What I'm learning about clothes [View all]

As of this morning, I'm 77 pounds lighter than I was a year ago. I've never been much of a clothes shopper, so spending a this much time shopping for new clothes is a change for me. What I've learned in my journey:

Pants with elastic waists fit longer than pants without. Jeans seem to have a weight range of only about 10 pounds. Tops fit longer if they have raglan rather than inset sleeves. Your feet shrink, too, so you'll need new shoes. Get measured for a bra before you buy. If something is a little too small, buy it anyway and shrink into it; if it's a lot too small, you're better off skipping it.

You can get by with fewer clothes if you do wash more often.

Thrift shops and consignment stores are of limited usefulness. They can yield some interesting items to liven up the wardrobe, but aren't likely to be useful if you need something specific such as size 14 beige summer-weight pants. Clearance racks are limited for the same reason. Costco is a good source for inexpensive basics such as jeans and T-shirts.