Clothes in advance
Options
ReginaKeat
Posts: 43 Member
I've been buying clothes on sale for after surgery. When on the list I have lost over 50lbs and dropped 6 inches on my waist. What should I be prepared to look at when picking up items on sale. I do not want to pay full price and then only wear them for a short time until I go through the size. Any hints?
0
Replies
-
I really didn't do this in advance simply because we lose so fast at first you might go through a couple of sizes per season. I waited until my clothes were really big and then bought a size smaller than what I fit in. Everything was stretchy material and elastic waist that first year. Everything was tight to begin with, but because of the rapid weight loss, not tight for long. I found I could get 6-9 months of wear before it was starting to get too big. As the weight loss slowed down, I transitioned into regular sizes and regular waistbands. The size 18 dress pants I bought last year are now to the point of needing to be replaced. 16 here I come! Because of the excess skin on my upper arms and around the waist, I think the XLs I wear on top will be with me for a long time yet. But that's OK since I started this whole thing at size 4X or 32/34. I can easily live with XL tops and size 16 pants.0
-
Yea I didn't do this either but Goodwill was my BFF after surgery!!0
-
The week before my surgery (last week), I bought a size 4-6 black lacy shirt (very feminine but its never in my current size), a size I don't ever remember wearing growing up (maybe I skipped that size altogether!)
I don't want to say "well, if I never fit into it, I only paid $3 (clearance) but use it as a goal reminder of what Id "like" to be wearing (at some point)
0 -
The week before my surgery (last week), I bought a size 4-6 black lacy shirt (very feminine but its never in my current size), a size I don't ever remember wearing growing up (maybe I skipped that size altogether!)
I don't want to say "well, if I never fit into it, I only paid $3 (clearance) but use it as a goal reminder of what Id "like" to be wearing (at some point)
You know, this could be a great idea for some of us! Thanks for sharing!
0 -
Go to Salvation Army or Goodwill to get clothes while you are loosing. You will only be wearing them 3 weeks or so before you have to get smaller sized ones. Take your "too big clothes" to a consignment store to sell. Use that money to buy used ones. I did this while using and made money off my plus size clothes and then bought at Salvation Army on 50 cent Saturdays. I never bought used clothes before but now it's hard to pay full price for new ones even after maintaining my weight loss.
Good luck!0 -
I'm planning on hitting Goodwill too. Even as I lose I'll still be in Big&Tall sizes, and I just can't bring myself to pay $50 for plain jeans that I'll wear about a month.
When I lost weight in the past I sold a lot of my clothes (that I could now be wearing!!!!) on ebay in bulk. I'm going to try that too.0 -
I have been hitting the clearance rack at JC Penney (they have some really great stuff there now...not your grandmas Penneys anymore) and they always have coupons and pretty good sales. I remember buying shorts there this summer and I got 8 pairs for under $80. Too bad they are all too big now. I was in size 12's for 30 days...only bought 2 pairs of jeans then. I agree that you will go through sizes more quickly at the beginning. I started in a tight 16 and just bought some new jeans yesterday....size 4 skinny jeans. I am sure it will go down again once I have skin removal surgery next year, but I am happy with where I am now, even if I didn't lose another pound. Luckily I have a friend who just had the same surgery a few weeks ago and I gave her all of my clothes.
0 -
I'll be hitting sales racks and goodwill too! Well if and when I get to have surgery! 0
-
I received a ton of clothes from my members of my support group before I moved rural. So that has carried me through all my weight loss thus far. Except for undies and bras of course. I will have to do the same thing, visits out version of your goodwill until I reach goal and have my plastics done also. Then I hope to replenish my wardrobe with the fashion and style I choose instead of what fits. 0
-
I tried pre-buying a few things, but it only worked so-so. I found I didn't always lose proportionally, so I might fit into something, but it wouldn't fit well. So unless it was under $5, I stopped pre-buying. Instead, I was more like pawoodhull, buying tight and then waiting until loose to buy again. To help with expense, I found some nice consignment/discount stores in my area and shopped the sales. My support group also did some clothing exchanges.0
-
I wouldn't pre-buy.
I tried this and it led to disaster of the financial variety. Just ask my husband!
Disclosure: I love clothes, am a professional, and have to dress professionally for work everyday. Your needs may be different depending on lifestyle and profession.
That being said, here are some rules I've established for myself. Maybe they will be of help:
1. I now pickily shop at my local thrift store and at Walmart as needed. We have a Savers in town, and I have been able to find AMAZING, upscale clothes at unbelievably low prices there. We are talking Talbots, Chicos, Brooks Brothers for under $10 apiece, with other brands costing even less. They have a discount card, and every time I donate to them it gets punched, and every $5 I spend gets punched, and within the last 30 days I've managed to fill out the card and earn 30% off. Also, this Veteran's Day, all Savers locations have 50% off all clothing. If you sign up for their Savers card (like a grocery store card), you get the notifications of all upcoming sales. I anticipate buying some winter outerwear on Tuesday so as to take advantage of the sale.
2. "As needed" means: I can't make an outfit for work from what I have in my closet (i.e., my last suit stopped fitting a week ago and I had to buy a black blazer to carry me through the month at work). Or, I have run out of well-fitting clothes of a particular type (i.e., I had no jeans that I could wear, at all, one month ago).
3. I only buy what "fits" right now, with "fits" meaning snug but comfortable and I reasonably believe I can get at least 3+ weeks out of it. I do not buy for the next size or two sizes down, even if I see something that blows my mind, because I have learned the hard way that I will probably miss the window where the item fits. Case in point: I bought a blazer and a dress for work in August that I figured I could wear in September, then when September came around, those clothes were already too big. I never wore them, and returning them was a hassle because more than 30 days had passed. Nightmare!
4. Box up what does not fit as you go along and get rid of it - don't put it in the attic!! More on getting rid of clothes...
5. Consign (for $$) the clothes that you think people would buy - I happen to have had an amazing obese-lady work wardrobe that cost me $1000s to accumulate over the years, and I consigned most of it to try and make some money back. I've made about $300 back so far. That's not too shabby.
6. Donate the clothes that you don't think people will buy. If you donate at Savers, as mentioned, you get a discount on future purchase, and you can also get a charitable donation certificate for tax purposes. There are some great charities out there that take certain clothes - i.e., "Dress for Success" takes suits that they provide to women in need who are interviewing for jobs. There are other charities that help designated people - i.e., you can donate to your local women's shelter and the clothes can really make a difference to people in your community who are in dire straits.
Best of luck 0 -
Funny to read Kate's post. #3 spoke to me, but for a slightly different reason. I too have to dress professionally and was excited to get back into some suits and stuff that were too small. I never did. They were summer weight suits, I had my surgery in July and I blew right past that size and they were too big before the next summer came around so I never had the chance to wear them again.0
-
I buy my everyday clothes at walmart so that they are tight when I buy them, and when I have to wear a belt I go buy more that are tight again. that way I can keep jeans and shirts rotating a little better. I'm 5months out and it is time to buy dress pants AGAIN so I am glad I didn't pre-buy because I would have bought too many clothes of one size and not enough of another for sure.0
-
pawoodhull wrote: »Funny to read Kate's post. #3 spoke to me, but for a slightly different reason. I too have to dress professionally and was excited to get back into some suits and stuff that were too small. I never did. They were summer weight suits, I had my surgery in July and I blew right past that size and they were too big before the next summer came around so I never had the chance to wear them again.
This! Also, as an aside, this happened with both of my kids and baby clothes. I remember being at my shower and thinking, for example, "thank you for the snow suit, but he will be 9 months old in December, not 6 months old, so this may be a wee bit tight".0 -
Kate, whenever I buy clothing gifts (for kids), people are amazed that I would think to buy them way bigger than where their child is at now!
For example, when summer things went on clearance I bought several outfits for nieces and nephews.
They will get some kind of clothing for later when the weather starts to heat up again plus a toy they can play w/ at the holidays!
I bought some infant 3pk socks w/ the little skid things on the bottom for $1 a pk, no one will ever know I didn't pay full retail
I can either split the 3pk or give each 1 their own...either way Ive saved tons of money and no one will be the wiser!
Ive also done this kind of shopping when Ive wanted to donate but didn't have a lot of funds to do so.0 -
Kate, whenever I buy clothing gifts (for kids), people are amazed that I would think to buy them way bigger than where their child is at now!
For example, when summer things went on clearance I bought several outfits for nieces and nephews.
They will get some kind of clothing for later when the weather starts to heat up again plus a toy they can play w/ at the holidays!
I bought some infant 3pk socks w/ the little skid things on the bottom for $1 a pk, no one will ever know I didn't pay full retail
I can either split the 3pk or give each 1 their own...either way Ive saved tons of money and no one will be the wiser!
Ive also done this kind of shopping when Ive wanted to donate but didn't have a lot of funds to do so.
I think that buying little kids clothes in bigger sizes that they will fit into in the future is a good idea, as long as the size of the clothes matches the size of the child at the right season. When my kids were really little, we had a zillion (I exaggerate) outfits until they got to be about 6 months old, then nothing. People like to buy cute eensy baby stuff. I think it is a good idea to plan ahead, for kids at least. 0 -
I mostly do this for our family holidays but I also do it for peoples baby showers.
We just had 2 (girls) born into the family 2 wks apart in Sept.
I bought these when summer clothing went to 70% off, they will get them for Christmas and fit into them at the very least by Spring and if theyre still too small for them they'll have new clothing for very early summer!
Most people think about clothing for the immediate and forget that parents still have to keep clothing their kids all year.
I always get thanked for thinking ahead 0 -
Another thing to consider is altering clothes. It's really pretty easy to take in a pair jeans a couple of times instead of having to buy "new" ones. I've been doing this for my jean, I've had to take them in 3 times now (I think this is pretty much the limit as there isn't much space left around the back to take in lol) I'm lucky that I have a collection of jeans (and some shirts) in some smaller sizes that I saved as I gained weight and grew out of them, 1 more size and I'll finally get some use out of them! I've got a few shirts that were sort of lower cut that I took in with the top shoulder seam to kind of pull them up. They are still big around the belly but I've always like loser fitting tops so I'm ok with that for now. Though maybe I'd actually start seeing the weight loss if I got a couple shirts that actually fit lol0
-
I didn't buy clothes ahead and I'm glad that I didn't. The 1st time I had to buy new jeans, I had been wearing size 28's and a snug 26/28 tops. I thought I was into a 26 maybe a 24. I was so wrong.
I went into a Lane Bryant store 3 1/2 months post op and bought size 20 jeans and 18/20 tops. It was expensive. Then I started shopping thrift stores. I had dropped 64lbs total.
At 6 1/2 months post op I was in size 18 jeans and I stayed there for a while. I had lost 90lbs total
At 14 1/2 months post op I went into size 16 jeans. I had lost 140lbs total. I started exercising at 12 months post op.
At 21 1/2 months post op I was in a size 14 pants. I had lost 160lbs total.
At 23 months post op I went into size medium women's shirts and jackets. I had lost 166.5lbs total
At 24 1/2 months post op I went into a size 12 pants. I had lost 173lbs total
At 27 months post op I went into a size 10 pants and a small or med women's shirt. I had lost 181.5lbs total.
I'd like to lose another 40-45lbs and still I have no idea what size I'll end up at.0 -
katematt313 wrote: »I wouldn't pre-buy.
I tried this and it led to disaster of the financial variety. Just ask my husband!
Disclosure: I love clothes, am a professional, and have to dress professionally for work everyday. Your needs may be different depending on lifestyle and profession.
That being said, here are some rules I've established for myself. Maybe they will be of help:
1. I now pickily shop at my local thrift store and at Walmart as needed. We have a Savers in town, and I have been able to find AMAZING, upscale clothes at unbelievably low prices there. We are talking Talbots, Chicos, Brooks Brothers for under $10 apiece, with other brands costing even less. They have a discount card, and every time I donate to them it gets punched, and every $5 I spend gets punched, and within the last 30 days I've managed to fill out the card and earn 30% off. Also, this Veteran's Day, all Savers locations have 50% off all clothing. If you sign up for their Savers card (like a grocery store card), you get the notifications of all upcoming sales. I anticipate buying some winter outerwear on Tuesday so as to take advantage of the sale.
2. "As needed" means: I can't make an outfit for work from what I have in my closet (i.e., my last suit stopped fitting a week ago and I had to buy a black blazer to carry me through the month at work). Or, I have run out of well-fitting clothes of a particular type (i.e., I had no jeans that I could wear, at all, one month ago).
3. I only buy what "fits" right now, with "fits" meaning snug but comfortable and I reasonably believe I can get at least 3+ weeks out of it. I do not buy for the next size or two sizes down, even if I see something that blows my mind, because I have learned the hard way that I will probably miss the window where the item fits. Case in point: I bought a blazer and a dress for work in August that I figured I could wear in September, then when September came around, those clothes were already too big. I never wore them, and returning them was a hassle because more than 30 days had passed. Nightmare!
4. Box up what does not fit as you go along and get rid of it - don't put it in the attic!! More on getting rid of clothes...
5. Consign (for $$) the clothes that you think people would buy - I happen to have had an amazing obese-lady work wardrobe that cost me $1000s to accumulate over the years, and I consigned most of it to try and make some money back. I've made about $300 back so far. That's not too shabby.
6. Donate the clothes that you don't think people will buy. If you donate at Savers, as mentioned, you get a discount on future purchase, and you can also get a charitable donation certificate for tax purposes. There are some great charities out there that take certain clothes - i.e., "Dress for Success" takes suits that they provide to women in need who are interviewing for jobs. There are other charities that help designated people - i.e., you can donate to your local women's shelter and the clothes can really make a difference to people in your community who are in dire straits.
Best of luck
I also love Savers and shop there quite a bit and that's where the clothes that I shrink out of go. I also only buy what fits right now and don't buy ahead. I've often dropped more than a size and didn't know it or held at a size though more than a season. So, I buy as needed as well.0
