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The tricky part that nobody tells you about.

Managing your wardrobe when losing weight is a juggler’s game; if you are in the game for a long time and dropping several sizes, it can quickly become expensive. Things may stay in your wardrobe only a matter of weeks or months before they become ill-fitting. So, how do you manage it?

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My Experience:

Throughout the last few years, I dropped from 150+kg to a low point of 74kg. This made me a shadow of my former self, quite literally. Throughout this time I dropped from wearing 2XL+ sizes to an S. I also then experienced a levelling out, something infrequently mentioned in weight loss journeys.
For my height and body size, 74kg was rather underweight; I’d become obsessed with seeing how far I could go. Once this novelty wore off and I began playing strenuous competitive sports, I needed to put some weight back on. I normalised in the high 90s, which saw my clothing sizes go up a couple of steps again.
All in all, I went through a few wardrobes’ worth of clothing; to cap it off my style was developing and changing throughout.

If I’d been purchasing new clothes every time I dropped or gained a size, we’d be talking about thousands of dollars wasted. Yet, I managed fine on a student budget with one vital friend:

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Thrift Stores Are Your Friend

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This was my secret. I spent much time in thrift stores throughout my weight loss journey, which lasted approximately two years. It took a further two years for my weight to stop see-sawing and normalise in the range it is at. Through shopping for clothing at thrift stores, I was able to manage my wardrobe throughout the whole process and even score some great pieces that I still wear today. I stuck to thrifting sought-after brand name items and even managed to make a few dollars selling on the clothes that I shrank or grew out of.

Which brings me to my second pearl of wisdom.

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Buy Clothes You Can Re-Sell

Your wardrobe is going to be chopping and changing constantly as your bodyweight fluctuates. Because many of your wardrobe items are bound to have a short stay in your possession, it’s best to look for brands that command some resale value.
When I was losing weight, I changed sizes more than four times. You can imagine that even with thrifted clothes, that’s going to be a lot of outgoing cash.

However, if you keep an eye out for something you can sell when you thrift, it’s a different story. I tried to scoop up popular designer brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica, and learned how to successfully authenticate Polo Ralph Lauren and Armani items so I could wear and re-sell genuine items on eBay once I no longer fit them.

As a result, I was able to have my wardrobe transitions becoming a self-funding exercise, rather than a study in bleeding cash.

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Conclusion: It Doesn’t Have To Cost A Lot

With some savvy shopping and a keen eye, your wardrobe transition won’t get in the way of your weight loss success or detract from the feeling of success by draining your bank balance. Instead, you’ll get two wins.

Dealing with the after effects of weight loss also presents unique challenges, so make sure to check out my guide on how to dress when you’re carrying excess skin.

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