I love to hit the thrift store through my weight loss because it keeps me clothed cheap! LOL! But lately I've been having a problem. My eyes are not quite right! It used to be that if I brought something home that was too small it was no problem because I'd soon be in it anyway. These days...I'm not making much stride in the smaller department and I have very little to wear RIGHT NOW.

I just made my second trip to the store and this time had it in mind that I was going to buy clothes for NOW. So I stuck with the medium sizes, because in the stores all mediums fit or are too big and some smalls work. I got home...all of my mediums were way too small. Way. I'm thinking they must be juniors sizes, although I don't know what happened with the Lands End shirt. It's stretchy and I think maybe it's supposed to fit skin tight, but considering it gives me back fat and I do NOT have back fat now, I'd say it's too tight. No thank you. Stupid styles.

So how does one shop at thrift store between vanity sizing and junior sizing? I know if I pull out an odd number pant (1, 3, 5 etc) I can be fairly sure it's a junior size but what about tops?

And I have this thing about trying them on. I won't until they're washed.

Eliana..... It's not only thrift stores. Every designer is different and that stinks. Actually, I've bought pants, same brand, same style, same size but two different colors. There is a difference in fit in the colors. Go figure!!

Also, when I lost weight before, I was into jrs size jeans, yet in 'adult' sizes stayed in a 12.

I'd say, if you like it...buy it. It will fit eventually.

Congrats on your great loss!!!

Try them on. PS you can't imagine what goes on in department stores where people are trying on new clothes. I used to work in the Ladies Dept of a major dept chain, I swore I would never try clothes on again, unfortunately I have to if I want to buy clothing. Just wear undergarmetns when you try on used clothing, the stores I go to the clothes have been washed or dry cleaned so I don't find it a problem.

Yes, if you are willing to try on at regular stores, there is no reason not to try on at thrift stores. Regular store clothes have had strangers on them too.

If you won't try things on, you can get a sense of the size of an item by wrapping the waist from your belly button to the middle of your back--it works really well (not perfectly), even with stretchy items where you can sense if it's stretching too much or too little. I use this for all pants, even new, and some shirts and it saves me a lot of time and agony in the dressing room.

They shrunk in the wash, they're vintage or they're junior size.

Take a tape measure with you next time.

I buy clothing from eBay and other websites without trying it on at all, but I check the measurements. I ask sellers to measure items I'm interested in, if they haven't included them in their listings. (The better ones tend to do so automatically.)

So yeah, in my closet the recent purchases that fit me well range from S through XL, and from 6 to 14, depending on the designer & maker & how old the clothing is.

Most people wash before their items before they donate, and the people doing the intake look through the clothes too, they won't put it on the floor if it's not clean.

You can also try them on over your clothes (just wear thin clothing, like a long sleeve t-shirt and knit leggings).

You really don't have to worry about "germs" because the vast, vast majority of harmful germs are passed hand-to-face. Your skin is a very effective germ barrier.

yea, that's what i was going to say. try pants on over tights maybe. i can buy shirts without trying them on, but jeans are a must. last trip to goodwill i went in looking like i was going to try on the whole store. i must have had 10 pairs or more. but i knew only a few would actually fit. so i came out with 2 jeans and 1 dress pants.

I say get a small measuring tape. Measure a top you have at home that fits you nicely and compare the measurements in the store.

I am so unfamiliar with what size fits me now in which brands that I must try it on to believe it first. It's still crazy weird to me that I am in size 10 and mediums . I hold it up and think no way this will fit and it does. Crazy!