https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:44:36 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283857 Sat, 01 Oct 2022 20:22:51 +0000 Sally 2283857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I find pants the hardest like others have said. It’s really hard to fit a baggy skinny Jean but you can twist. But I wouldn’t alter jeans anyway unless it was for an initial purchase. My solution has been to build a small capsule around what fits and hang in there to see if things change. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283534 Thu, 29 Sep 2022 20:55:19 +0000 Barbara Diane 2283534@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Usually I get rid of my larger sizes when I lose weight and keep my smaller sizes when I gain weight. I keep items that are useful, and favorites. Lately my appetite has been less and I have lost weight. This time I haven’t gotten rid of my larger clothes because I’m not sure if the weight loss is my new norm. I don’t know if it’s due to my new meds or because of my thyroid. So I haven’t taken in my favorite longer skirts yet. I don’t alter pants or tops.<br /> Before saving anything I make sure I like it and it’s in good condition. When I lose weight my first priority is pants because I can’t stand saggy bottoms; tops that are big usually don’t look as bad. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283467 Thu, 29 Sep 2022 10:06:18 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2283467@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Joy. I’ve just done the math and realized that my annual weight fluctuations can be 15 kg, which is over 30 lb. I can use diet &amp; exercise to rein that in a bit, but really do think I need to be completely clear on what’s part of my summer wardrobe and what’s for winter.</p> <p>I want to say thanks to everybody who’s commented here, maybe even to people who decided not to. I really appreciate that this thread has stayed on topic and not veered off into anxieties or scolding. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283454 Thu, 29 Sep 2022 05:30:08 +0000 Anonymous 2283454@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>SF, your weight will fluctuate. &nbsp;The ,owed your weight the more your size will fluctuate. &nbsp;I am at a&nbsp;point where 1 or 2 pounds will change my size. I have seen women gain weight during the menopause years only to drop it laterals they are older. &nbsp;Don't try to alter pants that are too big. &nbsp;They will disappoint and you will end up parting with them And buying &nbsp;new. I once had a professional seamstress tell me that jackets must have a back seam to allow alterations. &nbsp;They could make a medium into a small with that back seam.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283278 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 22:59:54 +0000 DonnaF 2283278@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Keep in mind that as women age, their waists thicken and their figures become more straight up and down. It is certainly true for me. I currently weigh what I did in junior high, but I am 100% certain that I will never have a 24” waist again unless my weight is in double digits and I am very, very sick. So your weight may continue to fluctuate by season, but as the years go by your dimensions may change a bit.</p> <p>Over the course of the pandemic, I have had a net weight loss of 10 or 12 pounds. I am not used to much in the way of weight fluctuations so this has been a bit of a shock. (I greatly increased the intensity of my exercise.) Sadly, this means that a lot of my tops look sloppy in the shoulders. I plan to hold onto most for at least five years because a five pound weight gain will make them fit decently. Or, if I can ever go back to upper body weight work which I can’t do now.</p> <p>I recently also hand stitched darts into the back of a few pairs of lightweight jean style pants because I also tend to lose weight in my waist. Thus, they would slide down and I would get baggy butt. Also, this type of alteration is easily reversible. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283165 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:35:55 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2283165@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Star! &nbsp;This is indeed very pertinent to me, as I don't expect this change is permanent.&nbsp;<i>My weight was unnaturally low due to health challenges, but that didn’t stop me from purchasing new clothing in sizes I hadn’t worn in about twenty years. I was excited to be a lot smaller and I didn’t think about the fact that my lower weight would most probably be </i><strong><em>temporary</em></strong><i>.</i> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283164 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:32:40 +0000 Star (Lise) 2283164@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just came across this article and thought you may benefit from it.<br /><a rel="nofollow" href="https://mywardrobemyself.com/2022/06/10/when-your-clothes-no-longer-fit-you/">When Your Clothes No Longer Fit You | My Wardrobe, Myself (mywardrobemyself.com)</a></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283158 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 12:44:34 +0000 Anonymous 2283158@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Agreeing to not make any drastic alterations!<br /> I gain and lose Very easily, and am finally accepting that if a garment is not flexible for a range, it will not be worn much. Aka- letter sizes (SML) are much better than number sizes for me!<br /> I'm currently at a higher weight than I want, but my dr looked at all my labwork, and there's no issue. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283128 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 07:21:19 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2283128@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kate, you’re exactly right that I don’t want to stay at this weight. As Sara points out, what I really need to do is figure out what I need /can wear right now and work in the very short term. I’m sure that you, Kathie, LJP and Angie are all on the money about completely changing the size of an item. I won’t do that. The humor of your post is much appreciated. There are indeed plenty of safety pins in the world, even a few in my home. I should probably defend my friend by pointing out that I have on numerous occasions asked him to speak to me plainly, so he’s not to blame for his indelicacy, stunning though it is. In January, when I told him this is my (plump) winter body, he said nothing of the sort, so he isn’t always like that. (Carrying me across the room and then asking how much I weigh otoh…..) And your mama has mine beat, by 5 oz. </p> <p>My weight typically is within 10 lbs of 140. It’s currently what it was when I was in middle school. My preference would be 132, as I was when I met that friend, but that clearly is not what’s likely to stay steady at that weight without considerable effort. What I am more likely to be able to control is my health. I’m very antsy today, am looking forward to the gym, where I will work on those quads (pecs/upper body are tomorrow). </p> <p>Angie, thank you for your counsel. I have adequate storage space. So often we are told to get rid of things the instant they don’t suit, or to cut them up into reminders that we once had a nice thing that has now been destroyed. I appreciate your support against that pressure. </p> <p>Sal, great point about what might be behind the bigger-than-usual swing this year. There are lots of things that need to shake out into new forms. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283108 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 04:29:32 +0000 Kate 2283108@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hey SF, don't alter for size, unless it's simply to take up a bit in the waist of pants or skirts. Altering down a full size or more is expensive and very rarely is it worth the money as others have said.</p> <p>You have plenty to wear, and there are lots of safety pins in the world!</p> <p>It doesn't sound like your current low weight is necessarily where you want to stay. It's great to have your hormone levels checked; there may be something going on there. Work on your quads and pecs this winter to direct the seasonal weight where you would like to have it. Sounds like your normal seasonal weight gain may put you exactly where you want to be anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>What you friend said with stunning indelicacy is true: The older we get, any weight loss we experience shows up first in the face. And it is not pretty. Look at babies and young children: What is beautiful is the plumpness and rosiness of their skin. I would sure like to have my baby cheeks back!</p> <p>And as far as big babies go, I was 10 lb. 9 oz.! I think Mama won the big baby sweepstakes that year. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283099 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 03:43:51 +0000 Bijou 2283099@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie gives the best advice. My weight fluctuates, which puts me between two sizes from time to time. I never alter because like LJP previous alterations did not retain the cut of the original garment and I am likely to want something a bit bigger in the future. I like to shop when I am in my mid-weight range, as generally the item fits regardless of where my size is at. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283065 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 20:03:44 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2283065@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you everyone who has commented! I think what I probably will have to do, eventually, is figure out what size I am at what time of year, then see you it that i have clothes for that season in that size. It’s just throwing me for a real loop, because I’ve always thought of myself as “big” ever since the stories my mom told about people gathering at the nursery window, oohing and ahhing at the cute little babes, commenting on cute little fingers, little toes, little smiles, then when they got to me, they’d say “look at that big one!” Always told with loving pride, but seems to have seared itself pretty deeply in me. And now reality shows up &amp; says nope, that’s not it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283063 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 19:09:11 +0000 Sal 2283063@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think Sarah and Angie have wise advice. I would do a try on- and I suspect pants could be the gap - dresses and tops can be more forgiving.</p> <p>I’d see where things settle around January - you’ve had a lot going on with your son and family which can affect weight - both up and down. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283053 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 17:48:11 +0000 kellygirl 2283053@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is tough and I think much harder with a tightly curated closet. I think most of my clothes fit +/- 5 lbs. I've never altered anything other than length and not sure that I'm invested enough in anything to do more than that. I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost a significant amount of weight or the opposite but I'd probably just go shopping and keep the things I liked in a holding zone--for maybe a year or two max. By then, I'd venture that some of the items would not align with my taste...&nbsp; Sounds like your style has remained consistent over the years so this probably doesn't help. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283051 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 17:15:29 +0000 Angie 2283051@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b></b>My 2 cents, as someone who helps clients manage their wardrobes and shopping through similar situations.</p> <p>To <b>SarahD8's</b> point, make sure you have enough of what fits well, and in the RIGHT items. For example, bottoms are usually the first to become ill-fitting with weight loss or weight gain.</p> <p>To <b>Carla</b> and <b>LPJ's</b> point, alterations are worth it with items that are only slightly too big. Like half a size. That said, I've had dresses, a coat, and a denim jacket altered one size down in the past, and luckily it worked out. I do <i>not</i> recommend it though. Good results are by no means a guarantee, and I took a big risk. Also it's very pricey. I'm not doing that again!</p> <p>There is ALSO something to be said for keeping some items that are currently a size or two big and storing them as is - in case your weight goes back to that size.&nbsp;</p> <p>There is no easy solution, I'm afraid, <b>Stag</b>!&nbsp;</p> <p>FWIW, if you were my client, and based on how you like to keep things, we'd be putting your too big clothes into storage, and buying some bottoms that fit. We would be altering very few items, if at all.&nbsp;</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283041 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:38:29 +0000 Kathie 2283041@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm nodding in agreement with LJP and Runcarla, in that I have never successfully altered an entire garment an entire size down, and that includes skirts that should have been easy to alter. (Short story on how I acquired these clothes- my mother used to buy sale clothes for me when she loved the fabric, even if the clothes were 2-3 sizes too large. I spent $100s on professional alterations, and in the end, still gave the clothing away.)</p> <p>As for your current clothes, since you keep them a long time, and you anticipate some weight changes with winter, I'd wait at least a few months to see what happens, and then start slow, and alter a piece or two at a time, and see if you like the results. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283038 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:28:48 +0000 SarahD8 2283038@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think I would begin with the immediate practical problem -- you need to wear clothes! </p> <p>What items do you have that fit you well, now? </p> <p>Once those are assembled, what holes do you see in terms of getting dressed with ease over the next, say, 3 months?&nbsp;</p> <p>Then, are there any items in your collection that could be easily altered to fill in those holes? I am thinking of things like A-line skirts where taking in the waist is an easy (and easily reversible) alteration that doesn't compromise the integrity of the overall garment.</p> <p>Then, what's the most expedient way to fill in any remaining holes? It might be purchasing something new in a smaller size with the idea that you might not hold it long-term, similar to the larger-size clothing you previously bought.</p> <p>It sounds to me like you view your weight loss as quite temporary (and not entirely welcome), so I don't think I would rush to alter your whole wardrobe. That's an advantage of having a deep closet, you can pull what works for you now and simply set the rest aside knowing that you may come back to it later. I agree with LJP and others that more substantial and/or complex size alterations frequently don't turn out well, and it would be rather a shame to "lose" some of your pieces that way. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283031 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 15:41:42 +0000 LJP 2283031@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There are several different issues here , at least it seems that way from what you’ve written . If the only question is whether to alter and how long to wait after weight loss ….that I can reply to . I was down to almost the weight you mention about 10 years ago. I had a lot of high-end / high - quality clothing that I wanted to be able to still wear so I spent a fair bit having pants and one coat altered …going from a standard size 6 down to a 0 or 2 . None of them , and I’m not exaggerating , looked anywhere as good as they did at their original size . And it wasn’t because the tailor didn’t know what he was doing . I am older than you I think - and my experience mirrors every single thing I’ve learned about weight loss . It rarely , if ever , stays off permanently . 10 years later , I’m back up and above that original weight . You know all this about fitness and weight loss though . My age has a lot to do with that too- plus my expectations are more in line with my reality now . If you are committed to staying at a certain weight and size then alterations might work if it’s only a matter of a size difference . In my case it was several sizes , so the integrity of the garment was compromised . I ended up buying pretty much an entire new wardrobe . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283025 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:27:06 +0000 Star (Lise) 2283025@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I lost 10kgs in 2017 and this resulted in a drop in clothing size.&nbsp; I kept it off until this year having put back on 5kg.&nbsp; I am relieved I did not ditch all my jeans in the larger size (I was going to)!&nbsp; The clothes I altered down a size did not turn out well mostly. </p> <p>My DH has also made gentle comments in the direction of the extra 5kgs is not a bad thing, less wrinkles etc.&nbsp; I am upset I cannot fit into my newer clothes and have to revert to my older ones :(</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283022 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:16:33 +0000 Carla 2283022@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My experience is that it is worth altering a garment if the fit is&nbsp;<i>already&nbsp;</i>pretty close (at point of purchase) and it just needs a tweak to be perfect. &nbsp;Bringing a garment down a whole size, or more, rarely works out.</p> <p>If you have a lot of emotional ‘feels’ about clothes that no longer fit, cut them up and make a quilt, or cushion covers, or keep a sample in a scrap book with photos and notation about the memories. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283011 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:56:37 +0000 celia 2283011@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I guess for me it would depend of how much storage space you have and what makes you keep clothing items for a long time. Also how much altering an item costs versus buying a new one.<br /> If you love a certain pair of pants because it looks good at a certain weight altering when body changes might change the way you feel about it and miss that feeling of fitting back on them again once your body weight shifts again.<br /> I have a moody thyroid and some years ago I dropped 2 dress sizes. At the time I altered 2 coats that I loved because I wanted to keep on wearing them. They never felt good for that body and I ended up giving them away. Ten years pass and I wish I had never altered them ans kept them instead because they would feel pretty good at my current body weight. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283010 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:45:35 +0000 rachylou 2283010@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I of course have many metabolic problems. I’m not sure what it means to have a fast or slow metabolism. I was fattest when my pulse rate ran at its fastest. I have very ‘efficient’ metabolism of food now, meaning I need very little food to operate and my pulse is neither low nor high. In any case, my weight changes now are all about the substitute hormones I take and their balance (insulin and thyroid). </p> <p>But to answer the question—five years. Five years to feel ‘that was it’ and certain sizes could go. Altho then of course, it was another five to actually do anything about it, lol.</p> <p>Everything is pretty tightly controlled now, so weight loss/gain is +/- 5 lbs… daily type fluctuations. I mention this because that’s enough to make me wander up or down a size. So I do keep clothes in both those sizes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2283000 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:58:34 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2283000@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Joy! The trick with welcoming the winter weight is putting it on the way I want to (quads &amp; pecs), not where it tends to go (gut &amp; triceps). Given our different wardrobe philosophies, I’m sure you can imagine that tossing the pieces that have accompanied me over the years is way too scary for me to contemplate. Hanging onto it when my body was too large for it was a sign that I believed in myself &amp; that I would take off the weight. I think it’s the same way when my body is too small for it. The difference is that you generally can’t alter clothing to be bigger, but that is a possibility now. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2282998 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:50:25 +0000 Anonymous 2282998@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I only keep what fits at the present time. I feel keeping things is depressing snd they become out of date. If I change body size I want new stuff. Right now I have lost at least one size and feel my winter things will be too large. I think the weight loss is due to a change in meds and temporary. For the first time ever I am tempted to hold onto favorites for when I am back at that weight. Good luck snd welcome the winter weight. Your friend is right. Being skinny is aging and gaunt is not attractive. Skin sags and wrinklesi I change the wardrobe as soon as I need to. I feel better that way. How much? All of it. That includes underwear and footwear. About the only thing I keep is jewelry and scarves, sometimes coats. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/body-talk-and-alterations#post-2282995 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:29:57 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2282995@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>At what point in shifting body size do you get alterations done? When my weight increased a decade ago, I bought sparingly, hoping not to be at the size for long. As the weight came off, I divested myself of most of those items, but have had a couple skirts/dresses altered. </p> <p>Most of my adult life, I’ve laid claim to a particular waist measurement that i was generally slightly over, but within an inch of. The last couple years, I have dropped down to it in summer, then put on an inch or two in winter. I just got the tape measurement out to see if I’ve reached it—cool fall has begun, so I doubt I’ll drop more this year, but I’d like to put on less winter fat this year than last. I’m actually under that measurement, nearly an inch. A couple days ago, I had a similar startling experience with the bathroom scale. I thought it was a funny fluke, and joked to my friend, who is quite fat-phobic for himself and doesn’t always cover his negativity about others that way as well as he’d like, that I thought the scale was broken. He said <i> You're skinny. 53kg is nothing. Trust me you were nothing to hoist. Was just having fun. Obsession makes folks go overboard to look saggy and old in the face and/or the body or emaciated or steroidal huge or botoxed babe or unpleasant personality, etc. Don't go down that path...</i>. I don’t read “skinny” as a compliment; being told that there is such a narrow target zone doesn’t exactly allay any concerns I have (&amp; I think he’d already say I have an “unpleasant personality”, haha). </p> <p>After I took off the bulk of the weight, I learned I have Hashimoto, a slow metabolism. I’ve taken thyroid hormone for a few years because of this. I’m going to get my blood levels checked, because although the weight loss suggests a fast metabolism, my pulse was recently measured at 60, while I was chatting away (ie I think it is lower at other times). </p> <p>In the meantime, it’s chilly out—I need to wear clothes! I just had a bunch of high summer shorts &amp; a pair of pants taken in, but it’s too cool for them now. My “special” dilemma is the “forever wardrobe”. I keep my clothes literally for decades, and pull them out of deep storage to wear. </p> <p>So my questions are: how soon after a body change do you change your wardrobe to suit, how much of it do you change, and what suggestions do you have for me? </p>