Help with new clothes!

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  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Everyone always says Goodwill and other thrift stories in a ritzy/yuppie part of town...and I used to live by that! But honestly in my town and a few other larger cities in my region, the opposite has become true! It's like everyone got the memo about hitting those stores so they're either sold out or they know their stuff and price it accordingly (case of Michael Kors bags for $85-100). I have had really good luck going to the ROUGHER stores lol. I think some of them, the employees who price things do not have a clue what J Jill, Loft, American Apparel, The North Face, LeSportsac are. Yeah they know the big older names like Tommy Hilfiger, cK, Coach, etc. But I have found gems!! Just yesterday this was the case in fact haha...vintage Fred Perry jacket $6 and Athleta shorts in perfect condition $3.

    I guess what I'm saying is don't rule out the Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other secondhand stores in sketchier neighborhoods ;-)
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
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    I would think shorts would be relatively easy to find at thrift / Goodwill stores. Especially if you get down to the smallest sizes, 8, 10, 12 (or less) . A lot of small women shop/ buy a lot because they look good in their clothes and they can find so many appealing items. And they can find even tinier items cheap because even less people can get into them.

    Add to that the people who loose weight, then put it back on and then clean out their closet when they become discouraged that they will ever return to those sizes. Much of this ends up in resale/thrift. You just need to make time to sift thru and try on.

    I'm having trouble with tops/blouses because I have big arms and clothing not tight on my arms is too baggy. Pants have been easier to find. I think that's why some older ladies run around in baggy clothing not flattering to their body.
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
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    A lot of online resellers hit those stores daily to stock their shops. Timing is everything. Perhaps a Monday or Tuesday would be good after working people have dropped off their castoffs on the weekend.

    Fit to me is more important than brand name. Summer clothes seem to take more of a beating in my mind cause I live where summers are hot/humid = sweaty.
  • FreshKrisKreash
    FreshKrisKreash Posts: 444 Member
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    Where I live I can find great deals in the clearance racks of the following stores:

    Ross Dress For Less
    Marshalls
    J C Penney
    Macy's
    Boscov's
    Sears

    When you walk into any store, immediately head straight to the back and find some clearance racks! Then enjoy digging through all those clothes! 99% of my closet is from the clearance rack. Usually never pay more than $10 for a pair of jeans. :)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I would think shorts would be relatively easy to find at thrift / Goodwill stores. Especially if you get down to the smallest sizes, 8, 10, 12 (or less) . A lot of small women shop/ buy a lot because they look good in their clothes and they can find so many appealing items. And they can find even tinier items cheap because even less people can get into them.

    I definitely think this is true.

    I also think sometimes the reverse is true. Such as plus sized women who have plenty of disposable income spend a crazy amount on clothing, then don't always wear the stuff. I've been there myself when I was at my largest - ordering 15 items online from Lane Bryant and feeling too embarrassed to take back a couple that were too small, and feeling like I'd never lose enough weight to wear them anyway...so I would just donate. I think that's why when I wore sizes 20-22 I consistently found loads of professional and nicer quality plus size stuff in thrift shops, often with tags on or clearly worn less than a couple of times.

    Right now I am in a 14 and looking at sizes 12-16 in thrift stores is honestly the WORST category to be in, I think because so many women (all ages) and teen girls are around this size, it's larger-average and the stuff sells quickly. Just my theory.
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
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    oh honey bunny, i love shopping, but hate spending money. kind of a weird combo i guess, but hey you're not alone : )

    i shop strictly at kohls, but here's how to do it smart:

    wait until you get a $10 off coupon (usually a sticker on the front page of a newspaper) & combine that with a 30% off coupon. i go online and shop through their clearance section until i drop. their clearance are already good prices, but take off 30% and $10 extra dollars (plus free shipping after $75 is spent), then heck yeah, you get a whole wardrobe for $100+.

    if you're worried about returning items, they'll take them at any physical store location (you don't even need receipts). somehow they can look it up by the credit card that you used to purchase your items.


    now, if kohls isn't your thing, i'd suggest 1) ross or 2) goodwill in a nice part of town.
    ross has those marked down last season items which are cheap in quality and price, but it's a start for a new wardrobe until you can afford good investment pieces.
    if you live near a goodwill in a yuppie part of town, do it to it girl! you'd be amazed what you can find at next to nothing prices!

    good luck with the clothing hunt and so happy you've reached your maintenance goal weight!

    You have to use Kohls card for discount and no receipt return,correct?

    If you return and total drops below $75, do they add in a cost for the shipping or is it still free? I know the make adjustments to remaining items if you used a dollars off coupon (a little money is applied off each item),
  • twhaley1990
    twhaley1990 Posts: 140 Member
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    I'm definitely feeling you on the new clothes struggle. I went to FL recently and had to stick with tank tops and my one pair of shorts that I bought recently because all of my summer clothes make me look like a bag lady. I just raid clearance racks from the typical young adult stores like Forever21 and Charlotte Russe, or I thrift. My biggest issue is my thighs did not get much smaller, but my waist is 4" smaller than when I started. So shorts that fit me in the waist are pretty tight on the hips but cut off the circulation of my thighs, and shorts that fit comfortably at the thighs fall down and I HAVE to wear a belt. But, if you guy your clothes cheap enough, you don't feel bad experimenting with taking clothes in. I also have a new appreciation for dresses.
  • SlimSumday
    SlimSumday Posts: 379 Member
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    I'm in Ontario and I buy tons of stuff at Value Village or other thrift stores.
  • aharper84
    aharper84 Posts: 67 Member
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    I agree with thrift and consignment stores. Often, you can find things that are name brand and haven't even been worn. I got a Tommy Hilfiger sweater with the tags still on it from the Salvation Army for $2. Also, try looking on sites like craigslist and bookoo, or find a buy/sell group on Facebook from your area. Clothes are by far the most popular items that get posted.
  • scuttlez
    scuttlez Posts: 51
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    If you have anything like a Ross, Marshall's, or TJ Maxx around you, I'd definitely hit that up. We also have this consignment chain around here called Plato's Closet that sells brand stuff for a few bucks. It's all in really good condition. It's like the next step up from a thrift store. Look for stuff like that! I was fortunate enough to have friends who were having kids and giving away their clothes when I lost a bunch of weight.
  • madalynbartl
    madalynbartl Posts: 4
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    do you Old Navy lovers find their qualitly is low? I never have luck with their clothing lasting more than 1-2 seasons. Not the best quality, but cute stuff at times.

    Today I am wearing a shirt from ON I bought 5 years ago. It is still in great shape and I have gotten numerous compliments on it.
  • Pirate_chick
    Pirate_chick Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I'm definitely feeling you on the new clothes struggle. I went to FL recently and had to stick with tank tops and my one pair of shorts that I bought recently because all of my summer clothes make me look like a bag lady. I just raid clearance racks from the typical young adult stores like Forever21 and Charlotte Russe, or I thrift. My biggest issue is my thighs did not get much smaller, but my waist is 4" smaller than when I started. So shorts that fit me in the waist are pretty tight on the hips but cut off the circulation of my thighs, and shorts that fit comfortably at the thighs fall down and I HAVE to wear a belt. But, if you guy your clothes cheap enough, you don't feel bad experimenting with taking clothes in. I also have a new appreciation for dresses.

    I am only a 1/4 of the way through, and decided instead of buying a shorts and pants I am going to have to re-buy (hopefully) soon I am going to stick with Maxi dresses this spring/summer.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Thrift stores and online
  • Zelinna
    Zelinna Posts: 207 Member
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    do you Old Navy lovers find their qualitly is low? I never have luck with their clothing lasting more than 1-2 seasons. Not the best quality, but cute stuff at times.

    I don't really care for Old Navy for this reason.

    Although it just lasting 1-2 seasons wouldn't really be a problem for me lately with still changing sizes, I find their prices are not THAT cheap (with some obvious exceptions like sale-price lounge/pj pants and t-shirts). I can either buy a $24.50 shirt from Old Navy that will start looking rough in 3 washes, or spend $12 each on two clearance tops from Macy's or at TJ Maxx and they will look amazing in a year. Just my experience -- I am not trying to contradict others who have had better experiences with Old Navy. Mostly I'm just really cheap and for me to spend over $20 on a single top it better be awesome.

    I have some pieces from Old Navy that have lasted a long time, others not so much. It really depends on what you are buying. I have found their workout clothes have held up really well.

    i should also point out that I exclusively shop online sales there because I agree with the above, the regular price is not that great. Often online there is an addition 20-50% off.

    Being in Canada, we don't have Macy's but I have found good things there when we travel in the US. I find the TJ Maxx equivalent here (Winners) not that great. But its partly because the location near me is really busy and all the stuff has been picked through... that and I have no patience to sift through racks to find stuff. :)

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