Tips on how to not buy all the clothes when you've dropped a size? (but still have more to go)

RelCanonical wrote: »

I shop at thrift stores.

We've had a bad thing of bed bugs in my city, so my mom put a blanket ban on all second hand clothing/books etc. It didn't even occur to me to try there because it's been out of the question so long. But tbh when I've gone to them I haven't seen ANYTHING in my size, usually size 10 and under or 20 and up, and everything was really....not nice. Might just be where I went though.

jemhh wrote: »

I don't shop at thrift stores because I've yet to find one whose prices are lower than what I can find on the sale racks elsewhere and that have clothing I want.

I lost 50 lbs and went from size 18 to size 6. I bought clothes all along the way. My method was to buy a pair of black dress pants and a black skirt each time I lost size, plus I bought plain black t-shirts (usually Merona brand from Target for the latter.) I also bought a few brightly colored twinset-type cardigans. I would start out air drying everything and as I shrunk I would switch to putting them in the dryer. The cardigans were fairly forgiving, size-wise, in that they kind of covered up when the t-shirts got a bit baggy. This was for work clothing, by the way. I would usually end up getting at least one other pair of dress pants and a dress but I pretty much kept my clothing very basic during that year.

That sounds really sensible! I should have had your foresight maybe next time! How did you get through a whole week with only 1 pair of pants a skirt and a dress though? Maybe in the winter it's not so hard but I sweat a ton and yeah I'm not going to re-wear clothes a second day

ExistingFish wrote: »

I bought clothes. I'm not losing weight fast enough to wait until I've lost all the weight. I started as a large/XL

At the beginning of the summer, I bought summer clothes (shorts, tshirts) in a minimum quantity to last me through the summer in medium. Honestly in my head I thought I may never be smaller than a medium. They have lasted well all summer. I bought 10/8 in pants (depending on the fabric).

Now, middle/end of the summer, I have to wear a belt with the 10s or they will fall off. The 8s are comfortably loose, I bought some size 6 jeans at the thrift store. The medium shirts are started to look stretched out and baggy, but I'm going to keep wearing them until I am ready for fall attire.

I will buy my fall/winter wardrobe in my new/final size, I'm guessing a 6 in pants and small/medium in shirts, depending on the style (my boobs are still a medium!). I plan to recomp when I hit my goal, so I don't see myself ever being a 4 (feel like I said this before about mediums...) or anything smaller than a small (until I get a breast reduction, I'm a 30H/28HH)

Losing weight is a long term lifestyle change. You have to wear clothes in the mean time. I would buy basics in your in between sizes. Pants and tops for work is a must, but not a fleshed out wardrobe - just the basics. Just enough to get you through. It probably isn't a good idea to NOT buy work clothes, especially if your work is something you have to dress nice for.

I'm losing fairly slowly as well, and tbh it'll probably slow down once school stress hits in Sept. I'm not sure I'll manage, but I do want to plan optimistically.... I was a size 18/XL and 32lbs down I'm a size 16/14/L (in stretchy/forgiving clothes). I did try to keep an eye out for belt loops! Most of my old clothes didn't have them and it was so annoying. Now I feel like I can definitely cinch things in when needed. Maybe they will last a bit longer than my old stuff....

Yeah one of my jobs feels like I should dress up, and lots of people dress up quite a lot for school. It's something I'm not used to but I do need "nice things" to be on par. I don't really change up my wardrobe significantly by season. I just add sweaters, wear leggings under my pants, and put away the shorts. Sorta rarely wear shorts anyway, mostly just at home. So there's no reason I'd need to get anything new/different once snow hits.

But yeah next time I'll probably calm down and just buy a few staples like that....I shouldn't need new shirts for a while....

apullum wrote: »

Go to thrift stores and shop sales. I learned that I could buy bras pretty cheap on Amazon if I didn’t care what color they were.

Tops with a little stretch to them will last longer than a plain cotton top. If it’s slightly clingy but still wearable now, then it’ll be less clingy in a few months.

Get some belts. Belts are usually cheaper than pants.

If you can sew or have a good tailor, many things can be altered down a size or two.

Only buy a few things that you really need, and buy them in basic colors so you can mix and match. A few different cardigans, for example, can be paired with one t-shirt.

Don’t buy the expensive version of anything until you’ve been at your goal weight for a few months. My bra style still changed a little in the few months after I started maintenance.

Or you can just do as I did: run a lot of races and then live in race t-shirts for a few months

YES! I only had one belt in my old clothes and only one pair of my pants and one capris had loops. So annoying I paid attention to that this time, and got a new belt. Hopefully that will help!

I actually have a pair of black pants at size 18 that were too long and I was planning to take in, maybe I can have them taken in at the same time when I need "new" pants.... (They were still in the bag! Disorganization.....)

I've honestly just been living in sports bras and that may continue. I've always been a weird size and my ribs are really sensitive so I detest underwire.

Crafty_camper123 wrote: »

I've been shopping clearance sales, or buying things on Amazon. I had to ground myself from ordering amazon though, until my size is more permanent. I have bought new pants at thrift stores too, but often times I find things brand new on clearance for the price that a lot of thrift stores are selling worn items for. The key is trying to shop "off season" for the things you want. Retail is always a month or two ahead of what the actual season is. So like right now, "Fall" merchandise is coming in to stores and they are beginning to clearance out "summer" merchandise. Which is great because there is plenty of summer left. The spring stuff is 60% (or more) off already, so you can find "spring colored" long sleeve shirts, or "spring" jeans. My most recent find was a $40 pair of ankle crops for like 16 bucks. Sears and Kohl's usually has really great clearance. I was just in at Kohl's and they were selling all their spring sweaters for 80% off (I think).

ETA: It is really easy to get excited and go a little nuts with the new in-between clothes. I can not offer much advise on this, except to try and pick clothes that will still look good as they get a little loose.

Ooo Amazon is too scary for me, I won't order online unless I've tried that store's clothes on before. What I got was definitely the 60% off Spring/Summer clearance I got some pretty neat sales. A $100 blazer was like $30 and $40 tops were like $10. So at least I didn't go nuts at full price

pinuplove wrote: »

Another non-thrift store shopper here. I too shop sales and 'off-season' and have lived with a very basic, limited wardrobe while losing. I've started buying a few more things now that I'm closing in on maintenance but still not going crazy. I usually had 2-pairs of work slacks in basic colors (black/grey/tan) and a few shirts to rotate through with a couple of cardigans. For casual stuff, I had one pair of jeans at at a time that fit and a few t-shirts.

Have you lost out of your shoes yet? I'm having to replace all of those as well

Ah, you've been so smart about this!!! That sounds really practical.

Nope, but I actually wore them down this year. I've been just living in my running shoes (which were a little pinchier before but maybe I just got used to them), so I do need to get some too (wallet says ouch!). I'll have to get a pair of work/school shoes and winter boots can be a little roomy so that's fine. But that's probably all I'll do. I still have my dress-up shoes from prom (nearly 8 years ago now lol) that I trot out whenever I need to be Extra Fancy.

kshama2001 wrote: »

I work from home, in my pjs until lunchtime, when I change into exercise clothes

THE DREAM

collectingblues wrote: »

I'm another "nope, not doing thrift" person. For me, I replace as absolutely needed. So dresses and shirts that are slightly big? Not replaced. Dresses where I look like I'm playing dressup in someone else's clothes, or with an event where I need to look like I'm wearing my A Game? Replaced as I need something.

Pants are replaced when it becomes physically impossible to wear them. So baggy on the hips is fine. Falling down when I put them on? Not fine, and time to replace.

collectingblues wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

A seamstress can usually tailor your clothes for two sizes. Past two sizes, you need new clothes. Buy basic clothes that can be tailored. Some people do well at second hand and goodwill shops -- buying inexpensive clothes that you will wear for a short period.

This. I kept a small pile of high-end clothes that I really want to have altered -- and I'll readjust them when I get to a size and weight where I'm mostly happy. But for the run-of-the-mill Ann Taylor, J Crew, etc. type stuff, I'll just donate them -- it would cost more to rebuild them than it would to buy new.

Yes my pants were pretty much impossible to wear. They were supposed to be a higher waist pant and sit at the belly button or just below, and I'd be walking around at work yanking them up every 2 minutes because they were barely holding onto my hips. I thought they would have slid off in a couple pounds. Definitely cursed the lack of belt loops. So glad most of my new stuff has them!!

I actually still have some really fancy designer clothes my mom bought me back in high school when all of my cousins were getting married and I'd have a formal every year. Some of it was too small even then and never worn. We planned to get them altered because they were so gorgeous, but never got around to it. Some things do need to get passed on like the formal dresses I will literally have zero occasion to wear ever again, but the cute silk skirts maybe can be "goal" items haha

I'm definitely thinking I should just pass on those dress pants now. I have lots of new pants in my current size that don't need altering. Most of my old clothes were too worn out to be of use to anyone, but maybe someone can see them as a good thrift find idk. I don't know anyone at a size 18 so I can't just give them to someone

debrakgoogins wrote: »

I took advantage of local consignment shops. That way, I could sell the clothes I was outgrowing and buy new-to-me at a lower price. Rinse and repeat. When you reach your final goal, buy new clothes - truly new clothes.

See, consignment stores I always thought were designer-vintage and small sizes only. They always look so intimidating! I didn't realize they would take clothes too.