One of the biggest (and most unexpected) parts of life after gastric sleeve surgery is dealing with your wardrobe.
As the weight starts to fall off, you’ll suddenly find that nothing fits – jeans that once felt tight are hanging off you, shirts look oversized, and entire drawers become useless almost overnight.
So, what do you do with all those clothes that no longer fit?
Here’s what we did – and a few other options you might want to consider.
Our Experience
For us, donating was the best choice. We gave our clothes to the Salvation Army through one of the clothing drop-off points outside our local Tesco.
All in all, we probably got rid of around 10 big bin bags between the two of us in those early months – plus another 5 bags that went straight to the bin because they were too worn, stained, or faded to donate.
We didn’t do it all at once. Our first drop was around three months post-surgery, when we donated about five bags. Another three went at the four-month mark, around the time we started buying new clothes because we were finally running out of things that fit.
The reason we could delay buying new clothes for so long was simple: over the years, as our weight fluctuated, we’d built up wardrobes in several sizes. As the weight came off, we gradually began fitting into our “old smaller sizes” again, which bought us a bit of time before needing to shop.
By month five, we donated another two bags – and at that point, almost everything we owned before surgery was gone.
Keeping a Reminder
We have each kept one full set of clothes from when we started this journey – jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket – just for comparison.
Every now and then, we’ll put them on to see how far we’ve come. It’s genuinely shocking (and quite funny) how big they now look on us – we can both fit into one of our old jackets at the same time!
Keeping a small reminder like that helps when your mind hasn’t fully caught up with your physical transformation. Seeing the difference so clearly makes it real in a way that photos or numbers on a scale never quite can.
October 2025 Update
Since first writing this post, we’ve continued clearing out as the journey goes on. As of October 2025, we’ve now donated 39 bin bags worth of clothes to local charity shops – every single item we owned pre-surgery is now gone.
It’s been one of the most symbolic and rewarding parts of this process – shedding not just physical weight, but the old versions of ourselves that no longer serve the lives we’re building now.
Alternatives to Donating
If donating isn’t your preferred option, there are plenty of other ways to repurpose your old clothes:
Sell Them Online – Platforms like Vinted or eBay can help you make back some money. We know people from our surgery group who’ve made £500-£700 this way! For us, it felt like too much hassle, so we stuck with donating.
Donate to Animal Shelters – Many shelters accept old bedding, towels, and clothing for animal use.
Upcycle or Sew – If you’re crafty, use the fabric to create new items, or try tailoring them down to your new size.
Turn Them into Cleaning Rags – Great for older clothes that aren’t suitable for donation.
Give to Friends or Family – Especially if you know someone on their own fitness or health journey.
Use for Projects – Old clothes can make excellent material for sewing practice or creative fashion experiments before cutting into more expensive fabrics.
The key is to do what feels right for you – there’s no “one size fits all” approach.
Why It Matters
Letting go of your old clothes isn’t just about clearing space in your wardrobe – it’s symbolic.
It’s a way of saying goodbye to the old version of yourself and making room (literally and emotionally) for the healthier life you’ve worked so hard to create.
Every bag we donated represented progress – proof that the surgery worked, that our choices paid off, and that we’re moving forward for good.
Disclaimer: This post is based on our personal experience after gastric sleeve surgery. It is not medical or psychological advice. Everyone’s journey is unique – always consult your bariatric team or GP for guidance on safe post-surgery recovery and lifestyle adjustments.