Building your wardrobe can be enjoyable, but also costly in terms of time and money. It’s a complicated topic and can even be triggering for many of us. So much of our identity, both positive and negative, is reflected in our clothing choices. Let’s try to value and care for ourselves. Let’s wear the things that make us happy!
If you believe you may suffer from a shopping addiction, you are not alone – about 5% of Americans have this same problem (1). That said, this is not the topic of our blog and I’d be concerned about giving you incorrect information. Please be cautious when reading below. Maybe take a look at the first footnote at the bottom of this post.
Now let’s look at our clothing in several different ways. This blog post will cover the first two items in our list below. In Self-Care: Clothing, Part 2 we will look at the final three considerations:
- Ideas of what to wear while you’re still losing weight, or if you’re in a temporary maintenance holding pattern (2).
- Purging clothes that aren’t right for us, even if they fit – let’s remember that this is part of self-care (3).
- Having clothing altered, or even altering them yourself.
- Wearing comfortable clothes, or what feels good on your skin.
- Building a wardrobe that represents your self and your own style.
What to Wear
Before we go through our existing wardrobe, let’s consider what types of clothing are friendly for those of us who may still be in the process of weight loss or are in a temporary maintenance holding pattern. This includes me! (I lost about 35 pounds last year, and nearly 30 five years ago, but I’m purposely maintaining at this point per my doctor’s instructions. I have about 10 – 15 to go!) Here are some ideas for clothes you can buy before you reach your final goal (2):
- Quality clothes with some stretch so that they will still be wearable as you lose any additional weight. I don’t really mean oversized sweats here, but more tailored pieces that include elastic or spandex fiber content.
- Shop at thrift stores for nice pieces that would be wasteful to buy new, especially if your intent is that they are for a temporary wardrobe.
- Use belts to continue to wear some of your older pants, skirts, or dresses.
- Some of us have tried the creative use of safety pins, knot tying, or cardigan/sweater clips to make tops smaller. Give it a go if you are attempting to cinch in the waist for a more fitted look. There are many types of pins and clips for this purpose, from plain to jewel encrusted. See the images below.
- Buy inexpensive “Instant Buttons” or “Adjustable Jeans Buttons” on Amazon or elsewhere. I’ve been using these for years and they work very well – as long as you remember to remove them before washing your garment. Note that they do create a small hole in the fabric so they’re not a good choice for anything delicate or light weight. See the photo below, as they’re hard to describe!
Organizing
Whether you find organizing fun or burdensome, it’s undeniable that having an orderly closet with clothes that you love and that fit makes getting dressed so much easier! Here are some ideas to help (3):
- Get four large boxes or bins (or bags in a pinch). Label them Keep, Donate, Tailor, and Toss.
- Take out all of your clothes from your closet and/or drawers and shelves.
- Listen to your Happy Playlist (see the blogpost on Self-Care: Music) and begin trying on every item.
- If it doesn’t fit, doesn’t feel good, doesn’t represent your style, or doesn’t seem in good repair, place it in any box except Keep.
- Do this for every item, even shoes and other accessories.
- Review the contents of each box and reconsider if necessary.
- Finally, do what is written on each box.
- Important note: feel free to get a temporary storage bin to hold items you’re not quite ready to purge. Store it away in case you have an emergency need for an item. After a few months, you may be ready to let those clothes go permanently.
What did you learn from this exercise? Do you feel that you have a good selection of clothes that you love to wear and that fit (or can be altered to fit)? Or is a long overdue shopping trip in your plans to acquire new pieces that fit your lifestyle?
Next time we will consider the final three items on our Self-Care Clothing list, alterations, comfort, and style. Let me know if you have any additions to include!
(1). https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/addiction-treatment-recovery/signs-of-a-shopping-addiction
(2). https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/article_amp.asp?id=2324
(3). The Complete Guide to Self Care by Kiki Ely (c) 2020.
Maintain Weight Loss 