Dealing With the In-Between Clothes Stage - Any Advice on Subscriptions

[anwen_ut 47]

I am officially far enough along that most of my clothes are no longer fitting well, or even at all. This is hugely exciting for sure so I am definitely not complaining. I still have a few older pieces at the back of my closet that now work for me, so I'm limping along ok for now. Unfortunately, I do need to look professional when I travel for work and these baggy clothes just aren't going to cut it for much longer.

I don't want to invest in new clothes only to outgrow them soon... so, I was thinking of trying a clothes subscription service like Gwynnie Bee:

https://closet.gwynniebee.com/

Does anyone have experience doing something like this? Once I reach goal I'll WILL invest in some very good pieces, but this seems like a way to update size and trends without being stuck with too-big clothes in my closet at the end. Any pitfalls I should watch out for? Or ideas on how you dealt with this stage?

[MayMarie 349]

I think that sounds like a great idea, especially for someone who needs to look really professional at work.

[mngreeneyes 674]

WOW! That sounds great. Let us know how it goes, if you decide to try it. I still have some clothes, just brought some out of storage last night, but it isn't going to be too long before I have to find some other clothes.

pam

[OKCPirate 5,323]

No easy answer, depends on your job and how well you have to dress (difference between Wall Street, and Main St.) but consignment shops worked well for me.

[careya123 260]

I think that's a great idea too. Once you're in the smaller sizes, I've heard thrift stores can be great too. If you like skirts, that can work well for weight loss, especially knit skirts. In fact, knit anything works better than woven. If you have some nicer clothes, take them to a tailor to be sized down. Pants can only go 1-2 sizes down before you basically have to take them apart and re-cut them. Not worth it at that point. Also, see if you can shop a friend's closet. And clearance racks. Congratulations on the weight loss!

Edit: Maybe dresses would work for a longer time too. Have a tailor narrow the arm, side seams, and deepen the front and back darts as you lose weight. Perhaps a shirtdress style would work well, or a wrap style.

Edited January 26, 2016 by careya123

[anwen_ut 47]

@@careya123 That is a really good point on dresses. I admit that I've stayed away from them for forever because of my thigh rub (no fun!) and never being able to find tights that would stay up all day. Both of those issues are resolving themselves though, so hopefully I can go back to dresses again. My inner little girl just kind of squeed from this realization.

[AnA92212 577]

I will tell you from experience that skirts are just easier than pants while you are rapidly losing weight. I was changing pant sizes every 2-3 weeks for awhile. Skirts just "last" longer. Dresses too probably. I wore ALOT of a line skirts and cardigans or sweaters for the longest. I am now buying pants again. I didn't do the subscription although it probably would have been cheaper now that I think about it.

[otillie03103 123]

I bought new clothes and as I get smaller I plan to have them taken in by a seamstress.

[anwen_ut 47]

For those interested in update - I went ahead and started the process. It's free for the first month (That's how they get you right? First hit is free?) so figured it's worth a shot. I have outfits on the way. They happened to all be dresses, and I am pretty excited to see how it goes.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/0bd0871725c611123ea4c5f78dea791f/tumblr_o1mbd4Xz6m1v6a6p3o1_1280.jpg

[A New KK 104]

Please post how it goes. I am going back to work Monday after being unemployed for almost 4 months. Have been able to shop in the back of my closet but went to interview Monday with skirt/blousson ensemble and as I was walking to and from the parking garage I had to pray that my skirt wouldn't fall down. LOL I have been wanting to try GB but I'm top heavy and dresses can fit me oddly. I am just realizing now that I don't have enough clothing for work.

[anwen_ut 47]

@A New KK Glad to know I'm not the only one in this position! I'll let you know how goes when they get here. Good luck on the new job and congrats on the loose skirt!

[Heather I 500]

I used them a couple years ago and really liked it! Everything came freshly packed, and returns were brainlessly easy with their self-addressed bags with prepaid postage. My only recommendation is to get the maximum subscription. On the smaller plans, they staggered what they sent until you sent back the original items. If you had the bigger plan, you can get more than one thing at a time. They seemed back-ordered on a lot of stuff, but I heard they addressed that issue.

It's cool though -- they put stuff on sale to buy, and it's nice to get to try before you buy.