If you lose weight and inches, your clothes will be too big.  You may be tempted to go out and buy a new wardrobe to celebrate.

Not so fast!  If you continue to lose weight, those new clothes won’t fit for long.  Consider eBay.com for an incredible variety of clothing that’s probably priced lower than you’d pay locally.  If you get something and decide you don’t like it, you can sell it on eBay.

You can find designer-grade used clothing stores in upscale neighborhoods, where you’ll see expensive clothing at a fraction of its original price.  Check the Yellow Pages under Resale Shops. Or, check local thrift shops for used clothing, or ask your friends. Look for Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul (SVDP) and similar stores if you’re on a limited budget. In my neighborhood, the National Council of Jewish Women runs clothing thrift shops, too.

Humiliated?  Hey, what were you going to do with your clothes, now that they don’t fit you any more (and maybe never will again)?  You have clothes that have nothing wrong with them, right?

Would you borrow a freshly-washed sweatshirt from a friend?  Of course.  That Valentino sweater you spotted for $40 could have cost 20 times that when it was new, and it looks really sharp.  (Always inspect expensive used items very carefully for flaws.)  Wealthy people can afford plenty of expensive designer clothing, and some sell it once they’re bored with it, or if it’s just the wrong season or fashion. The recent financial crash means that a lot of ordinary folks who bought very nice clothes with a credit card may be willing to sell them for a song.

At the budget thrift shops, paying a dollar for a pair of slacks or two dollars for a top is easy on your wallet while you’re dropping sizes.

People won’t drive far to drop off their old stuff, so check upscale neighborhoods for the nicest resale shops.  When you find one, ask them where to find others nearby.  You’ll be surprised what you’ll find there — true designer-brand clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, handbags . . .   Mens’ clothing is less common in upscale resale shops, but plentiful at some Salvation Army and SVDP thrift stores.  Every store is different, and tries to cater to their local neighborhood, since that’s where their stock comes from.  And, if the price is right, you can pick something nice that might be just a little too small for you right now and encourages you to keep losing weight.

Used clothing is popular because it’s a fraction of the price of new clothes. If the shop finds anything substantially wrong with it, they usually won’t want it.  No customer wants to buy something that needs repair, no matter how low the price.

When you’ve “outgrown” your new collection of designer duds, take them back again and have them sold for you, typically on consignment.  That means you won’t get any money until another customer buys it.  Rotating their stock through your closet and back to their store will save you a bundle of cash compared to buying new clothes, but your money could get tied up for a while.  You’ll typically get less when you sell it, since the difference is the store’s profit.

Turn it into a regular routine as you lose weight.  Try out different, wild, snazzy, temporary outfits.  Hey, this could be fun!

I’d go with ‘brand new’ for socks and underwear, though.  

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Charlie Gosh

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97