CLOTHES SHOPPING WHILST LOSING WEIGHT - Weight Loss Part 15

A lot of people have said to me: "You must be looking forward to getting a new wardrobe?" Well, yes, and no. Losing weight can be an expensive business if you're not careful. I don't think I've done too badly though. So, I thought I'd share what I've learnt, how I've saved the pennies. And, of course, some of the mistakes I've made.

Replenishing my wardrobe in the charity shops!

I had a pretty full wardrobe before I started losing weight. I also luckily had some clothes stored away that were too small, mainly jeans and trousers. So, when I first went down a dress size I didn't have to buy any new trousers. In fact, it was extremely satisfying to fit into once loved jeans again.

If, like me, you have a lot of weight to lose and hope to go down several dress sizes (6 to date), you will need more than just the clothes that don't fit anymore. Luckily, there are some items of clothing you can get away with wearing even when they are too big. Others, not so much...

When something gets so big it gets to the point where it simply looks stupid it's time for it to go!

Unlike clothes that are too small, I get rid of any clothes that are too big. Either to charity or passed onto friends. My theory is, if I keep it, there's a greater chance I'll slip back into old habits and put on weight again. If I don't have the clothes to fill into, I won't allow myself to take a step backwards.

Of course, you can make your clothes last a bit longer with a few tricks.

First off, you can get away with wearing most cardigans and jumpers for quite some time before they start to look stupid.

Other items of clothing, such as dresses, shirts and tunics, can be synched in with a belt, either around the waist or the smallest part of your back. The trick is to focus the eye on the smallest part of your torso, in turn taking the focus away from your hips.

I'm a classic pear shape, so we're talking big hips, small torso. Wearing a belt with a dress around the smallest part of my back emphasises my smaller, slimmer figure and stops my slightly bigger clothes looking frumpy.

This trick works with cardigans and jackets too.

If you are unsure about how to dress for your shape, you'll find plenty of tips online. Another option is to book a consultation with a stylist. I did this earlier this year with stylist Hazel Boyd. She helped me see what worked best for my shape. This has given me the confidence to make better, bolder choices about how I dress.

When it comes to trousers, getting away with wearing an oversized pair is a bit trickier. Generally, it just doesn't work. In this case, you have two options. Get the sewing machine out, or buy new trousers.

If you are handy with a sewing machine, great! You can make many items of clothing last a lot longer... If not, you need to make a conscious decision about what trousers you actually need to get by until you reach your ideal size.

I personally decided one pair of work trousers and two pairs of jeans suited me fine. In fact, at one point I didn't even have work trousers, I just wore dresses and skirts to work all the time, because I had them and I could!

A good (usually more expensive) pair of jeans lasts a long time. But losing a lot of weight rapidly means any pair of trousers you buy will only last a couple of months, three at the most, before you need to replace them.

So, spending a lot of money on a nice pair of jeans is rather pointless.

This is where the spending cap comes in. I decided that I would not allow myself to spend more than a certain amount on one pair of jeans or trousers. Purely because I couldn't afford to continuously replace more expensive items.

This gave me two options. Charity shops or cheap, poor quality high-street shops. In the beginning, it was the latter. Why? Because trying to shop in charity shops for plus size clothing is a bit like trying to order a steak in a vegetarian restaurant. The choice (generally) just isn't there...

I've also gone for the latter when it comes to shopping for the basics, such as leggings and vests. Why spend £20 on a really good quality pair for leggings that you will only be able to wear for a few months when you can get a pair less than £3? Again, putting a spending cap on my essentials until I reach my ideal size.

Underwear is another matter though!

The most important items of clothing in a woman's wardrobe is her underwear. Good fitting underwear goes a long way to making you look good, whatever else you are wearing. Ill-fitting underwear can be a recipe for disaster!

I've bought my pants from the same high-street chain for many years. A brand that are well-known for their quality underwear. However, when it got to the stage where I really needed new pants, I made the mistake of going to another high-street chain with cheaper, poorer quality garments.

They were ill fitting and did not last...

When the ill-fitting, now falling apart, pants were too big, I went back to my previous, trusted brand. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but I just bought less and decided I would simply need to keep on top of my washing.

If you have a trusted brand of underwear, but intend on losing a lot of weight, I would advise buying less of the same brand rather than going for a cheaper brand.

The same advice goes for bras. I wore my old bras until the tightest hook was too big and/or the cups were too big. There was a bit of trial and error in finding new bras as my old ones were Swedish, and I couldn't just walk into a shop and try them on. So, I had to go elsewhere.

Learning how to correctly measure my bra size helped a lot too!

I did eventually find a bra in a high-street store that I liked the fit of and bought three. Three is not exactly an adequate number for your average wardrobe, but, like my pants, I just wash them more frequently. When I reach my ideal size, I will splash out! But in the meantime, three will have to do!

When you do reach a size, which has resulted in your wardrobe looking like it's gone into starvation mode, and you really do need to start doing some serious shopping, I cannot recommend charity shops enough!

Some are better than others of course, and you might need to shop around to find the ones with the best deals, and the clothing that suits you, but it's worth it! Some charity shops have £1 and 50p rails, as where others don't have anything cheaper than £3.99.

Some of my charity shop finds.

Either way, if you like it and don't feel like they are overcharging, go for it! At the end of the day, the clothing is getting a new lease of life, and you are giving money to a good cause. This page has some good tips on shopping in charity shops.

I have recently replenished my wardrobe with charity shop purchases that I would not find on the high-street without spending a small fortune. I managed to buy a total of 19 items for just under £40!

Now that I can shop in charity shops, I imagine my wardrobe will grow in a far more imaginative manner than it would if I stuck to the high-street. I have found I make more daring choices when I shop in charity shops because I'm generally only spending a couple of pounds per item.

Where ever you are with your weight loss, enjoy your new shape and have fun trying out new ideas!

*DISCLAIMER: Just a wee reminder that this is what has worked for me. There's no guarantee that it will work for everyone as we are all different. I’m not a professional!