Laura from Sparkly to Spouse wrote:
Question – maybe you can do a post on this – I have recently lost about 12 pounds. Some of my work pants fit very poorly now, but they’re not so loose that they are falling off. Because I still have at least another 15 pounds to go before I reach my goal, I feel it’s too soon to get my pants taken in. Some of them, I have just pushed to the back of the closet and will resume wearing them when I’ve lost more weight and can get them tailored, but some I’ve just continued wearing even though I know they don’t look perfect at the moment. My question is, how do you recommend dressing for someone who’s weight is in transition, without breaking the bank on an entire new wardrobe every few pounds?
Before I begin… CONGRATS for losing the weight!! That’s really amazing.. such willpower and discipline. I envy you with a passion..
Okay. Down to business.
It’s a problem for sure, but it’s a happy problem because you’re slimmer than before (actually I’m starting to notice my pants are getting a bit saggy on my bum too.. this question comes at a really great time).
I think that you should really reconsider the whole idea of not taking in clothes as you’re losing weight. Maybe not all of them, but just a couple of your favourite pants for example. The reason why I’m saying this is because clothes can really make or break your mood.
Imagine: You have a really important presentation to make tomorrow morning in front of your peers and a couple of executives.
You stand in front of your wardrobe.
What do you wear? The dark deep violet power suit that looks almost black in certain light that makes you feel like you’re a fabulous woman that’s always on top of the world every time you wear it, or your plain ol’ ill-fitting black pants with a plain sweater?
I offer this advice not just to you, but to every woman going through this transition period. Putting off buying new clothes, or tailoring the pieces you have until you are slim enough, may work for your strategy, but a lot of women get a real rush looking in a mirror in their new, slimmer body, and it motivates them to really go the distance and lose the rest of the weight.
Would you want to look unpolished at every stage of your weight-loss journey? Of course not! What you REALLY want is people to say Oh my gosh! You look fabulous!! instead of .. Oh. [Why is she wearing that!?]
But if you’re truly set on not tailoring your items right now for financial reasons, I can totally understand that.
So my recommendations for transition pieces would be:
A wrap dress
I hate to be cliché, but a wrap dress can really do it for you. It will ‘fit’ to your body and your curves no matter how much you lose, and it can be continually adjusted via its straps and the wrapping quality of the dress until you’re at your ideal weight.
Think: jersey knit…..
Look for your clothes with some stretch in it
Why? .. Because the stretch will help keep the fit tighter to your body. I’m not going as far as to suggest you consider an elastic waist pair of pants (ick!), but look for Lycra or something in your clothes that will stretch in the body shape that you’re in now, and will feel only a bit looser, yet still fitted as you keep losing the weight.
A-line skirts
I’d pick A-line skirts over pencil skirts because pencil skirts will look baggy and not quite right if they aren’t fitted and skimming your body – you’ll look like you’re swimming in your clothes, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not the best either. A-line skirts however (full skirts), will fit you at the shape you are now but instead of the skirt hugging your hips, it’ll just float or skim over it, and as you get tinier and tinier, it won’t matter – the skirt isn’t hugging you! It won’t look as baggy or as ill-fitting as a pencil skirt would.
Borrow clothes from smaller friends
This is a really economical way to be in a transition wardrobe. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of girlfriends or co-workers who are thrilled by your progress and would love to lend you a couple of outfits to tide you over until you get to your ideal weight. Of course, it goes without saying, but clean and press the outfits when you’re done, and give them a little thank-you gift.
Head to thrift stores, online auctions, discount malls..whatever!
You only want these clothes for the in-between phases, so they can be regarded as disposable. Save your cash for those ideal, perfect, quality pieces for when you’re at your ideal weight. Right now, think frugal.
Buy a belt
Wearing a belt around a looser dress will make it look chic’er (is that even a word?) than if you just let it flap loosely around you.
Consider buying knits
Knits can really change with your shape. Buy one that skims you, and even if you get skinnier, it will just be a bit loose on you – but that’s forgivable, because you can make it look chic. That’s harder to do in a top or a pair of pants where it clearly doesn’t fit. With a knit, you can make out as though it does!
A knit dress would be a nice combination of this tip and the first one I gave above. In black, or a dark brown/burgundy if it suits your skintone better.
That’s it – I’m tapped out of ideas. I hope I’ve helped!
On the flipside of all of this, stay away from tighter clothes as you’re transitioning – if you DO decide to buy newer clothes that are tighter on your body, buy them so that they skim, but don’t cling… Buying smaller clothes will not only look bad, it’ll make you feel bigger than you really are. And even though you KNOW you’ll be losing enough weight to fit comfortably into that smaller size, it’s more important to focus on how you feel now, not how you think you’ll feel later on.
Don’t forget to get rid of all of your old, oversized clothing when you are finally happy with your ideal weight. Don’t keep it for sentimental reasons, TOSS IT!!
Also, don’t forget to go shopping for a new bra and new underwear!! (And get properly fitted for one). You want to be sure that your shape underneath your new, body conscious clothing is the right one, rather than lumpy or misshapen.
Can anyone else offer some insight on this issue?
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Lady N
on Oct 1st, 2007
@ 10:00 PM:
OMG – those are some great tips! I agree – don’t go out and buy a bunch of tight-fitting clothes because then you won’t feel as thin as you actually are, but don’t continue wearing the same clothes – they’ll just make you feel frumpy. But if you have a special event or something – I think its totally OK to get something that looks great on you (ie a fabulous dress for a night out) that fits you well so that you can feel great too! I truly believe that a great outfit can make you feel good, and it can also remind you of your great success. Also, if you choose to get new things for the “transition” phase, it should be basics or things that you would wear often so that you get a lot of wear out of them.
Fabulously Broke in the City
on Oct 1st, 2007
@ 10:05 PM:
*nods*.. And be able to wear a cardigan or something cool and funky with it to dress it up in the meantime while you’re losing all the excess weight.
Laura
on Oct 2nd, 2007
@ 1:27 PM:
Thanks so much for the great advice! I think the wrap dress is the best piece of advice because it really can fit you at a variety of sizes, and I’m not trying to lose a huge amount of weight so it should fit me at every point along the whole journey.
Pants are what I find the most frustrating. I have a great suit that’s been sitting at the back of my closet for months now because it’s so loose the pants fall down. Maybe it’s time to get them taken in. I was going to wait till I hit 150 lbs (I’m 10 lbs away from that goal) but at my rate of weight loss that will take me at least 2 1/2 months.
Fabulously Broke in the City
on Oct 3rd, 2007
@ 8:36 AM:
No problem!
I immediately thought: WRAP DRESS when you mentioned your weight change, but I also wanted to try and give you other options that wouldn’t break your bank.
But as for that great suit – I’d totally take it in because you might as well feel and look great in the suit in the mean time while you’re losing weight, plus the pants can be worn as a staple for the rest of your wardrobe!
Good luck
Meg from The Bargain Queens & All About Appearances
on Jan 1st, 2008
@ 3:05 PM:
As someone who has gone up and down weight-wise, I can say that wrap dresses are wonderful. They are a wardrobe staple for me.
I hardly ever wear pants because it’s just too hard for me to find ones that fit and I don’t want to have to go pants shopping every time I loose or gain weight.
Fabulously Broke in the City
on Jan 2nd, 2008
@ 8:57 AM:
Meg: Wrap dresses work like a charm for me too, I just need to find a decent slip to wear under it so I don’t flash everyone if I put on weight (LOL)