Never thought I'd hear this... X-post

I’ve always been an extreme pear shape and carry most of my weight in the hips, thighs, and butt. My butt has always been huge! Several months back I was having some pain the lower back and hips and went to a chiropractor. After a few visits for adjustment, all of the sudden I noticed that my butt had “disappeared". Well it got a lot smaller anyway.

I’m still wearing most of the clothes that I was wearing 124 pounds ago, so they all just hang on me. Especially for work, I just don’t want to buy new clothes as long as I can physically keep the old ones from falling off, no matter how baggy they look. A while back I found a cute pair of size 22 black jeans that almost fit and bought them anyway since they were only $7.

I was trying them on again the other day and the fit’s better but still too tight in the thighs to wear them comfortably (damn thighs!!). I was showing my housemate the jeans and she said “Wow, you have a butt now." She didn’t know me pre-op and is used to only seeing me in the baggy pants. NEVER thought I’d hear that said about me. LOL!!

Oh, I totally took it as a compliment.   I know I need to get new clothes, and I’m definitely going to have to before much longer or I’m gonna be doing the Pants on the Ground for real.

Part of my issue is that I’m trying to transform myself into the “me" I’ve always seen in my mind and that beautiful freak is way more dramatic and flamboyant than the frumpy normie persona I’ve felt the need to hide behind all these years. I just hate the idea of continuing to get clothes that aren’t in line with who I want to be and how I want to look, and that’s just not too easy at this stage. I found a Torrid store and that was a little better, but I just didn’t like the way anything looked on me. I probably drove the salesgirls nuts because I tried on so many things and didn’t end up getting anything. I want to be sort of Rockabilly and Pinup with some goth/ punk and a little biker chick thrown in. LOL!! Sort of Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, Katy Perry, and Amy Lee.

I've got three tats already from pre-op (both ankles and a fairy girl on the right side of my chest/shoulder). My Rising Phoenix tattoo is on my photo page. I plan to get more eventually. I have a Celtic raven design I want to get on the back of my neck but I'm just waiting till I have the extra cash. I also want a big tattoo over most of my back, but that will have to wait till after plastics.
 
So far my post-op body modification has been mainly my ears. I've gotten the first holes on each stretched to 00g with spacers/earlets and size 6g holes higher up on the lobe. I also have a conch cartilage piercing and I'm planning to get a helix cartilage piercing as well. When I get it all completed, the girl that does my stretching/piercing wants to take photos for her portfolio.

I'll let you know if I find any cool shops, but one I like to check out online is Babygirl Botique. Pricey too, but you can get cool ideas.
http://www.babygirlboutique.com/
I really like the flower hair clips, but I'm not paying $15-$20. I'm going to go to Hobby Lobby this weekend and get some silk flowers, hair clips, and a glue gun. LOL!

I totally get not wanting to spend much money on clothes during your journey.  I know that getting smaller and feeling smaller in smaller clothes has been a great joy and a wonderful reminder of far I've come.  So I have bought some clothes, but always on the clearance rack.  And my WLS support group has clothing exchanges twice a year.  That's always fun because we bring in clothes that are too big and we pick up clothes in our current size and smaller for later.  Whatever is not claimed is donated to a shelter or organization that gives the clothes away to people in need.

Do you go to a support group in your area?  If so, do they do clothing exchanges?  If not, why not organize one?

Just a few thoughts.

~Maryn

The clothing exchange sounds like a great idea. I haven’t found any support groups locally, but I haven’t really looked that hard. I might check online to see if I can find anything in the Austin area.  

I’m also going to have to break down and find some jeans no matter what because I’ll have to wear them in a few months when I start welding classes. I’ll probably check at Goodwill since it’s just clothes I know will get messed up in class.

Clothing exchanges are my best friend!! Even now that I've been at the same size for about a year,  I go to them as often as I can.

I get a new wardrobe every month for free!! 

I think it is important to feel good about yourself along the journey....I took my clothes into a resale shop and got credit to get other stuff...and did buy some stuff (not too much!) on sale. There is a point where you are like the lowest you have ever been and you just can't imagine getting any lower...but then you do. Just pass the clothes on to resale or to friends....but don't be all saggy and baggy, have at least one pair of jeans or pants and a couple of tops you feel good in. I found that tops were the easiest to wear through the size changes...pants not so much. And get a good belt....no pants on the ground!!

deb366