Ladies - How did you handle the shopping transition from plus size?

[Kat410 423]

Hey ladies!

I need some shopping advice! 84 lbs later and (at least on tops) I am in the smallest sizes in the brands that I have been wearing for many years (mostly for work clothes - typically Talbots, Eloquii and Lane Bryant). The 14's in LB and Eloquii now fit me and in a month will be too big. I am still a 16 in bottoms (of course my rear and thighs are lagging behind everything else).

I have not shopped for standard sizes in over 20 years and my body will not be a normal standard size - I am loosing unevenly and I know that will catch up, but truthfully my body is somewhat awkwardly shaped now.

Are there any brands that you really liked in the transition? That were curvy-friendly and forgiving for those in between sizes? And, I am not a big spend-all-day-in-the-store-trying-stuff-on kind of person.

Also can I just say I don't understand how I can weigh 250 and be in a 16W. My brain just does not compute that but at the end of the day, regardless of the size I still need clothes that fit.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I was a 16 around 250. I'm not sure how long you have been heavy but the longer you have been heavy the more muscle you have. Some of it is vanity sizing and some it is muscle. I had some clothes left from college, so it isn't all vanity sizing. I was definitely smaller physically, 50 pounds heavier than I was in college.

If you don't want to spend a lot, Old Navy, Gap are good places to start. Old Navy regular sizes are cut large and I think they go to 18, I know they have 16s.

Department stores are nice also. Macy's, JCPenney

My advice is to find some place that has plus sizes and regular sizes. There was a time period I wore both. Honestly that is the most fun, you can shop EVERYWHERE. Find a place that has both makes the transition easier because you are not in entirely unfamiliar territory, you are just switching Depts. This is why Department stores are nicer places to shop than womens specialty stores, you can just transition departments instead of looking for an entirely new place to shop.

Macy's and Penney's has really good sales, so you can find nice items on clearance and coupons etc.

If you have time, go on a week day when the sales people are bored and no one is around and have them help you. They love helping people with a weight loss story in my experience. If not a week day then Sunday afternoon.

If you can, just stop buying pants. You are to the point that is you are still losing, pants in this range are going to show weight loss fast, even if you do no feel like you are losing much or fast. Get dresses and skirts, buy tight to go under them if you are afraid of being cold. If you get pants, you might be saggy in the butt and upper thighs every 2 weeks. Pants are the most unforgiving when it comes to weight loss.

Not sure about your work environment but learn to layer. Get a nice blazer, that is almost too small so it lasts a little bit, get a lot of tight shells, so they last longer or thin fitted tops, they will be loose eventually. Find some belts so you can belt dresses and make them last longer. Buy your sweaters a size smaller, so you can wear them all winter.

Only buy things you are going to wear within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Don't try to shop ahead because you see a deal. Once you are in these lower sizes, a few pounds means a size change. If you buy 14s thinking you will be wearing them all winter or something you are going to be wasting money. You will probably be a 12 by Thanksgiving, 20 pounds should get you there.

[AmandaWho 158]

Hey ladies!
I need some shopping advice! 84 lbs later and (at least on tops) I am in the smallest sizes in the brands that I have been wearing for many years (mostly for work clothes - typically Talbots, Eloquii and Lane Bryant). The 14's in LB and Eloquii now fit me and in a month will be too big. I am still a 16 in bottoms (of course my rear and thighs are lagging behind everything else).
I have not shopped for standard sizes in over 20 years and my body will not be a normal standard size - I am loosing unevenly and I know that will catch up, but truthfully my body is somewhat awkwardly shaped now.
Are there any brands that you really liked in the transition? That were curvy-friendly and forgiving for those in between sizes? And, I am not a big spend-all-day-in-the-store-trying-stuff-on kind of person.
Also can I just say I don't understand how I can weigh 250 and be in a 16W. My brain just does not compute that but at the end of the day, regardless of the size I still need clothes that fit.

I have not handled it yet. Haha. My work pants are almost at the point of falling off and I'm trying to hold out until after our wedding because clothes are so damn expensive and I'm just going to shrink through them anyway (fingers crossed)!

I hear you. I hate shopping and it's a chore to try clothes on.

But congrats on losing 84 lbs! Amazing!

[hmills653 365]

Im also losing unevenly. Still have my lower belly but lost alot of my butt and boobs, and some of my thighs. I went to goodwill and found a pair of jeans for $6. I wear scrubs to work and any only allowed navy and white so not much to do there. Thrift stores are good options when you're losing quickly and don't want to spend a ton of money.

[pinkcaddywant2b 26]

Wouldn't be great if we had some kind of bariatric cloths closet .. I get three shirts in a 1x and send in 3 shirts in a 3x .. be great if doc office did something like that for patients ..

[ZinNH 173]

Good job on your weight loss!

I just took five bags of clothes to the goodwill, because everything was falling off of me. Luckily, I had a few bags of clothes tucked away from before I gained weight, so that stuff I should fitting me now, but in a few weeks, I guess I'll have to go shopping. I didn't realize how quickly my sizes would change!

it will be so nice to be able to go to the mall to shop instead of buying things online and just hoping that they fit.

[GeTnBackuP 192]

Wouldn't be great if we had some kind of bariatric cloths closet .. I get three shirts in a 1x and send in 3 shirts in a 3x .. be great if doc office did something like that for patients ..

Someone came up with a clothing exchange for our local monthly WLS support group. It's been a great help to a lot of people!!! We bring in what we don't want and take home what fits win-win

[Berry78 4,261]

I go to Christopher and Banks. They have sizing from 24w down to about 6 in the same style of pants. I just go in every couple months and buy a pair the next size down. Currently in a 14 at 217lbs. They are expensive, so I just have the one pair that fits well (and I still can wear the next larger size, so have 2 pairs at a time).

[Missy161 395]

I like dress barn- they have plus and regular. I also found some great pants at Marshalls which I always hated shopping in, but for the price it was nice to get a couple of pair of transition pants. I walked away with 2 pair of pants for $33!


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 181 GW 135

[Missy161 395]

Just got a great pair of black pants at dress barn last week too -$34 but well made


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 181 GW 135

[susieslimlips 5]

I am just in my 1st week post op and I have been planning to go to the op shop ( goodwill store) for second hand clothes during the weight loss journey . I'm also the yo yo dieting Queen and so I have different size clothes in my closet anyway !!

[monalyssa33 138]

I love Old Navy to be honest. I went shopping there with my sister and saw this dress that I absolutely needed but the only sizes were a Large and an XXL. I wanted an XL. My sister talked me into getting the Large and I tried it on at home and it fits perfectly (I should also say that I hate trying on clothes in the stores). I also go to Goodwill quite a bit. I'm lucky that my job doesn't have a strict dress code (I wear jeans most days) so I don't have to buy anything fancy.

[jess9395 5,449]

Khols on the West coast has all sizes great sales and even full price isn't too bad. So if you don't want to spend a lot of time shopping it's a good bet.

I love thrifting, but it's time consuming!

[carolynjackson 171]

I've lost just over 100 lbs and still walk in the plus size section it's such a habit, I do shop a lot at old navy, JCPENNY clearance section, Walmart and even goodwill. I'm a nurse so had to buy all new scrubs but I bargin shop.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

[Sullie06 1,013]

I've had the best luck at Dress Barn for my work attire and American Eagle for my casual attire. Dress Barn is nice because they had both sizes so the transition from plus to straight was fairly easy. I can get the same pants I wore before just in a smaller size. American Eagle has the best jeans I've ever worn. They have so many cuts and rises you can really tailor them to your body.

I've also had good luck at Boscov's and Sears, but unfortunately our Sears just closed. I loved their dress pants.

I'm currently 192, 5'10" and in a size 12/14, though mostly 14. Also, I didn't realize at first there is a difference between a straight 14 and a 14W