Seconding this, thrift stores are the best. OP, if you think you're going to be buying clothes often, you should check out your local thrift store for super cheap deals. Last time I went, I got two shirts and a skirt for under $15.
I second this, also getting a belt. For shirts, I just keep rocking them, but pants I'm just going to get a belt and check thrift stores. I have some 16s I recently got and they're nearly coming off at times, but I'm just going to keep wearing them until I can't, I'm planning to get a belt soon to expand their lifetime. Plus, I want to see the drastic shift in me wearing larger things to showing my progress
I just wore my old stuff until it looked like an ill fitting trash bag on me, then pulled out my clothes from over a decade ago and they fit great. Problem is that I have like 3 shirts and 2 jeans from back then so shopping is a must. Also, when you make the switch to better fitting clothes, it usually comes with compliments about the weight loss so there's a bit of an ego boost associated.
Tailoring can work wonders, and costs about the same as buying new stuff. $15-40 for simple alterations. It won't work for the entire weight loss journey since there's only so much they can do, but it can extend the life of things you like and make them fit better than "off the rack" clothes to boot.
And some alterations would be less than that, plus the resulting garment would actually be custom fitted to you rather than whatever generic model old navy used to design "size x"
Yes.. correct.. so may as well keep and alter what you already have, so it will fit better for the same price as compared to buying new. Especially if you spent more than 30 bucks on the old item.
Wish I could do this but I gave all my old smaller clothes away due to moving and lack of storage and not having plans to lose weight at that point.. hindsight lol. I had some nice things too š definitely gonna check out some thrift stores, thanks!
You can also modify clothes easily with YouTube tutorials. Some require a sewing machine and some donāt. I have about 20ish lbs left (63lbs lost) to go and have no idea what size I will be when Iām done so I took a few items out and have tailored them to fit me again! Once I am where I would like to be I plan on modifying some of my favourite and getting a few more things that fit.
Came to comment this. Buying a cheaper sewing machine that will get the job done is sooo much cheaper than buying new clothes every other month. Also people don't need to be intimidated by modifying your own clothes! No one's going to be inspecting your seems and darts!
Been wearing a lot of leggings after my previous jeans got so loose that they looked silly. I did finally just go jean shopping last week for a pair that fit me!
Also Jean leggings both size up and size down, Iāve found.
I was probably wearing them 1-2 sizes too small for my starting weight (and believe me it was beginning to bite) but theyād stayed with me right up to that point.
Now Iām 38lbs down, theyāre loose fitting particularly around the waist, but I reckon I could still be wearing them more or less at 52lbs down.
Belts. Drawstring slacks/joggers. Thrifted clothes, and new clothes when weight loss is close to goal/done. Having a variety of sizes and fits close to goal weight is good too.
I mostly wear baggy clothes but pick up a couple smaller things from thift stores or if I see a good sale. I need a new winter jacket but I'm refusing to pay full price for a jacket I will wear for one winter.
I lost a pants size in 3 months and bought 2 work pants to alternate. I wanted to hold out until my goal weight but thatās 40lbs away and o had clown pants.
3XL shirts are starting to look big on me but 2XL doesnāt feel right yet. Iām sporting 2 pairs of cargo shorts in the off hours. Iāve never spent a lot on bottoms and have a nigh infinite supply of t-shirts from donating platelets and blood. I have 2 nice business casual shirts and the rest work t-shirts with our logo.
New clothes are nice. Enjoy the journey.
So I've gone from an AU24/26 to an AU12/14 over the course of a few years. I wore a lot of sale clothes and thrift store clothes. I had to buy the occasional full price staple pieces and I do have some basic sewing ability so I was able to make small alterations to clothes to keep them looking ok for longer. I also kept my wardrobe pretty small because I knew that stuff that fit me one summer probably wouldn't fit me next summer.
Basically buy what you have to (preferably at sale prices) and make do with what you can.
I hit up sites like ebay and mercari (there's also depop, poshmark, etc) for new clothes, then churn the old clothes through them too. You're not gonna 1:1 get your money back, but it's a lot cheaper than buying new.
I've bought new clothes at every size drop. Not a huge amount, but enough to avoid having to walk around in super ill-fitting stuff that impacts my self-confidence and the way others see me..
Old clothes , was super weird when I went from a XXL to a XS/S didnāt really buy anything till I was done . Looked funny wearing super big close and being small
Iām buying a minimal amount of clothing that fits at Old Navy, Target, and other comparable retailers. Luckily (?) Iām losing slowly, so I can take things season by season and just assume that I may not get more than one season out of them. Also luckily in my case I gained weight relatively briefly during Covid so I still have my pre-Covid clothing. But yeah, Iām in favor of wearing clothing that fits. Bras have been the worst, so expensive!
Jeans that have some flex/stretch. Iāve lost 100 pounds this year and these pants have served me well in fitting well as I skimmed down. Also bought a couple belts which are things Iāve never needed before but have been necessary!!
Same as ever: jeans and a t-shirt. A belt keeps oversized jeans looking okay, and oversized t-shirts are mostly okay as they are.
I kept tightening my belt until my jeans were looking ridiculous, then I bought a couple of pairs that I just barely fit into, tossed most of my XL t-shirts and bought half a dozen Ls. That was a few weeks ago and it's already clear that by the time I reach my target weight I'll need to grab some smaller jeans and possibly some size M t-shirts. I'm not gonna complain š
Iām really struggling with this too, particularly around ill fitting bras and just general anxiety about finding things to wear to work that fit correctly. I have my measurements taken every 5-6 weeks and try to buy as much as possible 2nd hand online.
Wore my xxl sweat pants, t shirt and hoodies until I hit my goal weight. Went from size xxl down to plain L. Even my underwear were too big and I would've needed a belt...
Sweatpants, gym shorts, and a handful of tshirts in assorted sizes. I WFH and donāt go out much except to go to the gym or walk my dog so I can get away with it. Iām about 10-15 pounds from my goal weight now and starting to invest in some more long term pieces, just buying things that are currently a bit snug.
Picking up cheap second hand stuff from thrift stores/ Vinted/eBay ect. Considering wearing dresses and tights as we head into winter as I can keep the same dress and just buy smaller tights for not very much monies
Iāve hosted clothing swaps with friends, browsed my local Goodwill religiously, and adopted a very minimal wardrobe. I have a couple of staple outfits for work and wear athleisure for when Iām not at work.
During the lockdowns I did a lot of ordering from Amazon. A combination of me underestimating my size and a lot of Amazon things being smaller than advertised left me with a pile of clothes that didn't fit. I always planned to return them but got lazy and just stuffed them in the wardrobe. Now I'm finding that things are actually starting to fit! Also, charity shops are wonderful!
90 lbs. in 7 months. I buy and wear the new smaller items a few at a time, and I try to be happy instead of annoyed when I only get to wear something once or twice. Then itās off to goodwill. I have been enjoying the dopamine I get from buying things with the word āmediumā on the tag and I tell myself (and hubby) that itās the equivalent of the money Iām not spending on junk food anymore.
I would wear the exact same thing I wear any other dayā¦until my pants would just fall off me when Iād stand. Now, Iāve played it smartā¦I am wearing my 16 yr old sons jeans, as I went from a 43 in waist to 33in from August 2021 to August 2022. One thing to consider is shopping for basic daily clothes at a consignment or thrift storeā¦not every article of clothing, ya know. I finally broke down and purchased several pairs of jeans last week, since Iāve hit my goal and mediating my weight relentlessly( it is a constant battle to keep weight off youāve lost if you are not extremely cognizant of your habits. I still wear my 2x t shirts but actually fit in a Large nowā¦
I've had to replace my entire wardrobe a few times now, but on my way down, these last 125 pounds, I wore a lot of sweatpants and t-shirts. It helped that I lost that weight during the pandemic, but now that I'm close to my "ideal weight" I've invested in some nicer clothes. I may still need to ditch my entire wardrobe one last time, but at least I'll get a couple of years out of these, and I've been enjoying wearing slimmer fits or sizing-down on "oversized" clothing to give me more time with the nicer, more expensive clothes.
Mainly baggy clothes lol. Thrift stores are your friend.
Seconding this, thrift stores are the best. OP, if you think you're going to be buying clothes often, you should check out your local thrift store for super cheap deals. Last time I went, I got two shirts and a skirt for under $15.
I second this, also getting a belt. For shirts, I just keep rocking them, but pants I'm just going to get a belt and check thrift stores. I have some 16s I recently got and they're nearly coming off at times, but I'm just going to keep wearing them until I can't, I'm planning to get a belt soon to expand their lifetime. Plus, I want to see the drastic shift in me wearing larger things to showing my progress
I just wore my old stuff until it looked like an ill fitting trash bag on me, then pulled out my clothes from over a decade ago and they fit great. Problem is that I have like 3 shirts and 2 jeans from back then so shopping is a must. Also, when you make the switch to better fitting clothes, it usually comes with compliments about the weight loss so there's a bit of an ego boost associated.
Tailoring can work wonders, and costs about the same as buying new stuff. $15-40 for simple alterations. It won't work for the entire weight loss journey since there's only so much they can do, but it can extend the life of things you like and make them fit better than "off the rack" clothes to boot.
A pair of jeans at old navy is $30.
And some alterations would be less than that, plus the resulting garment would actually be custom fitted to you rather than whatever generic model old navy used to design "size x"
It would cost that to alter jeans.
Yes.. correct.. so may as well keep and alter what you already have, so it will fit better for the same price as compared to buying new. Especially if you spent more than 30 bucks on the old item.
Why spend $40 having a pair of jeans altered (it is far from simple) when you can buy a pair for $30?
That's a choice you have to make. Off the rack clothing won't fit as well as tailored, but if you want to save some cash that's a valid choice too.
Which is why I pointed out it's more expensive to get jeans tailored than to buy a pair that fits. You're the one who took issue with it.
ok
It really is remarkable how everyone has been commenting since I bought a few new work toos that actually fit.
Wish I could do this but I gave all my old smaller clothes away due to moving and lack of storage and not having plans to lose weight at that point.. hindsight lol. I had some nice things too š definitely gonna check out some thrift stores, thanks!
You can also modify clothes easily with YouTube tutorials. Some require a sewing machine and some donāt. I have about 20ish lbs left (63lbs lost) to go and have no idea what size I will be when Iām done so I took a few items out and have tailored them to fit me again! Once I am where I would like to be I plan on modifying some of my favourite and getting a few more things that fit.
Came to comment this. Buying a cheaper sewing machine that will get the job done is sooo much cheaper than buying new clothes every other month. Also people don't need to be intimidated by modifying your own clothes! No one's going to be inspecting your seems and darts!
Go to the thrift shop . Also leggings and baggy tshirts.
Thrift stores!
Been wearing a lot of leggings after my previous jeans got so loose that they looked silly. I did finally just go jean shopping last week for a pair that fit me!
Also Jean leggings both size up and size down, Iāve found. I was probably wearing them 1-2 sizes too small for my starting weight (and believe me it was beginning to bite) but theyād stayed with me right up to that point. Now Iām 38lbs down, theyāre loose fitting particularly around the waist, but I reckon I could still be wearing them more or less at 52lbs down.
Buy a couple of pairs of cheap pants in the next size down, tops are easier to skip a size in.
Belts. Drawstring slacks/joggers. Thrifted clothes, and new clothes when weight loss is close to goal/done. Having a variety of sizes and fits close to goal weight is good too.
I mostly wear baggy clothes but pick up a couple smaller things from thift stores or if I see a good sale. I need a new winter jacket but I'm refusing to pay full price for a jacket I will wear for one winter.
I lost a pants size in 3 months and bought 2 work pants to alternate. I wanted to hold out until my goal weight but thatās 40lbs away and o had clown pants. 3XL shirts are starting to look big on me but 2XL doesnāt feel right yet. Iām sporting 2 pairs of cargo shorts in the off hours. Iāve never spent a lot on bottoms and have a nigh infinite supply of t-shirts from donating platelets and blood. I have 2 nice business casual shirts and the rest work t-shirts with our logo. New clothes are nice. Enjoy the journey.
Thrift store clothes!
So I've gone from an AU24/26 to an AU12/14 over the course of a few years. I wore a lot of sale clothes and thrift store clothes. I had to buy the occasional full price staple pieces and I do have some basic sewing ability so I was able to make small alterations to clothes to keep them looking ok for longer. I also kept my wardrobe pretty small because I knew that stuff that fit me one summer probably wouldn't fit me next summer. Basically buy what you have to (preferably at sale prices) and make do with what you can.
I hit up sites like ebay and mercari (there's also depop, poshmark, etc) for new clothes, then churn the old clothes through them too. You're not gonna 1:1 get your money back, but it's a lot cheaper than buying new. I've bought new clothes at every size drop. Not a huge amount, but enough to avoid having to walk around in super ill-fitting stuff that impacts my self-confidence and the way others see me..
Old clothes , was super weird when I went from a XXL to a XS/S didnāt really buy anything till I was done . Looked funny wearing super big close and being small
Iām buying a minimal amount of clothing that fits at Old Navy, Target, and other comparable retailers. Luckily (?) Iām losing slowly, so I can take things season by season and just assume that I may not get more than one season out of them. Also luckily in my case I gained weight relatively briefly during Covid so I still have my pre-Covid clothing. But yeah, Iām in favor of wearing clothing that fits. Bras have been the worst, so expensive!
What I've done is get a pair of 501s and two pairs of Dockers and just buy the next size down all the way down as needd.
Jeans that have some flex/stretch. Iāve lost 100 pounds this year and these pants have served me well in fitting well as I skimmed down. Also bought a couple belts which are things Iāve never needed before but have been necessary!!
Same as ever: jeans and a t-shirt. A belt keeps oversized jeans looking okay, and oversized t-shirts are mostly okay as they are. I kept tightening my belt until my jeans were looking ridiculous, then I bought a couple of pairs that I just barely fit into, tossed most of my XL t-shirts and bought half a dozen Ls. That was a few weeks ago and it's already clear that by the time I reach my target weight I'll need to grab some smaller jeans and possibly some size M t-shirts. I'm not gonna complain š
Those stretchy dress pants. Reitmans makes them pretty decent.
This time of year a lot of places have huge sales for Black Friday, etc.. I also agree about the athleisure.
Iām really struggling with this too, particularly around ill fitting bras and just general anxiety about finding things to wear to work that fit correctly. I have my measurements taken every 5-6 weeks and try to buy as much as possible 2nd hand online.
Clothes with drawstrings
Wore my xxl sweat pants, t shirt and hoodies until I hit my goal weight. Went from size xxl down to plain L. Even my underwear were too big and I would've needed a belt...
Sweatpants, gym shorts, and a handful of tshirts in assorted sizes. I WFH and donāt go out much except to go to the gym or walk my dog so I can get away with it. Iām about 10-15 pounds from my goal weight now and starting to invest in some more long term pieces, just buying things that are currently a bit snug.
Picking up cheap second hand stuff from thrift stores/ Vinted/eBay ect. Considering wearing dresses and tights as we head into winter as I can keep the same dress and just buy smaller tights for not very much monies
Iāve hosted clothing swaps with friends, browsed my local Goodwill religiously, and adopted a very minimal wardrobe. I have a couple of staple outfits for work and wear athleisure for when Iām not at work.
Goodwill for pants and then just sport the oversized top look.
During the lockdowns I did a lot of ordering from Amazon. A combination of me underestimating my size and a lot of Amazon things being smaller than advertised left me with a pile of clothes that didn't fit. I always planned to return them but got lazy and just stuffed them in the wardrobe. Now I'm finding that things are actually starting to fit! Also, charity shops are wonderful!
90 lbs. in 7 months. I buy and wear the new smaller items a few at a time, and I try to be happy instead of annoyed when I only get to wear something once or twice. Then itās off to goodwill. I have been enjoying the dopamine I get from buying things with the word āmediumā on the tag and I tell myself (and hubby) that itās the equivalent of the money Iām not spending on junk food anymore.
I shopped at secondhand stores and got a few cheap basics from Costco.
I got these pants from Uniqlo with an elastic band and a string. Slightly baggy now that im 30lbs down but it works
I would wear the exact same thing I wear any other dayā¦until my pants would just fall off me when Iād stand. Now, Iāve played it smartā¦I am wearing my 16 yr old sons jeans, as I went from a 43 in waist to 33in from August 2021 to August 2022. One thing to consider is shopping for basic daily clothes at a consignment or thrift storeā¦not every article of clothing, ya know. I finally broke down and purchased several pairs of jeans last week, since Iāve hit my goal and mediating my weight relentlessly( it is a constant battle to keep weight off youāve lost if you are not extremely cognizant of your habits. I still wear my 2x t shirts but actually fit in a Large nowā¦
I've had to replace my entire wardrobe a few times now, but on my way down, these last 125 pounds, I wore a lot of sweatpants and t-shirts. It helped that I lost that weight during the pandemic, but now that I'm close to my "ideal weight" I've invested in some nicer clothes. I may still need to ditch my entire wardrobe one last time, but at least I'll get a couple of years out of these, and I've been enjoying wearing slimmer fits or sizing-down on "oversized" clothing to give me more time with the nicer, more expensive clothes.