These are all such great suggestions! Thank you so much!
ANewCreation--I should have had my boyfriend take a before picture. Doh!! I'll have to have him take one today since I still have a ways to go.
Lora M--Height is an issue for me with clothes too, but more on the top end. I have a long torso, so I have a hard time finding shirts that don't sit right at my waistline, which is really unattractive. Old Navy's plus sizes have been the best so far in terms of shirt length for me. Land's End is great for work trousers--many of them can be ordered according to leg length to the quarter inch. Definitely more pricy than thrift or discount shopping but sometimes they have great sales and online coupons.
I was wondering about this myself. My jeans still fit (ugh!) but my work pants are sliding off haha Dont get me wrong Im so excited but its gonna be a problem when they fall down as Im walking in. I may have to go check goodwill out since we have one close by. Ive never been there so I didnt know what to expect.
Great suggestions! I would also agree with Dollar General. I found a really cute sweats outfit there and have worn it all winter. They have cute shorts and tees for summer, too.
I would also suggest Craigslist. I have seen women selling entire wardrobes of business clothing in various sizes there. I think it might be worth your time to check there too. Just always be careful when meeting someone or going to someone's home. Take your boyfriend with you.
I hope to buy new summer clothes in smaller sizes this year!!
Clearance clearance clearance. If you have a few key pieces in your wardrobe, like a good belt, cute accessories, a fantastic purse, and a structured jacket, you can make ANYTHING work. I love to layer, so I can buy clearance clothing at pretty much any point in the year, and make it work for me through the next year.
hi, I like to go to the big sales at stores and get basic blouses that you can belt, or skirts to wear to tights and boots, however i am starting my weight loss journey today, and dont want to buy any clothes for spring, which i think is silly, because I have a right to look nice, so i will go out shopping, fo the bargains, today!!!!
1) thrift stores
2) if you work in an office, look for some cute blazers that are untailored or belted jackets/dressy sweaters (I just gave up on my smallest suits)
3) pashminas/shawls over turtlenecks rather than tailored blouses
4) I am thinking skirts (especially wrap skirts if you can find them (again, thrift stores)) might be a better deal than trousers, especially if you have the skill to take them in yourself.
5) your mileage may vary, for my figure (I'm busty) I seem to be able to wear shirts longer (I can "get away" with wearing a lot of shirts I could wear 50 pounds ago without looking like a fool but I can't get away with wearing pants from 20 pounds ago). I think it has something to do with the fact that my shirt material is often stretchy while my pant material is not.
6) buy pants tight (not muffin top, but "sprayed on"), wear with long shirt until fit for public view, then wear until clown pant stage--then have taken in or take to consignment shop.
I love these kinds of threads. I live in a pretty small town and our one thrift store isn't great, so I check out every clearance rack, and I try to find creative new places to look for clothes or creative ways to use clothes.
Wal-Mart can actually have cute stuff. We went to Kohl's over the weekend and I got a cute t-shirt and a nicer work short for about $5 each. And last night at Target I picked up two long-sleeved gray t-shirts for $2.50 each. These were actually in the pajama section, but I use them for layering-which is a concept I'm loving lately! I have some short-sleeve t-shirts but it's still too cold for them, so just layer a cheap long-sleeved t-shirt and that's a whole new look to get me through another season.
I saw a commercial for this over the weekend and I was mesmerized! I have not actually tried them out, but I hate belts and I might look for these in the near future.
If you have a freecycle in your area it's a good place to pick up stuff. A lot of people are getting rid of clothes all the time. go to freecycle.org and find a local group.
Safety pins! Work in the short run, just make sure you get the big heavy duty ones because there is nothing worse then one working it's way open and getting poked in the belly.
I have given up on buying pants because I have been dropping sizes like crazy. I use a belt now for my pants. And the belt is now too big so I'm drilling new holes in it.
I have a pretty work dress with a string tie for a belt in a thrift store for $4. For some reason it still fits well even though I'm 30 pounds lighter. I love that dress. It's my magic dress.
A few people have mentioned this before, but: Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls are totally awesome! I love their prices, and they often have really cute clothes!
I've never really been to thrift stores, so I might have to check them out as I start to lose more weight!
Must also brush up on my sewing skills and hit up the fabric and pattern sales!
I echo what others have said. Thrift stores, sales and ebay. I also agree with remembering its transitional and you will be tossing them aside when they get too BIG!! I love shopping regardless of where I happen to be!
I go to thrift shops and find a couple of pieces of comfy cotton tops and pants every 6 weeks. I'm retired so I don't need dress clothes. I find really nice clothes and never have a problem with it. I am very quick to toss or donate any clothes that are too big the MOMENT I feel they no longer fit right. I have a few clothes I have kept in a smaller size, but I try very hard to stay in the "current zone" with clothes, not keeping those that don't fit. I am on the road 6 weeks at a time, and have actually thrown tops that were too big in the trash (not worth donating). It was kind of freeing to do that....I thought to myself, this is the last day I will ever wear this and threw it in the trash at the end of the day!
Thrift and consignment shops are great. Here in LA there's an AIDS charity called "Out of the Closet." They even have a $1 rack! I found some great basics like an A line black skirt, a great Ann Taylor grey patterned skirt, some T's for exercise and some nylon workout pants that don't strangle me. I spent a little extra for a dress and jacket to wear to work. If you need something nicer, try a consignment shop -- you can always re-sell it to them when you're smaller. I just lost 14 lbs., so I'm going to take the bigger ones back to the thrift shop and hit the dollar rack for the next size down! I was until recently a size 2-4, so I can't wait to get back into my own clothes.
I love shopping regardless of where I happen to be!
