Reshaping My Closet to Fit My New Body

Life post WLS is a wave of shopping believe it or not. First you shop in your closet, then you shop in your friends closet, sometimes people give you clothes, but eventually you have to shop....ALOT! See since January of 2010 I have had to do 4 major overhauls of my closet. They weren't easy, they were emotional, and some were down right fun (ok this is the most recent) but overall it was an overhaul and that takes a fair amount of work. I got inspired by this post after reading Rachel's closet rules over here which led me to the Arizona Russums blog - now how is this for irony I went to college with Jen! I haven't seen her since I graduated and we even shared our love for Eta Iota Sigma, a Christian sorority, at TCU. So this was a two step cool process of a link up! 1) I got to read about someone who I once knew and 2) I get to be inspired to share with you all about reshaping your closet WLS style!

I've blogged about reshaping my closet in a few different ways. I wrote an letter of goodbye to my fat clothes
and closet overhauling along with having to cleaning out my closet not because I wanted to but because I had to move through the old bigger clothes to find the smaller me! I've journeyed through finding out my new sizes...yes sizes because my new reality isn't the size 28 W in Lane Bryant I was used to! What I am now is different then I once was, but clothes does cover me...the smaller me...the loose skin me...the me that I am today

So how can I maximize my closet? Right now I'm maximizing it by layering. I'm cold all the time and I live in Texas so having a true winter wardrobe isn't useful, but having a long lasting summer and warmer wardrobe is - so I layer. As I have overhauled my closet, I've made sure there are cardigans. I buy ones that are neutral and that I can wear with both dresses, short sleeves, cute on the go outfits. They are mutli-purpose. I don't mind adding a few pops of color in there and cardigans are useful 12 months a year! Since I layer I also have a fair amount of tank tops. These are for under cardigans in the summer and under shirts and dresses as well. For me with hiding loose skin, these also work well with assisting me in camouflaging my mid section.

I have only 2 skirts, but prefer dresses. I utilize dresses that are usually solids that I can wear throughout the year and can dress up or down. I've invested in leggings in both capri and pant length to allow me to layer throughout the year and work with dresses and large shirts. I haven't bought a ton of things but specific pieces that are mutli-functional. Now do I have some seasonal pieces, yes. Do I keep them yep I do - Why? Well one I'm not used to having so few clothes, and two if I like an item and will wear it I am keeping it as long as it fits! Now each season I have to go through my clothes. I have to try them on. I get rid of what doesn't fit and move on...this has gotten easier after 22 months, but in the beginning it wasn't at all.

The one thing I have too many off is t-shirts and large night/sleeping clothes. I just can't get rid of big tshirts and tshirts...oh and more tshirts. I went from not having any to having a ton in size L or XL and I think right now I like having them. I have options. I have clothes of normal size - I'm hoarding tshirts. Now know this I've gotten rid of atleast 40 in the move of July, but there is still 20 or so I don't need, but alas I'm going to work my way through them and I'll be creative - I'll use a different tshirt for every work out I do at home...I'll get use out of them and I'll see what ones I like and don't. Donate the don'ts and keep the likes!

Thanks for spending time with me and my WLS reshape of the closet!