As you begin losing weight, you will obviously need to buy new clothes. If you are looking to lose a lot of weight, you could go through tons of sizes. I went from size 24 to size 12. As a teacher, I could not afford to buy a new wardrobe every month and a half. I’m not sure who could. Throughout my entire journey, I shopped exclusively at thrift stores. With the exception of a Goal Dress or an interview outfit, I rarely purchase new clothes. I’m very cheap and want to spend as little as possible on clothes.
Here’s some tips for shopping at thrift stores:
Sales! Sales! Sales!
Most thrift stores will run sales on certain Saturdays. You might think that $3.99 is fine for a top, but on half price Saturday that shirt is $2! My local thrift store, ARC, does half price every Saturday. They often run 99 cent sales as well where I really stock up.
Sizes
I buy things that don’t exactly fit all the time. If pants are a little tight, get them anyway because they will fit in a few weeks. If you find a top that you love but is a little tight in the tummy, buy it anyway. You’ll see that different brands fit you differently. Sometimes size 16 is not the same in two different brands. Blame the clothes and not your body!
What You Can’t Find
Some things I never find or buy at thrift stores. I NEVER buy underwear or bras because I think it’s gross. If you’re up for it, I guess go for it. I struggled with underwear for a long time before finding some I really like. I also have a hard time finding clothes for the gym. By the time people get rid of workout pants, they are usually stretched out and pilling. Workout tops are usually ubiquitous.
Brands
Another reason for thrifting is being able to try on hundreds of brands in one store. Now that I am almost to goal weight, I’ve been looking for favorite brands of wardrobe stables like jeans, dress pants and tops for work.