Comments on: Garment fit and weight fluctuations

By: katie p

katie p — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:40:33 +0000

I wish someone would make recommendations for women who are NOT pears; I am an apple and a short one at that and have a lot of difficulty finding what is flattering for my body type. Help….please!!! Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:53:01 +0000

I was going to say the same as Chelle – my weight, particularly in the tummy region can go up and down in a day. Some skirts and pants only fit until about early afternoon.

By: JewelryGirl

JewelryGirl — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:20:00 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately as I’ve lost some weight & toned up since last summer. I still have a little bit to go before I’m at my ideal. However, what I think I’m finding that works for me is to only keep those clothes in my closet that I feel FAB in! Otherwise, I think I get overwhelmed with too many things in my closet & trying to go back and forth. If I get rid of the stuff that’s a bit too big for me (I don’t really have investment pieces that fit this bill so that probably makes it easier), it seems like it’s easier for me to stick to my plans (eating right, working out, just an overall healthy lifestyle). I’m guessing it’s probably a little different for everyone and the trick is probably figuring out what works for each of us!

By: Chelle

Chelle — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:26:48 +0000

My weight can fluctuate within a single day. I often regret purchases that I make in the morning. The fit can feel totally different by late afternoon. The only problem is that I have more shopping energy early in the day!

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:27:23 +0000

As Kyle mentions, gaining or losing muscle can make a big difference, too. I’ve stayed the same weight but been sick or lax on exercising, and I’ve gone up a half-size or a size. Or I’ve exercised and eaten better, and lost a half-size or a size while staying at the same weight. When I was actively losing weight last year, I had only 2 or 3 pants that fit well at a time, and it drove me nuts.

It’s always nice to have a few knit and stretchy things around, but I do keep some clothes on the larger end and some on the smaller – I’ve got things a few different sizes, anyway, since different brands fit differently. There’s nothing more flattering than clothes that fit you perfectly on the day you wear them.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:05:45 +0000

I agree with Shari to some point on one level and I think that it’s good to take a ‘wake up call’ from clothes. But on the other hand, I have for a long time had a healthy 5lb fluctuation and since I consistently eat in a very healthy way, it often doesn’t seem to be a result of eating or exercising habits. I always just had a few options on slightly smaller or larger clothes (particularly jeans) and use them as needed. If I were to go larger than THOSE options, I would make a concentrated effort to lose that weight, but otherwise, that fluctuation seems normal and healthy.

I’ve dealt with this in a different way over the past year of losing baby weight. Because my size was constantly changing, I had difficulties keeping stylish options on hand. Here are some of my ‘lifesaving’ strategies’:

- Adjustable clothing: wrap skirts, wrap tops, wrap dresses. These work well for my body type and are easy to adjust within a certain range.

- Tailoring: I have some knit and woven tops which I bought in my two-to-three-month postpartum stage and have since tailored myself to fit my current shape (which is only slightly larger than my pre-preg shape).

- Layering: some slightly too-large tops can still be stylishly worn if layered correctly. A very fitted top might now fit well when worn over another layer, or a cardi might hide some looseness, or in the case of a very thin woven top, a sweater vest or other option might smooth things out.

This has all worked well for me and I’ve been able to navigate the postpartum difficulties with some level of success!

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:54:13 +0000

This is a relevant and timely topic for me, and I am not sure how to handle it. I’ve lost about 10 pounds since November, and essentially it’s made a one- to two-size difference. Because of the way I lost the weight, most of it was fat, and that has been replaced by muscle, which weighs more. At 5′ 10″, 10 pounds is not dramatic, but this has changed my body considerably. I’ve gone from a size 8 or 10 to a 6, and the 6s are starting to get roomy. So I’m not quite sure what to do. I’ve been wearing some things too big and buying some inexpensive size 6s on e-bay to tide me over. Not a great solution. And if I lose more, those will be too big. Right now, I don’t have the answer and am just having a few key things altered and taking it day by day.

By: Maya

Maya — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:16:14 +0000

I think it depends how much you weigh to start. If you are only 110 pounds, losing 5 pounds probably means going down size. If you’re 160 pounds, 5 pounds is proportionately much less, so it’s unlikely to change your size.

I tend to gain and lose weight around my tummy and chest, even though I am not an apple or inverted triangle. I’m not really sure how that can be resolved, if at all. I’m not keen on buying duplicates of everything. In the winter it’s not so bad because I can always layer and hide anything that bugs me, but in the summer it’s a lot harder. Yet another reason I prefer winter fashion!

By: boobalah

boobalah — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:07:57 +0000

Does anyone else find that when they gain weight, their shape changes? When I’m thinner, I’m a pear shape, when I weigh more, my upper body and waist fill out and I’m rectangle shaped.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:59:14 +0000

I often am surprised when someone says they go down a dress size with as little as 5 pound weightloss. For me, I have to lose at least 10 pounds before I can even think about a smaller size…AND it usually takes a good month or two of keeping that weight off for me to be able to wear that smaller size. It’s like my fat has a memory of how much space it should be taking up.

I do have pants that I don’t like to wear because they are too loose, but when my other pants get tight, I know I have something to wear. I only keep a few of these in my closet and try not to wear them unless absolutely necessary. I don’t want to get too comfortable!

I also use the old “My jeans are getting snug” to motivate me back into helful eating.