Last time, we looked at the first two items in the list below. Today we will consider the final three.
- Ideas of what to wear while you’re still losing weight, or if you’re in a temporary maintenance holding pattern.
- Purging clothes that you don’t love, even if they fit – let’s remember that this is part of self-care.
- Having clothing altered, or even altering them yourself (1) and (2).
- Wearing comfortable clothes, or what feels good on your skin (3).
- Building a wardrobe that represents your self and your own style.
Alterations
I’m fortunate in being able to sew and I also have a nice sewing machine with ample supplies. I’ve been able to alter many of my clothes as I lost weight. But if something is 3+ sizes too large or has significant wear, it’s generally not worth altering. I have many pieces that I still wear that were 2X or XXL that I’ve taken down to about a size L, but that’s where I give up. Too many proportions are just wrong after that point.
There are many advantages to doing alterations yourself, beyond financial. These small projects give you experience without a lot of commitment. If it’s a piece you were going to toss anyway, you have nothing to lose if you make an unfixable mistake. It will give you a greater understanding of what work is going into your clothing – whether it turns out to be good or bad quality. These projects enable you to save old favorites that you otherwise might have let go.
Also, when you succeed with your alterations, it’s a real confidence booster! You’ve gained so many skills from losing weight to problem solving in doing your own alterations. You are truly reinforcing your weight maintenance journey on another level!
Speaking of unfixable mistakes, I wanted to share this useful, albeit obvious, advice: sew first, try on second, and cut last. Nothing is permanent until you take out those scissors!
For great ideas on do-it-yourself alterations, read 5 Tips to Start Altering Your Own Clothes:
https://www.loveyourtailor.ca/tailor-blog/5-tips-to-start-altering-your-own-clothes/
If you’re not handy with a needle and thread, and don’t wish to learn, then I suggest you look at Get a New Wardrobe Without Buying a Thing, which covers the topic far better that I could.
https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/article/get-new-wardrobe-without-buying-thing
From first hand experience I can say that I dislike wearing clothes that are too large – I have worked so hard on my weight loss! I don’t want to see ill fitting clothes when walking by a mirror.
Comfort
Since our emphasis here is on self-care, it seems important to address comfort. Are there some fabrics that you find to be scratchy? Are you allergic to some fibers, like wool? Do hook and eye closures irritate your skin? Are some garments with embroidery stiff or annoying? Are manmade fibers like polyester bothersome to you? Do you feel badly when wearing animal products? Does a garment fit, but just look so unflattering? How comfortable are you feeling in your clothes?
It’s important to recognize that our negative feelings about our clothes can play a role in our mood. If your clothes are uncomfortable, might you seek comfort in what or how much you eat instead? We might consider how these choices play into our weight maintenance plans.
Style
If we can accept that stress leads to weight gain (4), is it a stretch to believe that happiness and self-expression could help on our weight maintenance journeys? Let’s dig deeper into this idea.
Have you heard of dopamine dressing? It’s a style trend aimed at helping us to feel happier, based upon what we are wearing (5). This neurotransmitter plays an important role in reward behavior – do you ever feel that wearing your favorites is almost like a reward?
Which clothes in your wardrobe put you in that happy place? Can you wear them more often? If there are clothes that bring you down, try to eliminate them from your regular lineup. If you are in the market for new clothes, be particular and find the pieces that bring you joy. (All of this assumes we aren’t considering work clothes that include a uniform or other mandatory requirements.)
It isn’t surprising to learn that what we wear can affect what we eat. In fact, a recent study showed that wearing more formal clothing led to healthier food choices (6). Consider how your style and self-awareness can be expressed by what you wear and how this could lead to healthier food choices.
Clothing is an important part of self-care. We are literally in touch with our clothes every day! Best of all, it’s something that is easier to update than many other aspects of our lives. Let’s rebuild our wardrobes to fit our healthier lifestyles and feel the positivity that self-care can bring!
(1).https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/article/get-new-wardrobe-without-buying-thing
(2). https://www.loveyourtailor.ca/tailor-blog/5-tips-to-start-altering-your-own-clothes/
(3). The Complete Guide to Self Care by Kiki Ely (c) 2020.
(4). https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain
(5). https://lagazettemag.com/2022/02/16/can-wearing-happy-clothes-really-make-us-happier%EF%BF%BC/
Maintain Weight Loss 