Altering Clothes that no longer fit

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cincysweetheart
cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
in Success Stories
Sorry… I just don't know where else to post this..

I'm down 35 pounds and my clothes are starting to look baggy. But they are new within the past year and still in good shape. And I still like them! I have a ton more to lose, so I can't really be buying new clothes every 30-40 pounds. Has anybody tried a tailor and getting their clothes altered? I understand altering can be a tricky process when you have to go down sizes like that. Has anybody had any luck with this? Any suggestions?

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  • monica10171
    monica10171 Posts: 12 Member
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    I altered a lot of my tops but the pants are not really worth the money to remake them. I buy cheap bottoms at walmart or kohls for now, until I reach my goal weight.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    I've had a few items altered, but not more than a size or two at one time. They turned out really well. I shopped a lot at second hand shops or thrift stores to make weight loss a little easier on the wallet.
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
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    yes. my wonderful mum altered a few of my dresses that i simply couldnt bear to part with! but the most she took them in was up to 2 dress sizes. After that, the clothing would lose its form
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Depends on how expensive the clothes were, how well made they are, and how much your tailor charges. I'd never pay more to have something altered than I paid for the original garment unless it is high-quality, something I wear very frequently, and something that will still look very similar when it is cut down multiple sizes.

    Honestly, I only had one thing altered for size (a dress that was cut from a 10 to a 6). Going down more than a couple sizes is akin to completely remaking something, and unless it is a designer item, you're probably better off just replacing it.

    My strategy was to buy a lot of stuff from Old Navy and other cheap places until I was down to a more permanent size. I really should learn to sew, though, because I'm very short, with very narrow shoulders and a small chest, but quite curvy from the waist down, so I have to get a lot of things altered.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    I had a few items altered when I had lost enough that my old clothes were too big, but the next size down was a bit too snug. I don't know that it was really worth it because I reached the next size in the next month or 6 weeks.
  • Kate7294
    Kate7294 Posts: 783 Member
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    I've looked into doing this myself on pinterest. Even altered a couple dresses. Pants are a lot of work to alter, and if you have things professionally done it can get expensive.
    The easiest route would be the thrift store. I buy most of my things at the Goodwill. <<<Always try on items. My newest rule is if it doesn't look flattering on me I don't buy it.>>> I used to buy things because they fit. Found out they weren't flattering on me so I wouldn't wear them. Good luck.
  • cookiekrunch
    cookiekrunch Posts: 65 Member
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    I tried having some clothes altered (dresses and suits). I went from a size 20 to a 14. They clothes had to be completely remade so the price was not worth it. Now I go to Goodwill, Ross, and Wal-Mart. If going to a major Department store, I only look at the clearance racks. I have also accepted clothing from friends and co-worker. It is expensive to replace an entire wardrobe. As long you are continuing on a weight loss journey, shop CHEAP!!! The most I spend on anything now is 10 dollars.
  • cookiekrunch
    cookiekrunch Posts: 65 Member
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    The easiest route would be the thrift store. I buy most of my things at the Goodwill. <<<Always try on items. My newest rule is if it doesn't look flattering on me I don't buy it.>>> I used to buy things because they fit. Found out they weren't flattering on me so I wouldn't wear them. Good luck.

    The thrift store has become my favorite shopping place. I have gone to at least 5 within in my surrounding area. It is important to always try on your clothes. I used to buy clothing because they were "The right price". It didn't matter if it was too big or unflattering. If it was less than 5 dollars I would get it. I wound up with a bunch of shirts I only wore once that stayed hidden in the back of my closet. Now, I appreciate the new me and only buy things that conform to my shape and look good on me. :happy:
  • LaserOctopus
    LaserOctopus Posts: 121 Member
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    Altering is tricky. Some things don't alter well, you'll find as you go down sizes that things are not just smaller, but cut *very* differently.
    That being said, I have had about 50% success altering my old 3X stuff. I even have a few shirts that I have altered several times. Some things alter fine but look truly awful, because they're cut to be flattering on someone much bigger.
    And I *really* wanted to get to the end before I bought new clothes. No such luck (well, and it was unreasonable anyway, since I started at 300 and I'm now 174).
    So this is my strategy, now that buying clothes has become a chore that I have to constantly do:
    - Knit shirts only. Nothing structured. Knits will fit for a *much* longer period of time before they look ridiculous, often through three or more size changes. Also, they're more simply constructed and so much easier to alter. Two minutes on the serger and they fit again.
    - Skirts, not pants. Also preferably knits, no stiff fabrics like denim or tweed. For the same reason. And styles that are easier to alter. Skater or circle style skirts are fantastic for fitting through several sizes. Stiff fabrics or straight/long skirts will look and fit awful once you go down another size.
    - No more than $15 per piece. So a lot of Kohl's, K-mart, H&M, and clearance racks. A lot of people talk about Old Navy, but I've never found anything there that is nice or that fits. And *definitely* nothing that fits my style. I'm a skirt-and-combat-boots girl, not a sweats-and-tank-top girl, but your luck there may be different. Worth a try. And the oft-mentioned thrift stores. The selection varies a lot from store to store, but I know of one particularly that often has shoes in my size (10), and a lot of clothes that actually fit my height. So you may have to look around.

    If you want to learn to sew, you can get a decent starter machine for around $100, and learning to restructure old garments is a great place to start. If you can master that, making new ones is only a small step away.

    Best of luck to you!
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
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    The big problem is that I'm still big enough that Wal-mart, target, Kohls, etc still doesn't fit. Too small. Same with thrift stores. I've had to buy my clothes online at a place that specifically makes super plus size. And they ain't cheap! Once I get down to the point that I can shop Walmart or thrift stores again.... I won't worry about it quite so much. It's just getting to that point!
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
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    I've altered some of my bottoms because they were still fairly new. The tops I either leave open as a layered look with another under it, or I use a belt. I learned my lesson after doing two huge purges of my closet then having nothing to wear but gym clothes.
  • LaserOctopus
    LaserOctopus Posts: 121 Member
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    The big problem is that I'm still big enough that Wal-mart, target, Kohls, etc still doesn't fit. Too small. Same with thrift stores. I've had to buy my clothes online at a place that specifically makes super plus size. And they ain't cheap! Once I get down to the point that I can shop Walmart or thrift stores again.... I won't worry about it quite so much. It's just getting to that point!


    I bet between us all, we have more than a few plus-size resources. When I had money, I liked things like Pyramid Collection (available in "goddess sizes" at no extra charge). Mixed bag, but a lot of nice things. Lacy and ruffled stuff. When I didn't, I usually did Woman Within, which is now One Stop Plus. A lot of deals to be found, and sizes up to 6X. I know there were others, but I gotta get out of the house to work in about three seconds. I'll come by after work and remember a few more if I can. And Amazon, believe it or not, often has a random selection of plus size stuff. Though you have to hunt around for deals. Across town from me is a thrift store that carries *only* plus sizes, is it possible you have something like that in your area?
  • 1HappyRedhead
    1HappyRedhead Posts: 413 Member
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    I've always wondered if there wasn't a way to "swap" out clothes with other MFP members.... you know... for example...if you were a size 20 and now you're a 16, couldn't you give your size 20 to the person that used to be a 24 and is now a 20, and the person that was a size 16 but is now a 12 could give theirs to you? I mean, granted... I realize that different tastes in style comes into play, but... I just thought it would be fun if we could create a "recycle clothes" project! Perhaps the person receiving the clothes could pay for the shipping, etc.... Obviously I don't have all the details worked out, lol, but it might be worth a shot! :flowerforyou:
  • setee77
    setee77 Posts: 14 Member
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    Some cities have free ads. I was once in Ocala, FL and got a whole bunch of clothes my size that way. Just had to go pick them up. As far as tailoring.... I have many tailors in the neighborhood and one just did 5 tops of mine for $1.20/piece. I decided that anything that would cost me more to replace than to tailor I would get done. They all turned out great! I feel like I got a bunch of new clothes. Maybe you could find a friend who likes sewing and see if they would be willing to help you out. I feel so much better when I have clothes that fit well! I think swapping clothes through MFP is a great idea!
  • bmannen1
    bmannen1 Posts: 77 Member
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    I've always wondered if there wasn't a way to "swap" out clothes with other MFP members.... you know... for example...if you were a size 20 and now you're a 16, couldn't you give your size 20 to the person that used to be a 24 and is now a 20, and the person that was a size 16 but is now a 12 could give theirs to you? I mean, granted... I realize that different tastes in style comes into play, but... I just thought it would be fun if we could create a "recycle clothes" project! Perhaps the person receiving the clothes could pay for the shipping, etc.... Obviously I don't have all the details worked out, lol, but it might be worth a shot! :flowerforyou:

    That's a great idea:)
  • DorkyPrincessClaxton
    DorkyPrincessClaxton Posts: 3 Member
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    The big problem is that I'm still big enough that Wal-mart, target, Kohls, etc still doesn't fit. Too small. Same with thrift stores. I've had to buy my clothes online at a place that specifically makes super plus size. And they ain't cheap! Once I get down to the point that I can shop Walmart or thrift stores again.... I won't worry about it quite so much. It's just getting to that point!

    Great job at your progress so far!! :-)

    I can relate to your struggle. I had just entered my highest size about a month before I started losing weight so a lot of my clothes were brand new and I was quickly shrinking out of them. I can't find anything at thrift stores yet, but I did have a moment last week that was a huge victory - buying bottoms for the gym at Wal-Mart. My work wardrobe is a little sketchy - some hand me downs, some old things I "outgrew" over the years that I never let go of, some tops are just hanging off me. I bought a couple tank tops and wear them under the blouses so I have some coverage when the blouses slide down. I am wearing a lot of camis with a lite weight cardigan and slacks I can safety pin. :-)

    Also, I had lost a lot of weight a number of years ago and I had some pieces tailored because they always made me feel like a milion dollars even when I was bigger. If you have somethings that you feel really good in, then it is worth it even if you have to give them up eventually for a much smaller size. The weightloss won't feel as good if you don't feel good about yourself in the process.
  • angiek941
    angiek941 Posts: 97 Member
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    Do you know about thredup.com? You can sell your good shape namebrand clothes and buy like new or new ones. The prices are awesome!!
  • healthydoseofglitter
    healthydoseofglitter Posts: 532 Member
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    Rock your dresses with a pretty belt and same with tops, try to layer with tank tops underneath. My biggest problem currently is my workout pants ..... I keep loosing my pants when I work out LOLLLLL good thing I work out at home. ;)

    Unless you can alter on your own or someone can help you for dirt cheap. Try debshops.com torrid.com they have good clearance for bigger sizes

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