I, like most overweight people, tend to fall into the "there's no point in buying clothes at my heaviest" because I plan on being several sizes smaller before too long. I feel like buying myself a new wardrobe at this weight is just admitting defeat, especially when I'm a poor student anyways.
Fast forward 3-4 years.... As a result, I have no clothes to wear that I feel comfortable in. I just feel baggy and gross and don't want to go out because I don't like any clothes that I own. I don't even own a SINGLE pair of jeans that fit. (I also have a collection of "lose 100 lbs and I'll fit back into this" clothes) I wear scrubs every day that are too tight as well, come home and hang out in my PJ's all night. If my husband wants to go out to dinner or I need to grocery shop, I am so self conscious about my clothes. Thi
Anyways I desperately need REAL dress pants for a job interview so I'm going to just have to suck it up and go to Lane Bryant and pay $70 for some pair of dress pants I could get at Target for $30 if only I was 10 sizes smaller. It seems like the simple solution is just - go buy new plus size clothes, but I just don't have the money and feel like I'm - as I said -admitting defeat.
I completely understand. I have one main outfit that I use as a stable and then I have one other outfit that I feel somewhat "comfortable" in. Everything else I own is nothing more than a waste of closet space.
I often feel that if I could go out and buy a whole new collection of clothes, I might feel better, however I don't want to waste the money on clothes that I will not be able to wear in a month or two (hopefully due to weight loss)!
I remember at my highest weight, I LIVED in yoga pants & over-sized sweatshirts...and elastic waist skirts. For work, I sometimes couldn't zip my skirt so I would wear a big sweater over it. It's awful & I really feel your pain. I never wanted to go out or even go to dinner w/ hubby b/c nothing looked good. Maybe just get a few staples for now and then get busy with trying to change the situation! You are definitely worth it & capable of it.
My whole closet consists of "When I lose ______ amount of weight I will fit into this" clothes!!!
I just started buying clothes at thrift stores that I can fit into now that I lost over 20 pounds, because I am a pant size smaller (yay!) I feel like wearing the clothes allows me to feel the difference between the old rags of what was 24 pounds ago, what is, and what will be. I keep them until I reach my goal and then I will start at my heaviest, slip into pants and a shirt, go down a pant size or two all the way down. Its my little way of showing myself how much i achieved. Thats my plan anyway. I even do that now, with pants I cant wear! I put them on and feel the difference, knowing I am that much smaller and it inspires me!
I wouldnt say its defeat, I would say its reality. Your here because you want to change it Plus if you buy them, because you need them, then keep them for when you can pull those out and show us pictures of your success!!!!!
I was at that point as well, that is actually what spurned me on to finally start dropping some weight. I went from a size 24 in January to a 16 now. Try looking on Ebay or thrift stores for a couple of basics to carry you through until you lose some weight. You CAN do it, probably even faster than you realize.
Man oh man do I remember that situation. My clothing used to consist of what I could fit into, not what I liked to wear. It's important to not get your mind stuck in this moment. Just try to find something you can wear and keep taking the steps forward knowing this is just right now, not forever. Things get much better. I still am baffled that I can shop in the regular (whatever that means) and junior's sections. I still don't have a huge closet of clothes b/c everything seems so cheaply made or is just inappropriately skimpy(sad, coming from someone who doesn't mind a little sexy flair) but it's an easier problem to work around most of the time. I actually just got a decent wardrobe going (not huge but a few outfits) and it took several different stores...don't know what these designers are thinking....
I reluctantly caved and finally bought new bigger clothes at each new size. I'd just reach that point of defeat when I knew I wasn't getting any smaller and I didn't want to look dumpy frumpy. Even fat people can look nice, right? But like most everyone else here, my primary clothes were big, fat, frumpy.... big T shirts, draw string shorts and pants, loose fitting and easy to grow in to....
The year I started losing weight, I broke down and I went out and got myself a pair of shorts and a blouse so I could look halfway decent on Easter with family. Size 16. It was the largest I'd ever been and I was just devastated.
I only wore the shorts once or twice. I have kept them. Everyone gets rid of their fat clothes because they vow to never need them again. I did that too, last time I lost weight. However, I decided to keep this one pair of shorts because I wanted to have just one thing in my closet that I could see, and touch. Getting rid of it didn't help, so maybe keeping that one item will.
So maybe this pair of $70 pants can be your reminder pants in the closet?
Sucks you have to spend so much. Since we are coming in to the new season, it's possible you'll find something on clearance. And even if you don't, even though you don't want to spend the money, it's important for you to feel good and look nice for this job interview.
Don't feel guilty. At every stage of our weight loss, we really deserve to have one or two nice things to wear, even if you don't plan on staying at that size for long.
Anyways I desperately need REAL dress pants for a job interview so I'm going to just have to suck it up and go to Lane Bryant and pay $70 for some pair of dress pants I could get at Target for $30 if only I was 10 sizes smaller.
If you have time to wait for an online order, check out Old Navy's plus size pants. I just bought a pair of black dress pants for work and only spent about $40. Good Luck!
Yep. I only bought just enough to not be leaving the house naked. What finally motivated me to get rid of the extra lbs was 1) the 2 pairs of pants that fit were starting to wear out and 2) they were also getting too tight. No way was I going to go out and buy an even bigger size when they fell apart completely.
I'm still kind of in this situation since I only have one pair of pants that aren't way too big or way too small, and they only fit when they're fresh from the dryer. I have lots of pairs 1-2 sizes down, from before I got pregnant with my almost 5yo, so I'm concentrating on moving these extra lbs rather than going shopping.
If I had a job interview though, I'd be heading for the store today.
I have the opposite problem -- too many clothes!! When I reached maintenance I really splurged on clothes and I'm still spending too much. I've actually decided to go on a clothing "fast" for a year, starting May 1. Wish me luck!
Check out Burlington Coat Factory or TJMaxx. They have plus sizes as well at a reasonable price. =) I refuse to buy at Lane Bryant because they are over priced and crappy quality. I bought a pair of pants from there and they fell apart in a month. Whereas, these 24W dress pants I got from TJMaxx have lasted me a couple years.
I recently forced myself to buy some capris and tops that fit for right now. I just didn't have anything to wear otherwise - I have either too dressy or "don't wear that in public" - nothing decent in between. I spent nearly $200 and I was upset about it since i have a lot of spring/summer clothes stored in the basement that do not fit me. I just got to the point where I needed to get a few things to wear and that was it.
I did set a goal, though. I would like to have the capris be too large by the end of June. We will see. One pair didn't really fit too well, so that goal is for them to look decent on me by the end of June, LOL.
I'm a big believer in dressing the body you have now. Just because one is heavier than one would like is no reason to give up and not try to look your best. It's not giving up to try to look your best at any size; it looks to everyone else like you've given up completely on life and you don't care about yourself at all when you don't.
You do need to get some clothes in if all you have are scrubs. You don't have to buy a whole huge wardrobe. But at least a pair of jeans, a couple of pairs of pants, a couple of nice tops/tank tops, a couple of cardigans/a blazer to wear over your tank tops/camis. Things you can wear out on a date night with the hubby or wear out with friends or to an interview or even go to the grocery store and feel good about yourself.
Even without a big budget, you can try ebay, local thrift stores (I sometimes had luck at the Salvation Army or Goodwill), or the clearance sections of online stores like Old Navy (Women's Plus), Torrid, Avenue, Sears or even Lane Bryant. You're worth it and it's important to try and feel good about yourself at any size.
Last edited by toastedsmoke; 04-26-2012 at 11:51 AM.
Ohh I know exactly what you mean! I do the same thing..
So when on vacation to the USA in a mall in Miami, my only jeans ripped because I made a wrong move..I almost wanted to die... There was no way I would find pants in my size (I was about 320 pounds) anywhere. All the shops in that mall seemed for smaller sizes and no Lane Bryant in sight.
We had to pass through Macy's on the way out of the mall to the car and I walked by a rack with lots of Jeans/Black dress pants etc etc... in my size! And 30 bucks too!
I would check there! I found the prices quite ok! Good luck!
Who else just has NOTHING to wear???
Plus if you buy them, because you need them, then keep them for when you can pull those out and show us pictures of your success!!!!!
I have lots of pairs 1-2 sizes down, from before I got pregnant with my almost 5yo, so I'm concentrating on moving these extra lbs rather than going shopping. 
