I have nothing to wear - tailor or replace?

jlj9287
jlj9287 Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This morning I spent close to a half hour in my closet, trying and retrying clothes on to see what I could wear to work that didn't make me look like I was playing dress up with my older sister's clothes. I don't own a lot, but what I do own are things that I really like and I'd hate to just get rid of. However, the pieces are primarily Target/ inexpensive chain clothing, so I don't have a ton of money invested in them.

I guess my question is, is it even worth it to try to get them fitted? I've never had anything altered, so it may not even be financially worth it. I'm also 20 pounds into my 50 pound loss, so I'd have to deal with this all over once I hit my goal.

How did you all handle making clothes fit while in the process of losing weight, especially for work? Any tips or tricks?

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It will be cheaper to get new clothes than getting them tailored.

    While I lost, I just bought bottoms when they were starting to fall off (or at the change of season, as the old ones were falling off then). I waited until I was 10 lbs from my goal to get new tops, figured they'd still fit... ended up getting rid of them anyway because they were just too loose and didn't fit well. Should have waited. Oh well.

    Thrift shops are a great options if they're not overpriced like mine. I basically got my clothes on sale at Target or Old Navy or at Kohls with a 30% off coupon. I'm cheap!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,131 Member
    Cheaper stuff doesn't lend itself to tailoring. I'd say get new, cheaper interim pieces (thrift shops are good).
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
    edited June 2016
    I like to treat myself every time I reach a weight loss/ anything goal...There are loads of little sales and deals at the outlet malls, or if you're in Canada, you could easily spend 30 dollars at Giant Tiger and end up with 2 new tops and a pretty pair of capris! There is something about a pretty new outfit that fits right, that makes me feel even more determined to succeed! (And btw, YOU are financially worth it! ;)
  • Cutemesoon
    Cutemesoon Posts: 2,646 Member
    I wore some of my clothes until they started to completely fall off of me. Then I was lucky enough to have people donate their old clothes to me. I didn't want to buy new things because I knew I wouldn't be in them very long. How did I handle my clothes while losing? I wore belts & safety pins. lol. Lots of them. My advice would be to see how much it would be to have your clothes tailored. If it's expensive, only tailor pieces that you absolutely love. Just a note on alterations, If a garment needs to be taken up 4 inches it would NOT be worth it. The garment won't look right. Good luck on the rest of your journey!
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    I am a huge fan of thrift stores and clearance sales. Unless something is really high quality I don't want to spend the money to have it tailored when it's going to need to be done again in 10-15 lbs.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    jlj9287 wrote: »
    How did you all handle making clothes fit while in the process of losing weight, especially for work? Any tips or tricks?

    If you can sew there are tutorials on pinterest and you tube about altering clothes yourself.
    Add a belt to loose tops or dresses.

    When you buy new things-
    Dresses might be more forgiving as you lose weight than pants.
    Skirts and pants of a stretchy material/waistband might last longer.
    Check places like thrift stores, yard sales, ebay, thredUP for clothes.
    Donate or sell your old stuff. See if other people you know would like to do a clothing exchange.

    Your weight loss is going to slow down as you get closer to a healthy weight. You may not need to replace clothes as often as you think.
    I found that I could get by buying new tops but still wearing the same sweaters, pants and skirts for a lot longer.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I spent the last 3 years shopping at consignment stores and wearing the same things over and over. No sense buying new nice stuff when it's not going to fit in 3 months.

    I'm only NOW spending money on nice new stuff.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    It will be cheaper to get new clothes than getting them tailored.

    While I lost, I just bought bottoms when they were starting to fall off (or at the change of season, as the old ones were falling off then). I waited until I was 10 lbs from my goal to get new tops, figured they'd still fit... ended up getting rid of them anyway because they were just too loose and didn't fit well. Should have waited. Oh well.

    Thrift shops are a great options if they're not overpriced like mine. I basically got my clothes on sale at Target or Old Navy or at Kohls with a 30% off coupon. I'm cheap!

    I agree with you that thrift shops and resale boutiques have gotten expensive as they are getting very popular. I do shop Goodwill and look for the 50% off color of the week items. Designer jeans are a good buy there as are dresses. I got a Talbot dress and hat recently. The dress was $8 and the hat was $4.

    I have found Kohls with the 30% off coupon to be a great option. Plus they do carry nice quality clothing. JC Penney has $15 off $25 coupons and sometimes $10 off $10 reward coupons.

    I often donate clothes that don't fit anymore and get the tax writeoff. If they are really nice consignment shops will give you 50% of what they get which is often 50% off retail. But that only nets you 25% of the total value. Often doing the tax writeoff gives a better yield depending on your tax bracket and if you itemize.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i donate all my old clothes and buy 'new' at thrift stores ....
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    edited June 2016
    Go Team Thrift Shopping! (It will be more expensive to have it tailored...at least until you reach goal.)
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Another option is learn to sew! Some alteration is quite easy and fun to do.

    We're losing the basic life skills. :)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I buy new. The thrift stores I've been to have nothing I wanted to buy and/or weren't that much less expensive than strategically purchased clothing from Target and Kohl's.

    For women, I suggest: solid color t-shirts, twinset-style cardigans, (I prefer black and grey) dress pants, a skirt if you can find one that fits, and a dress or two. As you shrink out of t-shirts, you can start wearing the cardigans over them (especially if your shrinking out phase lines up with cooler fall weather.) The cardigans can also go over dresses that are slightly large. It's not the time to invest in something like a new suit or blazer/jacket unless you absolutely have to have one. Keep your wardrobe really simple and you can continue to look well put together but still not lay out a lot of cash.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    Another option is learn to sew! Some alteration is quite easy and fun to do.

    We're losing the basic life skills. :)

    We are. I did the sewing project in 4-H for a couple of years, and Home Ec for a couple of years, and really wish I had stuck with it. Nowadays I will hand stitch some things, but it is certainly not an elegant result. Darning is another skill I wish I had. On the bright side, I can crochet a dish cloth, scarf or blanket--anything in the shape of a rectangle!

    I was scandalized to realize--at work--the dress I had selected was showing my bra through the too-large arm holes. It looked okay from the front but I didn't check the arm holes. Fortunately a cardigan can also hid a multitude of misfittery.
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    If you are still size 12w and up, woman within and Jessica London online have great sales and clearance. I just bought a whole new spring/summer wardrobe there last April. Office and play clothes.
  • Ultima_Morpha
    Ultima_Morpha Posts: 895 Member
    Leggings and tunics. Tunics and leggings.

    Babydoll dresses with adjustable straps paired with a cardigan.

    I also have this elastic thingy with a clip on each end that I can clip onto the back belt loops of jeans and pull in the waist--needed because I have thunderous thighs but a shrinking waist.

    My best thrift store find were a pair of like new Lucky Jeans for $8!

    Keep in mind also that it will take fewer pounds to drop a size as you approach an ideal weight. In plus sizes, it was close to 20 pounds before I dropped a size, now it is more like 8-10; of course, that is all depending on your body shape!
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    Yep thrift stores are great for things like jeans and skirts. I sometimes find high quality things in new or almost new shape and you can't beat the 4 or 5 dollar price - sometimes even cheaper on deal days. Jeans are a definite thrift store thing since you'll probably go down some more sizes and they can be pricey new.

    Find a home seamstress that won't charge much that can put some darts in some of the clothes you have.

    It's not an option for all clothes, but an experienced seamstress will know what can have a quick 1 to 5 minute alteration and still look stylish. I sew so this is something I do for myself.

    I've recently pretty much replaced my entire wardrobe and looked for pieces that will either look great loosely hanging on me or have seams (nothing complicated ) that are easily altered. Very flowy looser but still somewhat fitted and figure flattering almost bohemian type of clothing is very much in style right now. It's everywhere.
  • jeanstudies
    jeanstudies Posts: 81 Member
    There are patterns for skirts and slacks that are very simple to make and involve only two or three major seams. I think the fit of a skirt or slacks are less forgiving, whereas I can wear looser tops and dresses. If you can find an inexpensive or used sewing machine (Sears Kenmore are the best ones) and can put some time into learning to sew, you'll have way more options open to you for the rest of your life. Also I shop at Walmart and Forever 21 for inexpensive large-size tops to tide me over.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,224 Member
    edited June 2016
    I have multiple pairs of $6 Goodwill jeans that I've bought to bridge my decreasing size. I hate to say it, but I'm really gonna hate getting too small for some of them. I've found some awesome items. Hehe. But yeah, Goodwill/thrift stores are a weight loss wallet savior.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I've gone through several wardrobes worth of clothes from Goodwill. For casual clothes like I mostly wear, it's the best option. Tailoring is only worth it for pricier items, and they never quite fit the same, IMO.
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
    Unless you absolutely love a particular clothing item, replace. Goodwill is a good stop gap until you get to your goal, then buy a new wardrobe. I recommend starting to save for that wardrobe now and buy higher quality. I have found higher quality items tend to last much longer and also seem to be timeless. I have items over ten years old and people constantly ask me where I've gotten them.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
    You could learn to tailor yourself for next to nothing. Unless you don't have a sewing machine, then there's an initial investment.

    I've kept a lot of pieces. Lots of dresses I've made smaller or turned to skirts, lots of jeans I've resized. I typically buy new tops.

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