Like I said in another post, I filled up seven bags of clothes that are too big.
It then occured to me that I am not going to have ANY winter clothes that fit! I think my coat will be too big, too. I live in NJ, so a winter coat is definitely necessary. All my sweaters were of the long, baggy variety.
I want to get away with buying as little as possible to get through fall/winter cause it will be a transition size. I know it's a weird thing to think about it July, but I'm a planner.
What do you get for bare basics of clothes you will only wear for one season? I don't need dressy clothes for work, thank goodness.
Any ideas are appreciated. I plan to shop in Ross, Target, K-mart, Walmart, etc to spend as little as possible.
Also, does anyone know somewhere to donate business clothes? I have two suits and a few nice blouses. I'd love to give them to some kind of organization for women getting back into the job market.
With a nice-fitting black blazer and a good looking black sweater, you probably can stretch most of your summer career ware into into fall, at least. That's what I do.
I have a basic wardrobe of five or six career casual dresses that I wear three seasons. A pair of capri/leggings and a couple of big, nice sweaters for cold days when I have to walk outside from building to building. That's about it, really. I don't change my clothing style very often. I find a dress I like the fit/feel of and buy three of them in different colors. Then wear them each week until they wear out. Then replace them.
Hmm.. I guess I'm not the best person to be giving fashion advice...
I usually just get a pair or two of jeans that fit, and then add several different shirts. Even if my jeans size goes down, I can usually get more wear out of the shirts. Also at Wal-Mart I got a couple of those knit dresses that were only about $9 and I can also wear those through a couple of size changes. I always have one pair of jeans that are the next size down in my closet and those are my Motivational Pants. I try them on about once a week until they fit.
My all time favorite is a long sleeved button up collared shirt in any color you like! Great for the winter under a blazer or on its own... also great in the Summer (roll up the sleeves and tie the shirt)..
Some of the "gently used" clothing stores offer great bargains. As for donating work clothes, try organizations that sponsor women's shelters. Women going into shelters usually have to leave their homes only with the clothes on their backs. I know in our area, business-type clothes are always needed.
You can contact the churches in your area, Sherry. They will know where to give the clothes to the women seeking them to re-enter the working world. That is what I did when I lost the weight while on phentermine. Our churches in our city have formed a group altogether & they work out of their own office downtown.
As for sales, I don't know if you have a Kohl's department store near you, but they're having a huge sale right now. I got my new bathrobe for $8.
I was also in Lane Bryant tonight & got a short black knit skirt for $9. You know how much I loathe LB, but they actually had cute stuff today. they have a huge clearance rack for 60% off, some of those shirts & skirts you could take into the fall.
Hmmmm....if you are having to buy work clothes, I would probably buy a pair of dark slacks, a pair of khaki slacks, a dark skirt, and five coordinating blouses. That should only set you back maybe $130 at most.
I don't have to dress up for work, I have a uniform, but I do have to wear street clothes for school and stuff. I was thinking about it the other day, because I've given most of my winter clothes that were too big away. I have a few short sleeved or 3/4 length sleeve shirts that I know will work for the winter as long as I have a warm enough coat. I will probably invest in a couple of pairs of jean. I went out this summer and bought a whole bunch of new clothes because none of my others fit anymore, and I bought mostly things that I could wear in the winter too (except for the pants). Do you have a Name Brand Clothing there?? if you do they usually have really cheap clothes that are brand new, you just have to be careful because the reason they are so cheap is because they have a few flaws, mostly flaws that can be fixed though. If you have an NBC there then I would suggest looking there because it's so cheap.
basic wardrobe!
