So you’ve lost or gained a few pounds, and your old clothes no longer fit. The fun part about this is that you get to do some shopping! Whether you’re pleased or upset that your weight has changed, the best way to deal with the situation is a thorough assessment of your current wardrobe:

1. Pull out all of your clothes and try everything on.
2. Separate the stuff that doesn’t fit into a few piles: to go to charity, to go in the garbage, and to keep. Keep the stuff you really love, even if it doesn’t fit, so that you can have it in case your weight fluctuates again (regardless if that’s a positive or a negative for you, it’s good to have a couple of items just in case!).
3. Put everything that does fit back into your wardrobe.
4. Set aside the things that don’t fit but you still love. Put them in a separate drawer to potentially use “somewhere down the line” (or to take out, re-assess, and toss at a later date).
5. Go out shopping! Whee!

The ups and downs (or downs and ups?) of weight

Several years ago, I lost about 20 lbs. I was ecstatic and got rid of nearly all my clothes, but there were a few things I kept. Thank goodness I kept them. A couple years later, I regained much of that weight, and I was stuck for clothes! I held onto the clothes that fit a thinner me, but I also made sure to wear clothes that my slightly heavier body still looked good in. Now that my weight is on the decline again, it’s fun to rediscover my old “thin” clothes in my closet – just like getting a whole new wardrobe for free!

The one item you need if your weight isn’t settling

One of my must-have items is a pair of classic black pants. I like these better than jeans when you’re dealing with weight fluctuation because they’re typically much looser than jeans. It’s easier to deal with a weight change of five, 10 or even 15 lbs when you have a pair of black work pants. Forget jeans. Black pants are your new best friend when your weight is going up and down and you don’t know where you’ll be in several months.

How do you deal with fashion and weight fluctuations? What’s your go-to article of clothing when your weight changes? When was the last time you went shopping for new clothes? Share in the comments below or email me at sagan.morrow@gmail.com with a photo of your favourite go-to item!