Perhaps it's a case of, "Be careful what you wish for."
For generations, Japanese have tried to make their children taller than themselves — for example, by feeding them milk daily or by making them sleep long hours — and it would appear that their efforts have paid off. Average heights have increased by about 15 cm since 1900. But, there's been one unintended consequence: People can no longer wear inherited kimono.
In the past, kimono were made so well, and hence were so costly, that they were routinely handed down, usually for two or three generations. But the current generation of elegantly lanky recipients are finding that their forearms stick out from the sleeves and their ankles are exposed.
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