How to dress while losing weight: 8 tips to feel your best!

Want to know how to dress when you’re losing weight?

Today, you get 8 tips on how to dress while losing weight – and feel fabulous at the same time. 

Ready to learn more? Read on!

Get a stylist’s strategies on looking your best when you’re losing weight

My friend and an online personal stylist, Clarissa Grace, helps mom entrepreneurs embrace their bodies, believe in their beauty and transform themselves through the power of personal style.

She has been splashed on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Woman’s Day, and dressed some of Australia’s most dazzling stars.

In this post, she’s sharing 8 of the most valuable strategies on how to dress so you look and feel fabulous NOW, before and/or while you lose that 10 or 20 pounds (or more) that you’ve been wanting to disappear. You don’t have to wait to wear cute, hot and sexy clothes!

Thanks, Clarissa! Here we go!

I used to wait and wait and imagine how incredible it would be to be skinny again. Wait for a time when I’d finally be able to get that shiny new wardrobe I’d been dreaming of – that dress, those jeans, that top with the shoe-string straps, or the plunging neckline, or the cute as heck cut-out at the back – and I’d feel spectacular, spectacular…

I know, I know… you get it.

And each morning when I’d open my wardrobe doors, I’d feel like my clothes were taunting me: “Not today fat-so!”

So I’d go on a juice cleanse instead and stick with being uncomfortable, unconfident, and uncool, because buying new clothes to fit my current shape felt waaay harder.

And being a miserable a-hole was a piece of cake.

Well – until it wasn’t.

So I tried doing it differently.

And I finally realized that one of the worst ideas in the world was waiting until after you lose weight to feel fabulous!

So, as I worked hard to turn my beautiful self into my most healthy self, I embraced the importance of feeling fabulous every step of the way. I realized that taking the time to love and care for my body – before and during my health journey – was key to a successful journey. And making the effort to dress my body in a way that made me feel ah-mazing, grew my confidence in the process.

And guess what? Putting care into your style now (not at some fictitious point in the future), will keep you from feeling like crap.

I’m telling you – it’s far less likely that you’ll succeed if you feel crappy every time you go to get dressed because you have nothing in your wardrobe that makes you feel good about being you. And that leads to a crappy day.

Then a crappy week.

And no weight-loss.

Because feeling crappy motivates no-one.

And you have to know that confidence doesn’t just magically fall from the sky the second you get skinny. The confidence fairy doesn’t exist. (Boo!) You have to create confidence. Prioritise it. Practice it. You have to allow it to grow deep inside of you…

And sometimes it can take a little longer than you might think to take root.

So start growing your confidence now. Give yourself the best now. Work on your style now. Stop waiting for when you are 15 or 20 pounds lighter to feel fabulous. You deserve to feel fabulous every single day regardless of where you’re at on your health journey!

Clean out your closet, find the gems, spend a little money on a few key pieces. Create an environment in your wardrobe that inspires your confidence and that helps you fall in love with your body and your life NOW!

Now GO! Get yourself gorgeous!

Oh… and here are 8 tips to help!

1) How to dress while losing weight? Start by letting go.

It’s usually your clothes that’ll be the first thing you notice as you start losing weight. The pieces you wear everyday start loosening up, and the ones you’ve been holding onto since you weighed a little less start winking at you from your wardrobe. (Cheeky.)

That’s where you’ll begin.

By taking control of your wardrobe.

So go through it piece-by-piece and find all those hidden gems, identify gaps that need filling, and get rid of anything that in Marie Kondo’s words, doesn’t “spark joy.” Keep only what will work hard to encourage your confidence and keep you reaching for your goal.

That means that if it doesn’t make you feel gorgeous – get rid of it! There’s absolutely no point in keeping anything that doesn’t serve you or your dreams.

And if something becomes too big for you – Let. It. Go. Embrace the beautiful shape you’ve worked so hard for and don’t look back!

Put the time in upfront to start the journey well – edit your wardrobe, and then continue doing mini edits every month until you reach your goal.

It’ll be worth your time. Promise.

2) How to buy basics when losing weight.

Basics are those pieces in your wardrobe that go with everything.

They are the bones.

They are always reliable, often unremarkable, but essential to your style. And if you can be sure to have a few basics in your wardrobe as you reach each milestone in your weight-loss journey, then you’ll always have something to wear and feel fabulous in.

Aim for at least five basic pieces that fit you beautifully, are comfortable to wear, and transcend time and trends.

Find a great pair of jeans, a gorgeous dress, a fitted blouse, a classic skirt, or a structured pair of pants… whichever five pieces you’ll get the most wear out of. Keep their design simple to start with, and then as you get closer to reaching your goal weight, you can start adding the glitter.

And if the basics don’t exist in your wardrobe, then treat yourself to some shopping.

Buy a few key pieces that make you feel good NOW!

And then use your accessories to turn them into something remarkable.

3) Accessories: Building a new wardrobe after weight loss.

Your shoes, your bags, your scarves, your earrings, your necklaces (and your feather boas), are your BEST FRIEND!

They’ll stand alongside you regardless of your weight.

They’ll give you happy feelings, they’ll tell the world how truly fabulous you are, and they’ll encourage you to keep going when all you want to do is hide in the cupboard and eat cupcakes.

Accessories turn a basic outfit from meh to magnifique!

So go shopping. Have fun! Spend up!

And if you want to learn more about how to use your accessories to dress remarkably CLICK HERE. This ONE technique is easy-and-pie and I know you’ll love it and use it. 

PS. And if there are certain pieces in your wardrobe that are getting a touch too baggy, belts are perfect for a little waist cinching.

4) Stretch fabrics for losing weight.

Okay, so I’m not talking about 1980’s rainbow leotards here. No.

I’m talking about clothes that are made out of beautiful quality stretch fabrics – like microfibre, jersey, ponte, bamboo, model and knits. (Many of which probably already exist in your wardrobe.)

Look for pieces that fit you now, but have lots of stretch and will still work for you toward the end of your journey when you have reached your goal.

Try tube skirts, or tunic dresses and tops. Stretch wrap dresses and tops are fantastic too. You will get lots of wear out of these as you lose weight, and the shape is beautiful on all body types (particularly on bigger busted ladies). Anything with stretch ruching near the waist is lovely. And leggings are a must – they are incredibly comfortable and are great to layer underneath other pieces to create a different look.

Oh, and look out for stretch or elastic waists on pants and skirts too.

They get a bad wrap, but they really shouldn’t. They’ll be perfect for you throughout your entire weight-loss journey.

5) Are your clothes too big after weight loss? Get alterations!

When you reach your first milestone and your clothes are starting to look a little on the sloppy side, you must introduce yourself to the wonderful world of tailoring.

Alter tops, dresses, jackets, and skirts to fit your body. It’s amazing what can be done with a needle and thread and a person who knows what they’re doing!

And get your jeans altered too. I do. Get them to pop in a couple of darts and you’ll be all set for another few months. And then, when you have reached your goal weight, you can splurge on a pair of jeans you absolutely love and that fit you to perfection.

Experienced tailors will be able to tell you which of your favorite pieces are worth altering and which pieces aren’t. And they’ll know exactly how to take the garment so that it looks fantastic on you.

But be sure to ask around for recommendations.

6) The clever art of buying quality and then selling on eBay.

Have a ball and buy higher priced clothes as you go along with the intention of selling them on eBay once they no longer fit or flatter you.

This is a marvelous way to splurge a little more on quality and quantity upfront, without worrying as much about the investment.

People who sell their clothes on eBay say they generally receive between 60% and 80% of the purchase price back.

This means that you can have a whole world of fun wearing more of the clothes you love for a season, for a fraction of the price. And it also means that you can use the money you receive from the sale to buy smaller clothes as the weight comes off.

Because you know ahead of time that you’ll be selling your clothes down the track – care for them well, and be sure to keep the tags and receipts to use as a part of your listing for when you go to sell them.

Click HERE to learn more about selling your clothing on eBay.

7) Buying undergarments for weight loss.

So you’re starting to see a change in the shape of your body. Yay, you!

But there’s one part of your body that you didn’t expect to change that much – your boobs!

As most women lose weight, they tend to lose a little (or a lot!) off their boobs too. (Bye-bye fatty tissue we wish we could keep.)

Clothes are always going to look a trillion times better over beautifully fitted bras.

I recommend buying at least two bras for each stage of your weight-loss journey. Once your bras start to feel too big, add another couple into the rotation (usually every 10-12 lbs).

1. An everyday bra in flesh.
2. An everyday bra in black. (Or a second flesh one if you don’t wear much black.)

And add 1 – 2 sports bras if you’re working out.

You’ll need to wash these bras a whole lot more than usual, which means they won’t last as long. But that’s okay. Because by the time they’ve died, they won’t fit you anymore anyway.

And look out for bras with cups that are more forgiving. Soft cups with flexible fabrics that will contour around the changes of your bust shape. Avoid cups that are molded – they will gape and crease and look horrible under your clothing as you lose weight. No thanks.

As you get closer to your goal, you may want to add a few extra pretty {sexy!} bras into the rotation.

8) How to dress after losing weight.

You’ve done absolutely AH-MAZING! So treat yourself to some beautiful, sparkly new things!

But please – don’t rush out and buy ten new pieces at once!

Now that you’ve reached your goal weight, you’ve officially moved into a new season and it’s more than likely that your personal style has completely changed. Or perhaps you’re unsure of how to dress your new body, and you don’t even know what your personal style is anymore.

To begin with, you must take some time to figure out a few important things: Who are you? How do you want to feel? What do you want to say through your clothes? What are your goals and dreams? And how do you want to take the beauty, intelligence, and power that’s inside of you, and express that on the outside of you?

Answering these questions will be the beginning of building a wardrobe (and life!) you love. Because style is an opportunity. It’s an instant language. It’s a way to share your story and your message without saying a word.

So the process should be both thoughtful and intentional.

Because I know you have something important to say.

My ultimate guide will be chock-a-block full of absolutely everything you need to know about transforming yourself through the power of personal style. AND you will get to see the MalsaBody.com founder Nagina Abdullah’s transformation as I guide her through the process of discovering her own unique style. You don’t want to miss this – we’ll be showing you all the style secrets she knows you’ll love!

AND the Masala Body ladies will be the FIRST to gain access.

WRITTEN BY CLARISSA GRACE

As an online personal stylist and founder of Waking Up In Paris, Clarissa Grace helps mom entrepreneurs embrace their bodies, believe in their beauty and transform themselves through the power of personal style. She is professionally trained in fashion design, costume design, and haute couture through The Paris American Academy, has been splashed on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Woman’s Day, chatted on Channel 7 and Nine and dressed some of Australia’s most dazzling stars.