Buying Clothes While Losing Weight: What I Wish I’d Known
One of the nice things about losing weight is realising your clothes are getting too big. The first time you put on something that used to be tight and discover it’s suddenly loose can feel fantastic.
The less exciting part is realising that practically everything you own is starting to look like it belongs to somebody else.
When I lost around 10 stone, my body changed enormously. I went from 22 stone 12lb to around 12 stone, so this wasn’t a case of dropping one dress size and buying a couple of new pairs of jeans. I went through multiple sizes, and at some points it felt as though I’d only just bought something before it was too big again.
Buying clothes while losing weight can get expensive very quickly, particularly if you’ve still got a long way to go. You don’t necessarily want to spend hundreds of pounds on a wardrobe that might not fit in three months, but I don’t think the answer is to wear enormous clothes until you reach your goal weight either.
Having experienced significant weight loss and later weight regain, I see this rather differently now. If I were doing it all again, I’d spend less money at certain stages, buy differently and, most importantly, stop treating clothes that fit properly as something I had to earn by reaching a particular weight.
When should you buy new clothes while losing weight?
There’s no particular number of pounds you need to lose before you’re officially allowed to go shopping. I’d judge it by how your current clothes actually fit.
Some clothes can accommodate quite a big change in weight. Leggings, stretchy dresses, oversized jumpers and anything with an elasticated or adjustable waist can often last through several size changes.
Jeans, fitted trousers, bras and more structured clothes are much less forgiving.
If you’re constantly pulling your trousers up, your bra no longer supports you properly or everything is hanging off your shoulders, it’s probably time to buy a few things that fit.
You don’t need to replace your entire wardrobe. You just need enough clothes to get dressed without feeling as though you’ve borrowed your outfit from someone three sizes bigger.
Don’t wait until your goal weight to buy clothes you like
I understand the temptation to do this. When you’re losing weight, it’s very easy to think: I’ll buy nice clothes when I reach target.
Perhaps you’ll buy the absolute minimum in the meantime because spending money on your current size feels wasteful. You tell yourself you’ll only be this size temporarily anyway.
The problem is that losing a substantial amount of weight takes time.
If you’ve got several stone to lose, you could spend months — or years — moving through different sizes. That’s a long time to wear clothes you don’t particularly like because you’re waiting for your “proper” body to arrive.
I don’t believe in that anymore.
You deserve to have a pair of jeans that fits today. You deserve a coat you like today. You can buy something because you feel good wearing it without needing to promise yourself you’ll eventually become smaller.
That doesn’t mean I’d spend £500 on a whole new wardrobe every time I dropped a dress size. There’s a sensible middle ground between buying everything and buying nothing.
You probably don’t need as many clothes as you think
If you’re still actively losing weight, I’d create a small temporary wardrobe rather than replacing everything you own. Think about what you actually wear during an ordinary week.
Perhaps you need two or three pairs of trousers or leggings, a handful of tops, something slightly nicer, nightwear, underwear and whatever you need for work. You can continue wearing anything from your old wardrobe that still looks and feels okay.
This is also where I’d prioritise clothes that work together. If you buy three tops that can all be worn with the same two pairs of trousers, you’ve effectively got six combinations without buying six complete outfits.
It’s not particularly exciting, but neither is discovering you’ve spent £300 on clothes that don’t fit anymore. Save the giant wardrobe shopping spree for when your weight has been relatively stable for a while.
Some clothes will last through several sizes
You quickly discover that clothing sizes aren’t all equal when you’re losing weight.
A very fitted pair of jeans might only fit properly across a relatively small weight range. A loose dress could see you through several dress sizes and still look perfectly intentional. That’s worth thinking about when you shop.
Stretchy fabrics, wrap dresses, elasticated waists, drawstrings, oversized shirts and looser jumpers can all be useful because they adapt better as your body changes. Belts can extend the life of some dresses, trousers and jeans too.
I wouldn’t buy everything oversized, though. If you’re buying something that’s already deliberately loose when it fits, there’s a point where it stops looking oversized and starts looking as though you’re wearing a duvet cover.
Choose things that give you some flexibility without assuming they need to last forever.
Don’t forget about bras and underwear
This isn’t mentioned nearly enough in articles about buying clothes after weight loss. Your underwear size can change too.
A bra that fitted properly several stone ago may no longer give you the support you need, even if technically you can still wear it. Both your band and cup size can and will change as your body changes.
I’d prioritise having a couple of properly fitting bras rather than waiting until you reach your goal weight to replace them.
The same goes for knickers. Yes, you can probably continue wearing them until they’re enormous, but there comes a point where constantly rearranging your underwear inside your jeans isn’t worth the £8 you’ve saved.
You don’t need twenty matching sets at every size. Buy enough comfortable basics to see you through that stage.
Vinted can be brilliant when you’re changing sizes
Second-hand clothes make so much sense during weight loss.
Vinted can be particularly useful because you can search for specific brands and sizes. If you know that a particular style of Next jeans fits you well, for example, you may be able to find the same pair second-hand for considerably less than buying them new.
Then, when they become too big, you can potentially sell them again.
Charity shops are worth looking at too, especially for things such as dresses, jackets, jumpers and tops. The stock is obviously more unpredictable, but that’s part of the fun if you enjoy rummaging.
I wouldn’t necessarily buy everything second-hand. Underwear is an obvious exception for me, and sometimes you simply need a particular thing in a particular size now.
But for temporary sizes, second-hand shopping can save a small fortune.
Sell the clothes you’ve shrunk out of
If your old clothes are still in good condition, selling them can help pay for replacements.
This is particularly worthwhile for more expensive items, branded clothes, coats, occasionwear and things you’ve barely worn. It can almost become a rolling wardrobe.
Sell five things that no longer fit, use the money to buy a few things that do, then eventually sell those when you no longer need them.
You probably won’t recover everything you spent, but it makes moving through multiple sizes considerably less expensive.
If selling clothes individually sounds like far too much faffing about — and sometimes it absolutely is — you could bundle cheaper items together or donate them instead. Not everything needs to become a small business venture.
Supermarkets and cheaper shops have their place
When you’re between sizes, this probably isn’t the moment I’d invest in expensive basics unless there’s a good reason to.
Supermarket clothing ranges can be incredibly useful for inexpensive T-shirts, leggings, pyjamas and other everyday pieces.
I’d rather buy a £10 pair of leggings that fits properly for three months than spend those three months wearing a £40 pair I’m constantly pulling up simply because they were expensive.
You can save your money for the items where quality matters more to you or things you’re likely to keep for longer.
Of course, if fashion is something you love and buying clothes brings you enormous joy, you don’t have to turn your entire weight-loss wardrobe into a financial optimisation exercise either.
Spend according to your priorities.
Be careful buying clothes that are too small for “motivation”
I definitely understand this one. You see something you absolutely love in the sale, but it’s two sizes too small. “I’ll buy it as motivation.”
Sometimes that works beautifully. You lose weight, eventually try it on and have a lovely moment when it finally fits. But there’s another possibility. By the time it fits, you don’t like it anymore. Or your body shape has changed differently from how you expected and it never fits quite right. Or you don’t reach that size.
Then this supposedly motivational dress sits in the wardrobe quietly judging you every time you open the door. I don’t particularly like clothes being used as a test of whether you’ve succeeded.
If something is an absolute bargain and you’re realistically close to that size, fair enough. But I wouldn’t build an entire future wardrobe for a body you don’t currently have. Spend most of your clothing budget on the person who exists now.
Clothing sizes are very inconsistent
This can mess with your head when you’re losing weight. You finally fit comfortably into a size 14 in one shop, go somewhere else feeling delighted with yourself and discover their size 16 barely fastens.
It doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly gained weight between shops.
UK clothing sizes aren’t perfectly standardised, and even within the same retailer different styles and fabrics can fit differently. Try not to attach too much meaning to the number on the label.
If a size 16 fits well and the size 14 makes you look and feel like a vacuum-packed chicken, buy the 16. Nobody walking past you knows what the label says. You could cut it out when you get home if it bothers you that much!
Your body shape may change as well as your size
Weight loss doesn’t necessarily make you an identical but smaller version of yourself.
Different areas of your body can change at different rates. You may find that styles you used to love don’t sit in quite the same way anymore, while things you would never previously have considered suddenly look great.
This can actually be one of the enjoyable parts of buying clothes after weight loss. Try things on. Don’t assume you know which styles suit you based entirely on what you wore at a larger size.
Equally, don’t assume losing weight means you now have to wear fitted dresses, sleeveless tops or anything else people insist you should finally be brave enough to wear. Wear what you like.
What about coats and expensive clothes?
This is where I’d be a little more strategic. If you’re likely to continue losing quite a lot of weight, I’d think carefully before spending hundreds on something extremely fitted.
A winter coat is a good example because you need one, but a structured coat several sizes too large can become impractical surprisingly quickly.
I’d look at sales, second-hand options or a less expensive coat if you think you may need another size next winter.
On the other hand, don’t make yourself freeze for six months because buying a coat is supposedly a waste of money.
There’s practical frugality, and then there’s standing at a bus stop in January wearing three cardigans because you’ve decided you’re not worthy of outerwear until you get to your target.
Buy the coat!
What should you do with your biggest clothes after losing weight?
This is much more complicated than I once thought. Some people find getting rid of larger clothes incredibly symbolic. It can feel like closing a chapter and saying, I’m never going back there. Others keep a few things because they’re worried about needing them again.
Having lost a large amount of weight and subsequently regained weight, I’m certainly not going to tell you that throwing away every larger item somehow guarantees you won’t regain.
Bodies don’t work like that.
Keeping clothes doesn’t cause weight regain, and getting rid of them doesn’t prevent it. I’d make the decision based on practical and emotional considerations rather than turning your wardrobe into a promise about your future body.
If keeping several wardrobes’ worth of clothing is taking over your house, that’s probably not particularly useful. But if there’s an expensive coat, favourite dress or a few good-quality basics you’re not ready to part with, you don’t have to ceremonially throw them away to prove you’re committed.
They’re clothes. They don’t have magical powers.
What I learned from losing 10 stone and changing sizes
When I was losing weight, getting into smaller clothes could feel like another measurement of success. Sometimes it was even more exciting than seeing a number on the scales.
There are certain things you suddenly notice after significant weight loss. You can shop in more places. Clothes fit differently. You may have far more choice than you did previously, particularly if you started at a size that wasn’t stocked by many high-street shops.
That can be exciting, but I think there’s a danger in allowing clothing sizes to become another version of the scales. A smaller label isn’t a certificate saying you’ve become a better person. And if your size later increases, that doesn’t mean you’ve somehow lost the right to enjoy clothes.
My weight has changed significantly in both directions, and one thing I’ve learned is that constantly waiting for your body to be different is exhausting. There will always be something you could change. I don’t want to spend my life keeping my best clothes for Future Jen.
What happens when you’ve reached your goal weight?
I’d resist immediately buying an enormous new wardrobe the morning you hit your target. Your weight is unlikely to remain identical every day, and your body may continue changing as you settle into maintenance. Give yourself a little time.
Once your size feels relatively stable, that’s when I’d be more comfortable investing in expensive jeans, good-quality coats or other pieces you hope to wear for years. But again, there isn’t an official moment when you’re allowed to buy nice things.
If you’ve seen a dress you love and can afford it, you don’t need my permission or the scales’ permission.
What if you regain some weight?
Weight regain happens. Sometimes it’s a few pounds. Sometimes it’s considerably more. If clothes you’ve bought become too tight, that can bring up all sorts of emotions, particularly if you previously associated fitting into them with success.
I’ve experienced that, and I know how tempting it is to refuse to buy a larger size because you’re determined the smaller clothes will fit again soon. But wearing clothes that dig into you all day doesn’t make weight loss happen faster.
If your clothes don’t fit your current body, buying something that does isn’t “giving up”. You can still decide you want to lose weight. You can still work towards whatever health or weight goals matter to you. And you can wear trousers that don’t cut you in half while you do it. Those things are completely compatible.
Don’t keep your favourite clothes for when you’re thinner
This goes beyond weight-loss wardrobes for me. How many of us have had clothes we’re saving? A dress we’ll wear when we’ve lost another stone. A swimsuit we’ll feel confident enough for eventually. Jeans we’ll buy once we’re a particular size.
Meanwhile, months and years are passing.
I’ve become much more conscious of this after losing weight, regaining some and seeing how much mental space I’d previously given to the idea of being thin. I don’t want my wardrobe divided into clothes for my current body and clothes for the body I think deserves better things.
If you want to lose weight, that’s fine. But you still need to get dressed tomorrow. You might as well wear something you actually like.
Why I Refuse to Wait Until I’m Thin to Enjoy Life
My tips for buying clothes while losing weight
If I were starting a significant weight-loss journey again, I wouldn’t try to predict exactly what size I’d eventually become.
I’d buy enough clothes to feel comfortable and presentable at each stage without creating an entirely new wardrobe every few months. I’d use Vinted, charity shops, supermarkets and sales much more strategically, particularly for sizes I expected to move through fairly quickly.
I’d prioritise underwear that fits properly, a couple of good everyday outfits and whatever I genuinely need for work and normal life.
I’d sell or donate clothes as I stopped needing them, but I wouldn’t make getting rid of every larger item into some dramatic promise that I’d never regain weight. And I definitely wouldn’t wait until at target to buy something simply because I liked it.
Weight loss can already take up an enormous amount of your attention without your wardrobe becoming another set of rules to follow.
Buy sensibly, absolutely. But dress the body you have now.
Because whether you’re at the beginning of losing weight, halfway through, maintaining, regaining or not trying to change your weight at all, you deserve clothes that fit.
And perhaps that’s the biggest thing I wish I’d understood from the start.
Selling your old clothes
In addition to buying clothes during weight loss or toning up, you need to remember that you can make money from your old clothes, too. Clothes that may now be too big for you may be perfect for someone else.
You may find you can sell them through your weight loss group or gym, but alternatively, use Facebook Marketplace, Vinted or eBay to sell anything you won’t wear again. Remember, even if you bought an item preloved, you can still sell it again!
I have previously shared tips for selling on Vinted and how to sell well on eBay so do check those out to help you too.
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