Hannah Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Thanks to sustainable lifestyle changes, I have lost more than 30 pounds over the last 8 months and a lot of my clothes are now obviously too big. I'd like to loose at least another 20 pounds. I kept two large bins of really nice work clothes that I've now shrunk and am shrinking back into. Some I've kept for nearly 10 years!! All are classic and still fashionable. This has saved me a lot of new wardrobe money. I don't intend picking the weight up again, but a part of me says, "what if?". I don't think tailoring will be worth the cost. Should I just donate the large clothes? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Never keep too big clothes. That’s just negative thinking. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I always keep the different size clothes I love if I have the space. Clothes made today (and I am sure in the future), even by the same companies (I am looking at you L. L. Bean and Duluth Trading), are of far lower quality than ones I bought even ten years ago, so even if you could rebuy them you would be buying less durable, more poorly made replacements. I don't think the existence of larger size clothes in my attic has much to do with how I stick to eating right and exercising or not. My moment-to-moment life in the present and its demands pretty much are the primary support or primary stop for my healthy habits. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I keep only one bin full: 2 pairs of pants, etc. But then again, I’m old; been there, done that, don’t want to spend money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Depends on how oversized the clothes are. I have hoodies/sweaters that are oversized for when I am bloated or for medical appointments like mammograms, MRIs because those are easy to change out of and into. For jeans I do have one size up for bloat as well. If they are more than a size up and you don’t typically go for the “oversized fashion” style, donate them. If they are work clothes, career centers would appreciate them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Nope, anything too big for me is out the door the moment I realize it's too big. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Maybe a very few key pieces….or an outfit to show how far you have come. otherwise donate and bless someone else that can use them now 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Do you like these items enough to have them altered? I’d probably hold on to favorite pieces or have them taken in. It’s not negative thinking to accept that sometimes weight creeps up due to age or injury and it’s not horrible to have things that fit at any size. Who wants to add emergency shopping to a weight fluctuation? If you have the room, keep at least a capsule wardrobe of the good stuff. They don’t make clothes like they used to, so if you’re not hoarding it’s okay to edit without eliminating everything outside your current size range. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I’m afraid I’ll need to go back on prednisone again and have no control over my weight. I kept only my very favorite and classic items 1-2 sizes larger. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 (edited) I tried to get rid of a bunch of clothes when I lost weight and maintained that loss for a long time, but DH is a saver (not a hoarder, but he won't get rid of things) and put everything back. Then, years later, I ended up having medical issues that resulted in a big weight gain and it turned out I was glad I had some of those clothes so I didn't have to buy new. Most I won't wear, but I was relieved to have a huge stack of clothes to choose from so I didn't have to purchase everything all over again. But I have a long history of eating disorders and do yo-yo a lot which results in very big weight swings and clothes in every size. ETA - now I don't know what to do with my smaller clothes. I loved those clothes and am sad that I can't wear them anymore but I don't think I'll ever get into them again. 😞 I'm actually wearing some of the bigger clothes that DH saved right now. Edited July 22 by Kassia 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I have been up and down too much to get rid of clothing that I like, even when it no longer fits. Of course everyone's different, and all our storage capacities are different. But for me, it's not negative thinking, it's realistic thinking to keep some bigger clothing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 16 minutes ago, Kassia said: now I don't know what to do with my smaller clothes. I loved those clothes and am sad that I can't wear them anymore but I don't think I'll ever get into them again. Keep those you like. All it takes is a bad cold for me to go down one or two sizes. My late mom’s weight was usually around 120 lb but it went down to around 77 lb whenever she was ill. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Depends on how much too big and the quality of the item. I've got a wool coat that's over 30 years old. It's a little big for me, but not so much too big that it looks bad. And it's perfect when I need to go to a funeral in the winter. It's high quality and dressy enough that I can put it on over a rag and still look okay as long as I keep the coat on . So it lives happily, if very little used, in my closet. I've also got a couple of pairs of dress pants that are over 20 years old and again--a little too big but not so baggy that I can't wear them. But I wouldn't keep things that were so big I couldn't wear them, or that weren't good quality. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 44 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said: Do you like these items enough to have them altered? I’d probably hold on to favorite pieces or have them taken in. It’s not negative thinking to accept that sometimes weight creeps up due to age or injury and it’s not horrible to have things that fit at any size. Who wants to add emergency shopping to a weight fluctuation? If you have the room, keep at least a capsule wardrobe of the good stuff. They don’t make clothes like they used to, so if you’re not hoarding it’s okay to edit without eliminating everything outside your current size range. The pieces I would keep are jackets and coats that will be very costly to have altered. My sewing skills definitely don't stretch to trying for myself. I agree that they don't make clothes like they used to. I've never been a big spender on clothing, but the items on sale of 10 years ago are much better quality than those I can get now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 18 minutes ago, Hannah said: The pieces I would keep are jackets and coats that will be very costly to have altered. My sewing skills definitely don't stretch to trying for myself. I agree that they don't make clothes like they used to. I've never been a big spender on clothing, but the items on sale of 10 years ago are much better quality than those I can get now. There is no such thing as a too big coat 🤣 You’re right about the jackets though. I’d probably keep two and release the rest into the wild. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 33 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: It's high quality and dressy enough that I can put it on over a rag and still look okay as long as I keep the coat on . This is one of the things I love about winter - hiding everything with a coat! 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I keep some as my weight does fluctuate as much as I wish it didn’t. I’ve kept some of the shirts that I really like and some pants/jeans that are one size up from my typical size. I also have some that are one size down from my typical size because I really hope to get back down to that weight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Congratulations on making and keeping the lifestyle changes!! That's wonderful! I'd celebrate by donating the too-big clothes. They are for a different era in your life. If something happens and you put on some weight in the far-off future, just get something new. 😉 It would be far too depressing to go back into the old clothes, I'd think. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 8 minutes ago, wintermom said: Congratulations on making and keeping the lifestyle changes!! That's wonderful! I'd celebrate by donating the too-big clothes. They are for a different era in your life. If something happens and you put on some weight in the far-off future, just get something new. 😉 It would be far too depressing to go back into the old clothes, I'd think. Thanks 😊 This is where I'm leaning towards. Bag and let them go. I won't be keeping the casual items and I'll be retiring in a few years anyway. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 19 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said: There is no such thing as a too big coat 🤣 You’re right about the jackets though. I’d probably keep two and release the rest into the wild. I guess I could get away with it 😄. For now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Everyone takes a different approach. I decided to keep both my favorites and special occasion clothing in the larger size; when I unexpectedly gained back some weight, I was glad to have options. IMHO, it's ok to have multiple sizes available to avoid the stress of shopping, especially for things you don't expect to need very long. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 I keep a small capsule wardrobe of nice classic pieces because of medical issues—prednisone makes my weight fluctuate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Ive lost 90lbs and still have more to go I gotten rid of everything as soon as it doesn't fit and have refilled my wardbrobe 90% with stuff from my local buy nothing group and the rest from thrift stores. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 8 hours ago, rebcoola said: Ive lost 90lbs and still have more to go I gotten rid of everything as soon as it doesn't fit and have refilled my wardbrobe 90% with stuff from my local buy nothing group and the rest from thrift stores. Well done on your weight loss! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 13 hours ago, Hannah said: Thanks 😊 This is where I'm leaning towards. Bag and let them go. I won't be keeping the casual items and I'll be retiring in a few years anyway. Is there a charity that specifically takes clothes for women who are escaping bad situations and need to build careers? I enjoyed donating there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 I might keep one size bigger. There are charities specifically for women needing professional clothes. It would really be helpful to donate unless you have a pretty good likelihood of needing them again. I did the opposite: I refused to buy clothes in bigger sizes, except for a couple pieces. It is a motivation to try to manage my weight so I will have more options. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 I’d get rid of it. Congrats on your weight loss! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boymama5 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 I do keep some of the things to have on hand as I do fluctuate between a range of sizes. So I have some bigger and some smaller. It’s not a whole wardrobe and mainly pants. My tops tend to work regardless 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 5 hours ago, Laura Corin said: Is there a charity that specifically takes clothes for women who are escaping bad situations and need to build careers? I enjoyed donating there. College career centers would take those type of clothes too. Students get to borrow for free to attend job interviews. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 10 hours ago, Laura Corin said: Is there a charity that specifically takes clothes for women who are escaping bad situations and need to build careers? I enjoyed donating there. Not specifically, but there is a charity in town that does excellent skills training and upliftment work where I like to donate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 My weight fluctuates a lot so I will keep a couple sizes but I have gotten up really high a couple times and those clothes I got rid of as soon as I got back to my “normal heavy”. Like I am normally about 25-30 lbs overweight and I bounce around there but I have gotten as high as 50-60 lbs overweight and that was just such a bad situation for me those clothes were gone asap. I didn’t feel like myself at that point and didn’t want those clothes in my closet or my drawers…they were someone else’s clothes that snuck in for awhile. My regular overweight clothes I will save because I know that person and even if she goes away for awhile I won’t be surprised if she visits. Sigh. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Nope. There were too many. I did keep my too small things for five-six years and now I’m wearing them again.🤷🏽♀️ congrats on the weight loss! 🥳 Edited July 24 by Sneezyone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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