Wardrobe and weight loss

I bought clothes each time I went down in size. Not an entire wardrobe but enough to get me through. I've gotten into wearing black t-shirts a lot so I would get a few black t-shirts from Target, a pair of black pants, a pair of gray or tan pants, and a black skirt. I wear that to work with a twinset-style cardigan. The nice thing about twinset cardigans is that you can wear them through several sizes, so I had 3-4 of those. I would get a dress or two if I found one I really liked. But I also tended to buy the same thing as I went down the size. By that I mean that I have a specific brand/style of jeans in sizes 10, 8, and 6.

I bought each size...just a couple pieces. At Winners tho so it wasn't too expensive.

When I hit goal I bought a few more than normal and have bought as I have maintained.

no point in wearing loose baggy clothing if you have lost weight.

SezxyStef wrote: »

I bought each size...just a couple pieces. At Winners tho so it wasn't too expensive.

When I hit goal I bought a few more than normal and have bought as I have maintained.

no point in wearing loose baggy clothing if you have lost weight.

Agreed. I understand that different people have different budget constraints but if you can afford it, I think that getting a few pieces that fit along the way is a good idea. It seems a bit self-punishing when people force themselves to dress in ill-fitting clothing while losing weight.

daneejela wrote: »

How do you maintain your wardrobe while loosing weight?
Do you buy new clothes every few weeks/months or do you wait to reach certain weight goal?
Do you get more motivated to loose weight if you dress beautiful at your current weight or if you save money for future shopping once when you reach weight you'd like to maintain?

I didn't replace any of my clothes until the ones that I had were literally hanging off me/falling down. Big mistake, as it's not a great look. So I started getting a few bits of clothing, mainly trousers and a few T-shirts (and underwear (I don't skimp on underwear) from the cheap shops. No, they aren't going to last decades, probably a few months at the most but by then I'll be in a different size anyway. When I get to goal, and I am happy with how I look, then I'll hit the shops and go mad, aiming for a bit of quality and clothes that will last a while.

Clothes that fit are really important, in my opinion, and I've never been a "clothes" person. To me, clothes were always just something to hide my body and keep me warm. Now I find that wearing clothes that actually fit makes all the difference to me as a person - I am more confident and happier with how I look, rather than wearing stuff that's too big.

I also discovered how simple it is to alter clothes to make them smaller, so that's what I did with the last size I "grew" out of - a couple of hours work, and clothes that fit for a few more weeks.

Charity shops often have some decent quality stuff as well (although I don't recommend getting underwear there )

Thrift stores and clearance racks have become my best friends. I'm tall and finding dressy pants for work is a challenge so when I find tall sizes at thrift stores I'll usually buy them if they're my current size or the next couple of sizes down. I've also been wearing skirts more often because it takes a lot longer for them to start looking too big than it does for pants. And lately I've been able to fit into some of my older clothes that I never thought I'd be able to wear again. I'd put them in a box in the basement figuring I'd sell them at a yard sale but then never had a yard sale

I pretty much hate shopping and I still haven't grasped that I truly lost weight, so I walk around looking like a hobo a lot. I see pictures of myself sometimes and go, "wtf, is that shirt really so big?? Why are my pants so loose? They must have just gotten stretched out."

Online shopping has helped.

daneejela wrote: »

How do you maintain your wardrobe while loosing weight?
Do you buy new clothes every few weeks/months or do you wait to reach certain weight goal?
Do you get more motivated to loose weight if you dress beautiful at your current weight or if you save money for future shopping once when you reach weight you'd like to maintain?

When I lost the 60 pounds 12 years ago, I went through 4 or 5 sizes over 2 years. I just wore the same things as long as I could, as long as it didn't look terrible. If it was something I really loved, I had it altered. I actually had a couple of things altered TWICE. I still do have a couple of items that I wear, that were altered all those years ago. But if it wasn't something I loved, I simply bought something new to replace it, but I never bought something that did not fit thinking that I would eventually fit into it. I am too picky about my clothes, and if I can't fit into it NOW, I am darn sure not buying to wear in the future. I did try to stick to less expensive items, Target, Kohl's, etc. Eventually all my "fat clothes" disappeared - gave them all to goodwill.

The poster that said she wore leggings through a 100 pound loss, I can't imagine. I don't want to wear stuff hanging off my butt, or showing every bump and line either, so yeah my workout wardrobe definitely changed a couple of times. Definitely new lingerie as well. Like I said, I'm pretty picky.

I used consignment stores when I could and lots of inexpensive things at Walmart and Winners. As I get closer to goal I have rewarded myself with some nicer things. I think if you never get anything nice it can be depressing because part of what spurs me on is looking so much better. If you have any consignment stores nearby you will be surprised at the nice things you can find for a reasonable amount of money.

I wear a lot of jersey knit clothes and sometimes purposely buy things snug so I lose into them. I also shop clearance sales, Forever 21, TJ Maxx, and Rainbow Shop.

I literally bought the exact same pair of shorts 3 different times in one season when I lost 40lbs, each time a smaller size. Most of my tops and sweaters worked throughout with that addition of a tank or cami underneath if the neck/armholes started to hang too low, but I had to buy new jeans about every 10lbs lost. New bras and underwear were required after 20lbs lost (I was getting bunched up panty lines and weggies). My job is to fit garments and approve them for mass production so I couldn't exactly walk around with ill fitting clothes. Not only would it put to question my professional capabilities but I'm always super self concious when something doesn't fit right.

When my dad lost about 130lbs, he bought ONE pair of pants when he got down to 38 waist, but didn't buy anything else until he got to a 32 waist. His clothes were literally strapped on and hanging from him. He didn't mind but that would make me crazy.

I have sewn elastic into the waist of a lot of my pants so that they can go further. On top of that thrift shops and the cheapest clothes I can find new.

If you have any inclination toward being crafty, you can do some minor tailoring yourself. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube and Instructables (or classes on Craftsy) for slimming a waistband or adding a dart to a shirt. Even moving buttons over, or punching a hole in a belt can get you through a size or two.

If you aren't so inclined, make friends with a tailor. In fact, do that anyway. Most people aren't a "Stock Size" so having someone who can nip and tuck clothes means you can make the most of your clothing budget. For example, if I find a top that fits me in the arms, I usually need to take in the waist because I have big upper arms for my size. Even when I was at my lowest weight I had that problem, so I know to buy for the problem zone and alter.

Charity shops, eBay, and clothes swap evenings with friends.

I tend to buy my current size and a size down, though during the January sales I bought two sizes down as well because I didn't want to miss some of the bargains!

I'm currently not looking at anything in the size below, though, out of superstitious fear; when I hit a UK size 16 I will be smaller than I have ever been in my adult life, and I don't want to jinx it by anticipating

I stick to staple pieces as and then change up accessories and such. I do shop thrift stores some but when I buy new its at LEAST 30% off. Also, try to find pieces you can wear at least 3 ways. A couple decent pair of pants in neutral colors can do wonders for stretching (no pun intended, lol) your wardrobe, especially if you can wear them with a belt.