How did you learn you were ready to break completely out of the Plus sized places? I bet it was a great feeling. I am in the second to the smallest (been here b4) but I am so looking forward to not looking back-ever. I do however shop OldNavy+Gap now but I did buy a couple things from Torrids recently). I was curious of your changing over to the real world of sizing stories.
I'm one of those people who refused to shop at plus size stores even though I needed to. I would buy clothes at Walmart where it's all kind of mashed in there together. I knew I'd be better off shopping in plus size stores because the clothing is so much nicer and more flattering, but I wouldn't do it. When my 18s finally got too big (I had needed 20s at my high weight but wouldn't buy them and just worse stretchy yoga pants all the time instead), I got the courage to get 16s at Target in the "regular" women's section. THEY FIT! I was so excited!! I think that was in late May or early June. Every new size I go down brings an new excitement. Such a rush!
It was a strange transition for me; I felt like a fraud. I had been overweight most of my life and morbidly obese for twenty years so all I really knew was plus size. I felt like I didn't belong in regular stores.
It just took me some time to adjust but then I really enjoyed the increased selection and lower prices.
The transition was horrible for me because clothes fit so much differently. I used to 'sneak' into the misses department. I felt like a fraud being there but I remember trying on a 14/16 shirt at Lane Bryant and swimming in it. It wasn't an option any more.
I wore plus size because I had to , nothing else would fit. They are unattractive, expensive and matronly and I was stuck with that being my only choice. When I had lost a lot of weight I needed a dress to wear to a wedding, I automatically went to the Queen Size department, the clerk told me, kindly, that I was in the wrong section. Another occaision I picked a top and the clerk asked if it was for me and told me it was too big, She was right. I had to learn to select smaller sizes as it was all foreign to me.
I lost 38 lbs and still wore the same size 18 W pants, however, baggy! I hated clothes shopping as I hated the patterns, designs, the the fit! My husband finally came home with two-$100 gift certificate as he was tired of seeing the crotch of my pants down around my knees! I went to these stores with him kicking and screaming. I didn't want to feel humiliated if I couldn't fit into regular size clothing. I was so thrilled when I tried on regular size 14 jeans and they fit! I didn't even have to suck it in to zip them up! Size 12, here I come!
Man, as soon as my 18s got too big, I BEELINED it to the regular section! I've had fun with it ever since. I love shopping and it has really become a problem, lol.
I straddled the plus and regular section for about 5 years, so I just shopped in both sections. I fell in love with Torrid though, and got really good at shopping sales and getting some stylish clothes from them. I always got compliments from thinner women about the clothes I was wearing!
I knew it was time to move on when I started comfortably fitting into the 0s and 12s at Torrid—the very bottom of their size range. The day I managed to fit into a size 10 I REALLY knew it was time to move on and I started shopping exclusively in the regular section.
you know i sooooooo love the style of clothes where i shop now (ts14+) that i don't think i am going to change brands when i am smaller!!..lol..lol..i know strange but true!!...cheers liz
As soon as I could squeeze my bum into a size 16 pair of pants and xl shirts, I booked it into regular stores...
My shape never quite fit the plus-sized clothes...everything was so baggy, like Im built like a sack of potatos or something. And shiny...so many shiney shirts 0.o...I was happy to get out..currently sit at a size 12 but i'm trying to work my way into a size 10...
I straddled the plus and regular section for about 5 years, so I just shopped in both sections. I fell in love with Torrid though, and got really good at shopping sales and getting some stylish clothes from them. I always got compliments from thinner women about the clothes I was wearing!
I knew it was time to move on when I started comfortably fitting into the 0s and 12s at Torrid—the very bottom of their size range. The day I managed to fit into a size 10 I REALLY knew it was time to move on and I started shopping exclusively in the regular section.
sontaikle, I guess I have more than one size to go at Torrids (currenly 18) wow. What places in regular sizzes would you consider to be like torrids? They are different -in a good way. Great job moving out of that category though.
I'm one of those people who refused to shop at plus size stores even though I needed to. I would buy clothes at Walmart where it's all kind of mashed in there together. I knew I'd be better off shopping in plus size stores because the clothing is so much nicer and more flattering, but I wouldn't do it. When my 18s finally got too big (I had needed 20s at my high weight but wouldn't buy them and just worse stretchy yoga pants all the time instead), I got the courage to get 16s at Target in the "regular" women's section. THEY FIT! I was so excited!! I think that was in late May or early June. Every new size I go down brings an new excitement. Such a rush!
LockitUp, the reular size clothes at target looks cute. Did you get to build a new wardrobe or are you still heading down before gettin more? To me the rewards are fun. Great work btw, I saw your photos from your goal posts. You look like a whole new person.
For me it wasn't until my clothes started falling off of me. I didn't even know I was a size 14 until I went to go try on clothes, so I totally skipped wearing size 16. I'm not sure if it was denial or that I was shopping for size 20 and 18 for so long but I just couldn't believe I was a 14 so I went bought a lot of clothes that are now too big for me.
On my wall next to my monitor I have the tag from my first pair of size 14 pants. It may sound a little strange, but I see it all day every day and it serves as a reminder to keep pushing.
As of now I am currently on the higher end of size 12 and decided to just buy strechy clothes (leggings etc.) until I reach a size 10 and this plan is working for me since I've been dropping a dress size every 2 months or so.
It took me awhile to get out of size 16 in general as size 16W and regular 16 are completely different sizes. It's really like dropping a size without seeing a number change, which is lame and quite demotivating.
I was probably in the 16w around 210s and in 16 in the mid 190s. 16 to 14 went pretty quickly though, so once you get over that plus size transition hump, it goes much faster.
I'm definitely out of the plus size section now, which is nice, but odd - because I don't know where any of it is in stores, so I have to relearn where everything is again, and there's SO MUCH of it. Usually in plus size there's a few racks, but now there's aisles and aisles of stuff that I have to search through.
Shopping in regular-sized stores is still strange for me even after 2ish years of being sized out of the plus sized stores. I was never not obese so I never really considered the regular stores and now the world of clothes is infinite. Before, I knew Torrid jackets and tops, Old navy dresses, camis and cardigans, Lane bryant pants worked for me. It was easy to shop online because it was limited. Now the stores are unlimited as are the fits so it's a lot more trial and error than it used to be.
Basically, I learned I was ready to break from plus size clothing around a size 12 because I more or less had to. I always dressed up and don't wear a lot of stretchy pants so it was kind of obvious when clothes were too big. Even as a size 6, i feel conspicuous taking regular-sized clothing of the racks, but I'm not going to go nekkid. My style hasn't changed that much, I just have to work harder to find the things I like because there's sooooo much more choice.
Those that nolonger need plus sized shops ?
