Confess - just how old/out of style are those skinny clothes?

KATHY - Alas, I didn't HAVE any skinny clothes, because I had never BEEN skinny. I did, however, pick up things, along my journey, like at clothing exchanges, thrift stores, etc, for "when I get to be that size"...

Ok...Now I'm "that size"...and I look at the stuff and think "WTH"??? There is some REALLY ugly, bizarre crap, in there...

Being thinner doesn't automatically give you better taste, apparently

sad but true!

I moved before I had surgery, and when I moved I dumped all the clothes that I had not worn in the 18 months prior, with one exception, an item I had in college.

I decided at that point if I ever lost weight I was never going to wear those clothes anyway. Before I started losing weight I could buy clothes several times a week. So it didn't make sense to hang on to old stuff when I was always buying new stuff.

Now I hate trying on clothes, it takes hours, since I have to try every single thing on I buy every single time I shop. So I might shop once a month. Down from almost daily. I kinda miss being fat some days.

We also moved about 18 months before surgery and I had a few size 2 classic work items I donated that I wish I had kept. I was CERTAIN I would never be that size again (I am a 0-2 now)!

Kathy I would have taken those bellbottoms and worn them!! lol

In doing this a few weeks ago, I found stuff I wore just after college. That would be the early 80s -- you know - high waisted, pleats, SHOULDER PADS that make you look like a linebacker. My 17 year old daughter was laughing so hard as I tried stuff on I thought she was going to pee herself. However, I did find in the back of a closet a Donna Karan cold shoulder dress from the early 90s. It fits - beautifully. Hope I have a chance to wear it before its too big.

Probably the biggest surprise is that while I weigh now just a few pounds less than what I weighed when I got married 19 years ago, my wedding gown hangs on me because my body shape has changed so much due to working out.

Amazing feeling was it not Knitter215! BTW, I love knitting too

I'm almost 3 years post-op now and have been maintaining for the last year and a half -- so I long ago went through all my old skinny clothes hanging in the backs of closets.

But what was in there and wearable was pretty good. Yes, there were a few big shoulder pad dresses (including a black Armani formal from the early 1980s -- I STILL haven't thrown that thing away!).

Since I reached 135 pounds I've been following a dozen or so fashion bloggers written by women aged 50 and over who are such smart dressers -- some Americans, some Brits, some French. I've learned (and am still learning) so much from those blogs.

Building a personal style (and corresponding wardrobe) when you can wear literally anything you want to wear is a VERY different challenge than what I dealt with when I was obese. Back then, I mostly wore what I could find that fit me. The standards I have today for buying (or keeping) clothes are much more complicated than they used to be. And the process is so much more fun!

So true! Shifting your mindset from shopping for "the least objectionable item that fits" to "things that not only fit, but I love everything about" is a huge leap.

I still get the big size catalogs. Gave up trying to unsubscribe