What do you do with clothes that don't fit you anymore?

I usually give them away when they are ridiculously big for me...but since i'm still losing I'd like to try to find a way to be able to use them when they are only a bit bigger for me...does anyone alter their clothes?
Aslo, bras? Some still cup my boobs but the strap that goes around my back is tooo big for me. Does anybody alter them?
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Replies

  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Well, previously, in losing weight I have hung on to all my clothes! I grew back into them. So, this time I am donating everything to a women's shelter. I would love to have them altered, but as I get smaller the clothes themselves just remind me of what i used to have to wear to "cover everything up". I just gave away my last size of clothes. I am in the last size I own and when I lose more weight, I'm going to have to shop! I will probably shop thrift stores to save some money on all the transition clothes. I'm saving up for the real shopping trip when I am at goal.

    This probably didn't answer your question. Altering them is a wonderful way to save money. Especially if you have work clothes. They are usually expensive! Good luck!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I have kept some, but gotten rid of a lot - either garbage or donated them. I was trying on some clothes the other day and I have a lot of clothes, especially like button down shirts that are way too big now. I wanted to get rid of them all, but since I am having a baby, I'm going to use my "fat clothes" as maternity clothes. But if you want to keep them all, go get them tailored to fit your new size.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    You're probably better off buying some new bras. I would think that if they are super loose, they may have lost their ability to support you anyway so you'd want something that works better. I know I've bought stretchy exercise bras that work under my work clothing at Target. :) Basically, I'm going to buy new ones as I shrink.

    For regular clothing (jeans and stuff), that can be easy to fix. You can look in the phone book for a seamstress or tailor. You can also contact some higher end stores and ask them if they know of anyone they send people to for modifications. If not, the phone book will most likely have some. They can take them in for you. I'm going to probably do that as I drop weight. Jeans aren't too hard to take in at the waist (hard for you and I thought).
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I gave them to my housekeeper because she has a daughter who was my old size that is just starting her career, and anything she doesn't want will go to their church clothing drive. A lot of things went to good will. I am going to a capsule wardrobe for work and hopefully will be able to be successful with Project 333 starting September 3. I dropped from a US 14 to 8, and I hadn't been an 8 in about 20 years. some 10's fit nicely , but I had mostly 12's and 14's… I am altering two Austin Reed Silk garments I couldn't bear to part with - but it is going to cost $200.
  • lacewitch
    lacewitch Posts: 766 Member
    i alter anything i can - bra backs - i cut off the catch and and carefully re sew int onto the band - the metal catches will shatter a sewing machine needle - learn from my mistake. tou can also shorten the straps

    pants i alter a little at he side seam or a lot at the back crotch seam

    (careful here of side and back pockets) and take the waistband of first then alter it to fit the new size pants

    skirts: i normally just take of the waist band - sew in a dart and then replace waist band ( slightly shorter) or if it is a pencil skirt i follow the original shape and just reduce a bit on both sides. ( taking off zippers is a pain so sometimes i dart and then adjust the seem lower down)

    Edit - i even turned and old massive t-shirt into a pair of hot pants for pole dancing in!
  • jinjin8
    jinjin8 Posts: 220 Member
    I have a few family members who are usually happy to bits and pieces off my hands, otherwise I donate them to a charity shop.
  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    Cut them up and use them as rags for the car and house
  • TaylorsGranddad
    TaylorsGranddad Posts: 453 Member
    GET RID...... think positive, you're not going to need them anymore...... ARE YOU!!!!
  • groovybeenz
    groovybeenz Posts: 151 Member
    I've been giving most of my old clothes away to whomever wants them or to Goodwill and getting what I can for cheap at the thrift store. I'll go for real clothes shopping once I get to my goal weight.
  • Tat2dDom624
    Tat2dDom624 Posts: 1,226 Member
    Donating them without a doubt!
  • serenity216
    serenity216 Posts: 512 Member
    I keep a couple of small piece to see how far I've come but I mostly either donate my old clothes or wait for a clothing swap and swap out for clothes that fit me.

    I got rid of my old bras and invested in the Genie bra. I have quite a few pairs and I love them!
  • i sold all my decent stuff on ebay and used the money to buy new smaller stuff. Ive just sold a load more size 14/16s as ive dropped a size. plus if i get rid of stuff that is too big i have no choice but to stay this size or smaller or be forced to run around naked :bigsmile:
  • richx83
    richx83 Posts: 334 Member
    I keep a few items that i was wearing in my before pictures ready for my after pictures so i can do the typical "look how massive my clothes were" pictures

    I still wear some of my biggest shirts for exercising in, i use them daily as a constant reminder how much i have changed to my size now

    The rest i donate or recycle :smile:
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    I started accumulating bags and bag of clothes I couldn't wear in our storage closet. It was my safety net just in case I gained weight back. My husband finally convinced me to donate them. It was one of those milestone moments for me. I still have about 1/2 bag full of the really expensive stuff because I rather give those to family or friends.
  • jamm2000
    jamm2000 Posts: 79
    I donate it as soon as it gets too big. I don't want to grow back into them.
  • siouan
    siouan Posts: 40 Member
    I'm taking mine to the charity shop / thrift store as they become too big. I have a lot of things in smaller sizes that I 'grew out of' (more like balloonned out of!) that are still in the wardrobe, so as I am fitting back into those, I can swap out the bigger stuff!
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    I donate them.
  • JaneInKansas
    JaneInKansas Posts: 82 Member
    Since I'm able to do it myself, I will take in my pants when they are getting too loose. So if I had a pair of pants in a size 14 and lost weight, I would take them in enough to equal a size 12. Then when the pants I altered to equal a size 12 get too loose, I would buy the size 10, etc.
  • premiumchilenita
    premiumchilenita Posts: 600 Member
    For ages I didn't have enough money to buy clothes as I got smaller and was in the in between stage, even from second hand stores so I put darts in EVERYTHING, I mostly went down the original seam and just made it smaller. Some t-shirts I added darts to make them look a little more flattering at the waist and shirts I followed the original dart and just made it bigger (to make the shirt smaller)

    It wasn't fancy and it wasn't the best sowing job but it worked and I felt good about it. After a while somethings were not fixable, but have fun with it, shorten some sleeves to make an old blouse, new :)
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    I give mine to friends or goodwill. However, I never ever give away any of my 49ers gear!! The other thing I do is take with me T shirts, etc to Africa whenever I travel there and either give them away there or use them to barter for souvenirs or trinkets :-)
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    Trousers I'll get altered (usually by Mum as she's a dab hand with the sewing machine :bigsmile: ). Tops I'll keep wearing until they look huge and if they've not worn out, will go to charity. Underwear gets chucked and I buy new :bigsmile:

    Saying that, given I've not reached the end of my weight loss journey, I'm buying most of my 'new' clothes from charity shops. I was highly amused recently to see a top I'd donated actually on the rail of a local charity shop and a woman exclaiming over what a good find she'd just made :laugh:
  • I just give them away and feel pleased with myself!
  • chelledawg14
    chelledawg14 Posts: 509 Member
    Give them away, donate or sell on ebay, depending on the brand & condition. I had a lot of brand name jeans that I bought a few months ago that are too big, so I sold them on ebay to get money to buy new ones!
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    Donate my clothes.
  • Kept my two largest items. kept only One tub of the nicest things for after I have my 3 baby (we want to try next year) and the rest gave to Goodwill. I don't plan on every being my largest size again, but I know I'll need some for after baby, just not alot. That way I don't have any choice but to get smaller. Hopefully I won't gain much and that tub can just go right to goodwill along with everything else! BUt I've taken 6 bags of clothes so far this year and donated! :-)
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Anything I can alter so I get more wear from it I do on my sewing machine, other than that if it's still in decent shape it goes to Dr Barnardo's charity shop, if not it goes in the bin :smile:
  • pikselinka
    pikselinka Posts: 154 Member
    Since I had too much nice clothes to give away I've called few charities to come and pick them up (those who offer this service of course), but none of them bothered so I threw everything away. I am buying new clothes very slowly since I am still losing weight, especially bottoms are a pain in the *kitten*, even if my weight didn't change much since I started exercising I lost a lot inches in waist.
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    I gave away all the stuff in good shape, threw out the stuff that wasn't. Some of it had been through 2 newborns and all the spitting up that they bring with them. Ewwww.

    It wasn't a big deal for me to get rid of all my bigger stuff though beceause I have a whole closet full of skinny clothes waiting that I don't fit into yet. So right now I'm in the in between stuff, which I also had waiting in the closet.
  • Uxorial
    Uxorial Posts: 38
    I've done a variety of things over the years (lost 100 lbs):

    *given to a friend for her mom.

    *donated to a charity shop.

    *gave to a women-returning-to-work organisation.

    *gave to women's shelter.

    *rags, made quilts.

    *recycled to other wear (work tops become gym tops, sleep tops).

    *I now buy pants that fit properly but have drawstrings (all my pjs do), skirts.... all more forgiving clothing for weight loss.

    With this next batch I am consigning them. I'm on a budget right now and trying to lose my last 40 lbs. Consignment stores will often give you higher credit than cash. So I am going to do that to keep myself clothed.
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
    If I still like clothes I get them altered, if not I donate.

    I have a friend who had quite a bit to lose and she's very active in a bootcamp. They would periodically have clothing swaps.