Clothes shopping weirdness...can you relate?

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

It is so weird and frustrating going clothes shopping.

For a couple years, I avoided shopping for clothes like the plague, ESPECIALLY trying them on because, as probably a lot of morbidly obese people feel, it was exhausting to have to dress and undress and have to strain to take my shoes off, nothing fit, and walking out of there feeling like a defeated fata$$, etc. Even worse, because I am short, even at my heaviest I was in that dreaded "gap" between plus sizes and straight sizes so I never quite knew which department I should be shopping in, and that would change depending on the store.

I still have a lot of anxiety about trying on clothes because my brain's concept of what size I am and what my "new" body is capable of doing has not caught up with reality (I am about 50 pounds heavier in my head than I actually am.). I ordered a hoodie online and guessed at the size and I am SWIMMING in it. I am terrified to shop for jeans and have been living in leggings and track pants since I shrank my way out of my old clothes.

I'm sure this will resolve over time; it's just such a weird feeling to walk through the mall and look in the windows of all those cute-girl juniors' stores and still get that wistful "Must be nice to get to shop there" thought, then realize I actually CAN wear clothes from that store...I still feel like an impostor even going in there.

[BigSue 1,320]

Oh yeah, totally relate! I'm so used to looking terrible in everything and dressing to hide my body that I don't really know how to shop for clothes now. I've spent my whole life only being able to shop in plus-size stores that now I don't even know where to buy clothes because there's such an overwhelming number of options -- and I'm too small to wear anything from Lane Bryant. Sure, it's a "good problem" to have, but still a bit of a problem.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

Up until this point I had been revelling in how my formerly tight clothes had become loose and oversized because I hadn't HAD the luxury of getting my clothes "oversized" in so long...but I'm now getting to a point where those clothes have gone from "stylishly flowy" to "looks like I'm a child wearing my mom's clothes" so I HAVE to get some new stuff and I'm just...dreading it.

My favorite place to shop right now no joke is a leggings store that only sells two sizes: One Size Fits Most and One Size Fits Most Plus.

Edited January 17, 2022 by pintsizedmallrat
added something

[ATHENA LEIGH 6]

I can understand the clothing situation! One thing that I did and I’m very blessed because I have a thrift store only a few blocks from my house which is off of the main radar of a lot of people that love to go thrift store shopping and there are so many beautiful o’clock to close there at a fraction of the price of the stores. So as I went down in my sizes I shopped there and I would bring in my clothing that was too big and exchange it out for credit for things that were smaller now in the beginning I was still buying clothes that were too big for me and it took a minute for me to learn that I was a smaller size but I finally got used to it and most of the clothes that I found my small little shop or brand new and still had the tags on them! And my big fetish is coats! I love coats and I love dusters and they had a slew of them so maybe that’ll work for you find a little thrift store which is off the beaten Path and you’ll save yourself a lot of money and as you start to shrink so rapidly that doesn’t make sense to buy a brand new clothes off the rack that everybody else is wearing. I like being different and a little fashionable so the store is absolutely perfect for me

[Smanky 743]

I've been steadily going through my clothes and and am now fitting into most of my smallest sizes. I'm not allowing myself to shop for clothes until those ones start to fall off, and hopefully by then I'll be able to thrift. I'm just really trying not to buy any more fast fashion because buying sustainable and ethical plus-sized clothing is IMPOSSIBLE in Australia. I can't justify buying new clothes that I'm going to once again shrink out of in a couple of months.

Anyone asks me to go anywhere posh in the next few months, and I'll be turning up in jeans, a t-shirt, and a mildly apologetic expression.

[Arabesque 6,439]

Hey @Smanky. Try Bassike, Muse Linen, Jac & Jack, & Kowtow (a NZ label) all are strongly focussed on ethical & sustainability clothing. Bassike just won an award for their practices. Bassike & Jac & Jack are more expensive but they have a sale on at the moment. Bassike goes up to XXL & Jac & Jack to XL. Kowtow isn’t as expensive as they are & Muse is cheaper again (in that $100-$200 range usually but if you’re looking for that odd better outfit …). Both go up to XL.

[Smanky 743]

1 hour ago, Arabesque said:

Hey @Smanky. Try Bassike, Muse Linen, Jac & Jack, & Kowtow (a NZ label) all are strongly focussed on ethical & sustainability clothing. Bassike just won an award for their practices. Bassike & Jac & Jack are more expensive but they have a sale on at the moment. Bassike goes up to XXL & Jac & Jack to XL. Kowtow isn’t as expensive as they are & Muse is cheaper again (in that $100-$200 range usually but if you’re looking for that odd better outfit …). Both go up to XL.

Thanks Arabesque! I’ll definitely have a look now I’m able to fit into some of it.

[Esi 179]

So true! The first time I really shopped, and went into a regular size store, I felt like people would be looking at me, saying in their head, “What is she doing here?”

Then, as I started to try on clothes, all of them fit, and I was not even wearing the largest size in the store. It took a while before I realized that no plus-size clothes look good, and I was able to start looking at smaller clothes and imagining that they might fit me. I still sometimes look at a top in my size, and think to myself, that is way too small, you would never get into it, and it fits perfectly.

Sooo strange!

[Esi 179]

5 hours ago, pintsizedmallrat said:

Even worse, because I am short, even at my heaviest I was in that dreaded "gap" between plus sizes and straight sizes so I never quite knew which department I should be shopping in, and that would change depending on the store.

Yes! And I can finally wear Petites again! I think clothing manufacturers believe that there are no plus-size women on the shorter end. Or that we should just swim in tops.

[DaisyAndSunshine 301]

I am not there yet but just realized you and I have almost same stats in terms of height and starting weight. 😆

I can't wait to get your current weight and BMI. Hopefully soon. I wanna reach the goal weight one day soon enough Ilso I can shop all I want till I am exhausted 😂😂😂

Have been waiting for the day FOREVER. Hoping to see it happen soon with both of us 🥳

[Karen Dean 17]

Yup! I had lost most of my weight, I was still safety pinning my trousers on work clothes, to the point that one of my colleagues said they would cut them into ribbons if I kept wearing them! I used cast offs from smaller friends as I was dropping sizes fast. But when shopping I would pick up the size I thought would fit, my friend who came with me would ask what are you doing your not that size anymore. I think it's a confidence thing, you are so used to looking like a walking jumble sale, when something actually fits you are not sure that it really should or that it looks good! It took me until I has my Tummy Tuck done to realise I was actually quite small! 5'2" and 130lbs! Very, very strange.....but you will get used to it and then you won't be able to stop bloody shopping!!

[Spinoza 1,126]

Totally relate to this. Not from this weight loss episode but from one years ago when I dropped 4 sizes in a few months (VLCD - I know, I know). My brain took *months* to catch up with my body so shopping took forever. I started off in the changing room with clothes that were ridiculously big, then brought in the next size down, and so on. Hope your brain catches up with all your good work very soon and enjoy your shopping (not for leggings, LOL)! ❣️

[GradyCat 3,692]

Yeah, I hear ya. I still buy clothes that are too big for me. I still think I need loose-fitting clothing to look acceptable. Plus it doesn't help that women's clothing sizes aren't uniform like men's clothing sizes are. I can wear a 12, 14, or 16, a M, L, or XL or even 2XL depending on the material, where it's made, who makes it, etc. It's ludicrous!

[Spinoza 1,126]

3 hours ago, Spinoza said:

Totally relate to this. Not from this weight loss episode but from one years ago when I dropped 4 sizes in a few months (VLCD - I know, I know). My brain took *months* to catch up with my body so shopping took forever. I started off in the changing room with clothes that were ridiculously big, then brought in the next size down, and so on. Hope your brain catches up with all your good work very soon and enjoy your shopping (not for leggings, LOL)! ❣️

Just to prove your point even further, I realised after I posted this that I am sitting here in a tee shirt at least 2 sizes too big. 😂

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

On 01/17/2022 at 22:41, Esi said:

Yes! And I can finally wear Petites again! I think clothing manufacturers believe that there are no plus-size women on the shorter end. Or that we should just swim in tops.

Why is it that it seems like every plus sized clothing line assumes in addition to being heavy we’re also all 5’10”?