Help! I've Lost a Ton of Weight and I Don't Know What to Wear: 10 Tips for the Fashion Clueless

I'll admit that this post isn't for everyone, but it is a real concern for anyone who has lost a lot of weight.  For me, I had spent so long as an overweight person that my entire wardrobe needed revamping.  I had no clue what to wear, so I started falling back on my old dressing styles and habits, and that simply didn't work with my new body.  For one thing, when I was overweight I avoided clothes that drew attention to my stomach.  So basically I wore large knit shirts, jeans and dockers-style pants.  

In the process of losing 75 pounds, my pants size went from 46 to 34 and my shirt size went from XXL to M.  None of my old clothes fit.  I couldn't afford completely new clothes for every size change, so along the way I went to thrift stores to find decent fitting clothes. But once I neared my target weight and I knew it, I went shopping with my wife.  It was summer.  I chose a few clothes I thought looked ok and she basically rolled her eyes, rolled up her sleeves and started taking matters into her own hands.  We looked at T-shirts.  I hadn't worn a T-shirt in public for probably 20 years.  I tried on a few and...they actually looked really nice on me.  I now had good muscle definition in my arms and upper body, and the T-shirts showed it off.  I thought to myself...wow, not only can I wear it, but it shows off the hard work I've gone through for the past several months.  Same in the shorts category, and jeans.  I hadn't worn a polo shirt for 20 years either, and now they too looked nice.  I guess what I'm saying is, when your body is in decent shape, you have more clothing options.  I'm not saying that heavy people can't dress well and look stylish.  But I definitely had more limited options then than I have now.  

So, a good problem to have you might say.  How does one who has spent years and years hiding their body all of a sudden know how to dress?  Here are a few tips, and I'll admit they are mostly for men since I don't have experience on the female side of the equation.

1. Know your measurements.  This is a pretty basic step, but you need to know ALL of your clothing sizes - shoes, casual shirts, dress shirts, belts, pants.  This will make the task of finding clothes easier.  And no, what a tape measure says isn't your actual clothing size.  And no, not all clothing brands fit the same.  But eventually you'll get the hang of what should fit.
   
2. Understand Wardrobe Basics.  Cladwell.com offers a personalized, free wardrobe suggestion service based on your own preferences  Here is Alpha M's review of the service.
3. Check with your spouse.  My wife had been dressing our boys for years, so she was at least on top of current fashion and trends.
   
4. Watch the Alpha M channel on Youtube.  Some of his videos are TMI, but they are very helpful for the fashion clueless.  
   
5. Sign up for Fitbay.  A free service, you basically put in your body type, gender and weight and you can see what other people like you are wearing.  You can also make your own posts and share your burgeoning fashion knowledge along the way.  Alpha M has a video review of the service here.  
   
6. Try stuff on, and bring a friend.  If you're not married or don't trust your wife's opinion (sad!), just go to a couple of department stores like Kohl's, grab a bunch of clothes and see what you and your friend(s) think.  I like Kohl's a lot because they don't have dressing room attendants - you can grab as much as you want and try things on without feeling guilty if you don't buy them.
   
7. Be more observant.  I admit I'm not a people watcher.  But if you take some time to go and sit down in a busy place like a shopping mall, you'll see a lot of people pass by.  Or look in magazines, on TV, etc.  Google images of people your age.  Who would have thought - people are everywhere!  Try to notice what you find that looks nice, especially on other people of a similar age.
8. Dress your age.  Speaking of age, you want to be a little careful.  I'm not saying that older people need to dress like old people at all.  Older people can be fashion-forward and hip, but you don't want to look like you're trying to recapture your teenage childhood.  Spend more time in the section of the department store geared for your age (Men's or Young Men's, depending on you age.  I would put the cutoff at around 25.)
9. Don't go hog wild.  Ok, I'll admit that once I realized I could basically wear anything in any brand, I found that very cool.  Where I didn't have much interest in fashion, all of a sudden I had a keen interest.  Call it making up for lost time, vanity, trying to look good, or just being proud of your accomplishments.  I did buy a bunch of clothes last summer.  Then the weather turned and I realized I needed a whole different wardrobe for Fall and Winter.  That can be expensive, but there are many deals to be found.  Try to be frugal, use holidays like your birthday and Christmas to buy things, set yourself a budget.  
10. Balance price and quality.  You need to realize that quality clothes will typically cost more, but will wear and last longer and will probably look better. 

Ok, there you go!  Congrats on losing all of that weight, now dress up that new body of yours properly, you deserve it!