My Shopping Trip Yesterday

So next week I have to do a major presentation to the exec team at a big hospital in St Louis MO. Not a big deal normally but since I have NO clothes in my closet,  (I have been living on LulaRoe and two pair of jeans for over a month) it posed a dilemma. So off I go to find two work suits for my presentation. How utterly depressing and exhilarating at the same time. Im 5' 10" and  a little bit and currently fluctuating between 170 and 175. I can fit in most size16 and some size 14 now. My proble3m is I haven't shopped for "real" people clothes in years. I went to Dillards, Macy's, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. Took me hours to find anything. First of all most stores only carry up to 12 - then it jumps to 1x, 2x , etc. If they even carry plus sizes at all. This is exactly why I ordered online for years and years. It was depressing trying on clothes and finding them too tight still and being told that they carry anything over size 12 online. It was great actually finding size 14 pants that fit. I have decided I am NOT buying anything else until I reach at least 140. I will make the two business outfits I did get wor****il then. Goodness those sales people were so thin!! LOL Anyone here experience any of this? One minute it was elation, the next minute feeling extremely BIG.

The one good thing to come out of this whole process was a new dedication to losing even more weight. I still have a long way to go.

I know this was rambling, so sorry, just had to share,

Ceci

Not sure where you are (Midwest?) but I have the exact opposite experience!  Macy's here has an unbelievable assortment for my new size, large in tops currently.  I still have to buy my pants in the plus size section, but recently went down from a 16 to a 14 so maybe soon I will be in the regular pants area.  Don't buy suits, though.  I am heavy into sweaters at the moment because I am so cold all the time.  I cannot get enough of shopping, and just can't go into another thrift store.  I was 17 last time I shopped in a regular section of any department store, and it is like a drug.  I try on Everything.  Sometimes a medium fits, and that is so rewarding and keeps me right on track with my food plan to see the reward so plainly.  I still have 30-40 pounds for my comfort zone but just love the current sizing.

I haven't had any trouble locally with finding size 14's in the misses' section. Recently I had to find some clothing for interviews and went to some local consignment shops, Macy's, Dillards and H&M. Found an assortment of pants, jackets and dress shirts at all. Now the pants are probably too big....curse that! Ugh.

LOL.  I just bought a size 16 black jeans and first time I put them on they are already too big.  When did I ever have THAT problem?  Never.  I gleefully went back online and bought the size 14.

What color are the the two business outfits you purchased?  You will see my post on January 6th, 2017 about clothes shopping.  I am still, yes still, watching youtube videos about color analysis trying to determine color choice but becoming more confused than ever before (before I was just oblivious).  It was nice to read there are five colors considered universal to anyone's skin tone: Stone, Navy, Periwinkle, Teal, and Pure Purple. 

Go to the http://www.missussmartypants.com/index.php?route=product/pro duct&product_id=63 site and spend $10 for a color analysis.  She does it from your photographs and a form you fill out and her skills are excellent.  Best $10 you will ever spend.

I purchased a Black suit and a Navy suit. I also purchased a jcket that had some black, navy, bright blue and white in it that I couldn't resist. One pair of pants and one skirt. In  the hospital business, when you meet with the exec teams, you have to be VERY conservative. I once had this jacket I adored from Coldwater Creek, that was black but was embroidered with multiple colors, absolutely stunning and my boss told me I shouldn't wear it to the hospital meetings. That jacket cost more than most of my suits combined, but wasn't the plain old boring business suits that major hospitals (and financial agencies) tend to expect.

I tend to like color a lot more than your basic Navy and Black. As I mentioned I have bought a lot of LulaRoe lately, namely Carly's and Leggings and I have been wearing bright colors with geometric designs for my day to day wear in the office. We have a casual business attire when we aren't at our hospitals.

Ceci

Now if you get down to a size 0 and 1 no one carries those either. My last jeans were ordered online after trying,Macys,Penney and Maurice. Mau rices XS was even too big. I am 5'6.5" and about 120.I have absolutely no butt--didn't even have much at 272. It's a strange problem to have for sure.

I get wonderful things at thrift stores. I felt much better about myself while losing when I wore clothes that fit, and I found dresses and skirts were more adaptable to size fluctuation.

Oh no! I was afraid of that! My sisters and I (all just over 6') had a terrible time finding clothes when we were thin. I was hoping it had gotten better out there. Thanks for sharing, and good luck! Maybe there are online or big-city options? At least now you can get a 36" inseam in women's jeans; I used to have to buy men's and have them taken in at the waist.