I have battled my weight my whole life. I've been everything from a size 8 to a size 20. And in my experience, when I was bigger, I had a hard time finding flattering clothes at cheaper stores. Yeah, Walmart carried plus sizes, but I always felt that the larger sizes in department stores looked better. The smaller I get, the more I feel like I can put on a pair of jeans off the clearance rack at Walmart, and still look good.
Does anyone else notice this? Or is it just me??

I've noticed this too. I'm spending less on clothes because the clearance racks seem to have my new size. Although sometimes there are cruel twists of fate where it seems like I all see is my old size in a pair of jeans I want It happened the other day when I wanted a pair of these skinny jeans I like in a smaller size. They had 0 and 12, that's it! I'm SO not a 0, and the 12 would be way too big on me at this point!

I bragged about this in another thread, but I spend $98 the other day at Old Navy because of a half off clearance sale and a 25% coupon. I got four pairs of jeans, a winter jacket, a pair of exercise pants and about 10 tops.

I looked in my old sizes, there was nothing there—not to that extent anyway. I've never been able to go to the clearance section and clean up like that. I instantly got a wardrobe when previously I was scraping by with the same five or six things that were a little too big on me (I've never been this small, so no closet shopping for me)

It's great for in-between clothes to get them cheap. I don't want to spend a lot on clothes I may not be able to wear for much longer.

Well, no. I don't shop at Wal-Mart first of all. Haven't been there in literally years. Two, I cannot stand cheap clothes. They feel cheap, they look cheap, they are sewn cheap. If I want cheap clothes, I go to TJMaxx or Marshall's and hunt their clearance racks and can find just as cheap stuff for the same price as something new at Target or Wal-Mart.

BUT... it is true that the thinner you are, the less it takes to look good. The smaller and fitter I'm getting, the more outfits I'm finding work for me. For years, I would have to search and search for a pair of pants that fit right or even dare to flatter a bit. Now, it seems nearly everything I try on looks nice! THAT is definitely a nice change.

When I was at my heaviest, my criteria for shopping was to find something that fit, if it happened to be something I could afford AND was attractive that was a huge bonus. I found most plus sizes to be matronly, dowdy and expensive. My theory is that people who design plus size clothes hate women.

yeah, I'm looking forward to the sale rack at a regular store.

right now I'm saving tons of money because of all the shopping in my closet that I am doing! lolol!

But I am looking forward to hitting the clearance racks when I lose enough weight to "out"grow (undergrow?) everything I currently own. Not Walmart though, can't stand going there.

and boxy...every thing is shaped like a box...oh, and the patterns are very...well, let's just say, not my style.

It's funny, plus size clothes go from one extreme to the other...they look like something a teenager would be wearing, to very matronly. I'm not a teenie-bopper, but I'm also not ready for the home!

what I hate about "fat" clothes for women...
all the "cartoony characters" and the big stupid "flowery" prints

and what I love about being smaller are BELTS.
in fact, I'm wearing one right now

and I disagree about the "cheapness" of clothes at places like WalMart, KMart or Target.
I find that I can find good, cool, well-maintained clothes just about anywhere - it's all about taking the time to LOOK.

and I've bought things from hi-end places like Dilliard's or even Land's End & LLBean that fell apart after one or two washings, so really, it's hit-n-miss AFAIC.

I'm so looking forward to being able to buy things that fit and are flattering right off the rack in a discount store! I loathe shopping for something that is affordable, flattering, etc. Such a pain!

You know, I think I'm one of the few people who hasn't found that this is the case.

When I was at my highest weight shopping was relatively easy for me because I could go to Lane Bryant and they tend to cut things pretty generously in the butt/bust. Now? Well, it's really hard to find clothes in a size 8/10 when your waist is smaller proportionally than the rest of your body!!! Plus the difference between my waist and bust/butt measurements have gotten larger as I've lost weight. Unless clothes are really stretchy I don't have much luck buying off of the rack (as my recent shopping tripped showed when I was trying to find a pair of capris).

Basically, I've been ordering everything online from stores that cater to women with larger busts or get pants from Levi's because they have the curve ID now. Oh, and I'm getting a lot of my stuff altered too... I've found cheaper brands tend to make clothes for straighter figures so I've just given up on them all together.

lol on the plus size clothes patterns. I've noticed that too! When I went to my husband's graduation, I wasa size 20 and it was very hard to find something that I liked. I would try on tons of clothes, and not like anything. Now most of what I try on, I like. But I remember going to expensive department stores to finaaly find something. If I had to find a nice outfit now, I could easily go to walmart. And yes, Walmart! Why are people hating on Walmart? lol Yeah the clothes are cheap, but if you know how to wear them, they look just as good. Some people, um me, don't want to spend an arm and a leg on clothes. I think its a waste of money. Especially, if I can walk out of walmart or a thrift store feeling just as good for a whole lot less!!
Although, I do spend the money on top of the line workout/ running clothes, because I run. I don't think I could make it a mile in walmart shoes!!

lol, this is my problem right now...I want to buy everything and I so cannot afford to do so! But I agree it is so much easier to shop now and find stuff I like, and I love the clearance rack at walmart...I feel better in their clothes than I did in my more expensive plus size clothes, that's for sure...I did find that the plus size stuff at walmart never fit me properly, but I can definitely find stuff in the regular sizes that fits me well.

When I was big I used to see all these cute SMALL clothes for clearance and never my size.. now all the clothes I seem to see on clearance are bigger clothes -.- lol

I love clearance but I need some small pants! I love having pants that are too small just so I can try them on until they fit

step15lija, I agree!! And I expect to go down at least one more size, so I'd rather just buy cheap. Hey if it looks good, it looks good. And if its not pricey, it looks better! At least I think so! I always love getting a good deal.
Actually the size 8 jeans I finally fit into for the first time today (I posted a thread about it, lol) were from a thrift store.

I love Riders jeans from Kmart and Wal Mart. I'm still going to wear them when I'm in regular sizes, but I plan on buying at least 2 pairs of those expensive jeans when I reach my goal. You know, those jeans that are $100 or $150 or more, and only go up to a size 12. lol