, she will work with specialty retailers of tall women’s clothes and with stores that have departments selling the category. Tall Buying Service has been phased out, and Leib is bringing about 50 retail clients to the Doneger Group, a large independent resident buying office here.
According to Leib, tall women — defined by her as 5 feet 8 inches and up — are about 10 percent of the female population in the U.S.
“Tall women are no different from misses’ customers or petites. They want to look just as sharp as everyone else,” she said.
“I go after anything that is hot, although an Empire-waist dress or a very short jacket sometimes does not look good on tall women. But generally, when there is a trend, we are in there. I have the merchandise cut for my stores. It’s all special order. This is not the kind of merchandise that is readily available.