When do you buy new clothes?

hmarch77 · July 2012

I have found myself needing a whole new entire wardrobe with my weight loss. I was the biggest I have ever been in my life at 312 lbs (size 26-28 pants) as of Jan 1st, 2012 and now I am in a size 18 comfortably and at 229 lbs. I would still like to lose another 70+ lbs to get to my ultimate weight goal of 155lbs.
For me, and like others responding, I shop at thrift stores and consignment shops. I found a thrift store I love and go weekly. They always have specials going on as well like 50 or 75% off certain color tags. I have bought enough clothes in my size now to get me through, but since I am losing the weight at a steady pace, I have bought sizes smaller so I will work that much harder to get into them. Right now I have some size 16's that I cannot get into, but since they were so cheap I went ahead and bought them. Every couple weeks I try on the smaller sizes to see where I stand. Once I am able to start wearing the 16's I will shop for 14's and so on.
At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I was telling myself, "Maybe I should keep my bigger clothes just in case I get back up there again". So I asked my daughter if I should keep them. She said Absolutely NO! She said if you keep them then that is just an excuse for you to not lose the weight. Then she asked me if I wanted to be that big again. I said no. She then go rid of the clothes for me:) I have great support from my daughter as well as MFP.

Keep up the good work everyone!!!! I love reading these success stories.

serenity216 · July 2012

My goal is to lose 60 pounds and I am -25 right now. Until I am at my goal weight and am in maintenance, I get clothes from Thrift stores of clearance racks (with the exception of underclothes). I personally can't afford to pay full price for clothes that will fit me for a limited amount of time.

ipsamet · July 2012

I kind of cycle through my clothes. When I go to the store and buy something new I buy it in the size that fits me now. Then I get rid of something that is falling off. But I didn't go out and buy a whole new wardrobe everytime I changed sizes.

This exactly. I make things stretch as far as I can (literally.. I heart my jeggings), but every once in a while I need to buy a new piece, but it's never a whole new wardrobe. That being said, some times I do splurge on a few new shirts or something because it DOES make me feel good to have stuff that fits!

julie9200 · July 2012

I've been buying a few essential pieces for work as I drop sizes, but I do most of my shopping at thrift stores or on the clearance rack. I simply can't afford to pay full price for clothes that I hope to only wear for a short while since I'm still losing. Each time I buy something in a smaller size, I try get rid of something (or 2 or 3 somethings) in bigger sizes.

allirep · July 2012

save money if you like - but don't buy something just because it fits.

is the point of getting fit to feel better about yourself?

buy at least one outfit that makes you feel like a million dollars. do it. trust me (and these other folks). the body you have today is also worth celebrating.

buying new clothes will not deter you from continuing on your weight loss journey. actually, it is usually pretty motivating.

WandRsmom · July 2012

This is a great Q. I have HAD to buy some stuff. I am a 6 pant now and was a 14 in Dec. NONE of my old pants fit, at all, although I try to wear them still. I am the mother of two my girls get everything, to buy for myself is very very strange for me.
I have found the Old Navy clearance rack to be great! $3-10 pants do the trick until I am done losing. I have also checked Goodwill but nothing really there so far. I figure I will buy a large amount and maybe better quality stuff when I feel I am maintaining rather then losing but I have not yet hit that point, so I keep it cheap and only buy what NEEDS to be bought. I also bought a good belt in a size smaller than I needed. I made my own hole at first, and now am on the third one (store made)

. A good belt can help alot.

Christi6604 · July 2012

I've lost 70 so far...if I waited people would be laughing at me. lol. I've been buying them all along, but at thrift stores. Also, sometimes it's nice to get something that almost fits and then you get a mini celebration when it fits well the next time you try it.

sweetpea129 · July 2012

Depending on your old stuff, maybe you can sell it. I just sold 3 pairs of jeans on ebay. They were gap jeans and a pair of designer jeans but i made $30. Not tons but i can use that towards another 2 pair of jeans!

carolynirene · July 2012

If you need jeans this won't work BUT buy a couple of summer dresses! You'll look better in them than you did before and you can lose weight (esp tummy weight) without needing to size down.

Saskenn · July 2012

Resale shops are my bestfriend right now. I buy "new" items, and don't spend alot of money, so as I'm losing weight, I don't feel bad when I have to get rid of the bigger clothing, I just donate them back to the resale stores, basically recycling clothes.

romanticfae · July 2012

ebay is amazing hun
buy some new things and sell the old ones :")

jordan_beccam20 · November 2012

I have officially lost 32 lbs and haven't bought any clothes to replace my old ones. Most of my jeans are litterally falling off of me. In jeans i was a size 19 but now i'm working on a size 14/15. It makes me feel good when i find something else I don't fit into...as well as frustrated. But soon the frustration goes away because i find something i haven't fit in since i was a sophomore in high school (almost 4 years ago).
I'm putting off buying clothes because it's so expensive. My mother promised that when i reached my goal she would help me pay for them. I love my mother

nturner612 · November 2012

why buy new when used will do? i only shop at consigment shops...ok lie. i get stuff at real store BUT only if they are are on sale..and by sale i mean like under $10 and I have plenty of clothes.

wanda9501 · November 2012

I started getting clothes at the Goodwill. You can find a lot of good stuff there. I started with an 18, bought 16, then 14 and have some 12s already. When they get too big I give them back. They have dollar day on Thursdays. I still have a ways to go, not sure how far. Good luck.

I do the same thing, went today and got 2 new pair of jeans, 2 sweaters, a purse, blouse and dress for my daughter all for $48. When they get to big will will give them to the local homeless shelter and go back for more. Where I live you can get jeans for $6, sweaters for $5, you can't beat that especially if you know your not going to be wearing them long. Good luck on your journey!

thecrass · November 2012

Ive lost a fair bit now and dont have much to go and for most of my new clothes im going to hold out till after christmas but ive had to get new jeans 3 times now and some new tshirts and boxers all cause wearing xl tshirts when your M you look like you have an illness, and even with a belt my jeans were slipping down, and im not gonna be one of those folk wearing there jeans under there bums :-P

but id say go ahead you will feel better getting new stuff and feeling if fit better and it gives you a boost :-) also well done :-)

Also ebay is my friend now, add stuff to your watching and if it goes really cheap get it if now oh well, and the shops also have a gr8 selection on it (i work shifts getting to go clothes shopping is a pain) and online deals, always been stuck with black tshirts before to hide my size but finally no longer anything will do :-)

newcs · November 2012

I'm wondering the same. I've been at my goal weight for a couple months but now that I'm working out, my shape is changing and I've been dropping inches from my waist/hips still. My issue is that I'm super picky and only wear one type of pants for work (Express Editor pants) and they're expensive. I've been wearing a belt but I'm at the last hole on the belt and the waist of the pants are all bunched up from trying to tighten them enough to keep them from falling off lol. Finally going to suck it up and just buy a couple pairs in the current size (once I find out what that is!) when a good coupon rolls around.

Hertford86 · November 2012

Unless money is no object, (there are people, no doubt, who can afford a whole new wardrobe ever six months . . .) I'd go to Goodwill/Salvation Army/consignment stores for "transitional" sizes, or at least for the occasional treat while you're waiting. Whatever your budget you should be able to have something that really fits your new self. If you're squeamish about second-hand clothes, just go have a look - you might be surprised.

squishyjenn · November 2012

I buy my in-between clothes (from now to goal weight) at discount stores and clothing donation stores like Goodwill. There is a few Savers in town here which are all donated clothing so as I go down pant sizes I buy from there if I can, though I am also a tall girl with long legs and a large frame so it's difficult but when you find that perfect size for 30 dollars cheaper than you would have gotten at a department store and you'll need smaller pants in a month or two, why not?

Edited to add- 2 years ago when I started this (and am now back after a year gone) I bought a pair of designer, tag-on /gorgeous/ pair of 98 dollar jeans at Savers for just 13 dollars. They are so beautiful and they are /so/ small! I don't know if I'll ever fit in them but I really hope I do. I also bought a few other things, shirts, dresses, all for very cheap and all within my goal weight (hopefully). It's great and cheap motivation!

coolraul07 · November 2012

I'd like to buy 'interim' clothes at Goodwill, et. al., but I've been in hard-to-fit sizes my entire adult life. Not many 34-36" inseam pants are to be found in regular retail stores, let alone thrift consignment shops. As a matter of fact, I'm hard to fit at Casual XL Big and Tall (B&T) where I normally shop. Without fail, I can never find more than one pair of pants my size in any given style on-site. Fortunately I have the option to buy what they have on-site and place an in-store order for extras.

Suffice it to say, since B&T clothes cost a premium, I'll be waiting as long as I can before buying replacements.

catti41 · November 2012

i've been making sure my inbetween clothes have elastic waists. means they will last a bit longer as i can get a slightly smaller size and shrink into it.
get rid of the clothes that are too big, unless like me you've only worn them once or twice and can get you some $$ if you list them on ebay! But hide them at the back of your cupboard until you list them; dont get tempted to fit back into them!

When do you buy new clothes?

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