Need to buy clothes now

[desiretochange]

And not wait till I have shred the 3 stone I so badly need to lose:( Would genuinely love to hear your advice on what to buy, am 47 years of age, 5ft 3in and work in an office (no code of dress there, even tracksuit is fine) Have neglected myself for years and keep saying I will buy clothes when I lose the weight but the weight isn't going anywhere:( Big on top, can't find my waist anymore,generally shaped like the Michelin Man around my middle, legs are about the only part of me that are slim enough:)

Then your user name sounds perfect! Have you thought about the personal shopper service, eg Debenhams, to get a better idea of what suits you?

Had been thinking of trying personal shopper but have been told they are expensive??

You sound like an apple. Its all about balancing out your figure and drawing attention to your best bits.

1st step, buy some decent undies, like a Gok Wan waist cincher or curve controller - they are magical.

Then go shopping to just try things on and see what suits you. I would suggest structured items rather than tent like tops. Buy a jacket which cinches in at the waist slightly and create your own shape, then wear a dark coloured t shirt underneath with a long scarf, to detract from your waist, then go all out on your fab legs with some great jeans, skinny fit with a slight boot cut (not a flare), make sure they have some stretch as well (oasis scarlet are v v good) and get some heeled boots to give you height.

Get a great bag, and hey presto.

Be brave. and try stuff on you would never have thought would suit, take an honest friend with you.

good luck.

I have been in your position with regards to waiting to buy clothes till you lose weight, but I promise that a new wardrobe does make you feel better about yourself.

My wardrobe staples are:

A pair of jeans I feel comfy in
A pair of smartish trousers that I can wear to work, dress up for meals out etc
A pair of comfort trousers
A nice knee length skirt
A pencil skirt
5 shirts that fit, flatter and wash well for work
Lots of colourful t-shirts
A black V-neck jumper
A grey V-neck jumper
A grey cardigan
A brighter colour cardigan
A wrap dress for work
A wrap dress for casual
A wrap dress for smart
(as you can tell I lovvve my wrap dresses!)
A smart winter coat
A blazer/jacket for going out
A big woolie cardy for nights in on the sofa!
Good underwear (it really does help!)

Sorry, didn't realise how long that was!

Have you got anything you need specifically?

I was in this position last year - 5'3" 12 stone 8 now lost exactly 3 stone and size 10 again. Yes you do need new clothes, but not ones that will last very long! Last year I got 2 pairs of trousers and two nice tops from Asda and a wrap dress. Combined these with 2 jumper dresses I'd had a couple of years. In Asda I was size 12!!! that in itself was a boost for the morale.

Thanks everyone, wardrobe needs complete overhaul (including shoes), everytime I am invited anywhere I usually end up borrowing off a friend because I rarely buy anything except for special occasions. Guess what I need are clothes I can dress up or down but just never seem to get it right:(

Okay, I think the first thing you need to focus on is a good pair of jeans.

Dark jeans can be dressed up or down and are timeless.

I will have a look now to see what I can find, what would your budget be?

Size?

I would focus on getting a few well fitting, classic pieces

A charcoal grey or navy winter coat. On the knee is a flattering length for those of us who are not so tall. Check out petite ranges such as Next, M&S, Dorothy Perkins etc...

Dark Rinse boot cut jeans flatter most people. Go for a pair that sit on the natural waist - not low cut ones that can dig in and cause an unsightly muffin top.

Some basic T-shirt tops - scoop neck is good on bigger busts. Get white, grey and a colour you like. These are good for layering.

Invest in a couple of knits - a neutral v neck cardigan and a navy v neck jumper.

A jersey dress that hits on the knee that can be dressed up or down

I would invest in a classic pair of tan leather riding boots - check out clarks that do different width fittings if needed. I would get a pair of black heeled shoes and a ppair of flats for day to day.

You could then build on these items over time

Wow, wish I had asked for advice sooner:)
Reckon first purchase has to be dark pair of jeans, am size 14/16!

I'm another vote for Oasis Scarlet Jeans. They have a comfy waist which you can bend down in without showing your pants!
The stretch in them holds everything in too!

Sound fab bloody - are they very expensive??

O yes, Oasis jeans are fabulous. Their slim legs (Cherry I think they're called) are great too. High enough on the waist without being mumsy. About £40 a pair iirc, and there are usually codes around to get 20% or so off.

Just remember if you are dieting to get cheap things you can get rid of next year, or good makes that you can sell on. My Asda stuff is in the bin now, and my Boden and Brora (huge morale boost) is waiting to be listed on ebay this week.

Here are the ones I suggest...

I find they go well with jumpers, tunic tops, shirts.

Thanks again everyone for the advice, genuinely appreciated:)

I have several pairs of these in different washes

they are superb.

If you go to Oasis online via Quidco they give 5% cashback.

Do those jeans work for pear shapes?

Desiretochange, thank you for starting this thread. I was feeling absolutely horrible about myself this morning, and thanks to you and the lovely MNers I'm inspired to shop.

Going to ask for another piece of advise, would like to buy an LBD for Christmas (in my case LBD stands for large black dress:)) Any suggestions, figure described above