Ok this is embarrassing to admit but you know how when you have a lot of weight to lose you go through awkward periods of your pants not fitting (being too baggy) but you don't really want to go out and buy new pants since they (hopefully) soon will be too big as well? I know I have a lot of sizes to go down and don't want to buy new clothes for every size so anyway I dug out my Bella Band that I wore when I was pregnant and it helps a ton to keep my slightly baggy pants up.

I'm not sure what a Bella Band is (I'm not a mom yet), but I think it sounds like a great idea! I'm also an advocate of recycled clothes: sometimes thrift stores have great deals on clothes that have barely been worn! That way, you get to have clothes that you feel good in without having to spend loads of $$$.

I know some of the weight loss surgery support sites have a clothes swap thing where people will trade clothes who are in different sizes. Maybe we should look into doing something like that. Maybe if someone has a pair of pants to give someone who is in that size you already passed up. I know not everyone would be for that, but it's an idea. It seemed to work well for my friend that had the lap band.

i go to op shops for my clothes atm .. its doesnt really matter if my tops are baggy but my bottoms are falling off .. lmao and that is not good at all so i go and buy second hand for about $2 a piece. bring them home run them through the wash with nappy sanitiser and im ready to go

I am a thrift store junky! Goodwill, consignment - I shop all those. I bought 2 pairs of pants and a sweater that look new for only $12 total!!
I swear that once I reach goal, I will still shop at these places for those super bargains!

It always does sound like a good idea, and has been tried before. But it tends not to work out (someone doesn't exchange or whatnot) and people get upset and get their feelings hurt. So, we recommend you use your local thrift stores/goodwill instead!

Ok, yeah I didn't know how it would go here. Just brainstorming a little. I am new. Thanks for letting me know. There are a ton of thrift stores around me, I am almost ready to go down a size. I think I can use my current jeans for a little bit longer haha.

Thrift stores are the way to go when you are losing.
They are also a great way to pass along some of your clothes that you have moved out of.

In fact I'd have to say thrift stores are always my favorite clothing stores

I wish I had this problem, but it will be a long time before I have to look for smaller pants.

I shop the clearance pages at Roaman's, Woman Within, and bcoutlet online alot. BCOutlet is the last chance clearance site for Woman Within (formerly Lane Bryant), Roaman's, Jessica London and other Redcat owned stores. Because at my size, I don't find much in the thriftshops (more in Wisconsin than in Illinois. I don't know if there are more fat people here, or just better dressed fat people).

I check bcoutlet daily, and the other websites clearances about weekly because the deals can be ridiculous. I've been wanting tights since winter began, but didn't want to pay full price. I bought 6 pairs in 3 different colors for less than $12. The full price was almost $17 for 2 pairs. I've been needing a bathrobe, and they periodically go on sale for less than $10, but I haven't caught the websites at the right times. Even checking daily, stuff in my size goes very fast, often while I'm shopping. I'll put it in my shopping cart, and by the time I check out it's gone. I check the maternity page too, because although I'm not and have never been pregnant, I've found some amazing sales in my size that don't look like maternity wear (I did pass on the cute t with a giant pastel stork on the front - though I considered it for jammies).

Last week at Woman Within, I bought two jumper dresses for $8.88 each, and $6 shipping. one in brown and one in blue denim. I never would have bought or worn them in Illinois (too grade school teacher), but they're pretty popular here - I think it's the winter layering thing).

Aside from buying REALLY cheap, I've been buying clothes that can transition several sizes. Elastic waists are nice, and I love drawstrings when I can find them in styles that aren't really stupid. A personal pet peeve is the "decorative" non-functional drawstring on some pants. In the catalog I'll spot the string and then find out it's not really a drawstring - why on earth would anyone want a "fake" drawstring. Like any fat girl is going to tuck in her blouse to display the stupid little bow.

I ordered some sweaters from Jessica London last week, I should get them soon. I found a coupon online for buy two items get one free. So I used that for the sweaters. I am going to check out bcoutlet right now.

And kaplods, you are too funny with the drawstring thing, I totally agree.

Great idea Liz!!

kap
Thought I would let you know this. This summer I had to have a couple of outfits. Everything I had was to big. We went to the store and found two shirts IDENTICAL one was a maternity shirt ( size L ) one WASN'T ( size L ). They were the same shirt lol, one had maternity on the label, one didn't. Hey, if you find something in the maternity section you like wear it, might be something just like it the regular section too.

Be very careful about elastic waists and draw string waists. Very easy to regain weight and not even notice it with clothes that have a lot of give. That is what I wore all the time. Now, no elastic or draw strings are allowed in my wardrobe except for exercise clothes.

That doesn't surprise me at all. When I got the maternity tops I ordered they weren't even cut overly generous in the stomache like you'd expect, and I'm thinking "now what exactly makes this a maternity t-shirt?" Now the pajamas I ordered were cut very differently - the tummy was cut VERY generously and I could have easily ordered a size smaller, but for jammies who cares.

Instead of donating to a thrift store, I donate to my local domestic violence safe house. The women who end up typically left home with absolutely nothing. I'd been told that they never have enough plus-size clothing donated, and that was the deciding factor for me. That's where my nice casual and work stuff ends up when I go down in sizes. If anybody wants to locate a local center, you can find one through the Hot Peach Pages, http://www.hotpeachpages.net/

Lisa