MrsLuvMuffin

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.
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.

Sorry, the author is Carole Jackson, and yes its updated and still in print. Try Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, or just google for info.

Im 57 years old , gone from 225 lbs to 144 and im pretty darn sure I haven't spent $30, 000 dollars on my wardrobe in my entire life. I dont have to dress up for work ( jeans are fine) but I still look stylish, professional and pulled together every single day. People compliment me often on my nice clothes , it's always from Goodwill !!! I bought only what looked good and fit my body, and age, not because it was popular or a bargain price. I will say one book that helped me a long time ago was called "Color me beautiful" I think the author was Carole Johnson ? She saved me a fortune once I figured out what season I was ( winter) , I ve never bought the wrong colors since. Money well spent !!

My biggest challenge while I was losing 90+ pounds was not breaking the bank while acquiring clothes I knew I wouldn't be wearing very long.
Like many of us, I shopped out of my closet for many months as I dropped from sizes 18-20 down to 14. But below that, the pickings got thin, so to speak.
As I shrunk down through sizes 12, 10 and into 8s, I found some magnificent pieces -- and not just for work or "dress-up" -- at shockingly low prices at high-end consignment shops. Casual and weekend clothes (jeans, workout clothes) came from Target, JCPenney (a surprising good source of "yoga clothing"), and T.J. Maxx.
Here are few good online fashion sites for grown-up women:
https://www.pinterest.com/SusanKHaynes/stylish-over-50/
http://fiftynotfrumpy.blogspot.com/
http://www.fashionafter50.com/

Gosh.
I found a good seamstress as I got closer to goal. Saved me from donating almost new clothes. About $10. Per article. Now they are almost tailor made... Just an option for those not able to spend thousands⭐️

An important aspect of learning to love the new you in the mirror is creating a personal style that flatters the woman you are becoming! While experimenting with new styles and fashions is fun, the time and money you will need to create and maintain a wardrobe over a 100 major weight loss period can be daunting!


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.