Need shopping help please!

My birthday is Tuesday. I am currently almost 4 months out from surgery and 74lbs down and have yet to buy a single new piece of clothing. My husband has decided he is taking me to finally get some new things as my birthday present. Yesterday I went to Old Navy and started trying on jeans. I started with a size 20 and worked my way to a size 16 before any fit! I was shocked and crazy excited. I have never in my life wore anything less than a 20. Now though I have no clue where to shop. I really don't want to ever go to Lane Bryant ever again so my question is do you know which regular stores carry a 16 in store? I really don't want to order online. 

WAY TO GO!  We bet you feel and look amazing.  Have an adventure and go to a mall and hit any store you want.  You will be surprised what store you may find something in as sizes are different.  Enjoy your fun trying on new smaller items and Happy Birthday!

Regards,

Kathy

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The Gap carries size 16 jeans.  Congrats on your fantastic progress!

Aww, that is so sweet of him... you know though... I wouldn't just yet. 

I was 30/32 26/28-ish and when I got to size 14 I thought this is beyond my wildest dreams. Not only was I off all my medications, all comorbidities resolved (GERD, Sleep Apnea, Hi BP, etc) but I was in a size I hadn't seen since I was 13 years old. I bought a bunch of things to celebrate. Some never got the tags off before I got to wear them... in 19 months I was in size 8 jeans... then LBL helped from that point and I'm sitting here in 4's. 

Maybe get 1 or 2 things to tide you over and gift cards or IOU's :) 

Stores: I love Macy's (clearance is awesome, scored jeans for $5 recently), TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Ross when I have time to search hit or miss.

Congrats and Happy Birthday!!! 

~Michelle "Shelly"

Thank you for your advice. My plan is to get just one or two pairs of pants that fit right now. My current ones have to be pulled up almost to my chest! I'm really trying to be sensible and not spend tons of money on things I will only wear a couple of times. 

LOL I remember walking around a lake near my house... has a nice walking trail, Mom's push strollers, joggers etc. and I almost mooned them a few times ;) 

Nice problem to have though :) Oh and save one pair of your largest size to remember how far you have come and take one of these in one leg shots.

At this stage I would shop at Walmartand get some LeeRiders or Wranglers ... They carry all sizes .. And maybe a pair of black slacks .... Both will probably take you through another 20 or more pounds, and only cost about 40.00 ...... Cheaper than 1 pair of jeans at other stores.

Congratulations!!

A thrift shop would be my recommendation, especially if you have access to one in a upper class area (I love the one near my mom's because the area is much wealthier than where I live!).  That way you can try on different brands and sizes all in the same place.  I got a pair of jeans a few months ago that I'm pretty sure had only been worn once they're in such perfect condition.  

Give us a bit more info. Are you looking for casual or professional clothing? What would you say your style personality is? How old are you? You don't have to go to a plus size store if you don't want to. Don't worry! 

If professional clothing, I found that Talbots was GREAT as I transitioned downward. Their stuff is well made and when they have a sale, their prices are on par with department stores or even target. I bought an entire outfit (skirt, silk shell, and sweater for $40 on sale). Obviously, you don't want to spend a ton of money as you transition, so one or two things should do you. I'm in my mid 40's with a classic style personality, so this may or may not work for you. I also get mileage from Banana Republic and Ann Taylor for my work stuff. Talbots has misses up to 20 and womens' sizes as well. BR goes up to a 16. Not sure about Ann.

Others have found J Crew to be a good source but I haven't shopped there. Also, very well priced during my active loss stage with generous sizing and younger, trendier styles was NY & Company. They have great sales and I love my jeans I have from them (wearing them now). Their styles might not be uniformly flattering, though, so I'd recommend a field trip to try stuff on. With regards to wardrobing while transitioning downward, it was the FREAKIEST thing to get to the point where I could buy something sort of tight because it WOULD fit within a week or two. It won't go on forever, but have fun with that!

I got to the point where my entire wardrobe could fit into a single carry on - 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of work pants, a few skirts, a couple of blouses, and a couple of jackets and sweaters. I relied heavily on accessories like scarves and necklaces to keep things interesting and just rode it out till things stabilized. Depending on your work environment, skirts may become your best friend - I found they lasted a bit longer between sizes because pants would show "elephant butt" too fast as I lost. I spent last winter in skirts with heavy tights and tall boots and it worked out really well.

Have fun shopping! I have become a clothes horse anymore and I love it. I worked with an image consultant who taught me all of these tricks. Now that I have stabilized, I have begun to rebuild my wardrobe for work. Expensive but rewarding because I have so many beautiful options now that I never had before. 

Hope this helps - 

Laurie

Cato is a favorite of mine, as a plus size customer and a regular size customer. 

Their prices are great, too.