Clothes shopping can be filled with dread and tears in recovery. From body image concerns to sensory overload in shopping centres – its really choose your own adventure of what tips you over the edge.
Our bodies will change in day to day life (e.g. bloating, hormone changes, hydration, activity levels) and our bodies change as we age, and this is NORMAL. In recovery there is usually an increased sensitivity to body changes and it can all become a bit scary.
Your body is the one you have for right now and dressing it in a way that brings you joy and comfort is important – those thighs are strong and keep you standing, don’t tuck them away in the usual tracky dacks, let them play in some gorgeous pants.
Take a trusted mate with you on your shop to help calm, provide a second opinion and to be a snack break buddy.
Take a list of what you need to help provide ideas/direction to your shop. Do you need new knickers, basic tees or work pants? (Especially useful if choosing to op shop where you can get carried away)
Comfotable clothing for changing bodies that you might like to consider includes wrap dresses/shirts/pants, clothing items with shirring in them, ribbed knits or dungarees.
Need some ideas on where to shop? Eating Disorders Victoria has a list of places to consider and can be found here.
Maybe you want to test out your sewing skills? Wrap dresses, shift dresses and belted dresses are fantastic and usually not too finicky to do. If you’re not a sewer, finding a local learn to sew class will set you to be able to make alterations to your clothing which can be a great cost-saver long term.
And lastly, we love the video of how to build a wardrobe for a changing body below by leena norms.
Photo by piotr szulawski on Unsplash
