Balancing with Beckah
Balancing all things in our daily lives. Starting with Life, Fitness, food, & all of the stuff in the middle! We will laugh and we may cry, but it's all in balance.
Balancing with Beckah
Breaking Free from the Bonds of Ill-Fitting Clothes: A Journey to Wardrobe Liberation
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Ever find yourself wrestling with a pair of jeans that used to fit like a glove? You're not alone. Join me, Beckah, as I share my own battle with ill-fitting clothes and the revelation it sparked about sizes and their irrelevance. I'm opening up about the day my favourite jeans betrayed me and the lessons I learnt on the journey to discovering my perfect fit at my favorite store, Buckle. Most importantly, I'll be busting the myth that clothes should dictate our body size, flipping the script on our perspective of clothing sizes.
What do we do when our clothes no longer serve us? Together, we'll navigate through the process of decluttering and curating a wardrobe that not only fits but embraces our current body shape. Drawing from my own experiences, I will share the secrets of maintaining a functional wardrobe. From the magic of tailoring to the creation of a capsule wardrobe, we'll explore different strategies to ensure your closet is full of clothes that make you look and feel fantastic.
But, the journey to clothing freedom doesn't stop at decluttering. We'll step into the realm of closet organization, providing practical tips on how to bring order to your wardrobe. We'll talk about seasonal rotations, sentimental pieces, and the true value of honesty when it comes to closet clean-out. By the end of our discussion, you'll be ready to revolutionise your dressing routine, making choosing what to wear a stress-free part of your day. So, buckle up as we embark on this journey to embracing and dressing the bodies we have today.
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The Frustration of Ill-Fitting Clothes
Speaker 1Welcome to the BWB podcast , balancing with Becca . I'm Becca , I'm in my 50s and I'm still trying to find balance in all of the ways . If you're looking to balance your relationships , your food , your fitness , your lifestyles , join me here on the BWB podcast . Let's get started . Balance babes . Hi there , it's Becca .
Speaker 1Today I wanted to talk about something that's actually not that serious . It is a challenge that most of us have daily , but it's not that serious , so let's have fun with this . We're going to dig into clothing , clothing First of all . Why not , right ? Why do we want to talk about this ? Why not ? Let me start out by saying Bo Derek said whoever said that money can't buy happiness simply did not know where to go shopping . Yes , girl , yes , love it . I love that one . I love to shop and , luckily for me , my husband loves to shop also , so I got lucky there . I remember when we first met , I was sitting in a parking lot at a mall and we were talking on the phone , just getting to know each other on the phone , and he asked me where I was and I told him oh , I'm sitting in the parking lot at the mall , I'm getting ready to go in , right in the middle of my work day and he said oh , I love to shop . And I was like hello , done , d-o-n-e , done . So , yeah , we have done a lot of shopping together .
Speaker 1But what I wanted to talk about today , guys , is when your clothes don't fit you right ? I just heard this a couple of weeks ago on Mel Robbins podcast . She had a guest on there and this guest said that our clothes let me get this right our bodies are not meant to fit in clothes . Clothes are meant to fit our bodies . Okay , think about that . How often are we all trying to fit into a certain size , right ? Like for me ? It's a big deal , or has been a big deal in my past if I was wearing a 27 or 28 jean . How dumb is that ? Why is it dumb ? Because there can be a size 31 jean that fits me perfectly . There can be a size 28 jean that fits me perfectly . So the sizes are all jacked up . So it's just in your mind Well , what size jeans do you wear ?
Speaker 1Oh , I wear a seven , or I wear a 10 or 12 , whatever . I used to have a family member in my family and I'm not going to mention that person's name , but not that that person listens to this podcast . I'm sure of it . But this person used to argue with me about what size Levi's I wore , because she wore the same size and she couldn't imagine that she wore the same size Levi as I did , when she's probably like five five if that and I'm five nine . So sizes don't really matter , right , especially in jeans . And then you could wear like a size large in normal shirts and . But you go to these certain little boutiques where all sudden , you're really a 2x in their sizing , so I'd be cutting that tag out . I do not want to have a 2x tag in my shirt , so silly .
Speaker 1What made me start thinking about this was I went to Vegas a couple weeks ago and I brought two pair of jeans . Thankful for myself that I did that , because the jeans I was planning on wearing that night were like two inches away from buttoning and we were going to a comedy show and I was going to be sitting for a couple hours and I thought there is no way I can wear these jeans and sit down . Fine , if I'm standing the whole time , but if I have to sit for any amount of time I'm going to have a stomach ache . So I wore the stretchy other jeans I brought , but it really got me thinking about how crazy we are when our clothes don't fit . I was so frustrated because I brought cowboy boots to work with these certain jeans and they were super long and they looked really good , but I couldn't button them up . Now these are jeans that I've worn in the past . I had no qualms about grabbing them out of my closet because they were jeans I had worn in the past , but , yeah , about two inches too small . Why is this ? I don't know . I'm constantly doing my fitness challenge . I'm constantly working out and watching what I eat and everything , but what has changed is I've been doing squats for about two months 50 squats , if not every day , every other day , and I think that my butt is growing differently than it ever has grown before . So that's why my pants aren't fitting me Again , trying to squeeze our body into clothes instead of buying clothes that fit our body .
Speaker 1So I told my husband when I got home I need to go buy some jeans , and I probably have 30 pairs of jeans in my closet , but none of those jeans in this moment fit me right . They don't . They fit me , but they don't fit me comfortably . I can't sit all day in these jeans and I'm so tired of wearing jeans that don't fit me because I have them and I didn't want to spend the money . So I went to my favorite store , which I'm just gonna put it out there . It's Buckle . I love Buckle for Jeans . They are so good about bringing you a ton of pairs of jeans while you're in the dressing room . You tell them around about what your size is and you just start trying them on . When it's a workout , believe me , it'll be sweating in there , but they'll bring you a bunch of different options , and so I have been buying my jeans there for years now because of this selection , and I love right now that you can still get high-rise jeans .
Speaker 1Do you guys all remember when you could not find anything but low-rise jeans , those freaking jeans ? They I'm sorry , but they they only look good on a certain body type because all of the rest of the body types . All of a sudden , now we have what we learned was called a muffin top . Never even knew a muffin top existed until low-rise jeans came out . And when they were out , did you notice that you couldn't find any other jeans except for low-rise , maybe mid-rise , but then mid-rise was like high-rise , so went to Buckle , tried on all kinds of jeans . I found four pair that were super long and fit me perfectly . I'm not gonna tell you the size , because it doesn't matter . The size doesn't matter , I'm trying to get over the size . What I went there for was to find really comfortable jeans . I wanted jeans that I could spend my whole day in without hating how I felt . So I bought these jeans and I have . It's been about two weeks and I have had no frustration , no anger issues , nothing . As far as when I'm getting ready for work in the morning and picking out those jeans . Now it's just fun to find the tops that go so good with them .
Speaker 1So I wanted to talk to you guys about that today , just about clothes , about your closet and hanging on to clothes that fit us back in the day , that don't fit our body type anymore . I mean you got to let that go . So eventually you got to look at your closet and go , okay , I haven't worn that outfit or those pants or that shirt or that dress in five years . Get rid of it . Get rid of it . Guys . I actually did a .
Speaker 1I did this podcast earlier , but I wanted to redo it and I'm going to tell you why , because I have found some answers for you that's going to help you to organize your closet . It's going to help you to let go of that old stuff and figure out what fits you , so that you're not like me , standing in front of your closets which I have three closets full of clothes and I still don't have anything to wear . I have things to wear , but they just don't fit me right . That's the problem . I have plenty of clothes and when I shopped for those clothes , they seemed like a good idea at the time , but now , one year , two years , three years , five years later , I'm like I never wear that . Why do I still have it in my closet ? Get rid of it . So I'm not even going really by my notes right now because I just I wanted to talk to you just balance babe , to balance babe right here about this situation , and it is a situation every single morning . If you have found the answer , please message us all . I will share it .
Speaker 1But what I have realized in my journey with this is that I need to buy clothes that fit me right now and throughout my journey . If I need smaller pants , I'm going to keep a few of my jeans that are a size smaller , for if I happen to get that size , but if I don't get that size , whatever . But I'm not going to keep two or three closets full of stuff that don't fit me because , or that doesn't fit me , I should say sorry , because if I go down like two or three sizes , don't you think I'm going to want to go buy myself some new clothes ? Don't you think that that would be an amazing reward ? If you are on your fitness journey right now and you're doing all of the things and a year from now or two years from now , you realize all your clothes are too big , are you really going to want to wear that old stuff ? No , you're going to want to go buy yourself some new clothes
Tips for Maintaining a Functional Wardrobe
Speaker 1.
Speaker 1So keep a few items that you really love . Keep a few classic items , or keep that dress that you love . Keep a couple pairs of jeans that are a few sizes smaller if you want to . But don't keep closets full of clothes for that just in case moment , because it's just cluttering . I rather have a closet full of things I can actually wear on a day to day basis and then have a space somewhere else where I have the clothes that might fit me in a year or two . But I'm tired of going through and trying on stuff and then going oh my God feels so fat , these don't fit me . These don't fit me , this doesn't fit me , whatever .
Speaker 1Buy stuff that fits you . Buy clothes that fit you . Spend a little bit for this season . Buy yourself one or two pairs of jeans I would say two pair at least . Buy yourself two pair of jeans that fit you really good and wear the heck out of them . If , in your journey , you lose some weight , you've got a couple other pair of jeans that'll fit you . But other than that , get rid of the old stuff . So I have some ways of finding balance in your closet .
Speaker 1Know your body shape . That's number one . Know your body shape . Understanding your body shape can guide you in choosing styles that complement your figure . What doesn't complement your figure ? If you are a curvy girl or you have any shape at all ? Low rise jeans that are too small they don't complement your figure .
Speaker 1Get accurate measurements , regularly measure yourself to ensure that you know your current size . Our bodies are changing , especially if you're over 40 , over 50 . Our bodies are definitely changing . No matter how much you work out , the body's going to change and sometimes , like me , if you're doing squats every day , your body's going to change in a different way . So take those accurate measurements . Try before you buy is number three when shopping in stores , try on the clothes for the fit For online shopping , read sizing charts and reviews from other buyers . I go instantly to the reviews from other buyers if I'm shopping online , because a lot of times people will tell the truth and they'll say their size is small or their true to size . So try before you buy .
Speaker 1Another one is tailoring . Guys , we haven't thought about tailoring for a long time . Right , we're investing in tailoring for important pieces . A well-tailored garment can make a big difference . That's so true . We have a few tailors in our town and I never think about having them cut or let out my clothes to make them fit better . So that's an option . Especially if you have some really valuable , expensive pieces of clothing that you that you want to fit , consider taking them to a tailor . Number five shop at brands that offer size variety . Look for brands that offer a wide range of sizes , including plus size and petite options , and please don't worry about the plus size . If it fits you , right , eye it . Nobody knows that it's a plus size , except for you , so don't worry about it . It's just like me worrying about that 2x tag in my shirt . Who cares ? Nobody knows .
Speaker 1Number six fabric . Mothers Pay attention to the fabric of clothing . Some materials are more forgiving and comfortable than others . Here's a good one , guys Donate or sell what doesn't fit . Regularly declutter your wardrobe by getting rid of items that don't fit or make you feel uncomfortable . I have a closet down here in this podcast little room full of stuff that I have on Poshmark . So get that stuff on Poshmark and then , as that money comes in , as you sell those items , keep that money in your little Poshmark account so that you can go buy yourself something new . Last week I had $200 in my Poshmark account , so you'd be surprised . Just keep in mind that when you sell on Poshmark they take 20% , so price it out to where you know you're comfortable with what your clothing sells for . But that also includes the shipping too , so it makes it so easy . Poshmark is actually really easy . If you need help with Poshmark , let me know and I'll give you some pointers .
Speaker 1Number eight create a capsule wardrobe . Focus on versatile pieces that mix and match well , reducing the need for many different sizes . I had not heard of that before , so that's a good one . I like that one , and it makes it really easy when you're trying to figure out what to wear in the day . Again , remember that your body naturally changes , so it's essential to be adaptable and patient when dealing with clothing fit issues , especially if you're on a workout journey , especially if you have brought something new into your workout journey . You know so , say like , this month is October , so we are doing a 15-minute walk every single day . No matter what that 15 minutes is going to add up , there's going to be some body changes from that 15 minutes of walking every day . That is besides , besides what we're already doing in our workout . So let's talk about cleaning out your closet . You can even put that song on if you want Clean out your closet .
Efficient Closet Decluttering and Organization
Speaker 1Clean out your closet and decluttering by removing clothes that you haven't worn in a year or two is an awesome way to refresh your wardrobe . You're going to create more space . Okay , you're going to know what you've got in there , because you're going to be able to see what you actually have . Believe me , I'm doing this too , guys , I'm going to do this too . I have three closets , like I said , of clothes . What I do is in the summer I take everything from my guest room and I put it into my main closet , and that way I have all my summer stuff , and then now it's kind of becoming winter , even though we're still 90 degree weather , I will put the summer stuff back in that room and put the winter stuff out . That way I kind of rotate it and I can kind of see what I have too . So that's a good way to do it . Rotate your closet too .
Speaker 1But cleaning out your closet is going to take some time . So set aside some time . Dedicate a chunk of time to this task so that you can thoroughly go through your wardrobe . I'm going to give you tips , so listen up . Empty your entire closet , I'm not even kidding . Take everything out of the closet . Lay it out where you can see it , then sort it into piles . Create piles for items you want to keep , items to donate or sell and items to throw away if they're in poor condition . But here's the thing , guys even if they're in poor condition , I would say still donate them . Donate them to shelters , especially women's shelters , if I'm talking to you ladies . Donate them to the women's shelters , because so often those women in there have nothing and even if you think something's in poor condition , they're going to be grateful to have it .
Speaker 1Number four be honest . Ask yourself if you genuinely love and wear each item . If it's not that way , then it's time to give it up . So be honest with yourself and , again , forget about the sizes . If it doesn't fit in this moment and you don't think it's going to fit in the next couple years , get rid of it . If it's one size down and you know that in six months you're going to be that size , keep it . I'm totally fine with that . Consider that fit and comfort Close it no longer fit well or aren't comfortable Should be candidates for removal , just like we talked about with the jeans .
Speaker 1Number six seasonal assessment . Think about whether an item is suitable for the current season . If it's out of season and you didn't wear it during last season , consider letting it go . Number seven quality over quantity . Focus on keeping high quality pieces that you'll wear often , rather than having a large quantity of clothes . So that's what I have to work on . I have a large quantity of clothes , but we need to focus on keeping the high quality pieces . Again , even if they're a size too small . It's okay . If they're a high quality piece and you think you're going to be in them , keep that one , but don't keep a whole closet full of size juice .
Speaker 1Master Number eight donate or sell . Donate , gently use clothing to charities . Again , you can sell them online to recoup some of the investment . Poshmark , mccurry , those are all options . Ebay Number 10 , organize what's left After decluttering .
Speaker 1Organize your remaining clothes neatly in your closet , making it easier to find and wear what you love . You can even put little outfits together . I usually color coat my closet , so all the pinks and reds and whites , everything is in their own colors and that way , when I feel like wearing a certain color , I've got those options right in front of me . So to balance , babes , regularly decluttering your closet can help simplify your life . Make getting easy . Make getting easy , make getting dressed easier and more of an enjoyable experience . I want you to have fun with your clothes . I don't want you to be stressed out every single morning of what you're going to wear . I don't want you to feel like you only have like six outfits that you can wear over and over again . Go through your closet , get rid of some of that stuff . Buy yourself some new things . Remember the sentimental value of clothing can be super powerful . So how do you handle that when you're trying to declutter ? We're going to go through this .
Speaker 1Assess sentimental items separately . Recognize that some clothes may hold sentimental memories , like a special occasion outfit or a piece with sentimental value from a loved one . Set these items aside for a separate evaluation Doesn't mean you're going to keep them . It just means you're going to set those things aside because you're going to reevaluate those . Now I know this is a long list and this is probably going to take . It could take a couple hours , but I promise you that next week , when you're getting ready for work or school , it's going to be a lot easier and you're going to be super grateful for spending this time doing this . Think about the time you spent on TikTok . Get off TikTok . Go clean out your closet .
Speaker 1Number two photograph and document . If you find it difficult to part with sentimental clothing , consider taking photographs of them . You can document the memories associated with each piece . This can help preserve the sentiment without taking up that physical space . Create a keepsake . Some sentimental fabrics can be repurposed and keep safes , like quilts or pillows or framed fabric art . You know how people do those quilts with the t-shirts . You can do that . If you've got 22 t-shirts , consider . If you don't wear the shirts , consider taking them to somebody that can quilt them up for you . Super cool , and this one's a good one too if you're cleaning out your husband's closet , because you can do that for him too and give that to him for Christmas .
Speaker 1Limit sentimental items . It's important to honor sentimental items , but also be mindful not to let them overwhelm your wardrobe . Settle limit for the number of sentimental items that you're going to keep . Pass them down . If you have clothing with sentimental value that no longer fits or suits your style , consider passing them down to a family member or a friend who can appreciate and continue that sentiment . Keep the most meaningful . Select the most cherished sentimental items that you generally want to keep and wear occasionally to keep those memories alive . But if they don't fit , let them go . Remember that the value of sentimental clothing lies in the memories and the emotions attached to them , not necessarily in their physical presence . So it's okay to keep a few of those items , but try to strike a balance , babes , so that they can enhance rather than clutter your closets . Remember that cleaning out your closet effectively can be liberating . It can be a refreshing experience . I know it's kind of a pain , but here's a step-by-step guide to help you do it efficiently .
Speaker 1Number one set aside time . Dedicate a block of time when you can focus on the task without interruptions . Of course , the duration is going to depend on the size of your closet and the number of items , but give yourself a nice little block of time where you're not leaving your room , no matter what . Get rid of the phone . Put the phone someplace else and tell yourself I'm spending an hour here or I'm spending two hours here . Set a timer when the timer goes off . Clean up , move on the other supplies , put trash bags or boxes for sorting , hangers , storage bins and any other organization tools that you might need . Then again , empty your closet . Remove everything from your closet . Lay it out where you can see it . This is going to help you to assess that entire wardrobe . Sort it into categories . Create separate piles or sections for different categories of clothing , such as tops , bottoms , dresses , outerwear , shoes , accessories and so on .
Speaker 1Be clutter . Go through each category one by one . Decide what to keep , what to donate , what to sell , what to discard . You can have piles all over your floor , I don't care . Be ruthless and honest with yourself . Consider what you've worn , how you've worn that item in the past year . If it still suits your style and fits , keep it Again . Donate and sell . Box the items up you want to donate or sell . Let them go . Get them in your trunk , like right away . Get them in your trunk . Organize and store . Organize the items you've decided to keep by category , season and other system that makes sense to you . Consider using storage bins , baskets or specialty hangers to maximize your space and maintain order . So again , the season thing you can take the summer stuff , put it in a different closet or put it in the back of the closet . Put all your winter stuff out front . When springtime comes , bring the summer stuff out .
Speaker 1Maintenance plan Establish a plan for maintaining your organized closet . This might involve regular reviews to ensure you're not accumulating unnecessary items , because you know it's going to happen . It's going to happen . It happened once . It's going to happen again . You're going to start stuffing stuff in there again . You're going to see some top for $20 and you're going to buy it and you're going to stuff it into the closet and then just enjoy your refreshed closet . Step back and admire your decluttered and organized closet . It should be easier to find and access those items that you love , that fit you , that's in season , and just remember that cleaning out your closet is to process . You're going to have to regularly revisit that wardrobe to ensure that it stays clutter-free and that it still aligns with your style and your needs .
Speaker 1The biggest takeaway from here , balance babes , is you got to let go . You got to let it go . Keep those little sentimental things . Keep a couple of them . Let the others go . Let somebody else enjoy that . Keep the items that fit you and that you still wear . Get rid of the items that don't fit because I'm telling you right now , it's just taking up room in your closet . I don't want to discourage you not trying to do that one bit . Keep a few items that you love . If they are a size or too smaller , keep a few items that you love . Watch your motivation in your fitness goal , in your fitness journey , but let go of the rest .
Speaker 1I'm going to go do this . I'm going to go clean out my closet . I'm going to take everything out of my closet . I'm going to throw it on the bed . I'm going to bring in trash bags and bins . I'm going to decide what I'm going to put on Poshmark what I'm going to donate to a charity or a shelter , I should say and then what I'm putting back in my closet , and then next week it's going to be so much easier for me to figure out what I'm wearing for work . I'm actually really excited about it . I know it's going to be a big job , but I'm going to do it . Wish me luck .
Balancing Babes
Speaker 1Thanks for listening . Balance Babes . If you like this podcast , if you like this particular episode , like and share it with your friends . I know that it's going to resonate with a lot of you out there . We all have these little issues with our clothes and sizing and all of that good stuff . Go buy yourself a couple of new pair of jeans for the season that actually fit you in this moment . Please do that for yourself . I'll talk to you soon . Until next time , keep on balancing babes . Thank you , friends , for joining me on the BWB podcast Balancing with Becca . Until next time , keep on balancing babes .