I Have a Problem

I have become addicted to buying jeans.  Which is funny because for years I never wore them.  All I wore was sweat pants, the kind with a drawstring.  I could make a pair of mediums fit from 150 lbs to 220 lbs.  They way I could stay in denial about all the weight I was gaining.  I mean, my clothes still fit so it can't be that bad?

So, ever since I got into a pair of jeans that I had before I started regaining I have always bought a pair that were the size smaller then what I currently wore.  As soon as the old jeans got too big I would start wearing the newer ones.  I always buy my jeans at Goodwill or other thrift stores.
A few months ago I thought I was at my goal size so I bought several pairs in that size.  Then they got too big so I bought some more in a smaller size.  I have a rule that I can't bring anything home without getting rid of something I don't wear anymore.  Otherwise you would be watching me on TLC buried under a pile of useless stuff.
I usually don't pay for the about $5 a pair but today I had some time to kill so I went to Goodwill.  The jeans I like best for some reason are the button fly.  I love Levi's 501s but they are hard to find now in my size so I was looking through their selection and I found several with button flies.  I brought 7 pairs into the dressing room and picked out 4 that I really liked.  One pair was $25!  I don't think I have ever paid that much for a pair of jeans, much less used jeans, but they got me with the vanity sizing.  They were a size 0!  I have never worn a size 0 in my life.  They also feel great on me.  I am more concerned with comfort then looks and I hate baggy jeans and these fit just right.  They are Lucky brand.  I went home and looked on their website and they were selling new for $79 and I got all excited that I got a good deal until I looked on Ebay and saw the exact jeans I got, brand new for $17 including shipping.  Oh well.
I also got a pair of new Gap jeans for $7 and a couple of others.  All together I spent about $47 on the jeans.  I went home and cleared out my closet and tossed all the clothes I never wear, including finally getting rid of the last of the sweat pants which I have been holding on to for some reason.  I couldn't get rid of them all so I gave some to my daughter to wear around the house.
I counted and I now have 11 pairs of jeans.  Which wouldn't be so bad except I usually find one or two pairs I love and wear them all the time and forget I have any others.  Some of the jeans I took out of my closet I never even wore before they outgrew me.  Also, I don't really go anywhere so I don't really have any place to wear them.  If I get a job I will probably need to buy work type clothes anyway.
I wound up with a big trash bag of clothes that I don't wear that went to someone on Craigslist.  I also got rid of a few tops I never wear in size XL.  I was hanging on to some of my bigger tops because I don't mind wearing them if they are too big.  It's just pants I hate to have baggy.
So the jeans I got today were size 0, 1, 2 and 3.  Talk about inconsistent sizing.

Dear LadyTazz... in my personal opinion, you have crossed an important threshold by recognizing and admitting you have a problem with an addiction to jeans.  At this point, you must be exhausted from all the emotional turmoil this step has caused.  Please know that you have made tremendous strides by analyzing your purchases, your closet's contents, and the reasoning behind both of the above.  To follow through with the task of accumulating those jeans (& sweats) that no longer needed to be a part of your life... and to donate them to another person??  Well, I am impresssed AND I believe you are well on your way to leveling the playing field with this addiction and someday... someday... you will have it under control.  I have faith that you will be able to have ONLY favorite jeans in your closet someday... those that FIT, that you LOVE, and that you WEAR!

You can do this.  One Day At A Time.

Hugs,
Ruthie D.

Thank you!  I do give my unused clothes away on Craigslist.  It is easier then taking them to Goodwill and it seems like people really appreciate having them.

You're a good woman, Charlie Brown.  :-)   Craigslist rocks... so does Freecycle.

I've been VERY lucky to have a "Free Store" operated by a local ministry not too far from where I live.  Every last Saturday of the month, the ladies that work there have been a real cheering section as I bring in clothes to donate and shop their racks for the next smaller  size.  LOL  All for the price of a $3 donation to help them keep the lights on.  I'm very grateful for it, to be sure.   Don't know if I'll get down to the vanity sizing or not, but it's sure been great moving down the ladder from a size 24 to a size 12 so far.  :-)

We've got to save money on clothes however we can until we hit goal, eh?

Keep up the good work.  ;-)

I wish we had something like that here.  It would have saved me $47 from today alone.

It's that "until we hit goal" part that is hard.  I've thought that a few times and then keep going down a size.

I watched DD this past week when we were shopping try on a 6 and a 4 of the same pants and they almost fit identically.  Very minor differences.  It is so hard to know what size we are going to end up.

And like Tazz, I was very happy in sweats but now like jeans that really fit.

I feel your pain.  I could go there except I am too darn lazy to keep trying stuff on.  And the size thing is so frustrating.  My 6 jeans from yesterday were feeling a little loose but just last week I tried on 6s that were too tight.   I, too, shop at thrift stores and going through the racks to then discover everything is too big or too little is a pain.  Maybe as it gets colder, I will have more patience for it.

I know I could have your problem. I wish I lived in the city to get to thrift stores, but that will come next year when we move to the big smoke.

I just bought a size 8 jean the other day and I was thinking it was so weird since I've only lost 5 pounds in the last few months but I have been running and biking like crazy and my hips and thighs measure smaller.

I think clothing sizes are a good way to measure success too since the scale doesn't always move.

I'm like you too, I don't like filling up my closet and drawers so I get rid of clothes. Of course there was a point where there were hardly any clothes in my closet because I got too small and wasn't going to buy many when I was losing like crazy still and going down one size of jeans a month.

Keep on enjoying the jeans. I think you can manage this problem

I got 3 more pairs today.  I went to a garage sale and got a microwave oven and 3 pairs of jeans for $5.  And they were my size.  They fit perfectly.  That is 14 pairs of jeans now.  I have to make it a point to rotate them so I will wear them all.
I also realized that I have several pairs of shoes I bought that I have never worn.  I have my favorite pairs and rarely varie from them.  I also bought 3 tops for a dollar.  I need to get a life so I have a place to wear all these things.