Need S&B help for my mum-she's lost 6 stone and doesn't know where to begin

[DoItTooJulia]

Posting for my mum. She's had cancer treatment and it's really taken its toll on her in lots of ways, but I'm here for help with her clothes.

She is tall (5'11) and has gone from being a 22 to a 16 and is still losing weight. She has great boobs and lower legs but carries any weight on her tops of thighs, hips and belly but the belly is fast shrinking. (I have her permission to post all this btw!)

She is fashionable, edgy, but a bit lost about where to shop and what looks good now. She wears a lot of black. She's just bought a biker type jacket. Because of her cancer she wears neck scarves and can't wear anything high necked.

Do you need more info? Anyone got any ideas?

[Itsautumn]

Wishing you and your mum all the best.
My mum who just turned 70 went to John Lewis for a personal shopping experience and they were brilliant. Not pushy, chose well fitting clothes in her price range. They also gave her advice on what to wear for her body shape. If you are near one it may be worth booking her in and giving them her background so they can tailor the session to her needs. Hope that helps!

[DoItTooJulia]

Thanks Itsautumn that's not a bad idea. One of the problems has been that no sooner than she buys something it doesn't fit just weeks later. We're hoping that she can stabilise her weight soon though.

So she's been getting some bits from charity shops, I've dug out the last of my 'thin' clothes for her and the odd bit from Sainsbury's, but she needs a bit of direction. She can buy clothes from any shop now that she's not strictly plus size, and doesn't need to cover up, or buy leggings and long tops. And I figured that this could be a 'nice' thing to do rather than all the crappy stuff she has to do.

[DoItTooJulia]

Hopeful bump!

[LiefieLiefie]

If she is looking for things that are fairly cheap until she knows what size she will be, Mango Outlet have a great plus size range. The site also uses bigger models so you can see how it sits, rather than having to imagine.

[DoItTooJulia]

Thanks for that Liefe. She has been trying to buy cheaper stuff because of the rate she's going through sizes but I'm trying to
Encourage her to think about how she wants to look and possibly buy some good quality stuff: second hand might be a good idea but it's what to look for.

It's a very different way to shop-when you're overweight you buy what will fit and the look is a bit secondary to that. But at a 16 she can buy with the 'look' in mind first iyswim?

[LiefieLiefie]

What sort of shape is she? What features does she like/want to cover?

For example, I have very slim legs, so wear slim fitting or skinny trousers with a shirt/blouse/less fitting top and then a jacket to give me more shape. Same with shift type dresses.

I know what you mean about style being secondary. Because of my shape, I basically have the above uniform for work and casual, playing around with different textures and colours rather than with shapes.

John Lewis or any of the personal shoppers are a good idea to give a general idea about what suits. My mum dresses pretty edgy for her age and shops in the same places I do - ASOS, Zara, Mango etc.

[Bejazzled]

What about eBay? You can filter by New with labels - might be a good way of replenishing a wardrobe cheaply until her weight and size stabilise.
Good luck to her btw