I have small hips and I’m also a size 2 bottom. I find that J Crew bottoms fit me true to size. They have great sales all the time. Just scored a pair of jeans for $28 bucks.

Talbots has some good looking and professional items. Good sales too!

Good secondhand consignment stores are a great place for finding designer clothes which are usually in small sizes for very cheap prices. I've gotten Vince Camuto, Alberta Ferretti, Calvin Klein, f c u k, BCBG MaxAzria, and more, very inexpensively (a couple of dresses were only $19 each). One good thing about designer second hand - they aren't usually worn out, so if you like classics, or don't mind something from a couple of seasons ago you can have an amazing wardrobe.

Edit: LOL, I had to space out French Connection UK because MFP replaced it with the term 'kitten.'

mom23mangos wrote: »

You can find some really nice work clothes as well as casual at H&M. They have the best slim fitting clothes I've ever found. There's a few in the area. My favorite blazers and button down shirts come from them. I also have some really cute short suits I got there (my work actually allows us to wear shorts).

I used to but jeans at H&M as they have a really nice fit, until a pair I particularly liked ripped in the booty! Thankfully I was walking the dog with my boyfriend in a lonely suburb... We made all kinds of jokes and I guess that means I've been properly working it, but just something to be aware of if your booty is tight in there

Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, White House Black Market all carry down to 00. If you watch for sales, the stuff can be affordable and quite good quality. That’s where most of my closet is from. I love getting stuff that was marked down from $170 to $40 or less. But you have to be patient and watch for the 70%off clearance sales.

I’ve been doing larger orders from Nordstrom Rack, and then return anything I don’t love. It’s a really good time to create a wardrobe you are excited to wear. I also love Athleta, they have a lot of “street” wear that is super versatile and comfortable.

I have somewhat of a minimalist wardrobe, where I try to pick things that will all mix and match. I’d rather have less and spend more on quality items that I love, than a bunch of stuff that is just ok.

Hope that helps!

It's true, stores cater to much larger sizes. I know that if I want a small, much less an extra small, stores near me will get ONE.

I like shopping at Arc Thrift Stores! There's a TON more selection that's less picked over at sizes 2 and 4. It's harder to find cute clothes at sizes 8-14 because those seem to be the most common. For new work clothes I always do Ann Taylor Loft, but they vanity size like crazy there so if you're a 2, try a 0 with them.

Following. I do ok at Ann Taylor, H&M, some Nordstrom and Norstrom Rack. I need a new brand of jeans, I was wearing the Target Levi’s for a while but they don’t make my new size which ticks me off. We have some good college town thrift stores too.

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Mouse_Potato wrote: »

SkinnyFatBGone wrote: »

OT: You ladies are body goals. I don't think I've ever been a size 0 or even a 2, even as a child and a ballerina. I'm 5'10 and have always had a slender build but could never get that low.

I'm a huge fan of Ann Taylor.

I'm 5'3". I look chubby if my weight gets me up to a size 4.

I think some of the body goals on this board are extreme. I'm 5'8" and I see other girls that height with goals around 130-135. I can't imagine how awful I would look below 145.

It all depends on muscle mass and frame size. I know people my height (~5') that look great at 120. I'd look huge at that weight. I looked fine at 95lbs. I looked chubby and felt uncomfortable at 111. I'm 105 now and have put on enough muscle that I'd be like you and think I'd probably look pretty awful at 95lbs now. That doesn't mean someone else would. I think people who've always been thin tend to feel more comfortable on the low side of the BMI scale. People who have been overweight most of their life or heavily muscled tend to be comfortable at the mid-high BMI range. And that was a total observation just from what I've seen on these boards and very much a generalization. It does not apply to everyone.

I'm 5'1" and 130lbs and a size 6. I gain weight pretty evenly over my whole body, and lose it that way as well. Body composition has a lot to do with it also. I've seen people at my height and weight with a higher body fat percentage and that was a very strong motivator to lift weights during my weight loss to avoid that. If I didn't know what I know now and didn't mitigate muscle loss, I think I would have believed I needed to weigh less than what I'm aiming for (120). As I've lost weight I realized that I don't have much distinction between my waist (28) and hips (34). It makes me look long-waisted because everything blends together. My shoulders are wider than my hips from lifting and my butt stayed round for the same reason. I still have a big bust. Clothes have kind of been a disaster lately because they're meant for women with bigger hips and a smaller waist, so everything fits baggy except the waist. A size 4 may fit better but I haven't been out shopping in a while.

midlomel1971 wrote: »

I think some of the body goals on this board are extreme. I'm 5'8" and I see other girls that height with goals around 130-135. I can't imagine how awful I would look below 145.

I'm just under 5'8" and maintain between 130 and 135. For years, when I was bigger (around 160-165) I thought I'd look dreadful thinner (a perception instilled/backed up by family and friends), however, after dropping the weight we found that this simply was not true. Under that fat, my "large" frame was actually "medium". And while I'm lean, I still have plenty of spare fat - could probably lose another 5 pounds before I started looking skinny. (However, I have little to no boobs, which probably accounts for a few pounds!!)