Window Shopping

True story: Sometimes I avoid trying on clothes in the store because I know it could lead to an emotional breakdown. Of course, this always happens after I have been really on plan, working like crazy, and think that I am FOR SURE down a size. Then nothing looks good. NOTHING. If I'm lucky, I can get out of the dressing room without crying.

However. There are some days when everything I try on makes me feel cuter and slimmer. Rare but AMAZING days. The following pictures were taken on such days. (Somehow that sounded like the lead-in to a Law & Order episode...)

I still want a sweater like this.

A few years ago I started doing this thing where I would take pictures of clothes I was trying on in dressing rooms (on the good days). This is not an attempt to steal fashion ideas... from Goodwill. ;-) Actually, this has been a way for me to visualize what kind of outfits look best on me and have a visual representation of my progress. Once I started losing weight, and got under my lowest as an adult, I really didn't know what clothes I was looking for when I would go shopping. So I would try on several outfits and take a picture of each one. It is also fun to look back and watch my shape and available outfits change as I lost weight!

Another advanatge of this fun little habit is being able to see what something looks like in a picture before I buy it. Or I can remember a style from The Gap and try to find something similar at Target or Goodwill.

For those of you who do not shop at Goodwill, I can understand. BUT if you are willing to take the time to sort through ALL the clothes, you can often find great deals. Many times I have come away with clothing items originally from The Loft, The Gap, or Old Navy - still with the original tags!

[Side note: I hate shopping in the "Big Girls" section. And trust me, that is exactly what I did for the first twenty-two years of my life (give or take a few years in the baby isle). Every time I would get to the Maternity/Plus Size divide in Target, I would look around hoping no one saw me. It was even embarrassing to show the attendant my items before I went to try them on. The colored tabs so vividly gave me away. I clearly remember the first time I was able to try on clothes from the "regular" section. Elated doesn't even begin to cover it. There is no shame in trying on the clothes that fit you - but I felt shame knowing I had let myself get to a place I so badly did not want to be. Even now, I have a hard time finding something that fits my short/curvy stature at consignment or boutique shops. My feet even betray me with their boat-like shape. Shoes do not usually look "super cute" in wide. Frustrating.]

 

The cardigan I have; the top I want!

The last time I needed new clothes was when I started my new job, as an assistant in the ESL department at a middle school. My wardrobe wasn't very teacher-y, and I was down a few sizes anyway. So I took  my $200 and went to Goodwill to see what I could find. About $80 later, I had 4 button-up tops, 2 sweaters, 2 pairs of slacks, 1 pair of jeans, and 1 pair of incentive pants. (Once I have gotten to a new lowest pant size, I buy a pair of pants in the next size down to motivate me to keep going.) The great thing about Goodwill is that it allows me to have a decent wardrobe without the cost. It would be too expensive to buy a whole new wardrobe every time I go down a size; so I try to buy "in between" clothes that are inexpensive, can look nice for a couple sizes, and that I can return to Goodwill when I have shrunk out of them without feeling a huge loss.

I love the color and detail of this top.

With my left over budget I got a few sale items from The Gap, one of my favorite stores, and had enough at the end to get my slacks altered to fit me perfectly. Now that I have had some clothing altered, I hope to continue this with my wardrobe. Putting on a smaller pair of pants feels great, knowing that it will fit you perfectly feels even better!



So tell me: Do you have any habits like this that help you reach your goals?