How To Buy Clothes For Summer When You're Losing Weight

Saturday Michael and I are having the biggest garage sale of our lives. Since I'm busy de-cluttering, I have a guest post for you today from Merrie at Petite Career Girl. She's here to hep with some fashion sense.

(scroll to bottom to shop these pieces)

Hi Ladies and Gents!
I'm Merrie K., a blogger at Petite Career Girl. I'm super excited to be posting on Helene in Between for the day and sharing some fashion tips with you! I hope you enjoy this article and let me know if I missed any of your favorite tips.

Have you lost weight, but are still wearing the same closes as before your loss? You are probably saying that you don't' want to spend money on clothes until you are at your ideal weight? Well, I take a little different approach. Personally, I want to look fabulous, now and later. (To the best of my ability, of course. ) I personally find it invigorating to have clothes that fit when I start to get in shape. There is nothing worse (in my mind) than having clothes that are too tight, it's not motivating to me!

However, I get it…you don't want to waste money. Bare with me for a minute though…you don't have to! If you shop right, your clothes will shrink with you or you can tailor them down and you'll always have nice clothes to wear. I personally have worn similar items over a 20-15 pound weight fluctuation. First, I'll share some tips and then I'll give you plenty of examples to get started!

• Think spandex! Look for cotton or poly blends that include spandex and they will shrink and expand with you. Also, these blends will drape well over your curves.

• For work, think knit blazers and cardigans! They are a little more forgiving due to their less tailored shape and cardigans look good close fitting and more boxy. In addition, you can be easily and cheaply tailor them at the waist if they get too big. (Yes, I've had cardis tailored before…your looking at about $15.)

• Go for A-line skirts and Fit-n-Flair Dresses. They only have to fit at the waist. If they have elastic in the waist, they may shrink down perfectly. If not, a tailor will take it in for about $10 – $20.

• Go crazy with jewelry! Add tape around the bottom of a ring to make it smaller. Go wild with necklaces and cuffs. Necklaces will always fit and cuffs can be squeezed tighter when you need to.

• Shoes are another no-brainer! Sure, most women go up a shoe size when they get pregnant, because adding weight flattens your foot. However, this is for about 50-60 pound change, if you are just looking about 20lbs, then I wouldn't worry about it.

• Makeup with your Makeup! Go wild! Book a makeover from your favorite brand and practice. Having a fantastic natural look can make a plain tee shirt and jeans look amazing!

• Stock up on fitted white tees, tanks and camis. These will expand your wardrobe and they are super cheap. I love the old navy vintage tees are they are about $3! Convert them into sleep shirts when they get too big.

• Swap, Swap, Swap! Checkout a clothing exchange specifically for people losing weight. Swap your clothes with others who are no longer their old size. I've honestly never tried these, but here a few sites I found: Weight Loss Clothing Exchange and Spark People.   I hope you enjoyed this article and I look forward to hearing from you!

If you enjoyed these styling tips, checkout my new Online Styling Service at petitecareergirl.com!