Clothes Solutions

I live out of goodwill..I've gone down 4-5 sizes and I would say 90% of my wardrobe is from there.

Good question. I haven't bought any clothes since December and now my mom wants to give me some money to go shopping for my birthday next month but I still have 26 lbs to go. I've got some old clothes from before I gained all of weight (66 lbs) but most of them don't fit yet. Basically, I'm wearing things that are either too big or too small. Meanwhile my new year resolution was not to buy and wear cheap clothes anymore as I don't want to look cheap. It's not the impression I want to make, especially at work. Finding something that looks good enough at second hand stores takes more time than I'm willing to invest so don't know what to do.

I just bought a big bundle of clothes (I think 7 dresses, a jacket and a top) on eBay - they are all by the same brand whose sizing I'm familiar with, so I am reasonably confident they'll fit. Together they cost less than one new dress from that shop would have cost.

mlinci wrote: »

I just bought a big bundle of clothes (I think 7 dresses, a jacket and a top) on eBay - they are all by the same brand whose sizing I'm familiar with, so I am reasonably confident they'll fit. Together they cost less than one new dress from that shop would have cost.

Another vote for Ebay here. I sell stuff I shrink out of and put that money towards used stuff in familiar brands which I know will fit. When I get to my goal weight I might then treat myself to a new wardrobe.

Just my two cents...thrift stores are a great idea, but make sure you DO treat yourself to the occasional piece at your new size. You've worked hard to lose weight & sometimes it's hard to even see the loss if you're wearing clothes that are too large. Yes it's annoying to pull something out of your closet that's now too big even though you bought it not that long ago, but you deserve to have at least one outfit that hugs your new curves properly. I personally feel so much better when my clothes fit! And you can donate those too big clothes, so that someone just like you will be thrilled to find them at the thrift store! Good luck!

I've actually got clothes in sizes 38 to 46 (German sizes), so I just tend to shrink back into clothes. But I do believe in buying new things when I can afford it because well-fitting clothes make me feel good about myself and also because I need to look neat for work. I just bought new jeans because the big ones were ripped and too big and the small ones not quite fitted just yet.

Unfortunately thrift shops aren't really a thing in Germany, there's only one in my town and I've never really found anything I like there.

Goodwill and just making the bigger size last for a bit longer than I probably should.

Have you tried thredup.com? It is an online consignment. You can sell your too big clothes and you can buy clothes from their site.

Elastic waistbands for now!

I use www.vinted.com! I use it to sell the clothes I no longer fit into and to buy used clothes on the cheap in whatever size I need. Frankly its saved my life and helps my budget a whole lot. Theres also giveaways and theres seller ratings so you can find trusted sellers.

I think if your shirts get too big, you can pair them with leggings and a belt if needed. The proportion of "loose on top" and "tight on the bottom" balances nicely. Especially if the shirt is longer covering your butt, worn with leggings and flats or a longer shirt with leggings and ankle boots is a nice look. If you feel that you would like more shape with that look, you could use a tie belt or a long scarf and wrap it around your waist.

Get a good belt to sinch at the waist for jeans, one with a lot of holes in it so that you can adjust the size of the belt with your changes in size. I like the look of baggy jeans that fit casual with a nice shirt.

Suit jackets are very versatile and you can pair them with many different items, and dress them up or down. You can definitely find a nice suit jacket for cheap that fits you at a second hand shop. Wear it with a skirt, pants or jeans.

I would get a few pieces that you can wear with everything at the size you are now. (1pants or 1skirt, 1jacket, 1sweater and 1shirt) in a neutral color (black, grey, baby blue or brown) so you can mix and match it with different items until you are at the size you want.

Have fun with it, try different styles and looks. Clothing can make you feel really good when you find the right pieces that look good on you.

I use schoola.com because the local thrift store is terrible. Also I am wearing a lot of dresses and skirts, certain cuts are good for 2-4 sizes. Very forgiving styles.

VintageFeline wrote: »

I've shrunk about three sizes so far. I didn't buy much at all until the smallest size and just shopped the sales. Because I wear vintage or good repro I'm lucky that it mostly retains its value so I sold my big clothes to pay for the new clothes and will do the same again when I hop down another couple of sizes (which will hopefully be goal).

Just curious, where do you buy your clothes? I love vintage dresses but have no idea where to buy them! I'm looking to splurge when I reach goal

If you can find nice secondhand clothing in your area, go for it. It also depends on what you are dressing for - work or casual? In my experience it's easier to buy secondhand for casual clothing. I am still about 10lbs from goal but could not wear any of my work pants anymore (literally falling off me at work), so I was forced to get some new pants. I have a long inseam and I could not find anything secondhand that fit me properly and looked appropriate for office wear. So, I picked up some pixie pants from Old Navy on sale this weekend. About $20 each and I bought a few pairs to get me through this last few months. Once I go into maintenance I intend to restock my wardrobe a bit with some of the higher end work clothing that I would normally purchase. But I can't justify it right now because I know in a few months I'll be in one size smaller than I am now. I'm also holding off on tailoring a few more valuable items I have and want to keep, as again I just can't justify the cost until I'm ready to go into maintenance.

Go to a thrift shop, or get your existing clothes altered.