What to do with my Clothes???

Overcomer2019
Overcomer2019 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a full wardrobe of clothes that don't fit. In fact, most of what I own is too small. I have it because I either bought it to wear it when I lost weight or gained weight and it doesn't fit. I'm going to put just the clothes that fit me in my closet and I'm not sure what to do with the rest of them. I'm going to donate what I did not wear and no longer want, but do I hold on to the clothes that are too small? I know clothes are so expensive and some pieces I can't wait to wear again. I also know a new wardrobe sounds very exciting. And I will be honest....I'm currently a 2x....I have everything from 3x to size 12 (goal pants).

So what should I do with my clothes?

Replies

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    If you want to donate them, look for community groups that give clothes directly to the needy rather than for-profit thrift stores like Goodwill.

    If they are in good shape and still stylish, and you have patience, look for consignment stores who will sell them for you for a percentage of the sale price.
  • Overcomer2019
    Overcomer2019 Posts: 8 Member
    edited January 2019
    I'm hoping to find someone I can give them to directly. If not, they will go to a local secondhand store where mentally handicapped people work and the proceeds benefit a woman's shelter.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Overcomer2019 wrote: »
    I'm hoping to find someone I can give them to directly. If not, they will go to a local secondhand store where mentally handicapped people work and the proceeds benefit a woman's shelter.

    My local community center gives the clothes to the needy including the women's shelter. They also have a room with nothing but the better stuff where any homeless or needy who have a job interview can pick out appropriate clothing. If they get the job, they can pick out a few outfits to get them through the first weeks until they get paychecks and can buy their own clothes.
  • wmweeza
    wmweeza Posts: 319 Member
    I donated all my clothes to our local community charity. It's a small town (2 stoplights only) and they give some of the clothes to their needy clients, the rest is sold to get money so they can buy what the charity needs. I am good with that! plus in a tiny town like this they are often overlooked by larger charity groups
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i donated all mine. let friends have first dibs, donate the rest.
  • tibby1971
    tibby1971 Posts: 25 Member
    I donated a lot of mine but I have a couple pairs of “goal” pants that I have hanging next to my treadmill for motivation
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
    Donate.
  • vanityy99
    vanityy99 Posts: 2,583 Member
    I donate to a thrift store that donates to churches
  • Go4health9
    Go4health9 Posts: 27 Member
    Donate to shelters that aren’t as common! For example women’s violent shelters. A lot of them leave without anything and clothes can go a long way.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    I echo the suggestion of donating your clothes, though Goodwill isn't a for-profit organization, they're a 501(c)(3). That said, if you choose donate to something like a shelter, please ask them what they need before going to drop off your clothes. Don't be surprised if you find organizations that don't accept used clothes.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Although Goodwill "makes money” on selling goods that were donated, they use that money to create training programs to help the disabled become employed. I bought and donated several wardrobes worth of clothes to Goodwill while going from size 3x to M.
  • IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
    IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt Posts: 695 Member
    When I was my heaviest, I held on to a few pieces that were too small for me, but donated most of it. The items I kept I really really loved, even if I never fit into them again. When I lost weight and finally fit into my favorite blouse, it was a surreal moment. Otherwise, holding onto clothes that were too small and probably wouldn’t be in fashion in the future made me feel more depressed than motivated. Having too small of clothes cluttering up my closet space reminded me more of the failure of gaining, so it was a relief to donate them.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,357 Member
    When I lost all my weight, I took my big baggy shirts and made them into cute tops. I have a ton of clothes that are too small right now, but I plan on getting back into them. I use my favorite outfit when I was at my smallest as a way to keep myself motivated for my goals.
  • asochable
    asochable Posts: 43 Member
    edited January 2019
    You can list your own clothes and sell them on Poshmark.com! Take photos and set the price and people can put in offers etc. The nice part is they won’t all sell at once so you would still have your smaller clothes so if they do fit again down the road you can decide if you want to keep them and wear them and then take them off your Poshmark page. I’ve sold a lot of clothes on there and also bought some great new stuff still with the tags on there!

    If something doesn’t sell after a period of time, I’ll donate it. But it’s nice to get a few $$ off it!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    for sure throw away or donate any clothes that are too big..and as you lose weight donate or throw out the clothes that just became too small. It is a symbolic commitment that you'll never get that big again, When you keep them. you're basically telling yourself you can always regain and have something to wear.

    Why would you get rid of smaller clothes that are your goal clothes? I could understand getting rid of a super small unrealistic size.. like size 0-6,,,but being a size 12 is pretty normal. I'd keep those hang them on your door and be inspired to stay on tack.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Just chiming in that I could understand wanting to just start fresh, if one can afford it, rather than keeping the smaller items.

    I never liked keeping clothes when I put on weight, because it made me feel that I had failed. When I joined MFP and was steadily losing weight, I started buying a few smaller "goal" items but it never really seemed to work out for me when I did that. Either I would skip a size (i.e., went from size 16 jeans to size 12 and the 14s never worked) or I'd lose in a different way so the "goal item" did not fit properly. This especially happened for me as I went from being more of a pear to hourglass shape. I had to find different cuts in dresses that would flatter my body, but realized a lot of dresses did not provide the right fit for my bust when I wore smaller sizes at the waist, or they sagged in some areas. Same with tops, at times.

    I love the idea of donating or selling clothes and just starting over. In my "journey" (hate that term because it seems overdramatic), I have done a lot of both. At one point, I had a garage sale at my home and advertised it online with specific sizes and brands I was selling. I made a few hundred bucks in a couple of hours and it was all to about a dozen ladies who showed up that morning. I do think my situation was a bit unique in that my town is large enough for that sort of turnout but it's not a big city where I would be overwhelmed by customers.

    Good luck!

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    I found that when I lost weight I didn't want to fit back into clothes from five or ten years ago, because they were subtly out-of-style, and also because my attitudes, body shape, and clothing preferences had changed over that time. I kept a few pieces which had strong emotions attached to them, donated the rest, and enjoyed updating my wardrobe. The upside is that now all my clothes work together.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    asochable wrote: »
    You can list your own clothes and sell them on Poshmark.com! Take photos and set the price and people can put in offers etc. The nice part is they won’t all sell at once so you would still have your smaller clothes so if they do fit again down the road you can decide if you want to keep them and wear them and then take them off your Poshmark page. I’ve sold a lot of clothes on there and also bought some great new stuff still with the tags on there!

    If something doesn’t sell after a period of time, I’ll donate it. But it’s nice to get a few $$ off it!

    I love Poshmark! Also a great place to buy clothes inexpensively to tide you over in those halfway sizes.
  • karenvandam
    karenvandam Posts: 23 Member
    I am going to offer a different point of view. After losing some weight, I packed up my "fat clothes" into a bin and stored it in my closet. I only kept the clothes that were not worn out and would be rather classic styles. When my life circumstances changed and I gained the weight back, I was relieved to still have those clothes. I felt like I could wear them until I was able to lose again and not waste a lot of money buying a new wardrobe for my heavier figure. That would have been depressing! Likewise, I saved most of my "skinny clothes" and was able to use them again as I lost the weight.

    I know we are all supposed to change our eating habits for life and never regain the weight, but it seems that many of us cycle back and forth depending on life and health situations. I advocate for keeping some of the off-size clothes in storage (out of sight so they aren't on your mind all the time, and assuming you have space to do this) for those fluctuations. It could save you lots of money in the long run.

    As for buying clothes in smaller sizes for "inspiration," I would say skip it. I agree with the previous poster who said you'd shape can change in ways you don't expect. Save yourself the money and frustration!
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,734 Member
    karenvandam wrote: »
    I am going to offer a different point of view. After losing some weight, I packed up my "fat clothes" into a bin and stored it in my closet. I only kept the clothes that were not worn out and would be rather classic styles. When my life circumstances changed and I gained the weight back, I was relieved to still have those clothes. I felt like I could wear them until I was able to lose again and not waste a lot of money buying a new wardrobe for my heavier figure. That would have been depressing! Likewise, I saved most of my "skinny clothes" and was able to use them again as I lost the weight.

    I know we are all supposed to change our eating habits for life and never regain the weight, but it seems that many of us cycle back and forth depending on life and health situations. I advocate for keeping some of the off-size clothes in storage (out of sight so they aren't on your mind all the time, and assuming you have space to do this) for those fluctuations. It could save you lots of money in the long run.

    As for buying clothes in smaller sizes for "inspiration," I would say skip it. I agree with the previous poster who said you'd shape can change in ways you don't expect. Save yourself the money and frustration!

    Thank you for this. As someone who donated 7 bags of clothes after hitting a long enough plateau, I ended up gaining 30 lbs back.

    Even if you do sell or donate the clothes that don't fit anymore, at least keep some things you wouldn't part with if they still fit. *kitten* happens. You might need them.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i dont keep things any larger than one size up.

    if i have to buy BIGGER clothes, theres an issue i need to address, and rapidly. I havent gained back any of my weight, and maintained for 3 years. People use excuses such as 'life' but we all have 'life'. in the 5 years (2 active weight loss and 3 maintenance), i was caregiver to my husband and grandparents, left my husband, my grandparents (who raised me) died, found my ex dead, met a new guy, moved a total of 5 times, bought a house, had several jobs, got married. and i have kids, too. Thats LIFE. i maintained instead of lost for 3 years because MOST of that chaos was in a 3 year time period LOL.

    anyways, everyone does whats best for them. for me, i give it all away, in one form or another. Some people want to keep larger sizes on hand, others don't. do whatever is right, and feels right, to YOU.

    most of my clothes that i purchased as i lost weight, came from thrift stores. I have an AWESOME wardrobe. It is a great way to get new (sometimes literally, with tags) clothes at a fraction of the price. Even the formal wear I have was second hand through poshmark or thredup. ive been in a clothes buying mood lately, but am forcing myself to wait until im down a jeans size, since im actively losing again LOLOL

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Overcomer2019 wrote: »
    I'm hoping to find someone I can give them to directly. If not, they will go to a local secondhand store where mentally handicapped people work and the proceeds benefit a woman's shelter.

    I've used freecycle.org to give to people directly.

    I've taken better items to consignment shops and when I just wanted to get the whole process over with donated to thrift stores.

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