For the ladies - ever buy smaller clothing for motivation?

I am a total clotheshorse, and being a single professional and without kids, pretty much all of my disposable income goes to clothes (hey - everyone's got to have something that makes them happy!) I've had my eye on this absolutely gorgeous really expensive dress at my favourite store Anthropologie for a while. It's one of those situations where the 6 almost fits perfectly except in the stomach (where I gain all my weight), and the 8 is too loose. I know if I lost 10 pounds it'd fit perfectly, because whenever I lose weight it's in the tummy. And by the time I actually lose the 10 pounds it'll probably be sold out.

So....would it be a waste of money to buy it now, when there's no guarantee I'll lose the 10 pounds? Or would it be a good motivator (Hey, I spend $250 on this dress, I BETTER lose the weight so I can wear it!) Anyone else ever do this?
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Replies

  • christmre
    christmre Posts: 109 Member
    Yes, buy it and work toward it, especially if you really love it, and it is close to fitting.
  • softwind
    softwind Posts: 440 Member
    I don't buy clothes as motivation, but I have hung onto something from when I was smaller.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    Nope, I haven't and I'm glad I haven't. Even some of the smaller sizes I had in my closet from before no longer fit me properly because my body is different now.
  • Aust1967
    Aust1967 Posts: 68 Member
    Yes! I buy the next smaller size jeans and then try them on every once in a while. I also bought a couple of smaller shirts (too small to fit me now) the other day because they were so cute and so cheap!

    Edited to add: I should mention that I am getting most of these clothes from the clearance rack at a new consignment store. The three pair of size 10 jeans that I just bought cost me under $20 total. :bigsmile:
  • threefancy
    threefancy Posts: 93 Member
    Love Anthropologie!
    I would just buy the bigger size and have it tailored to fit now. There is no guarantee that losing 10 lbs would make the smaller size fit - you might lose weight in spots other than your stomach area.

    For me, I have about four smaller sizes in my closet from years past. Some are still in style, and I plan to fit into them at some point this year.
  • 2bassets
    2bassets Posts: 193 Member
    Yep, I sure have. I have new size 12 jeans that don't fit yet and then bought them again in a size 10. I WILL get into them!
  • I kept all my clothes from when I was at my skinniest in hopes to be that size or smaller =)
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    I'm not a shopper by any means, but occasionally I'll find something I just have to have, whether it fits now or not. I try it on every few weeks to see how it's fitting. I get excited when it does!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Nope, I haven't and I'm glad I haven't. Even some of the smaller sizes I had in my closet from before no longer fit me properly because my body is different now.

    ^^
    This.

    I did, however, buy the next size down in jeans from the thrift store, because it was a good indication of when I was getting smaller.
  • jess135177
    jess135177 Posts: 186 Member
    Yes I have a pair of jeans that I cannot wait to fit into!! I try them on every couple of weeks.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    absolutely. i have a closet full of brand new clothes (mainly shirts) in all different sizes. its always a good feeling to wake up and pop tags off a brand new item that didnt fit when you got it.
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
    Buy the dress! I do this often. Today I'm wearing jeans I bought a while ago (they wouldn't even go over my thighs when I bought them but they were the biggest size in that store) and it feels great to be able to fit into them now. I had them hanging on a hook on my wall waiting for me so I could see them and be reminded of my goal.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    Yes I have, also to fit into my clothes before I had my kids. It can be a motivating factor :smile:
  • MacMomma2013
    MacMomma2013 Posts: 128 Member
    Nope, I haven't and I'm glad I haven't. Even some of the smaller sizes I had in my closet from before no longer fit me properly because my body is different now.

    ^^
    This.

    I did, however, buy the next size down in jeans from the thrift store, because it was a good indication of when I was getting smaller.

    ^^ This, for me.
  • Cakewalk25
    Cakewalk25 Posts: 71 Member
    Thanks ladies! I'm going to mull it over for a while - maybe I'll wait a bit to see if it goes on sale too.

    My body's pretty predictable in how it gains/loses weight, as I've lost and gained 10-15 pounds regularly over the years, so I think I'm pretty safe if I decide to buy the smaller size. (Too bad you can't pick where you gain weight or I would have picked my 32A chest...but nope, it's always in the stomach).

    I still have my absolutely unforgiving skinny jeans from university in my closet - when I can fit into THOSE I know I'll have lost a lot of weight! I made myself keep them "just in case" I ever get back to that size.
  • xscat
    xscat Posts: 80 Member
    Nope... I prefer to let my clothes fit me rather than the other way around :)
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    If my clothes fit snugly, it reminds me not to over-eat that day. If I can't wear something because its too small, I just think f it, put my sweatpants on and eat everything I see.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
    I recently found the prom dress I almost bought back in 2004 on ebay for $50... in a size S (which is what I would have worn back then). I don't know if I'll ever be able to get my hips into it, but won't know until I try! (it at least gives me a physical goal to strive for)
  • judykat7
    judykat7 Posts: 576 Member
    I am the ClosetQueen. I however don't purposely buy things too small but if I think it might fit and it is on clearance, then I go for it. If it doesn't fit I put it in a pile on the top shelf and at the end of each month before my new fitness challenge, I go though the pile and see what fits. It is a very small pile right now, maybe I should add too it. I guess it depends on how important $250 is to you. If you buy the dress and can get into it in a couple months, will you feel rewarded or really just want it in a size smaller yet? $250 would be a lot for me to spend on one item but nothing to spend on a shopping outing - so it is really up to you of course.
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    I don't buy clothes as motivators simply because I've always had a problem identifying size. I have never walked into a store and picked something even close to my size unless I was buying literally the same thing in the same size (like a pair of jeans I needed to replace). This applies to shoes, too. My perception has never been good. I find something, think it's cute, grab the biggest size thinking it will work just fine, and it's skin tight or doesn't even come close to fitting. So I get all self-conscious and start grabbing items that are three times too big for me. I mostly wear loose clothing because of this. I'm hoping that once I lose weight and get to my goal, I can take someone shopping with me for an afternoon and have them help me stock my closet by guiding me to the correct sizes so I can try & buy clothes that actually fit me nicely. Once I've been maintaining, I'm hoping I will have gotten used to my body and conquered this shopping dilemma. No more fitting room breakdowns!

    However, I do have a pair of yoga pants that are a medium (no numbered sizes--that helps me!) and I'm thinking they will fit me when I hit ~160 pounds (so, 50 more pounds to lose). I bought them by accident thinking they were an XL like the other pair (now too big) and never returned them because I like the color of the waist-band & now I can use it to gauge my progress. And I have a dress that I'd like to wear this summer; I've worn it before, I just want to look nicer in it.