So I have coworker who is quite lovely, but since she lost a lot of weight she sometimes forgets to wear pants to work. Today was one of those days, and it occurred to me while we were engaging in a fan vs. space heater battle that she has no idea where or how to shop for her new body...and that I probably won't either!

I've been shopping in plus size stores or online as far back as I can remember and don't even know what's out there. If you've gotten out of the "plus" world, what are your favorite stores? If you haven't, is there someplace in particular that you're itching to be able to shop at?

I hope to have enough 14 & 12 in my closet for work clothes as I drop (currently 18) but I have gotten rid of so many over the years thinking they wouldn't be in style anyway! Kept the classic dress pants and button ups. May spend some recovery time after surgery taking inventory of what is really I the three bins at the top of that closet! (With hubby's help getting them down of course)

Most of my tops are outdated from years ago so I won't be recycling any of them. But when I lost weight long ago, I went on a jeans shopping spree, all the size 12s and have kept them hoping one day to fit in them again. And luckily enough, all the jeans are basically the same style as now so I'm good there for a while. Only jeans I don't have are skinny jeans but that's not really my style anyway Lol

the best way to start is start with some good underwear and bras that fit and maybe some Spanx. go ahead and watch TLC's What Not to Wear. no grandma jeans. no white briefs. we want sexy stuff now. Checkout the Christmas ads. Goid luck

I LOVE Torrid. It's a plus size store but, their sizes start at 12. So even if I do get approved for this surgery I will still be able to shop there. :wub:

I'll jump in and mention 6pm.com

It's all designer, name brand stuff at BIG mark downs, free shipping and free returns. They have a big variety of sizes too!

My island doesn't have much to chose from, so I'm big into online shopping

I did check out 6pm.com. So cool! Thanks for telling us about it.

Ugh. I am overwhelmed like this. About 5 years ago with the gallbladder saga I ended up being about 40 pounds less than I am now. So I do have some of those sizes still in my closet.

But I found myself last weekend trying to put some bags together for charity, and I realized that I am terrified to get rid of stuff. I mean, it's November. In 6 months I really should be at least 30 pounds lighter, and that's if I lose very slowly. Which means that by next summer I will need new everything. So why am I having trouble getting rid of stuff? Maybe because it sort of still fits. I seem to have lost 4 inches in my waist and about 1 inch from everywhere else. So what is my problem? And ALSO it's not like these are really nice clothes! Like you guys, I had started to just grab things that fit, regardless of what looked right on me. Target, Kohls, Walmart, Kmart, and sometimes Macy's.

So is it a leap of faith to get rid of things now, or do I just wait until it's obvious that I can no longer wear them under any stretch of the imagination?

I will say that I bought a pair of dark wash jeans in the style I like in the next size down and put them away. I am in jeans every day because I work at home, and I know I will get to them eventually. But that's the only thing I've been able to do.

Oh! And winter coats! I'm in a 7 year old coat that has seen better days (the ubiquitous long black puffy down coat that all women over the age of reason in the Midwest eventually break down and buy) and I am thinking that I should just hang onto it for this season because I have no idea what size I'll end up.

Sigh. These are all first class problems.

Ugh. I am overwhelmed like this. About 5 years ago with the gallbladder saga I ended up being about 40 pounds less than I am now. So I do have some of those sizes still in my closet.

But I found myself last weekend trying to put some bags together for charity, and I realized that I am terrified to get rid of stuff. I mean, it's November. In 6 months I really should be at least 30 pounds lighter, and that's if I lose very slowly. Which means that by next summer I will need new everything. So why am I having trouble getting rid of stuff? Maybe because it sort of still fits. I seem to have lost 4 inches in my waist and about 1 inch from everywhere else. So what is my problem? And ALSO it's not like these are really nice clothes! Like you guys, I had started to just grab things that fit, regardless of what looked right on me. Target, Kohls, Walmart, Kmart, and sometimes Macy's.

So is it a leap of faith to get rid of things now, or do I just wait until it's obvious that I can no longer wear them under any stretch of the imagination?

I will say that I bought a pair of dark wash jeans in the style I like in the next size down and put them away. I am in jeans every day because I work at home, and I know I will get to them eventually. But that's the only thing I've been able to do.

I have had so much trouble giving clothes away. Not only am I afraid I will need them again, but there are memories associated with several of those clothes. Memories of buying them, wearing them. meeting friends in them.

I guess I'm slow because it didn't dawn on me that NOTHING I own today will fit me anymore. Nothing, no shirts, pants, suits, undies, nighties, hose, bras, nothing--including many of my shoes.

I have eight huge black garbage bags full of clothes plus my husband's two bags that are sitting in my son's bedroom. He comes home this weekend. And I still have a full closet so obviously I haven't gotten rid of everything I should. That's what happens when you have entire wardrobes in 5 different sizes. We are committed to getting the bags out of the house today/tomorrow since he returns for the holiday on Saturday. There will be some heartbreak when they leave the house.

Early on, I didn't believe I was going to lose the weight. Now I look at summer clothing and know I will not fit into it next year so it's being easier to put it in the go away pile.

Get rid of it. Bite the bullet, and get rid of it. It's part of the mental work we need to do.

Oh good! We have identical garbage bags too. :-)

Last weekend I took 7 big garbage bags of clothes to the thrift store run by our local battered women's shelter. I still have a lot of summer clothes to get rid of, but I wanted to get all of my too-big winter stuff to them since it is needed now. It felt good to free up some space, both in my closet & in my mind. It's time to look forward.

Lizzy K - THANK YOU!! I was seriously beginning to think that I was the only one! I have lost almost 90 lbs and have only gone down 3 sizes in pants - what the heck is up with that? Tops sizes have gone down a great deal more because my boobs have apparently moved to another zip code without me - but the pants thing has really bummed me out. And before anyone asks - no - I'm not a pear shaped woman - I'm very curvy and my top and bottom don't look out of proportion.....

Lol. Boobs in another zip code.

I took my nicer clothes to my in person support group meeting. I gave away most of my clothes at the beginning of the season for them, so it was more likely they would find a good home. I gave what people didn't take to my favorite charities.

I just realized that I still wear one item of clothing from preop. My long purple robe. It's so fuzzy and warm. Hubby hasn't said it looks dorky on me, so I'm keeping it. That robe, socks, and one pair of pants are all that remain of my former wardrobe. I keep the ants as a reminder of where I came from. Like the saggy skin wasn't enough:-)

Lynda

Good use of gently used clothing

My fav stores are Ashley Stewart, Target, Victorias Secret and Gap.