*

Not at goal yet (10 lbs to go ^__^), but I can already taste it. I didn't really use clothes as a motivator, I used money instead; nevertheless, I finally found myself faced with the prospect of having nothing to wear because everything was too big. In the blunt words of my sister: "You really need new clothes, look at that pair of jeans, it's so big it makes you look like you have a dick".

And yeah... It's hard not to go crazy on the clothes. I finally look decent in the kind of stuff I've been wanting to wear for the past few years, and I know I don't have many years of opportunities left to wear it (well, personally I don't care about "you need to change your style as soon as you turn 30", but something tells me that mini-skirts and punkish patterns won't exactly cut it when I'm finally a teacher ). Two things help me keeping it in check--the chronic lack of money and the fact that I'll likely have to buy smaller clothes again later on--and that's pretty much all. Hard, hard!

Hmmm, though I didn't realize it at the time, I bought a TON of new clothes. At the time I was living in Seattle and working part-time in a law office, so I needed business clothes. Then when I came home to Alaska, I went back to my regular job and its slightly-less-than-business-casual so I bought more. Since I've gained weight back, I put 95% of those clothes away (so I could see what I have to wear that does fit!) but keep out a few pieces so I can try them on as I lose. Once something gets too big, out it goes.... I'm so looking foward to doing more "shopping in my closet."

The only things left from my larger self to my smaller self were the very casual t-shirts and sweat shirts. Oh - and my socks. Had to buy all new underwear even, though I did that as I lost, one or two things at a time.

Ah, you posted while I was posting too, so to answer your question about the 'mistake': it was a reflex for me too at first. Somehow I managed to white-knuckle it. I still fancy black clothes, but it's mainly because I like the color, and it's also convenient for me (as a student in a small 1-room apartment, I don't have a washing-machine, and it'd be way too expensive for me if I had to wash my stuff in several passes just because I have too many different colors to take care of).

In fact, now I may even have the opposite reaction--I don't want to hear anything about "you can't wear that", "stripes are not flattering", "dots? you're brave!" or "are you sure that color isn't too bright for you?". Not that I'd wear any kind of really unfitting crap, of course! I just refuse to let anyone impose 'fat thinking' on me, especially when the kind of clothes that is 'recommended' make things worse (ooh, those 'comfort cuts' that make you look like you're hiding an elephant in your butt, no matter how much weight you've lost...).

I had a lot of smaller clothes packed away when I was losing, so as I went from a 28/30 down to 22 I didn't have to shop at all. I think I started shopping at around size 18/20, but I didn't buy a lot.

It's only been in the past year that I've started shopping at non-plus size stores, and the choices are overwhelming.

Interestingly, the first thing I notice was how much more choice there was in 22s and 24s. I swear when I was first "moving up" there were very few places to buy 24s. And then as I moved past it -- forget it! But I see so many places for them now.

But the choice in misses is amazing. I'm slowly venturing to new styles. I've found I can go to stores and just try on clothes to see what they look like on me! I've noticed I can wear my skirts shorter for one. Heck, I've discovered this summer that I can wear skirts in the summer! I always avoided that because without nylons my thighs rubbed too much... so this summer I've enjoyed it a lot. I have one jean skirt I wear at least once a week! But I feel I'm still in the exploration stage.

I haven't been convinced I was staying at any weight for a while, so I've become a mega-sale shopper. I hit some of the outlet stores -- especially the ones that really are outlets. So even though the choices are so much more, they really are still somewhat limited. That's been okay, though. It's kept my pocketbook happy, and it's not too too overwhelming.

I always loved shopping, even when I was heavy. Admittedly, I never quite made it to the plus size shops, I shopped at "regular" stores that carried up to size 16 or 18, and 16s were a tight squeeze at my heaviest. When I was that heavy I would get depressed while shopping because there were so many cute clothes that just didn't come big enough, so I shopped for other things instead -- shampoos, body lotions, stuff like that.

I was in grad school while I was losing and had basically no money, so any new clothes I bought came almost exclusively from the Old Navy clearance rack. As my old clothes got too big I packed them away into big trash bags and eventually dropped them at a donation center. Most of my current wardrobe was purchased more than six months after I hit goal -- when I started my current job and had real money. Now I get my clothes mostly from the Ann Taylor Loft sale racks (I find it so hard to pay full price for anything!).

What do I have left over from before? Some clothes I had kept from high school for unknown reasons that suddenly fit again, a bunch of shoes, some jackets and coats, and a couple dresses and skirts that I keep saying I'll have altered but never get around to it. And a bunch of spandex-y t-shirts that still fit since they were so stretchy that they had just stretched out to contain my fat.

As for style . . . I never really changed in terms of my taste. I never was really into wearing big baggy clothes -- I was one of those fat chicks who squeezed herself into the tiniest size possible to try to convince myself I wasn't as fat as I was. :P What has changed recently is that I catch myself at the store saying "That's cute, but it would never look good on me." I challenge myself to try on those clothes whenever I hear myself saying that, and you know what? Some of them do look good on me after all! Who knew?

Come to think of it, I actually wear slightly less revealing clothes now, at least in terms of cleavage. I don't think this has too much to do with fat vs thin as it does with teenager/college student vs. young professional.

Clothes are a passion again for me. What can I wear today that will show off my return to the old me? I love wearing my 4 new sexy sundresses. My shorts are really short and I'm even wearing a bikini again. I've also gotten adjusted to the low rise jeans as long as I'm wearing an XS top to show off my tiny waist. Otherwise, I just look hip-py.

For several years during my fat period, I wore cute little printed t-shirt dresses. Some of them even still fit, but are loose. But, I can't seem to wear them this summer because I associate them with being fat. My MIL even bought me a new long t-shirt dress because she knew how much I liked them in the past and I haven't been able to bring myself to try it one. It would fit, but it just won't show off my figure like I want to right now.

Even though most of my weight loss came because of a switch in medicines, I am proud of myself from avoiding temptation of eating sweets or trigger foods just because they were in front of me. I realize that I haven't worked at all compaired to the rest of you, but I have worked some and I'm enjoying showing it off.

My only problem is that I'm such a tiny person that I have trouble finding clothes that fit. The vanity sizing is a big pet peeve of mine.

It's August and I keep expecting to see fall clothes in the mall and in the windows in the streets of NYC, but mostly I'm seeing sundresses and cute summer tops.

Does anyone have an idea of what the styles are going to be this fall or what the seasons colors will be?

Jessica - now that I've lost any cleavage I ever had, I'm showing off my tiny boobs with really good fitting bras and very sexy sundresses and haulter tops. But then again, I work out of my house/apartment/sailboat so there's no need to dress for the office.

Well I am living in my size 6 shorts and all of a sudden my legs look great!!I also found these wonderful looking but very comfortable ankle strap shoes.
And I bought 3 new bikinis!!! I never thought I would wear bikinis again!!!
Whenever I think about not exercising or eating off my diet ( except for my once a week treat day) I just think about the thrill of walking around in my shorts.
I work from home but it sure is fun bopping around in my short shorts for errands.
When I was at my heaviest I had a summer wardrobe of dresses many with a semi empire waist.
I haven't worn them once this summer

Heather- the skirt wearing is definately great! For once no worries.

I am still figuring out what fits me well, what styles are flattering, ect. And every once and a while I flub up. Eh, I chalk bad buys up to experience.

I desperately want to break free of my boring t-shirt and jeans and hoodie combo that I tend to live in. I want to bring out my style (whatever that is, still developing) a bit more and wear fun clothes!

I still cover up my arms & legs in class, though. It is one thing to wear short sleeved t-shirts and skirts around town, but up close and personal with my "collegues" I'd rather not. But, in a couple of years I am sure my scars will be imperceptable.

Charlotte, we'll have to nominate you for What Not To Wear! They'll get you out of the hoodies and into flattering clothes that suit your personal style.

I shop very differently now.

The big difference is that a high proportion of the clothes I buy are exercise related. Even when I'm not exercising, I wear tracksuits/sportswear a lot more, because I'm comfortable in it, on the way to training, or just it comes to hand easily. If I'm buying a jacket I make sure it's a proper waterproof one that I can wear hiking rather than something that looks OK but doesn't really have any resilience to it.

I've also stopped needing to buy t-shirts because I get so many from races.

In terms of the smarter stuff, I think I'm actually buying less now after the initial rush when I got to a size I didn't have any clothes in. Partly because now I'm neither growing nor shrinking out of stuff I can go back to things I wore last year and wear them again. But also because I now have a lot better idea of what I want, what suits me etc. Before even if I had a very specific idea of what I wanted, I'd buy something vaguely similar simply because it fit and I didn't think I'd ever find the exact right thing. Now I've got so many more shops out there I'm less prepared to settle for "almost" what I'm looking for, and I carry on looking until I find it. There seem to be fewer mistakes now, and I don't just buy stuff because it fits and then realise it's hideous.

I'm also more prepared to spend a bit more money to get exactly what I want because I know it will last me longer.

I also have no fat clothes to "fall back on".

When I first started to lose wt. I was a size 20 in jeans and a 2X in shirts. I didn't need to buy new ones for quite a while cause I had down through size 14's and XL shirts already in my closet.

I finally starting wearing Capri's for the first time, when I reached size 14. I bought my first New jeans at size 12. At this time, my neighbor (who was pregnant) gave me 11 pairs of shorts. The weather was still warm and I pretty much lived in the shorts and capris. My first new swimsuit was a size 14.

When the size 12's got too big, I bought 2 size 10 jeans. OMG was I happy. I started wearing all of DH's size large t-shirts with my jeans that winter. I did buy me some sweaters at a yard sale. I did not buy any dresses or skirts until I reached goal. It seems like along the way I've changed underwear and bra sizes many, many times.

Since reaching goal, my clothes style has changed some. I like my jeans snugger in the thighs cause my legs are my best feature. LOL. My shirts are definitely more tailored and I'm far more likely to buy dressy shirts now than I am t-shirts. I will wear high-heels now that I wouldn't have worn before. I don't think I've really defined my style yet. I like casual stuff, but I love to dress up too.


I like brighter colors now. I don't wear sweats anymore. I like pretty PJ's and sexy nightwear now (that I wouldn't have been caught dead in before).

Gosh, this makes me want to go shopping. LOL

I would also be a what not to wear candidate.

The only things I have bought (except running clothes) are 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of jeans, underwear and bras. Oh and one nice outfit

I have a few shirts from about 150 lbs that are not too terribly big since i havent shrunk that much up top, but thats about it. And they are all summer tops, so come fall I will have nothing to wear except big and baggy. Although I did take most of my big and baggy to a charity garage sale today. So I basically have nothing to wear.

What is your favorite online place to shop for clothes? I have come to the conclusion that I am just never going to find TIME to shop. Besides the fact that I dont like it.

I'm seriously going to email What Not To Wear and tell them about our group ... that we've all lost weight and need help trying to figure out how to dress our changed bodies. Wouldn't that be a great show? Dressing a group of people who have lost weight??