it’s worked - now the new clothes!

[Bellyblueboy]

I have gone from a size 16 to a size 8/10.

I have had to build a whole new wardrobe - underwear; PJs, jeans, work clothes, casual clothes, swimming costume!

I managed to pull together a pretty good spring summer wardrobe - cost a small fortune! I am wearing small capsule wardrobe on repeat!

and now for winter! It’s a lively issue to have - but my goodness it’s exhausting. Nothing from before fits. I have an office based job and need business smart outfits - which has made it even more expensive!

how is everyone else coping?

Vinted!

Facebook marketplace

Vinted, selling as well as buying, and thankfully I don’t need to be smart for work.

I have sold a lot of clothes on Vinted - but can’t do the buying side! I once bought trousers that were ‘stained’. Never, ever, ever again!

it’s also the time to build a complete new wardrobe: it’s like my house burned down! I have to odd old t shirt that I can wear to bed but pretty much every single item of clothing I once owned is unwearable. I have been this size before, but it was so long ago I have either thrown the clothes out or they are very out of style

You need to find the good charity shops where you live. We have a few amazing ones that I visit on rotation 😁

Well done, that's a fantastic achievement. What a lovely position to be in, being able to buy a whole new wardrobe from scratch! I think it's really exciting. Literally a clean slate so you can try different things and different styles, rather than being stuck wearing what you always wore.

I am about 2/3 of the way to goal, and I haven't had to get rid of too many clothes, but I have such nice clothes I will be sad to get rid of them. At the moment, and I think for a while longer, most of my dresses look good with a belt. Having started as a size 16, and not having been a 16 for all that long in the grand scheme of themes, most of my clothes are 14, with a fair few 12s, so I'm hoping for 'natural wastage' for most things. Although, things like t shirts and leggings, which I'm not particularly attached to, I will gladly get rid of, but trying to avoid buying clothes until I need to. Had to buy a few plain tops to go with skirts, but I guess trying to buy things that will look ok still when they become a bit big

Revisit Vinted. Filter to new with tags or new without tags. I’ve dropped 3 1/2 stone and started picking up new bits.

Vinted!! Has saved me a fortune and I now struggle to pay retail prices 😂

I’ve not had a bad experience tbh. Definitely worth trying again with ‘new with tags’ stuff.

Vinted here too. I never spend more than about a tenner an item and so don't mind the odd disappointment but I'm really enjoying finding my style now I'm a healthy weight. I still wear my old tops at times but my size 16 trousers fall down and dresses are like tents 😂

yup, mostly Vinted - but I go for higher end items there, known brands and often with tags, never anything in 'satisfactory' condition. Have had a few occasions where the fit wasn't quite right, but almost everything has been excellent.
Also TK Maxx and outlets.

And yes same here, from 14/16 to 6/8 - nothing fits! Was putting off buying new underwear, that surely it will do, it's elastic - until one day the knickers just fell down.

And yes it's expensive, but think about how much fun buying a winter wardrobe is, when everything fits and flatters!

@Bellyblueboy , I have spent soooo much money on new clothes. The old me didn’t feel I deserved nice things but now I want clothes that I really love. We’re going on a cruise in a few weeks and I’ve had fabulous fun buying dresses for the formal nights. I got most, not all of my new clothes in the sales which has allowed me to justify my purchases somewhat and at least I’ve added to my AVIOS balance. 😬

Honestly, re-think Vinted. There are loads of honest sellers there too, selling lovely things. After all, you sold on there!

I’ve gone from 18-20 to size 12 and have also totally replaced my wardrobe. Saved a fortune and got some absolutely beautiful things.

Echo op’s that you need to filter by condition and brand, also check out seller reviews. I buy lots and have never had anything dirty or stained (I have had the odd thing that doesn’t suit or fit, obviously).

Good luck!

It’s probably my age, but I prefer EBay to Vinted. I’ve been picking up brand new ticketed dresses, jackets and tops for work (e.g Hobbs / Sosandar) for around a tenner including postage. Bit of a gamble re fit, but it’s not breaking the bank. I shall have a really good spend up once I’m where I want to be, which is probably half a stone to a stone down.

Sorry - need to correct my last post. The Hobbs jackets are used items, but in excellent condition.

I've found that a lot of the supermarkets have really stepped up their game in the past few years and have some really nice stuff. Probably cheaper than some charity shops plus multiple sizes (I've found they are quite generous) and with the option of returns. Most have websites, do free delivery and returns as well, and often further discounts throughout the year (e.g. 25% clubcard in stores).

Honestly I haven't noticed any difference in the quality compared to much more expensive shops either. Tbh I don't get the point of spending more for quality on lots of clothing items - what are the chances that in 5/10 years you will
a) be the exact same size
b) fashion will be the same and the outfit isn't completely out of date
c) you won't have spilled/scuffed/snagged it (£200 t shirts can get splashed with wine as easily as £20 ones!)
d) lifestyle won't have changed - if I'd spent thousands on perfectly tailored classic capsule work wardrobe in 2019 I'd have barely worn them from 2020 when I moved to wfh.

plus even more expensive stuff can bobble and lose shape in the wash after 10 years.

Personally unless it's something very classic I'd rather spend £30 on a dress that I can get enough wear out of for 3 years than £200 on one that might last 10 but in reality I won't actually wear for the last 7 because there's a small stain/it's a bit too tight/is out of style.