Don’t at all get me wrong that I am extremely ecstatic to be losing weight. My life could not be going in a better direction right now. However one thing I am finding to be extremely frustrating (I guess frustrating, but a good sort of frustration?) is the clothing issue. I spend money on clothing, and two weeks later it’s way too big. Again don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing that I’m getting smaller and my clothing is bigger, but I just cant afford this. A few weeks ago I spent $70 at Old Navy, now I’m wearing one of the shirts (this is only the second time I’ve worn it) and it looks like complete crap. Its way too big, the jeans I am wearing are extremely baggy. The bra I’m wearing isn’t holding the girls because it’s too big. Even though I’ve already gone down a cup size. I keep thinking, I’m wearing a size 16 jeans, XXL shirt. I can’t be a 14 and a size XL. What do you all do about your clothing? Do you shop at thrift stores, or spend a lot of money every few weeks? I need sugestions. This weight loss is putting me into the poor house! Lol. But again I am so grateful and would rather look like crap in baggy clothing any day over having my old body.
When I was losing weight I shopped at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers and consignment shops. You can find clothes of any style and any size. And cheap!
Ebay
Thrift Stores
Goodwill
Shop with coupon codes and in store coupons
Friends who keep clothes at different sizes and borrow from them. I have clothes from 18-26
I look forward to getting back into the smaller ones and THEN being faced with the frustrations you are now!! Congrats it means its working!!
Weirdly enough, I've lost almost 30 lbs and I don't feel my size has changed all that much. At least not on my top half.
For now, I am wearing all the smaller pants that had stopped fitting after gaining some of the weight.
My mom recently lost a good amount of weight and gave me some of her stuff (lots of dressy things).
Now I tend to buy the cheaper/on sale stuff cause I know I won't use it for too long and just enough to get me through the size.
Once I get to goal, I will have my revenge and get a whole new wardrobe of the nice things I always wanted to wear but couldn't
I like to buy big shirts and when they get too big, I'll wear a tight t-shirt underneath and then keep that other shirt open. Or, I can wear that same shirt and this time, put a belt around my waist. For pants, I buy expensive workout pants from Lulu Lemon. They are super flatering, last forever, are stretchy, so they work at many sizes (for me) and make me look about 10 lb.s thinner. I think it's sometimes better to buy something that is more expensive, if it is more versatile. But, I buy my t-shirts for $7.00 to offset the cost. Spend it where it counts!
The one thing I do now is buy crap that is too small for me! That is the only way to get it to last. I mean I bought some pants that I wanted to fit right away and two weeks went by, TOO BIG! Unbelievable! lol...so, now I buy things that are snug or just don't fit.
What do I do with it all, well I wear it until I simply cannot and then it gets demoted. My order of things:
0. Waiting to fit (in the waiting room so to speak)
1. Stuff to wear out (nice shirts, things that fit, career wear)
2. Around the house stuff (things that are too big to wear out or just don't look as nice...)
3. Pajamas (you know, things that make me look like I'm wearing a clown suit get demoted to pj wear)
4. Donate or toss or turn into cleaning rags (when I can pull my pants up to above my boobs or over my head, something has to like give lol.)
One thing I do is spend money on certain items that I know I need to. Pants or nice shirts. The rest I try to do "mix'n'match" as much as I can so one outfit ends up being three if you catch my drift.
Old Navy, Target, Avenue, that is where I shop for the best savings. Oh and JcPenneys isn't too bad either.
Last edited by Jacquie668; 03-25-2009 at 09:09 PM.
I just bought 3 new pairs of dress pants from Old Navy because my other dress pants (that I have to wear on a daily basis) where starting to make me look like a hobo. I know a great seamstress that will alter pants for me for fairly inexpensive, so my plan is to rotate my work clothes. I will wear the new stuff right now since it all fits well while the too big stuff is being altered. I can have her alter then to be a little snug, then when the current stuff gets too big, wear the other stuff. I figure this would save me some money, and since I won't be in a huge hurry to get my clothes altered, she can take her time and do the alterations when she's not busy.
Right now I'm getting jeans from a thrift store. You have to sort through all the ones that look left over from the early 90s, but I managed to find a few pair of Gap jeans in my size that fit well. Other than that I hit Old Navy's 50% off jean sale on Black Friday and bought a few sizes down. I'm having the biggest problem with shirts right now. I've gone down a size, but still need an XL to be long enough in the arms however an XL is too baggy around the middle and looks horrible. Plus, it's still cold here but all the stores are carrying spring clothes, very frustrating.
I buy only what I absolutely need to "get by" until I hit goal weight. I have a lot of people at my work giving me their old scrubs (hospital uniforms) and some regular clothes. which helps tremendously in the money dept. I buy from target or walmart to save money. I have to wash clothes all the time because I dont have that many things that actually fit. Just enouph to get by
I love it though. Its awesome when you notice things are getting baggy.
I am SOOOO glad I boxed up and saved all my clothes from all the different stages I went through gaining weight. I bet I have 4 different sizes of clothes. The smallest sizes are probably out of date (over 7 years old) but the casual stuff is still good.
I have the good fortunes of having a REALLY great Thrift store 2 blocks from me and this one is pretty nice, lot's of old designer clothers and probably due to the donations it gets from the surrounding neighborhood which is pretty upscale and the artsy part of town.
Hey you could always buy new clothes then sell then on eBay as long as they were name brand clothes you could sell them pretty easy and get 75% of your money back!
You're at that difficult sizing stage now, between the smallest sizes at the plus size shops and the largest sizes at the regular shops. I'd go have things re-cut and altered at this point. Only do this with items that are still in good shape, that are simple to alter. Alterations can be expensive.
I also do thrift store and look for sales. I also do don't buy unless I absolutely have to buy something. Another thing I do is I take the clothes that are too big to a consignment store. That way you get at least something back out of them. I love to go shopping for clothes but am holding off until I get to goal. Right now I have 2 pairs of capri's, 2 pair of jeans, couple pairs of shorts, one pair dress pants, a couple skirts. I rotate those around. I am nurse so I wear scurbs at work. That's it! I know, I have nothing... lol
As far as shirts, when I see something I like in a smaller size on sale I've been buying it. And as my shirts get too big I go through my closest and find the smaller sizes I have saved up.
I also have this happening and in the beginning I was so excited just to be buying smaller sizes than my previous size 18! My solution was to start trying thrift stores. I found two in my area that are very good. I am now literally ADDICTED. I have Lucky Jeans, Banana Republic, Inc, Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor, Kate Spade, and the list goes on--all in very nice condition and for less than $5 each. In fact, just this week I found an Ann Taylor brown silk blazer that has a gorgeous cut for $1.
I know not everyone is okay with used stuff. For me, it's smart for the environment, for my pocketbook and best of all my thrift shops donate all proceeds to a children's charity. It is good all the way around.
Yes, Flatiron is right. If you are paying thriftstore prices, you usually will get most of your money back selling on CL, Ebay or having a good garage sale. So basically, you are just "renting" clothes. LOL
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 03-26-2009 at 09:43 AM.
OK, for casual stuff, go to Costco! Seriously -- a pair of Calvin Klein corduroys costs $25. Walmart for undies and tops, research discount fashion clearing houses in your area (my SIL took me to one I had no idea about, and found a designer brand coat marked down from $260 to $29.99! Just make sure you buy a classic style!). For quick and casual tops, Salvation Army. In the summer, garage sales. Consignment shops are good for work wear. Check out the cost of tailors in your area -- hems and waist fittings may cost less than a new pair of wool pants, especially if you find the right tailor and do a bunch of stuff at once. Look as good as you can RIGHT NOW. Don't wait for "when I get there...". But be prudent to keep your costs down...
Kira
Clothing question
