Weight transitions vs. style is the ultimate dance-off.

More often than not, I find the people I encounter are in a state of some type of weight transition. In all fairness, I hang out with a lot of moms... This isn't to say weight transitions are limited to the mom group, hells no! Our culture is one of 'self-betterment': buy yoga wear, juice-it-up, read-a-book, and loose that weight, is commonplace cultural dialogue, and it's totally cool! But it's hard to know what to wear and how to fill the gaps in your wardrobe if you're constantly trying to loose that last 10 pounds and you don't want to buy anything new until you've reached your goal.

If you find yourself in this category, you're in lovely company. Most of us have totally been there. I myself have gained and lost 40-70lbs. Between finding my stride post-high school, and then 3 pregnancies; my closet has seen massive turnover through the years. Which is in equal parts satisfying and frustrating. But let me say this before we hash out the what-ta-buys:

Please don't ever deprive yourself of looking or feeling awesome because you have to loose a few pounds. You don't need to loose an ounce to dress amazingly. Anyone telling you otherwise is trying to sell you something and they can just piss off.

Cool.

Well then, here are my recommendations for an excellent and cost-efficient weight-transitional wardrobe:

1. Buy new basics

I love new basics. Basic tanks, T's (long and short sleeve), they're all so great. You put on a pair of old jeans and layer a couple of new tank-tops; throw on a scarf and it's all sunshine and rainbows, good to go. Jersey basics need to be replaced every year-ish (longer if you don't put them in the dryer...), and they can be purchased inexpensively, so they won't kill your budget and you'll feel immediately better. Staple basics are everyone's perfect first layer, weight-transitioning or not. I buy a lot of these.

2. Invest in accessories & footwear

Guess what you won't under-grow? A necklace! Also, scarves! How about a new pair of shoes! You throw a new brightly coloured scarf over a basic black outfit and you're done. Awesome. Costume jewelry is fun to browse through and often gets cleared out with season changes, so check the sale section first. Footwear can be expensive, so if you consciously forgo your usual clothing budget- you can justify ramping up in the shoe dept. I also really like hats. Wearing a hat portrays confidence, I like that. The theory here: put off buying new, wear what you have, but freshen it up with accessories.

3. Make Lycra your friend

You can roll with the trend right now on this one and get on board with leggings. Lycra is forgiving of weight fluctuation and you can pair them with long knit-wear or tunic shirts/dresses. The good thing about a tunic shirt is that you can cinch it around your natural waist when you loose a bit of weight and it still makes sense. Some good examples here.

4. Think about buying dresses

Dresses, especially wrap dresses (as mentioned above) are a little more forgiving, than say, trousers or jeans. Look for dresses that fit through the shoulders and swing out a bit below the bust line (like this). A swing dress is dead cute with tall boots and you'll get plenty of wear out of it through the seasons if you layer it correctly.

5. Try buying weight-finicky items secondhand

Stay away from buying new trousers, jeans, fitted blazers, or long-sleeve blouses: these items are all costly and will end up looking baggy if you loose 10-15 pounds. There is room in ones wardrobe for one or two oversized blazers, if you happen to under-grow some work wear; but they need to be worn with care. I would balance out a big blazer with really fitted jeans or pants, and cuff up the sleeves. It's not a good look for everyone, but worth trying instead of donating the ones you have in your closet. Also, you can feel all warm and fuzzy when you help out the environment and (hopefully) a charitable organization when you buy your secondhand duds.

Alright ladies, have at 'er.

Happy trails!

Xo.C