Altering your old, big clothes?

I know how to sew, but have quilted only for the last 10 years. 

Now I am pulling all these clothes out of my closet as they become too big for me.  I kept clothes (packed away) in smaller sizes, especially if they were suits, wool jumpers, nice slacks - work or interview clothes.  And I have blown through a lot of those also.

I have been looking at library books, watching videos on how to alter patterns, researching it on the web.  I have sewn on 2 suits (which were lined and that adds a layer of annoyance) and was very happy with the results.  Each of those suits easily cost me over $250 so they were worth altering.

Do you cut down your clothes to your new size, or recycle the clothes into something new?  Or do you just donate your clothes and go buy new?

I didn't own anything worth altering except for one vest that was a special Border Collie vest that I wanted to keep.  I was very very fortunate to live where there were excellent thrift stores that were clean and sold clean quality clothes at good prices so I just shopped  there as I blew down the sizes.  I donated all my clothes (save one pair of capri jeans that I saved just to remind myself of what I was wearing) and that vest.  I had the vest altered too soon and lost more weight and I'm not sure it can be altered yet again but I am probably going to try.

I gave my clothes to the Humane Society Thrift store and I still give all my give-aways to the one where I live now.  There are no thrift stores or second hand stores or consignment stores where I live now that I will even walk into (even the one where I donate) so I am grateful that I was living where I was when I needed cheap clothes, and often.

After about two years of being the same size I have found that I rarely need to shop at all.  This is tax free weekend for school supplies whi*****ludes clothes and I bought a big bag of socks and am going to try to go buy a couple of bras.  I have SO many clothes that I just can't find any reason to buy anything.  First time in my life that I have been able to say that.

I admire your skill that you can alter clothes!! 

~Becky

 

Becky - Just a suggestion. Something special like your vest could probably be made into a small decorative pillow.

As I lost weight in the past I had tons of clothes altered and re-altered. Having the skills to do it myself would have saved me some money but even at around $7 per piece, it was still less expensive than buying new clothes. The thrift stores here never had many plus size clothes. Eventually items like jeans couldn't be altered anymore because the back pockets were nearly touching. I say go for it if you have the skills though.

Then a friend opened a plus size, upscale consignment store. So I started giving them my clothes to build up their inventory at first. Now they are booming and I will be exchanging pieces about every month until I'm no longer plus size.

I hit all the thrift stores and consignment shops.  I try to keep in mind that I live in Silicon Valley, CA - but they are charging 15-25 dollars for a used shirt!  Consequently, they don't take anything they can't mark up high. 

It was very educational to go to these stores and talk to the owners.  I have clothes that still have the tags on them - they don't want them.  And they don't want plus sizes.  Hhhhmmm, there is a business plan lurking here....

None of the thrift stores or consignment shops carry ladies suits (that you would wear for an interview), which was what I was looking for.  Another business plan lurking.... 

My thought was to turn my clothes into a consignment shop for credit, and keep rotating clothes through there as I lost weight.  It hasn't worked out that way because none of them really want the plus size clothes (with original tags on them) to begin with.  So I am learning to alter clothes and taking in my own suits (enough to erase the clown pants profile) and doing some original sewing with some wool my mother gave me.

How about starting your own thrift store for plus sizes?  

Fortunately, the several thrift stores here that I deal with have plus size departments, and that's where most of my "new" clothes came from !

Get to know all the local thrift stores.  Honestly clothes are so cheap there it's not worth the trouble to alter the old stuff unless it is a very special piece.  And I sew too!

Next consider that a part of all this is learning to dress for our new shape.  I really believe the thrift store let me learn to be adventurous with styles and color.  I didn't want to be a normal sized woman  still wearing 'fat' clothes.  

I do agree with you.  Regular, every day clothes are so cheap now days, and material and patterns so expensive, that it does not pay to sew any more.  That was the reason I quit sewing years ago. 

But now - after 80 lbs - I find that my belly is STILL the same inches as my bust, I have no hips or butt, and I'm sway back.  I am very small if you stand behind me, but my body is 'very deep' - my weight sticks out in front of me.  And I am just over 5 feet tall.  Knowing how to sew and alter a pattern (before you cut material) has helped me make clothes that balance my body out. 

If I had a regular body under those 80 lbs, I would not sew clothes at all.  It isn't worth it.

My stuff goes to relatives or a men's shelter my sister-in-law helps out. Nothing good enough to alter except for a leather jacket I will eventually find someone to alter.