I know that this may sound silly to some of you but I've never in my life, weighed the same from year to year. So each new season had me going shopping to buy new clothes that fit me.

Now I'm in a state of confusion....I can wear all the clothes I bought 2 yrs ago as they all still fit!! I can't justify spending money on new clothes if I don't really need them.

And yet I am a slave to a certain level of fashion. I hate wearing clothes that look outdated. I am embarrassed to admit this.

What do you do?

I have never been much of a fashionable person.
If you have the money, I say get you a new wardrobe for every season.
If money is tight, keep what fits.
Who knows you might bring back some great styles!

Judy..what a wonderful problem! Amazing....you should be sooo proud...for several years I stayed the same..it was awesome...
Now that I live in a different climate..I sooo need to stay stable..the investment in seasonal wear can be extensive, Ive discovered....right now my wardrobe is very limited....

JUdy..I say go for it ...flaunt it ...enjoy it!!!!!!!!!! You look terrific!

I mostly buy cheap, fashionable clothes and actually now I've started to throw some older things that I no longer wear away cos they're no longer fashionable - its weird cos I used to only throw/give things away if I'd got too big for them.

In my "previous" life, I'd only buy clothes that hid the bulges, fashion didnt really matter, so now its more to do with taste rather than a cover-up job and I think that takes some getting used to. Its difficult to "find yourself" and know what to wear and how to wear them, I think I have made some fashion mistakes in my desparation to wear "slim" clothes, so for me its better that I dont spend a lot of money on them.

Dunno if that makes sense - I'm rambling!!

Hi Judy-
I am in the same situation- now in the third year of the same size. I am not too trendy, and it is not that much of an issue for me, but there are certain things I am doing. First, I got a new bag this summer in a really soft tan leather in one of the new shapes, and I am looking for a black bag now for winter. That will immediately update me. I also got a new pair of jeans in the darker wash everyone is wearing. My older pair still fits but looks a bit 'old' in the washed out blue. When I put on the new jeans I feel very 'in' and current. I also got a new crisp white shirt and a black button down shirt. This has helped me feel fresh and pulled together. I shop a lot in Marshalls and shop the sales at the department stores. Right now I am shopping in my closet- trying on everything and rediscovering what I have.
What pieces would you like new- what trend in an accesory like a bag or shoes would help 'pop' what you have? If money is not an issue- go for it. Tim Gunn says every woman only needs 10 essential pieces- maybe get those?
Most important- HAVE FUN!!! This is a great problem to have. My aunt said something great to me last year. "you have a big problem- everything fits and looks great on you!" Love that problem!
E

Jo I like the cheap, fashionable clothes too. H&M, Zara, and Mango are European chains that have some trendy knock offs of designer duds. Luckily we have several H&Ms and Zaras here in the Northeast, and we're getting a Mango this month in downtown Boston. H&M stuff on sale is so cheap that I don't feel guilty when I 'shrink' out of stuff I've purchased.

Previously I also purchased clothes thathid the bulges, and almays wore oversized blazers to hide the fat.

Thanks so much for your responses, Ladies!!

Sometimes it helps just to write it out and see what others do to deal with this. I fully realize that this is a good problem!!

I went shopping this past Saturday and was dismayed that I could not find anything that I wanted to buy.

What I did buy recently was a good leather blazer, on sale from overstock.com. It arrived the other day and now its too cold to wear it. But it fits really well and I can tell that I'm going to love wearing it.

I too, am a huge sale shopper!! I always hit the sale racks first before even looking at anything else. I love Filene's Basment, Marshalls, TJ Maxx....have not hit H&M yet. I hit Lord & Taylor for sales mostly.

I have decided to do investment purchases for now. So my next purchase is going to be a pair of leather boots that I can wear with jeans tucked into them. They look like riding boots. I had a pair of these years ago and they are long gone so I know what to look for.

I've got so many pair of jeans that its not funny!! I do not dress up for my work as I work with dogs each day...I love to dress casually but neat and somewhat fashionable.

I too, used to buy clothes just to cover my body and hide it. I've saved a couple of pair of my fattest pants and pulled them out when Leslie was here. It was a shock to me to see how big they were. It was a very good reminder of where I was.

As time has gone by, the clothes that I bought when I first lost the wieght, are no longer what I enjoy to wear. Its odd how my perception of myself has changed over time. I felt so thin when I first got below 170, not so much any longer. So its time for me to go through it all and begin to bring some pieces to Goodwill.

Thanks again!!

In NYC you're lucky to have Century 21, Daffy's and Loehmann's. TJ's and Marshall's vary in the quality of clothes that they sell. The HQ is in Mass., so there's tons of stores here. If you're ever up here, the best ones are in Newton and Framingham (more designer clothes). The original Filene's Basement in downtown Boston just closed for 2 years so they can renovate the building. There is an outpost on Boylston St., but it doesn't have the Automatic Markdown model that the original location was famous for.

I can think of no better way to pat myself on the back for staying with this wol than to be able to buy something that I can wear with pride...so much better than going out and celebrating with cheesecake I say enjoy the splurge (once you find something worth splurging on).

Yep Judy, I am in the same boat! I love to shop, so I do tend to use a special purchase to reward myself. What I have taken to doing the last couple of years when the seasons change is, rather than buying a whole new wardrobe every season, I buy a few key pieces to accentuate what I already have. I also take the opportunity of bringing new stuff home to rotate some older stuff out of my closet. This way I keep the classics but stay updated. Last spring I found an incredible deal - a pair of Coach leather riding boots similar to the style you are describing on clearance really cheap. That was my splurge for the season, and I have LOVED wearing them! This weekend I am making a trip to Nordstrom's Rack, Nordstrom's discount/bargain store, and will be looking for some good designer deals. I can't resist a good bargain!

Ohhhh....Those Coach boots sound divine Robin!!

I have a confession: I HATE to shop. I've never really like it and, amazingly, it's not gotten any more enjoyable for me even after losing weight. Surprise.

I had to go last week to get something to wear to Charleston on Friday; needed to look pulled together without looking like I was trying too hard. Got some slacks and a blouse in a really gorgeous plum color. Didn't enjoy the shopping, though, other than laughing loud and often with my daughter in the dressing room.

In my perfect world, someone else would go shop for me and bring the stuff home for me to try on; then return the stuff I don't want or doesn't fit. I know there are personal shoppers out there (in cities!) but I can't afford one.

I just have an awful time putting things together and, frankly, I'm never happy with how things look on me. I'm thinner and much, much healthier than I used to be. But I'm shaped funny and I don't always know how to work around that.

For work, I can wear scrubs, but don't really feel professional in my "jammies" so I sometimes wear cords or slacks instead. It's a medical office and I feel "appropriate" dressing that way. But in another year and a half I'll be in school full-time and will need to start working on a professional wardrobe. Kinda dreading it...

One of the best parts of this board is sharing expierences like this with people who really unterstand. I have items in my wardrobe that I have been wearing for four years now..that amazing to me. I have actually just drpped from a 12 to a 10, so I am adding some new things, but basically I have maintained the same size. I have never had enough cloths..now I have too many!! The reason I never had enough is because I was always to big for most of my clothing. I will never forget the disapointment of ordering something in a size that I thought would fit, but finding out it was too small when it arrived.
I am getting ready for a trip to my parents. In years past it was very stressful..I never had the "right" clothing and that included pajamas and underwear..nothing fit and everything was too small. I always had to shop on the way and it was very hard to find anything..I always had to settle. Now I have so many nice things and it is hard to decide what to bring for that reason.
Life is good!

That's weird Corinne, I could have wrote this post. I am the exact same way. Except where I work now, I don't get to wear scrubs. I loved it when I had my last job and could wear them. Now, I have to wear dress slacks. I'm never happy with anything I have to buy and wear.
At least I know I'm not alone in that department.