We’ve been talking clothes and shoes a lot in the maintenance thread because so many of us spent so long too overweight and depressed to enjoy buying new duds that when we finally teached our goal weight, we found ourselves indulging in more than a little shopping to make up for lost time. The funny thing is I didn’t like shopping before I began to put the weight on in my 20s, but now I’m reliving my misspent youth or something. I took it for granted back then that you could just walk into a shop and buy something. Twenty years of increasing obesity and increasingly limited and hideous clothing options will make you appreciate being able to fit into regular sizes, let me tell you.

So, for phoenixes who are rising from the ashes of their former bodies, whatever stage you’re at in your weight loss journey, post your hottest new looks here! I uploaded the pics to PostImage ( https://postimages.org/ ) because it’s fast, you don’t have to register or install any bloatware. You just upload from your hard drive and it gives you the code to add them here. I’ll kick things off with, what else?, a kickass boot.

Blue velvet knee-highs: https://s8.postimg.org/ytagt47th/bluevelvet.jpg

Two-tone leather riding boots with grey skinny jeans looking just a tad baggy (never thought I’d see the day I could utter that combination of words): https://s8.postimg.org/jxbxljbud/ridingboots.jpg

Extreme hotness alert! I love a brightly colored heel paired with a cool pattern: https://s8.postimg.org/sscrw2g2d/plaidredheel.jpg

This is the first dress that I have bought in more than two decades. It’s been even longer since I’ve worn one. Plus silver glitter sparkle booties, because it’s party season!: https://s8.postimg.org/5qw6qb8p1/dress.jpg

My beloved Thanksgiving suit and Calvin Klein croc-embossed suede booties. I didn’t take a pic of the pug shirt that was my final choice to make this outfit extra happy so it’s not the full TG glory, but close enough: https://s8.postimg.org/v9oj3bcth/floralsuit.jpg

I weighed 248 pounds Thanksgiving of 2016, and that was after losing more than 60 pounds already. A year later, I weigh 130 pounds less than that in these pics. First the BSD changed my life, extending it, enriching it and reviving my former robust good health, and now look what it’s done to my closet!

Omg Esnecca. So pleased to see these. And a special OMG for the Thanksgiving suit – slamming! I must confess when you described it as a floral pantsuit I was a little dubious, but it’s FABULOUS!

Wow Esnecca – that suit looks awesome on you! You look absolutely amazing! Nobody would ever guess that you’ve ever been overweight. You look simply stunning. Thank you for starting this thread.

Wow, Essie – how fab are you?!!! Looking HOT girl 😃 great pics.

How exciting to actually have photos to add to all the descriptions we’ve been writing.

When I’ve got a bit more time (busy schedule atm) will try and take some pics too. Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s phoenix purchases.

Thank you, sister phoenixes! I can’t wait to see your looks join mine on our cozy nest of fire. CC, we’re anxious to shower you with the compliments you so richly deserve. Theo, I expect to see those electric blue booties as soon as you have a moment.

Jackie, were you picturing it as a blindingly bright flower print? I thought at the time that I should probably describe the colors so people didn’t think I was getting kitted up like the dorkiest old comedian on an extra-special episode of the Love Boat, but then I got lazy. 😀

Essie, will model the blue boots when I get the chance (in bed atm – it’s almost 1am) but to keep you going, these are the ones

https://www.marksandspencer.com/stiletto-side-zip-bow-ankle-boots/p/p60122595?image=SD_01_T02_5920_CB_X_EC_90&color=COBALT&prevPage=plp&pdpredirect

And here are the red ones

https://www.marksandspencer.com/leather-stiletto-heel-toe-cap-ankle-boots/p/p60113899?image=SD_01_T02_2812_B0_X_EC_90&color=RED&prevPage=plp

Not as kinky as your’s I’m afraid but then I’m an awful lot older and they are pretty daring for me!!!

Gorgeous ankle boots, Theo! The pair that caught my eye and are just up my alley
on the M&S site are the suede stilleto tassel pointed ankle boots. Available in black
and grey. Will have to take a look at shipping. I like your style 🙂 🙂 🙂

Those cobalt blue ones SLAY THE WORLD and the red ones, oh lawds heavens to Betsy be still my beating heart. All together now! These half metal stilettos are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these red-hot boots are going to walk all over you. 😀

Esnecca, I was a little pressed for time yesterday, so waited til now to comment. You
look fantastic!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t be happier for you if you were my own daughter. You’re not
only fearless in the kitchen, but obviously have a “go for it” spirit with your new wardrobe!
Multi talented, I’d say 🙂 🙂 🙂 I have a pretty fair idea what was going through Mother’s
thoughts when you came down the stairs on Thanksgiving Day. Keep posting your
pics, because something tells me your not finished yet with the shopping 🙂 Nice to
see someone else O.D.ing on boots/booties, too!

Esnecca, all I can say is WOW. Remind me of how much you have lost in total? You are an inspiration to a lot of posters and the pics say it all. You look fabulous. You should be flying high.

What a lovely, sweet sentiment, Allie. You’re so kind and warm, thank you. That suit is magical, I think. It enchants everyone at first site because the fit, fabric, detailing, even things you don’t really see like the lining, are all top notch. Also in general White House Black Market’s slim ankle pant is a perfect cut for me. If I could buy the store out of every single model they make I would. Heck, I might! 😀

Luvtcook, I was in scale avoidance mode when I started so I don’t know exactly, but I was a hair under 300 pounds when I began weighing myself on week 4. I’m 99% sure I had already lost at least 25 pounds in the first half of the program. Overall (because I lost probably another 20 or so in the 4 months before I started the BSD just by cutting white carbs), I have good reason to believe that I’ve lost something in the neighborhood of 220 pounds. I say 200 just because it’s nice round figure that I know I have certainly lost.

Today’s fashion bulletin features three different types of plaid playing together in peace and harmony and hotness. The pants are blue and black, in case you can’t tell from the bad cellphone pic (and through my filthy mirror that I just noticed :blush: ).

And those snakeskin boots with the orange heel that I got at the tail end of the Black Friday sales at so cheap a price that I feel like I shoplifted them. I figured even if I had to hobble in them for a few minutes going in and out of a restaurant, it would be worth it. Instead, they’re one of the most comfortable pair I’ve bought. Sometimes you get far, far more than you pay for.

Edit: HTML embed code parses!

Great idea for a thread, I will have to get organised and get some photos together of some of my new bits and pieces. My favourite boots are black suede Peter Kaiser stiletto ankle boots that were the first pair I bought (Second hand) but I also love my knee high silver grey suede boots that were the first ‘new’ pair I bought when my feet shrank. I might put up a piccy of me in the wedding dress and my ball dress as well.

Oh, please do, MnM! I’m looking forward to it! Might be time for me to invest in an
iphone/smartphone so I can play this game too 🙂 🙂 🙂

I demand you do exactly that, MnM. Post them all! And post some more of them.

Allie, you either have to get a smartphone for quick snaps, get a digicam and take the trouble to transfer the pics, or enlist friends and family to take and send you the pics. We want to see all your new stuff. Think of how the poor UPS guy will feel if all his hard work is only seen by you. 😀

I posted these earlier but they got swallowed up. They’re probably in moderation because I tried to html to embed the images so I think the forum software kicked it over to the mods. I’m going to repost them as links to keep things easy.

While deciding what to wear for date night tonight (we tried a new Indian place; it was an insult to the whole subcontinent), I indulged in a little triple plaid action. The pants are a blue and black microplaid, in case you can’t tell from the crappy cell pic taken in a mirror I only just noticed is embarassingly filthy. :blush:

https://s8.postimg.org/9vp6c8gwl/tripplaid.jpg

And here are those snakeskin boots with the orange heel that I linked to in the maintenance thread. I ended up wearing this outfit with the addition of an orange fitted sweater with criss-cross ties on the sides. These boots that I bought on sale at such a low price it was practically shoplifting are some of the most comfy I own. Most of the time you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get lucky.

https://s8.postimg.org/5mkga25xh/orangesplash.jpg

Loving the outfits, Essie. Maybe you should have ordered haggis instead of curry, sounds as though the culinary experience may have been better.😉 Or, giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe the poor chef just couldn’t concentrate on his cooking once he clocked the vision of tartan loveliness who had walked into his restaurant!

MnM, really looking forward to seeing your outfits, especially the wedding dress and ball gown.

And yes, Allie, go for it and join in the game. Though, I have to confess that I tried to take some mirror selfies yesterday – errrr, not very successfully I’m afraid. So a bit of practice needed before you’ll be seeing mine, sorry 😢

Note to self……must try harder.

Good morning from a fellow phoenix! I’m not fully awake yet (no coffee!) but wanted
to share this before things got busy here, in the hope that it will elicit a smile from
some of you. Yesterday o/h had an appointment with his (our) cardiologist for a
follow-up echocardiogram. He asked how I was, and husband proceeded to tell him
that I’ve maintained my weight loss for 7 months, and I was now blogging with a UK
based group of people that have been down the same road that I have, and how
much I was enjoying it. Cardiologist says “Do they spend a lot of time talking about
all the new clothes they’re buying?” Hmmm, is he a sexist, or does he just understand
women??? I loathe “political correctness” so I’m going with the latter 🙂 🙂 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Allie

Wow what a fabulous thread! I hope you don’t mind me popping in? I’m positively drooling over the boots! In particular the plaid with orange heel! Well done all of you marvellous phoenixes! I’ll be joining you one day with hopefully long lusted after cowgirl boots, shipped from across the pond if necessary!

You’re all totally inspiring!

Kazzee xx

I have now got my hands on some of the photos of me in the wedding dress and ball dress so just need to work out how to embed the links and get them uploaded somewhere accessible. I am already planning other items for my ‘show’ possibly including the DM dresses that haven’t been collected yet, so even though they didn’t get used in the article you can see what they looked like. I will also get some pics of my favourite boots and also the Karen Millen leather jacket I found in Oxfam that, being a perfect fit around my paddingless ribcage, has become my ‘size trigger’ so if I can’t do up the jacket then the fasting big guns come out again.

That’s progress, MnM! We’re all waiting….I was really disappointed that you weren’t used
in the daily mail article. But we’re going to see you yet! 🙂

Kazzi, I’m going to make it my personal mission to help you find the perfect cowboy
boots!

My “loot” has begun to arrive. Will try to figure out how to get up on the thread
tomorrow…

‘Night All,

Allie

Go to https://postimages.org/ , chose the size you want then click the “Choose Images” button and navigate to wherever you have the images stored on your computer. Click on the images (hold down the ctrl key and left-click on each one to do them in one fell swoop) and then on the open button. PostImages will generate individual urls for each photo. Copy the plain links, the ones that go directly to the picture, not the ones with code, and paste them into the reply box here. To copy, click and drag over the url until the whole thing is selected, then hold down the Ctrl key and press the letter C. To paste, click in the reply box and hold down the Ctrl key and press the letter V.

Can’t wait to see them! 🙂

Kazz, I had to tie myself to a mast and stuff my eye sockets with wax to refrain from buying a brown and turquoise pair of cowboy boots a few weeks ago. They were works of art, truly. Your goal is a noble one and I am so looking forward to see you attain it.

Thank you Esnecca – I’ll try to muddle through following your instructions tomorrow…
This question is unrelated. Been thinking about your date night recently. Now that
we’re healthy, it’s time to GET OUT of this rut and experience more of this college
town! Is the name of the tapas restaurant you enjoyed so much “El Pulpo”?
I think this may be a great place to begin a tradition of date night 🙂

Allie yes! That’s a wonderful idea! El Pulpo is perfect, absolutely perfect for date night. It’s elegantly appointed but casual and warm, attententive but unobtrusive servers and staff, phenomenal cooking, including a number of dishes you can order without changes or substitutions, in a quiet but still buzzy space. You must go there in your great new threads on your fella’s arm!

Wanna double-date?

Esnecca, a double date would be insane! Will respond to your email when the sun
comes up and I won’t be disturbing the old bearded one as I bang around with
the desk chair. Keep a sharp eye out, see you later!

Allie

Now I feel like digging out my angel’s wings, flying across the pond and joining you for a triple date at El Pulpo 😄 Navigation may be a stumbling block though, as not sure of even which state, let alone town, I’d be heading to😂

That would be such an epic triple date, Theo. I don’t know if El Pulpo can handle all that fabulousness at one time. The ground will shake from our bootstomps!

Hey, Essie, we’d paint the town red, wouldn’t we?

These boots are made for stomping……👢👢👢👢

The thought of you being with us, Theo, just blew out a circuit or two in my brain!
This Connecticut town would consider it “A Happening”! We might get tossed from
the restaurant for “disorderly conduct”, i.e., laughter, possibly “insighted a riot” when
we announce to other diners that between the 3 of us, we’ve lost in the vicinity of
400lbs! There’s still time to consider it Theo! I may even know someone who is a
feature’s photographer for the newspaper….. Photo shoot, anyone???

Ah bless you Allie – those students will have nothing on us! We’ll show them how to have a good time, won’t we?!!👢👢👢

Talking about photo shoots, how’s your’s coming along? Looking forward to seeing all your new outfits 😄

Hi, Theo, just a test here to see if this link to a faux fur vest will be successful?!

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/via-spiga-collarless-faux-fur-vest/4412767?origin=
coordinating4412767-601676.

If you get to see it, what do you think???

Looking good, girl 😃 Wondering if it’s available in UK? 😉

Of course it would look even better with my mate wearing it xxx

Thank you, Theo! I think it would be spectacular if you accompanied your daughter(s) and
SIL on their next medical meeting/buying trip to New York. We could tear up Henri Bendel,
Saks, and numerous boutiques in Manhattan to our hearts content, and to the detriment
of our personal finances…….I’m still thinking about those classy blue boots with the
the ankle bow. So elegant!

Now there’s something to work towards, Allie😁

Sadly I don’t think I’m going to be tearing up Henri Bendel, Saks, or numerous boutiques wearing the blue boots, though. They are not actually that comfortable – look good though😉

Some footwear is all about making the impact, a grand entrance, a pose or two, a lap around the room, then you sit your ass down until it’s time for the grand exit. I have a pair of peep-toe candy apple red patent leather platform heels gifted to me by my style guru friend. Those were the ones she me told to use for practice because I teetered on them like a drunken clown on stilts. She also told me they were not dance all night shoes or even stand for a few hours at a cocktail party shoes. They were go out to a fancy dinner and then commit unspeakable acts with your OH when you get home shoes. 😀

Allie, I LOVE that crimped faux fur vest. With your height and legs up to there you could totally pull it off like gangbusters. Since it’s got some volume up top, be sure to wear the skinniest pant or jean you have on the bottom. And high heeled boots, of course, but you can assume that’s my advice in any given scenario. 😆

Haha, ladies, your approval means a lot! 🙂 I’ll definitely be pulling the trigger now.
Esnecca, I’ve had to go back decades to remember how to execute my runway pivot/
turn, but I’m improving daily. I barely “lurch” anymore! Skinny pants and stilletos, definitely.
I have to RELY on the legs, being boobless and bumless as I am 🙂 🙂 🙂 Please give me
a break on Sat. night, and don’t go crazy with the decolletage. Just kidding, of course.
Remember that my partner has a weakened heart!

I shall be the very soul of modesty. At most I’ll them in a festive bow under my neck. 😀

Hello,
One of life’s disappointments is that you don’t live close enough to come shopping with me, Esnecca 😉. Those boots you posted….to die for!

Even though I’m nowhere near goal, this thread is an inspiration to me. Thank you for making my day more interesting. Angela

Hello everyone, and please forgive me for using Esnecca’s thread to communicate
with her. My sincere apologies!

Essie, I responded to your email re our dinner plans for this weekend very early in
the week. I generally check the mail 1xday, and I see no responses there other
than those from others that I communicated with this week. Perhaps your dance
card is very full at the moment 🙂 I make few to no concessions to “age”, but one
of them is that we no longer do social engagements on “the fly” or are “device
dependent” (hard is that may be to imagine, Haha!) I will check this space this
evening with the hope that I will be hearing from you. Wishing you a joyful,
happy weekend, if we won’t be spending a part of it together 🙂

Allie

I didn’t get it, Allie! That’s the second time you’ve emailed me and I haven’t received it. What is up with my email? I’m getting a ton of mail, personal and endless spam, so it’s definitely not broken. I’m not used to be incommunicado in this day and age. Hold tight, girl. Call incoming.

Gather round, phoenixes. It’s story time.

A long time ago in a land far, far away there was a girl, young woman really, who yearned tragically for one particular outfit: a perfectly fitted and tailored tuxedo coat with tails and the whole nine. Alas, we are not all blessed to look as fly as Marlene Dietrich in menswear. Our young heroine was petite with a small bust and waist and shapely derriere, the classic pear-shape in other words, which made finding her dream look impossible. Getting a bespoke suit made to order to suit her frame was prohibitive, and the retail options were all tuxedo-inspired, not the perfect 30s Puttin’ on the Ritz top-hat-and-spats outfit she’d pictured a million times in her dreams.

Time passed and her dream faded as her increasingly ungainly body became harder and harder to fit into anything, never you mind a perfectly fitted and tailored tuxedo coat with tails and the whole nine. More time passed. Too much time passed. Then, like a Fairy Godmother, Michael Mosley appeared in her life. He turned her pumpkin body into a crystal carriage and she took full advantage of the wishes he had granted her, filling her closet with hot boots and even one pair of velvet skinny pants with a satin stripe down the outside of each leg, tuxedo style. Modified, yes, but still that girl inside was nothing but happy that she could even step into the kind of things that had been slightly sad compromises when she was young and stupid.

Then, in an online vintage fashion store, she saw something. Her breath caught in her throat. Tiny dots of light flooded her field of vision. There it was. The coat. Tailored, wasp-waisted, high in the front tailed in the back. But oh God, the measurements… There wasn’t even an inch to spare anywhere. Did she dare take the risk? She had already checked out by the time she consciously decided she sure as hell was going to dare.

Less than a week later, the mirror, mirror on the wall reflected this mirage back at her:

https://s8.postimg.org/x6moh3s39/tux.jpg

Now if only she could find a pleated front collared white cotton/silk shirt that fits like a glove to go under it. To be continued…

Okay, Essie, you’ve finally rendered me completely and utterly speechless with delight upon
reading your post! The absence of your “head” in the photograph makes it all the more
intriguing…I can hardly believe that the mystery will be solved tomorrow evening. I simply
can’t wait to meet you both! I think we will find that silk shirt, too 🙂

You’ve brought me nothing but fashion luck, Allie, so if the pattern holds I should have that tuxedo shirt in my clutches soon. I’m so looking forward to tomorrow that not even the predicted snow can daunt me. I will have to modify my shoe selection to something more practical, though, with traction and all that boring stuff. Oh well, thankfully I have rainproof suede booties with a faux fur lining that manage to look cute while keeping me from falling resoundingly onto my ass. 😀

See you in 19 hours!

OH MY WORD, Esnecca! You did this! You made your dream come true! I have a lump in my throat!

I wish all of you incredible maintainers NOTHING but the very best! Total inspiration, the lot of you!

Xxx

Wow Esnecca- you look amazing! So slim!! Thank you for posting the fairytale. Our Dreams actually have come true. What an inspiration you are to Everyone!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Allie and Esnecca have a great time tomorrow. Allie you will get to see the ‘head’ and then maybe, Esnecca, we can all be let into the secret of the ‘topping’ on that wonderful body! Enjoy girls!

Esnecca and Allie – have a wonderful time at your double date night, and please post a photo of your wonderful, inspirational and slender selves WITH heads, we’re all in suspenders here! xx

I’m sorry to have to beg your pardon again, everyone, but I need to leave a message here
for Esnecca, as we’re in the middle of a snow event here that has put a definite crimp in
our plans for the evening. My sincere apologies!

Essie, I’ve seen the up to date snow totals for the evening, and as we live up in the hills
with 2 steep ones to navigate getting home, as well as another involving the driveway
which won’t be plowed until noon tomorrow, it looks like we will have to err on the side
of caution this time and regrettably cancel. I feel like New Years Eve has just been
cancelled! Here is the real irony, though. This weather event is being called “Winter
Storm Ali”! When J. returns from the wilds of snow country (out doing errands, I hope,)
I’ll phone you after checking the upcoming semester break dates with the hope that
we’ll have an opportunity to reschedule that works well for the two of you. Until then,
I’ll leave you with this little bauble that I was looking forward to showing you tonight:

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id=
84552444203532&site_refer=DFA

I’ll be in touch,

Allie

My phone was not happy with the weather either so I missed your call, Allie. What a shame that we were thwarted. We’ll get it all sorted out after the holidays and the meet-up will be all the more enjoyable for the extended anticipation. 🙂

We had quite a snowy adventure ourselves. And by adventure I mean white-knuckle expedition on treacherous unplowed, unsalted Route 9 in two direction. It was scary out there, and we were encased in a motored vehicle. In your place, I wouldn’t have dared deal with steep inclines either. The few steps I had to take out of doors (like from the car to my parents’ house) I barely managed to keep vertical. We made it to the restaurant in the end, but were 25 minutes late and I was relieved when the server told us no lovely lady in a red coat and stately gentleman with an unkempt beard had been twiddling their thumbs gnawing on the edge of the tablecloth for half an hour.

Dinner was still perfect and wonderful until the cheese plate came. Covered in honey. It was all I could do not to fall to my knees and cry out “NOOOOOO” like in a cheesy action movie when the star’s sidekick takes a bullet for him. 😀

Sorry, this link takes you to multiple choices of Uno de 50 bracelets. I think this is
the item I’m trying to refer to.

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id_845524442108367

a leather and silver bead boho indulgence! Now that I’ve allowed my hair color to
go au naturelle, i.e., gray, I’m shifting from gold to more silver. Theo, this may be of
no interest to anyone but you and Essie, but I post it anyway for your enjoyment. I
hope things are becoming more manageable for you and your family. I’m thinking
of you!

Hugs,

Allie