When to invest in new clothes?

RosslandMTBr
RosslandMTBr Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on my postpartum weight loss journey for the last 7 months. At the moment I am about 14 lbs away from my goal weight. I am 5'9 and currently weigh 154 lbs and my goal weight is 140 lbs. I haven't bought much in the way of clothes because I have been saving all of my pennies to go on a shopping spree once I hit my goal weight(I think I should hit it around the new year). I have pants that fit because I used to be this size pre-pregnancy but I am very low of shirts(my old shirts are worn out and outdated). I only have 2 that I like wearing out places.

Anyways, my question is, given the fact that I have limited funds, should I limp along with what I have until I reach my goal weight or will 15 lbs not make too much of a difference in the size of clothes I am wearing? I don't want to waste money that could be used for building a new awesome wardrobe. For what it's worth, I currently wear a size small in shirts and a size 8 in pants and I tend to carry most of my weight from my belly button downward. Any experiences?
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Replies

  • terrinicole366
    terrinicole366 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm going through the same myself so I just go to second hand shops and yard sales until I get to my goal weigh so I'm really not wasting slot of money on clothes I'm not going to fit after a while
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I would buy shirts now. In general, what we consider our trouble spots, or places where we carry most weight, are the ones that shrink in size more toward the end of weight loss. My guess is that your upper body will shrink a bit more but not so much that shirts you buy now will be unusable at your goal weight.

    Best of luck to you!
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    Goodwill or other second hand shops can fill your wardrobe in if you aren't ready for the nice pieces.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    This is me as well. Even from the first 13 lbs I've lost, my pants are falling off me, but I don't want to spend much on new clothes when I still have 15-20 lbs to lose. I might have to break down and buy some from a consignment store like Plato's Closet.
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
    edited October 2016
    yeah, my pants look large and sloppy for now, but def not going to blow money until I am further down to goal. I'm normally very fashion conscious and this bugs me, but $$$ is a motivating factor. If you are in a city, some places rent clothes as a lady friend does that for work attire.
  • murph155
    murph155 Posts: 116 Member
    I second going to Goodwill or other second hand shops. Depending on the neighborhood they're in, you can get some really nice things very cheaply.
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
    Afaik, 10lb is the difference between clothing sizes, however, the difference may only be seen in the clothing, and not on the scales.

    I'd also be a fan of pre-loved clothes, and have gotten a few, 'brand new with tags' items from second hand shops.

    I'd agree with murphy155 - the nicer the neighborhood (as a guide) then the nicer the clothes.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,226 Member
    +1 to the resale shops or even Goodwill/Salvation Army.

    Personally - partly because I hate to shop - for transitional clothing I'd put a priority on getting a small number of very basic/versatile items, and consider ones that will work flexibly for a while. For just one example, looser-cut soft-fabric dress pants, maybe with a drawstring, that just fit now, will work for a while, vs. super-fitted ones that will be obviously baggy in just a few pounds.

    Personally, I found that there were fewer pounds between sizes the smaller I got. (I started at US misses 20 jeans a few years back, but the most recent run was from around 16 womens in April 2015 to 4 petite now. The last few sizes were pretty close together time-wise, even though I was intentionally slowing my weight loss rate.)
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Not sure where you are (climate) but Old Navy has cardigan for $19.99 that you can wear over a t shirt and dress up with a scarf. Machine washable too.
  • Ricksh1000
    Ricksh1000 Posts: 88 Member
    edited October 2016
    I made the mistake of buying clothes 1/2 way through my loss and wasted a lot of money!
    Hindsight is a wonderful thing. At the very least leave it until you're desperate.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'd buy a couple shirts at Target or something.

    Honestly I ended up buying a bunch of clothes when I was 10 pounds from my goal because they would still fit later... I never even reached my goal (but lost inches) and still ended up having to get rid of them because they were too big. So yeah, I'd wait before spending more than that.
  • wrharvill
    wrharvill Posts: 60 Member
    My go to is Goodwill, also. In fact both my husband and I have purchased almost all of our clothes there for a long time now. I bought a really cute pair of size 6 jeans for $3 and an adorable blazer that was on sale for $1.75 last weekend. Lots of styles and sizes and when they no longer fit, donate them back!
  • BridgetHarrington
    BridgetHarrington Posts: 41 Member
    My problem is pants/jeans. When I gain or lose weight, it's mostly in the bottom half of my body. My upper half doesn't really change substantially, with the exception that I lose some boob. So, I've lost almost 20 pounds since the end of July. All of my jeans are loose. Being that it's coming into winter and I wear a lot of long sweaters and sweater-coats, I am going to do the leggings and tall boots look with long sweaters and jackets until I get where I want to be. Leggings are cheap and forgiving, and they make higher-end ones with side seams like pants, in cordoroy and thicker fabrics, that are office-appropriate. I am looking to lose about 15 more pounds and figure (given the holidays coming...I don't go crazy but no way in hell am I staying within my 1200 calorie limit) that I'll get there around the end of February. Warmer weather starts coming in March....perfect time to buy summery clothes in my new size. I also wear dresses and skirts to work, but I favor wrap-styles. Those are also very forgiving - you can gain or lose 20+ pounds before one of those no longer fits or looks nice. I got into wrap styles when I was pregnant, and those saved me from wasting a lot of money on maternity and nursing clothes.

    Ditto to Goodwill and consignment shops. The town I live in borders some fairly wealthy areas, and if you hit resale stores there, you can find some nice designer things (lots of times with store tags still on!) for less than you'd pay in Walmart. I don't feel so bad when I have to rehome something that I only paid $10 for. I do consignment even when I'm not looking to lose weight. No one knows where I got my clothes....and it's smart to not pay full price for anything if you can help it.
  • akf2000
    akf2000 Posts: 278 Member
    yeah I've wasted a fair amount on intermediate-loss clothes, I got all excited and bought a load of things that are too big now, textbook, schoolboy error. Should've just wrapped some sheets around me for a few weeks.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I have lost over 100 lbs and simply had to invest in new stuff. When that became loose, I took stuff to my tailor and she was able to alter stuff to last a long time. Some were altered twice, if I really liked it. But yeah, I did do some throwaway purchases for over the summer as I knew I wouldnt be wearing them next year, and wear lots of sweaters to nurse some shirts or Ts along until the final pounds are gone.
  • jps2222
    jps2222 Posts: 61 Member
    I'm another big fan of Value Village and other secondhand stores. It can take some work to find things you like, but when you're only paying $3-$10 for most things it's a great way to keep yourself looking and feeling good while you're just passing through a size (or two or three).
  • Redbeard333
    Redbeard333 Posts: 381 Member
    I go to my local savers.com every few months and spend maybe $50 on 4 or so new dress slacks, a couple dress shirts, a pair of jeans, and perhaps a tie or two. It's soooo convenient, and I've bought expensive name-brand clothes for pennies on the dollar. While I view it as a pain to select and try on clothes, I'm so happy when I integrate them into my closet :smiley:
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    edited October 2016
    I've been doing Goodwill.
    tomteboda wrote: »
    Goodwill or other second hand shops can fill your wardrobe in if you aren't ready for the nice pieces.

    I've been doing Goodwill. There are plenty of "nice pieces" available there. Earlier this summer I got a $150 Badgley Mischka bathing suit from last years collection for $3.50. Nothing wrong with Goodwill (and other consignment) even if you are "ready for the nice pieces".

    ETA: Sorry about the duplicates. I was getting error messages saying it wasn't posting and gave up. Came back and spam city. Joy. Sent report to have them deleted.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Agree on the second hand/thrift stores. Also, clearance racks sometimes have nice things for cheap.

    While you don't want to spend too much money on "temporary clothes", I find it demoralizing to slump around in clothes that are way too big and find it motivating to have a few nice things that fit properly. It'll become a case of "quality over quantity". As long as you have enough clothes that fit to get you through the week (or however long you go between laundry), you can just wear them over and over again.
  • checkmatekingtwo
    checkmatekingtwo Posts: 118 Member
    I do eBay. They sell lots of stuff NWT (that's "new with tags") inexpensively, as well as nice used items. Also, use eBay to sell your stuff that's too big. I've started doing that now. So, you can turn your old clothes into cash which is used to buy newer clothes, which you can then sell later on.
  • JenniferNoll
    JenniferNoll Posts: 367 Member
    Second hand shops are great, but right now, I'm living in leggings and Piko tops. Super comfortable, and I can lose a whole lot of weight before I have to buy more. They are really cute with boots.

    I have over 80 pounds to lose, and will be having WLS. I'll be losing the weight rapidly as a result, so I plan on stocking up so I can still be cute as the weight comes off.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    edited October 2016
    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    I've been doing Goodwill.
    tomteboda wrote: »
    Goodwill or other second hand shops can fill your wardrobe in if you aren't ready for the nice pieces.

    I've been doing Goodwill. There are plenty of "nice pieces" available there. Earlier this summer I got a $150 Badgley Mischka bathing suit from last years collection for $3.50. Nothing wrong with Goodwill (and other consignment) even if you are "ready for the nice pieces".

    ETA: Sorry about the duplicates. I was getting error messages saying it wasn't posting and gave up. Came back and spam city. Joy. Sent report to have them deleted.

    Your area probably has a better selection than mine does. I know that was the case when I lived in a major metropolitan area. I personally need tall clothes, and finding them at goodwill is hopeless; but I've pieced together a wardrobe that will do. Mostly from shorty sleeved things and skirts because of the length issues.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    Thrift stores, outlet malls, tj maxx and Marshall always have great items. Online discount stores like rue lala have a lot of nice options. You can also rent dresses online at Rent the Runway If you have a wedding or nice event coming up.
  • wrharvill
    wrharvill Posts: 60 Member
    One other thing I thought of: If you live near a hospital, usually they will have a consignment shop which benefits the hospital. I'm all for wearing my clothes until it just gets ridiculous to do so, but for those pieces I have to buy, I've been going to the re-sale shops.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    I've been doing Goodwill.
    tomteboda wrote: »
    Goodwill or other second hand shops can fill your wardrobe in if you aren't ready for the nice pieces.

    I've been doing Goodwill. There are plenty of "nice pieces" available there. Earlier this summer I got a $150 Badgley Mischka bathing suit from last years collection for $3.50. Nothing wrong with Goodwill (and other consignment) even if you are "ready for the nice pieces".

    ETA: Sorry about the duplicates. I was getting error messages saying it wasn't posting and gave up. Came back and spam city. Joy. Sent report to have them deleted.

    I once got a $450 Burberry bag for $15! I did a double take when I saw it locked in the case.
  • rachelr1116
    rachelr1116 Posts: 334 Member
    I've been shopping at thrift stores almost exclusively since I started losing weight. I've managed to buy lots of things at thrift stores that still have the tags from their original stores, like Banana Republic pants that were originally $150 for $5. I'm actually dressing in nicer clothes now that I started shopping at thrift stores more often than when I was only buying things new!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Another vote for thrift stores in general and Savers in particular. I have also given and received clothes on https://www.freecycle.org
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    I'd buy some tops were i you. Recently. JC Penny had sale racks with nice stuff under $10..and Target has its sale racks with items for under 10 also. Take $30 or $40 and treat yourself.

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