Shorties, when to buy clothes? How many lbs to drop a size?

I have to lose quite a bit of weight before dropping down a pant size because of my body shape. I have hips and a butt, no matter how much I weigh. I need to lose over 20lbs before going down a size.

I find the heavier I am the more weight i have to lose to fit into the next dress size down. I have to lose between 30 to 40lbs to go from a UK size 18 to 16. However, the smaller I become I don't need to lose as much weight to get to next dress size down.

I'm 5"2 and i've lost 12lbs since joining MFP. However at one point I was 30lbs heavier, and I'm only one dress size down from then, I seem to just fit clothes better now. I was Uk size 14 at 172lbs, and at 142 I'm just getting size 12's to be loose. Size 10 in some places on top half. I hold weight evenly everywhere so I honestly think it could be another -15before I drop another size properly.
I'm hoping that if my bodyfat % lowers I wont care about size. I too see some girls my height/weight/ and size and they look so much better! I think shorties need to focus on composition and shape much more x

I think the more important numbers to look at are your circumferences. Hips, waist, thigh, etc.
When I get clothes, I don't really care what size they say they are, because different companies to sizes differently, and sizes have changed over time.

It took me 30 pounds to lose one size. I went from a loose US 20 to a tight 16. It all depends on the brands for me. I was losing in my waist but only a smidge on my belly.

I put on 30lbs and went up two dress sizes. I've lost half of that now...but I haven't dropped a dress size yet. Weird! Oh well. It'll happen eventually.

I think the more important numbers to look at are your circumferences. Hips, waist, thigh, etc.
...different companies to sizes differently, and sizes have changed over time.

^^ This.
The scale doesn't matter.
After a year of weight training, I'm about the same weight, but now my clothes are way looser. When I started lifting, I was about close to having to go up 1 size, but I just wouldn't do it, so I hit the gym instead. Now, I'm about ready to go down 1 size, BUT the scale says I weigh the same.
Another difference w/ the weight training, I can eat so much more food now and still not gain weight.

Think about reading/learning about body REcomposition. I don't think you need to lose another pound, but you may want to reduce your body fat and sculpt and tone so you can see your abs instead of the muffin top above your jeans waistband.

I'm 4'11" and depending on what company/fit, I'm a size 2 in Old Navy and XXS in Land's End (Yes, I called them on their "vanity sizing").

I'm 5'5. I lost 13 pounds and went from not being able to wear a size 14(US) but still a little loose in a 16 to swimming in a 16. I now can fit a 12 but it's a little snug for my liking.

I'm 5'1'' & have lost 37lbs thus far. Was a size 13 US jeans, now I'm a snug size 6. I'm guessing a comfortable size 7. It all depends on brands. Every brand is different. At 167lbs size 13, at 150lbs size 9, at 130lbs almost size 6. I'm hoping at 125lbs I can fit into size 6 comfortably.

Go by the tape measure and it makes things much easier to see! The difference in some sizes is several inches, so you might not drop a size as fast as you'd think. The smaller sizes have fewer inches between them, whereas the larger ones aren't broken down as much.

I just ordered some pants online and all I have to say is they'd better not lie in their measurement charts! I know exactly what my measurements are, lol. My inches changed more than my lbs, so I have been much more motivated by the tape measure than scale. I haven't gone down to the next size yet (recently) if online charts are accurate for brands, but I can see which measurement it is that's doing it. I'm nearly there!

Clothing size can be misleading if the sizes are different in different stores, so I wouldn't put too much importance on that.

Some people say that doing strength training such as lifting weights can help with body composition.

I'm 5'2", I started lifting weights, but ate at maintenance (but probably had a 100 calorie deficit). I don't really know how exactly to quantify the weight loss as it does fluctuate from day to day and when I started I was not weighing myself regularly at home (I just stepped on a scale at the gym). But, I lost maybe 5 pounds or so (possibly up to 9 pounds). And my pants were loose, so I bought a new pair in one size smaller, and then those were too loose shortly after that, so I had them taken in at a tailor, and I went back to the same store to get another pair of pants and was down another couple sizes. So basically I went down 3 sizes from a size 4 to a 00 (but I do think sizing numbers vary from place to place and from brand to brand and style to style). I was already pretty slender to begin with, not sure if that had anything to do with it. I was not trying to lose weight, I was just working on fitness. I do have an 11 to 12 inch difference between my hips/booty and my waist, but my waist is very small (I have a small rib cage). Also, it's possibly that my size 4's were already a little loose on me and that I wanted a tighter fit. I mean, there are just lots of factors, but the size 4's were falling off of me (but again they could have been stretched out). As others said, focus on your measurement changes more than the clothing size.

At 5'1" I went from 136 to 103. That was a size 10 to a size 2. But frankly, the number of the clothing doesn't matter to me. It's the fact that I feel great and I had a fabulous dress at my daughter's wedding.

I just went onto http://www.mybodygallery.com/ and put in my height, weight, and age, and I don't look ANYTHING like these ladies. If I looked like, that, I'd be on maintenance! But I don't. Is it possible that I just have a funny shape? Gee, I'd have to lose 15 more pounds to look like that. I got me a butt and some hips lol. I wonder if my shape is what is keeping me from losing a size.

I looked at the weight group 10 pounds above me, and I look like that.

I'm not overweight, but the women who are supposedly in the same range as I am look much thinner. Body fat distribution is the determining factor. This site only depresses me.

That's why you should strength train.