Tips From The Trenches: Six Wardrobe Mistakes Not To Make During Your Weight Loss (and I Made Them All!)
To help you avoid making the same mistakes I did, here is a brief list of pot holes to avoid.
1) Not making adjustments to the size clothing you wear early in your weight loss- Clothing that is too loose or badly fitting can exaggerate rather than slim the body's silhouette. As little as 15 pounds can determine whether a garment will eye-catchingly drape or unappealingly droop on your frame. Selecting styles which will adjust to a changing figure can stretch the period over which clothing can be worn.
2) Selecting unflattering and/or dark colors - We have all heard that wearing dark colors, particularly black, will make us appear thinner. The truth is that the silhouette, proportion and fit of a garment all make more difference than the color ever will. Simply put, there is no one size fits all and everyone does not look good in black. Most people look better in a set of colors which complement their individual skin, hair and eye undertones and which typically does not include black. Once that color scheme is identified you can confidently purchase clothing which will look beautiful on you individually.
3) Wearing clothing inappropriate to your age, thinking that age appropriate clothes will appear frumpy-I personally know how bad an idea that can be! I gained weight in my early 40's and as I lost weight in my 50s I was attracted to particular skirt styles and dress types both in lengths which were more appropriate to how I had dressed in my30's, the age at which I had been able to wear them last. Because I had worn large sized unfashionable clothing during the period in my life when I likely would have been adjusting to a more grown up wardrobe, I was unaware that wearing those earlier styles made me look as if I were trying to look 30 again. Dressing age appropriately does not mean you have to look frumpy, it is possible to find clothing which will be attractive and alluring on a more mature woman.
4) Buying clothes inconsistent with your current lifestyle - by the time I reached by goal I held a responsible position in a financial institution with a conservative (unpublished, but implicit) dress code. Some of the clothing I selected, because I both liked it and found I could wear it, was brightly-colored or ultra-feminine and not always appropriate to my workplace. While it is okay to have some 'fun' clothes which are either more alluring or casual, you should dress for work in a style consistent with your place of business, and save the casual wear for extracurricular events.
5) Waiting until the end of your weight loss to discard clothing which is now too big. There were numerous times during the two years it took me to reach my goal where every little bit of positive reinforcement I could get was needed to keep me on the straight and narrow path. Being able to toss out the old clothes can symbolize a 'no going back' mentality and reinforce the behaviors necessary to ensure that your reach your goal.
6) Spending too much money on your transition clothing - it is not necessary to build an entire wardrobe from scratch each time you go down one size or to spend a fortune on designer clothing at each stage of your weight loss. Nor should you limit your purchases to Target and KMart until you reach your goal weight. There are a number of ways to manage the expense of maintaining a stylish, well-fitting wardrobe during your weight loss period.
I made all these mistakes and more. By the time I’d reached my goal weight, I had spent a lot of money and wasted countless hours buying clothing and accessories! I had no idea how to create my own, personal style. That was a luxury I never allowed myself when I was overweight. I had to learn the basics of building an image using fit, color, proportion, and style from square one.
At that point, I decided to call in a professional, and I hired my first image consultant; she changed everything. She taught me ways to reduce the time, effort and expense of creating my new look.
She helped me match my outside self to the way I felt on the inside.
I loved how simply wearing the right clothes and accessories made me feel. It really helped me acknowledge my own, personal transformation, and encouraged me to dig deeper and work harder on me.
I loved the process of working with an image consultant so much that I decided to become one!
I believe style is more than the just the way you look on the outside. It’s also the way you feel and think on the inside. Your personal style is a statement about who you are, what you think, and how you live. It’s the energy you project to others and should reflect how you to live in the world.
Every day, I have the privilege of helping women just like you create and communicate their personal style—through the beginning, middle and end of their transformations.
Are you ready to emerge as the woman you truly are, inside and out? Then don’t wait another second. Call me and set up a time to discuss how I can help you create your new look, and your new life.
Carin Boyer
Carin Boyer
Coaching | Motivation
Personal Styling
Phone: (718) 490-6766
Email: Info@ThinSideOutStyle.com
Wow at all the cost comments.
Different people have different budgets. 30,000 divided by 24 months is a little over a thousand a month. If you need nice suit for work, or purchased one purse or one or 2 pairs of shoes you can easily hit that number.
Different people view clothing differently. Some people how that dress an appear translates to money. A real estate agent selling multi millionn dollar listings for example cannot show up in some suit from the Limited.
The onky issue i had with the advice was dressing you age. That seems outdated and people shoukd dress for their figure.
Good message and good advice. Never mind the judgments here, writer.
I guess what you spend on clothing is all relative ... $30,000 is a fortune to some, a pittance to others. I probably spend more on handbags than any of my friends, but that's my little weakness and I have no other vices so can afford to pay $1000-plus for the occasional designer handbag. This is all good advice, though ... you tend to change size so rapidly in those early months that you will never get your money's worth out of clothes you buy. And shoes are the same: as I lost weight, my feet also got smaller. I bought some cheap but comfy slip-ons to tide me over until things stabilised. Boots were also a little more forgiving because even if they did end up too big, I could wear them with some nice woolly socks to help with that.
Well, I have to second the shopping in thrift stores comment. I found a Goodwill near me that gets all of the designer donations. I recently got a Calvin Klein dress to wear to a friend's wedding for $10. Total haul that day was $82 for two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, four tops, and the dress. Nothing that I bought was not a name brand.
I also have to add on though, that just because it fits, does not mean that you should wear it! I tried on some shorts on one of my shopping expeditions, and even though they fit, I liked the brand, and were comfortable, I put them back because I am 36 years old, and those orange shorts were just too young for me!
Thanks to all for comments on this article.
To those who asked if anyone should spend so much on clothes during and after weight loss surgery, the answer is that I do not recommend it!
Several factors contributed to my spending so much on my transition wardrobe. As a number of readers correctly guessed, where I lived (New York City) and the type of work I did (corporate executive type job in a well known financial services, think banking, company)during my weight loss period had a lot to do with it. We were expected to dress in a formal professional, very sophisticated style. The clothes I thought I needed in order to dress appropriately tended to expensive, and at the time, I thought I had to have a complete wardrobe each time I changed sizes. Now I know that with some planning it would have been possible to buy stylish clothing much less expensively, and by selecting the items with an eye toward versatility, fewer of them. As some of you have pointed out, shopping in thrift stores, and looking for sale items are ways to minimize the expense of adjusting your wardrobe during a major weight loss. Tailoring some of the more expensive items can also keep your costs down. Unfortunately, during my weight loss, I didn't have a workable strategy and it proved very costly.
These days, I take my own advice, considering my personal style, my lifestyle, and my budget as I plan my wardrobe.
Several people commented that they have their own personal styles and that they wouldn't want to change. Knowing what your fashion preferences are, and staying true to them are both essential to presenting your best self to the world. What image consultants can do is help you refine your style so that it remains consistent both with the person you are and the roles you need to play in your life, whether in your professional life or in social settings, all the while looking fabulous.
The very reasons I chose this career! I am interested in your comments, so keep the conversation going!
The thrift stores have become my salvation! Every time I drop a size or two I saunter joyfully over to "Value Village" (Canadians, can I get a whoop whoop!) and spend a whopping $30 on new tops and jeans. HUZZAH!
Man does it ever feel good to wear clothes that fit as I'm on my way down. I happily donated a bunch of my Size 22 pants and jeans (SEE YA' LATER!), but some of my tops that I bought full pop retail are truly lovely pieces (purchased from funky online shops like Zulily) that I cannot bear to part with. This is where my seamstress friend comes in - she will be doing some sewing for me at $10 per garment and saving me hundreds of bucks that I would otherwise need to spend on new clothes.
As a professor I have an unwritten (but implied) professional dress code to adhere to, and having a seamstress buddy on board is very helpful!
Carin, I really respect your answer to the comments left here.
If I had a good amount of spare money to spend on clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories I'd do it!!
After being married to the meanest man for 25 years (I used to have to hide money for holidays so the kids could have ice cream) I am now married to a man who encourages me to spend and I'm not ashamed of that fact. We both work hard, the 3 older kids are independent and the last one is 17 now and off to university next year so now its MY time to spend on me. In some area's of our lives we live very cheaply. However, I might treat myself to a few pieces of timeless classics which will work well in he long term.
Kate
I'll happily dress any one of you for free (or for a bottle of wine, if you're feeling generous)!
i bought my first pair of pants since my weight loss started, at a goodwill 3 days ago. a nice pair of basic black dress pants, just in case. Size 36 waist. i havent worn a 36 since the 8th grade. I have to go away for business in september. and trust me i own just this one pair of pants everything else i own is either shorts or some exercise wear. Thankfully my work is ultra casual so at work it doesnt matter , but when i go away we have to dress a bit. sigh. lol budgetary concerns are the biggest however.
The thrift stores have become my salvation! Every time I drop a size or two I saunter joyfully over to "Value Village" (Canadians, can I get a whoop whoop!) and spend a whopping $30 on new tops and jeans. HUZZAH!
Man does it ever feel good to wear clothes that fit as I'm on my way down. I happily donated a bunch of my Size 22 pants and jeans (SEE YA' LATER!), but some of my tops that I bought full pop retail are truly lovely pieces (purchased from funky online shops like Zulily) that I cannot bear to part with. This is where my seamstress friend comes in - she will be doing some sewing for me at $10 per garment and saving me hundreds of bucks that I would otherwise need to spend on new clothes.
As a professor I have an unwritten (but implied) professional dress code to adhere to, and having a seamstress buddy on board is very helpful!
Dear Professor, I used to get the best deals at our local Value Village ! They had everything ! Sadly, they went out of business where I live in western Washington state. The next time you shop there, tell them to please reopen one in our area ! ( In other words , "shut up and take my money !!!)
I lost a lot of sizes, and went through several wardrobe sizes.
Getting a wardrobe at the thrift shop or consignment store is much easier said than done. I tried to do that and never had luck in my town. I think there are some places that have better selection, but I would have had to drive a long way to get to them. After a few attempts, I gave it up. I didn't like having to dig and search and search, just to find nothing.
I have a professional job and have to dress a certain way. I also don't have a lot of extra time. So I tried to be pretty basic in shopping. I bought about 3 pairs of basic slacks, and paired them with different tops and jackets. I really only had about 15 items in my closet at any one time, but it was enough to get me through 2 weeks without repeating, for work. (Obviously I washed and repeated the pants). I also always made sure I had one casual outfit for weekends. I bought things a little snug, and then wore them until they were a little too big. I shopped only clearance items, and got things really inexpensive - like I mostly paid around $10 for the pants, and less for shirts, a little more for sweaters or jackets.
Now that I've been the same size for over a year, I'm starting to build a big wardrobe. I LOVE being thin for that reason. I still am a bargain hunter. There is solace in knowing I don't have to grab what I can when I see it and pay full price, like when I was fat. I used to do that, just being thankful there was something that was sort of cute and fit ok. Now I know that I can wait for things I like to go on sale, and if it never does, oh well. There are a million more things out there in a size 8 that I'm sure I'll love 
FrankyG 1,450
Posted
Um, I shop at thrift stores and wear really nice clothes that fit me very well no matter what stage of weight loss I'm in... and I spend pennies on the dollar for good condition, name brand clothes and accessories. Thrift shops are the BEST for finding inexpensive clothing for losing (or gaining) weight, since most people donate clothes if they still look good.
The trick is to find thrift stores in the ritzy or upper middle class sections of town. I'll still check out any shop I see if I have some time and am looking for something, but I've found designer stuff for cheap at those places, or at the very least, really pretty tops and jeans for much less than I'd pay at even Target or Walmart.< /p>
Husband has been losing weight with me and we just had to buy him new dress shirts and a sport coat... found two Calvin Klein dress shirts for $5, and a beautiful Joseph A. Banks wool sport coat for $15. I bought a really pretty ruby red off the shoulder top that matches perfectly a skirt I wanted to wear... $3.
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