Shopping for clothing has changed since I've been losing weight, I'm on a strict budget so I'm shopping in second hand shops, only a few times per year. Lately I've been shopping because I do need summer clothes, but also to distract myself from thinking about the person I've referred to in this blog as "my true love". The other night I bought 6 short sleeve t-shirts and 2 skirts for $20.25; that was a good deal.
Last summer when I moved down from plus sizes to regular Misses size XL, I bought 4 short sleeve shirts, 3 shorts to last the whole season. This summer becuase I'm shopping more than usual: 12 tops, 4 skirts, 3 shorts, and 1 pair of wedge sandals. Changing sizes is fun and a reward for losing weight, its the flip side reward of getting rid of old large size clothing. The two go hand in hand, get rid of the old and bring on the new.
Here are my top tips for clothes shopping at 2nd hand shops:
1. First number one, most important rule: when shopping for clothes wear a good, well-fitting bra. Its impossible to tell if you like an item without a good bra.
2. If you ever buy anything made of wool, be sure to drop it off at the dry cleaner before you bring it home. I've ruined good cashmere clothes several times in my life by bringing home moths from 2nd hand shops.
3. First time you shop at a 2nd hand store it will take a long time and you might feel overwhelmed; know you will get better each time you go. Each time you shop it will become easier to focus and find what you are looking for. The first time I went I spent hours and tried on over 50 items but brought home 2; now in 20 - 30 minutes, I tried on 18 items and bought 6.
Here are some of my strategies, although you'll come up with your own:
When losing weight I focus on the next lower size I want to get into and limit myself to looking only for items in that size.
I choose a size and go through those items one by one, when I find an item I like I'll check to make sure it is clean before putting it on my stack to try on.
When choosing items to try on notice the brand names, because buying multiple items of clothing made by the same brand increases the likelihood of having pieces that match. One brand has a midnight navy blue color that remains the same year after year, another brand has the same heather gray year after year, etc.
When I have a good stack of items to try on I go to the dressing room. In the dressing room I sort items into stacks of Buy, Eliminated and Maybe. I try on the Buy stack of clothes a 2nd time before I buy them, most of the Maybes usually get eliminated either before or during the 2nd try on.
When choosing items to buy, resist strongly any desire to buy a piece that is a size large just because you like the style so much. Resist. Resist. Resist. You are losing weight and that item will too soon be in the discard pile with all of your other too big clothing, so in most cases its waste of money.
Choose items that just fit or are slightly too small; but resist the urge to buy more than one or 2 items that are a whole size too small, because its hard to know if it will flatter you when it does fit.
Resist having emotional attachments to clothing. When you are losing weight these clothes are likely to be in your life for less than a year. If you find a piece you love, remember there are many other pieces you will love in smaller sizes as you lose more weight. There is always more to love ahead.
Remember that its likely you'll make a few mistakes, a few items you regret buying. Some shops will let you return items, or you could make the best of it by wearing the item once or twice to get your moneys worth out of it, then in any case chaulk it up to experience and add that item to your discard pile.
I started fashion bulletin boards for each season and, after a year, discovered my style changes a great deal with each season. For me personally I discovered this pattern:
WINTER -- deep black, navy, brown, beige, gold, burgandy and shell pink colors, in 1930s art deco stylized, dramatic shapes. Layers of thin lightweight woolen fabrics and silk crepe. Focus on scarves, jackets, coats, gloves, socks, and boots. Emphasis on precious and antique rings and pendants.
SPRING -- soft and bright aqua, green, rose, and butter pastels, floral fabrics, reminiscent of youthful 1940s short puffy sleeves, drapey, sheer fabrics in stretchy form-fitting styles. Focus on short-waisted hand-knitted cardigans, knee length A-line skirts, skinny belts, soft, feminine dresses in beige or shell pink chiffon, ballet flats, Mary Jane strap pumps, pretty spring jacket. Emphasis on cloissine and costume jewelry in shapes of flora and fauna.
SUMMER -- bold, primary cobalt blue, saffron yellow and reds in dramatic color block 1970s loose-hanging new wave fashion. Focus on shorts, horizontal stripes or picture t-shirts, plaid shirts, hiking boots and canvas tennies for camping. Swimsuits, embroidered ethnic smock tops, espedrilles, flip-flops and sandals. Emphasis on loads of fun, cheap bracelets.
AUTUMN -- heathered gem colors in rust, olive, plum, cornflower, carmel, and gray woolens in 1960s collegiate style. Focus on layers of soft cardigans with elbow patches, tailored front-placket button shirts, fair isle woolen sweaters, blazers, trench coats, skinny jeans with suede Hush Puppy desert boots, or taller boots layered with over the knee stockings and short skirts. Emphasis on multiple stacked rings, and semi-precious, imported charms, and pendants.
The fashion bulletin board helped me identify one key item that would be hard to find in a 2nd hand shop, so I bought that item at a good clothing store, but the bulk of my wardrobe is made up of 2nd hand finds. Last autumn the key item was skinny jeans, this summer my key item was a pair of wedge sandals.
Last summer when I moved down from plus sizes to regular Misses size XL, I bought 4 short sleeve shirts, 3 shorts to last the whole season. This summer becuase I'm shopping more than usual: 12 tops, 4 skirts, 3 shorts, and 1 pair of wedge sandals. Changing sizes is fun and a reward for losing weight, its the flip side reward of getting rid of old large size clothing. The two go hand in hand, get rid of the old and bring on the new.
Here are my top tips for clothes shopping at 2nd hand shops:
1. First number one, most important rule: when shopping for clothes wear a good, well-fitting bra. Its impossible to tell if you like an item without a good bra.
2. If you ever buy anything made of wool, be sure to drop it off at the dry cleaner before you bring it home. I've ruined good cashmere clothes several times in my life by bringing home moths from 2nd hand shops.
3. First time you shop at a 2nd hand store it will take a long time and you might feel overwhelmed; know you will get better each time you go. Each time you shop it will become easier to focus and find what you are looking for. The first time I went I spent hours and tried on over 50 items but brought home 2; now in 20 - 30 minutes, I tried on 18 items and bought 6.
Here are some of my strategies, although you'll come up with your own:
When losing weight I focus on the next lower size I want to get into and limit myself to looking only for items in that size.
I choose a size and go through those items one by one, when I find an item I like I'll check to make sure it is clean before putting it on my stack to try on.
When choosing items to try on notice the brand names, because buying multiple items of clothing made by the same brand increases the likelihood of having pieces that match. One brand has a midnight navy blue color that remains the same year after year, another brand has the same heather gray year after year, etc.
When I have a good stack of items to try on I go to the dressing room. In the dressing room I sort items into stacks of Buy, Eliminated and Maybe. I try on the Buy stack of clothes a 2nd time before I buy them, most of the Maybes usually get eliminated either before or during the 2nd try on.
When choosing items to buy, resist strongly any desire to buy a piece that is a size large just because you like the style so much. Resist. Resist. Resist. You are losing weight and that item will too soon be in the discard pile with all of your other too big clothing, so in most cases its waste of money.
Choose items that just fit or are slightly too small; but resist the urge to buy more than one or 2 items that are a whole size too small, because its hard to know if it will flatter you when it does fit.
Resist having emotional attachments to clothing. When you are losing weight these clothes are likely to be in your life for less than a year. If you find a piece you love, remember there are many other pieces you will love in smaller sizes as you lose more weight. There is always more to love ahead.
Remember that its likely you'll make a few mistakes, a few items you regret buying. Some shops will let you return items, or you could make the best of it by wearing the item once or twice to get your moneys worth out of it, then in any case chaulk it up to experience and add that item to your discard pile.
I started fashion bulletin boards for each season and, after a year, discovered my style changes a great deal with each season. For me personally I discovered this pattern:
WINTER -- deep black, navy, brown, beige, gold, burgandy and shell pink colors, in 1930s art deco stylized, dramatic shapes. Layers of thin lightweight woolen fabrics and silk crepe. Focus on scarves, jackets, coats, gloves, socks, and boots. Emphasis on precious and antique rings and pendants.
SPRING -- soft and bright aqua, green, rose, and butter pastels, floral fabrics, reminiscent of youthful 1940s short puffy sleeves, drapey, sheer fabrics in stretchy form-fitting styles. Focus on short-waisted hand-knitted cardigans, knee length A-line skirts, skinny belts, soft, feminine dresses in beige or shell pink chiffon, ballet flats, Mary Jane strap pumps, pretty spring jacket. Emphasis on cloissine and costume jewelry in shapes of flora and fauna.
SUMMER -- bold, primary cobalt blue, saffron yellow and reds in dramatic color block 1970s loose-hanging new wave fashion. Focus on shorts, horizontal stripes or picture t-shirts, plaid shirts, hiking boots and canvas tennies for camping. Swimsuits, embroidered ethnic smock tops, espedrilles, flip-flops and sandals. Emphasis on loads of fun, cheap bracelets.
AUTUMN -- heathered gem colors in rust, olive, plum, cornflower, carmel, and gray woolens in 1960s collegiate style. Focus on layers of soft cardigans with elbow patches, tailored front-placket button shirts, fair isle woolen sweaters, blazers, trench coats, skinny jeans with suede Hush Puppy desert boots, or taller boots layered with over the knee stockings and short skirts. Emphasis on multiple stacked rings, and semi-precious, imported charms, and pendants.
The fashion bulletin board helped me identify one key item that would be hard to find in a 2nd hand shop, so I bought that item at a good clothing store, but the bulk of my wardrobe is made up of 2nd hand finds. Last autumn the key item was skinny jeans, this summer my key item was a pair of wedge sandals.
