Simone Biles Gets Real About ‘Struggle’ to Shop for 4’8 Height

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Ever wondered what it’s like shopping for jeans when you’re an Olympic gymnast standing 4’8″? Well, Simone Biles just gave us a peek into that world.

In an Instagram Story shared on Monday, August 26, the 27-year-old gold medalist got real about the hunt for pants that don’t treat her like she’s playing dress-up in someone else’s wardrobe.

“Before y’all complain that nothing fits y’all, I want y’all to see my struggle…” Biles wrote on her story, showing off a tag from her latest find — a rare 23/000 in Abercrombie & Fitch’s high-rise, straight-leg lineup. She followed up with, “So hard to find bottoms that fit me🙃 but when I do find them…my heart💯🙌🏾😍.”

The champion has always had a keen eye for fashion, seamlessly integrating her preferences into her wardrobe — even when standard sizing doesn’t accommodate her petite frame. At her second wedding in May 2023, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, — Biles and husband Jonathan Owens had already tied the knot in a previous ceremony the month before in April — the athlete stunned in a custom Galia Lahav ball gown, cleverly tailored with a leg slit to elongate her silhouette.

“I was nervous about having a ball gown because I’m so petite — but it works perfect,” she told Vogue before the big day. “The leg slit was very crucial. It was to add, in my head, more length to my body. I think this is exactly how brides are supposed to feel — luxurious, beautiful, kind of on top of the world.”

Beyond her fashion hacks, Biles continues to inspire with her openness about the less glamorous sides of fame. In a candid 2018 interview with Today, she expressed weariness over the constant focus on her height, remarking, “The question I wish people would stop asking me is, ‘How tall are you? Are you going to grow?’ I’m 4′ 8″. I’m stuck.”

Returning from a successful stint at the Paris Games — a stark contrast to her experience at the 2021 Tokyo Games where she battled the “twisties” — Biles feels more content and secure, both mentally and physically. Speaking with People earlier in August, the 11-time Olympic medalist shared she’s “so much more relieved, so much more at a better spot, mentally and physically, just happy with overall what I’ve been able to accomplish and what I’ve done.”