Buying new clothes is definitely an emotional issue for me, and my pants look atrocious right now. The butt and legs are very baggy, but my waist is not shedding inches like the rest.

Anyone recommend a brand/store that carries jeans that are generous in the waist, but still have good lines? I have Lane Bryant on right now that are falling off, so I plan on visiting there if I can find a discount/sale. Their pants are so expensive! Tis the season for boots though, so I need straight or boot cut so I can wear my snow boots.

I'm not even sure how I'm going to react to buying jeans. Last time I took my hubby and bought what he liked. This time he wants to bow out. As I can feel myself getting emotional over the fact I can even downsize, I'm not sure I'd want him there anyway. He really can't handle the emotional meltdown I feel coming on.... LOL

The pants I kept from years ago are tight at the waist and fit great in the hips/legs, so I'm holding on to them, but I do NOT want a muffin top. Wish I could dump a couple more inches in the middle so I could just save money for the next drop, but I refuse to be overflowing and not able to breathe, while the butt and legs of my jeans are baggy.

During my weight loss I refused to spend much money on interim sizes and discovered the joy of thift shops. The good news is that women's pants are always the largest section, some new or little worn. You have to sift through more of them, but for the Goodwill price of $3.39 I was willing to buy ones that fit in one place and take in/out other parts. Open the waist and add an insert, then look for longer tunic tops and cardigans to cover the waist.

Other tip is that the internet has tons of style/how to dress/design/and even brand advice that will give you new ideas. Start at Pinterest and search "Dressing the Apple-shaped body" then follow through to the blogs of interest. I am following boards for haircuts and dress colors for my now white/silver hair as some colors in my closet don't work with my new haircolor/skin tone. The free style advice and recipes found on Pinterest have been so helpful.
Great news...you need new clothes because you have lost weight!

Also check out these ideas gathered over the years from the "Best Of" forum:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=345802

Thrifts in this town are far from appealing, and no where near the quantity or quality I enjoyed around Nashville. No luck there.

I actually can't wait to get back home to TN, because I should need a whole wardrobe by then, and I'll be thrifting for sure!

Waist extenders for jeans are a godsend if you just need a few extra inches. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...sl_1jc70yceg7_b

Bummer, I also thrift when out of town...see what's on offer in other areas. I also bought the Target C9 cardio pants and Walmart Danskin brand knits, again, covering the waist with long tops/cardigans. Maybe you could add a waist extender to some of the ones you have kept that now fit in the legs?

Whofan... those waist extenders look great. Might be just enough to get me through for a while. Have you used them yourself?

I've used a couple of different kinds and they both worked great. They'll definitely hold you over for a while until you're ready to spring for new pants. Congratulations on your weight loss!

Just wanted to say that I know your frustration. My legs and butt seemed to lose weight first and very quickly. I always looked silly in jeans. For awhile I could have fit a size 8 for the legs and butt, but needed a 14 for my waist. Its starting to even out now so hang in there and don't let it get to you!

After reviewing several websites on what I should be wearing for my current body shape, an apple, I went shopping today. Found some cardigans, a draped tank and some base layers for under my flannels and sweaters. All of the items will work for the next 20-30 pounds, which could be the next 9-12 months if the trend holds.

It was far more emotional than I expected, and I couldn't bring myself to try on any pants at all. I am thinking I should go to a plus size store and find some decent foundation/shapers to help even out the loose skin/folds that are appearing. My middle is shifting even though I am in a holding pattern right now. I figure they should last some time, so it will be a good investment.

Anyone have a favorite brand of shaper they love?

I hear you. I have tiny bum (for my size) and huge rolly middle. I have a high waist shaper I love that I bought from WalMart - it was only $20, bear in mind I could sqeeze into a 3X because I wanted it tighter and supportive. It's high, so comes right up the bottom of my bra. Keeps me looking smoother (if not smaller), and doesn't roll down plus helps prevent the dreaded MT. I have some spanx too - but I paid $60 for them and feel they don't hold me in as well as my Wal-Mart one does.

I have the jean issue too - in fact, haven't worn them in a while, due to the fact I'm over size 24 and I just refuse to buy bigger sizes lol. I have a whack in size 24 though - I need to get down about a size to get back into them. I have to be careful to buy a higher rise, and always wear mine with a shaper to get the best look.

I'm in Canada, so we don't have Lane Bryant, though I have ordered online from them, Woman Within and Torrid. For plus size stores in Canada, there is pretty much only AdditionElle and Penningtons, (both owned by the same company) though Sears and WalMart have plus sized sections. Target Canada doesn't (what a disappointment).

Well I'm not such a successful weight loser (yo yo a lot) but I do know something about dressing an apple shape. I'm also short waist-ed (and don't have much of a butt)and though it sounds crazy I quite like mens pants. They are short waist-ed though.The nice thing is I can measure my waist and select the size in mens pants. If I measure a 44 in waist I'll buy a 42 in size in pants though if I measure 40 inches I buy a 38 etc.I usually shop in thrift stores but If I buy at cosco or something I take them back if they don't fit.

I don't think this would work for a lady with wide hips though.

Wore some of my new 'old' clothes, and a new shirt and cardigan for the first time this week. The jeans felt so much better when I wasn't jerking them up every five minutes, but the 'muffin' wasn't my favorite. Thank goodness the sweater covered it up, and at least I felt put together for the first time in a long time.

I'm just glad I haven't bought jeans yet, because I broke the long stall this morning. If I am going to see some more loss before the end of the year, I'm glad I had pants in reserve. Who knows... those 'muffin' jeans might be too big in the legs by year end, but the muffin may have melted!

It sucks that we seemed programmed to lose weight in such an uneven manner. Losses from the legs and arms are always so much quicker than from the waist line!!

I have given up buying new clothes during the weight loss period. I had to buy a complete new wardrobe for work, that now does not fit.

My way round it was to find a damn good seamstress who works wonders with clothes. With all my larger clothes she takes in the bits that need taking in and leaves what does not. This means so long as I always go down, she can keep altering the clothes.

It is also amazing how much better properly fitted clothes look no matter what size you are.

It did take me a long time to find a good seamstress, but she is a god send.

I'm having a hard time finding a good seamstress locally, so I'm considering watching some youtube videos and picking up a few skills. It will save money, and in the long run, could solve a lifelong problem of finding clothes that fit my wide shoulders and didn't look like a sack. Knowing how to make a waist, or neatly tailor dress clothes would be a great skill to have.

Since I know the basics of sewing already, I'm hoping there isn't a huge learning curve, but I have a stack of clothes to work with!

Have you ever been to a Cato store? They are nationwide now and the store is 1/2 plus sizes and the other 1/2 is regular sizes
at half the price of any other store. Good quality too!