Choosing fall and winter clothes to wear in midst of losing a lot of weight

I love cardigans. Nobody cares if they're oversized - they just look cozier that way. And you can add a belt over them for a more polished look. Plus they hide whatever baggy shirts might be underneath.

Any kind of pants that have a drawstring are great too. I find that the elastic ones stretch out and once they don't fit, they REALLY don't fit. At least with a drawstring you can make them stay up, even if they're a little baggy!

I made sure I had what I needed to look presentable for work plus at least one pair of reasonably well-fitting jeans and a couple of tops to wear in public. Around the house, I continued to wear things that didn't fit quite so well. I didn't buy a new winter coat until I was within a few pounds of my goal weight, but I'm in the deep south so that wasn't so hard to put off.

Knits are nice in the fall, as they are quite forgiving.
Leggings were really on trend last year, and they have stretch and can shrink with you. Pair with a sweater dress or long tunic.
Anything with a drawstring... I have some skirts that stuck with me through 40 pounds of weight loss
Wal-Mart can offer from time to time some surprisingly good options...keep your eyes open. A $5 simple long sleeved T is about the same price as Goodwill.


Are there really no thrift stores in your area? There are some that don't, but even rural areas often have church sales and the like that one can get good cheap clothing.

Over-sized sweaters are pretty popular, so no worries about appearing "baggy". Get some jeans/jeggings with stretchy fabric, perhaps a slight bit smaller than your usual size. They'll stretch to fit you, then continue fitting well as you lose more weight.

I found a really great fabric woven belt at H&M with NO holes! You just poke the metal thingie right through the weave. So it's great for weight loss purposes, it always fits great.

I'm a huge fan of thrift stores, so I am not sure what I'd do without them! But you have received great ideas so far.

I don't actually think I would do this with a "full price" item. But something I did when I was actively losing large amounts of weight, was to buy very inexpensive yet stylish jackets that didn't QUITE fit me. For example if I was in XL, but found a M or L jacket that fit my shoulders and arms well, but didn't quite button/zip across my torso, I'd buy it and wear it open on cool days or just as part of a coordinating outfit (over a tee and jeans or a dress). It looked fine, and then over time and continued loss, it would eventually zip or button and fit me. And still looked good for a long time, as it might have gotten a bit baggier in the shoulders/arms, but still suited me. Some of it I wear still, at maintenance.

I do use belts some, but I understand they're not the best solution for every figure. Layering can be your friend. Putting a cute open vest over shirts & sweaters that are just slightly too small for you until the shirt fits properly and you can wear it a different way. A looser top layered over a tighter-than-you-prefer dress can be really cute. Play with proportions and you may be surprised what works.

I'm a fan of EBay. I'm retired now, but when I was still working in the business world, I was promoted and needed an array of ladies business clothing. I was able to get beautiful suits for $25. or less. The descriptions on the clothing items usually specify the measurements of the garment.

Old Navy will be your best friend.