Should I ask for clothes for Christmas?

[Nikia]

from my evil inlaws. I have been feeling kind of unattractive lately. I think that having most of my clothes being too big for me has something to do with it. Due to digestive problems, I have shrunk from size 8-10 jeans to size 6 jeans. I have always been a little bigger on top comparatively but my size large shirts and sweaters look like tents on me. I have finally adjusted to my new size naked and no longer think that I look like a skeleton. I suppose that it is possible that I will get better and want to eat like I used to again and gain the weight back, but that doesn't seem to be happening. If I do get better, I think that it would be smart to eat healthier and I'd like to start running again once I regain my strength.
Anyway, we have very little extra money, which would pretty much prevent me from buying much. My evil inlaws always buy us a bunch of stuff of our choosing for Christmas. After picking out clothes for me that I would never wear, my mother-in-law has had me circle things in the JC Penny catalog the last two years. The only problem with this is that the sizes seem to be variable. Some of the size large shirts were large on me when I got them while some of them fit me well now. I wouldn't be so picky except the point in me wanting new clothes is so that I will be wearing clothes that fit. To my knowledge, they never give out gift certificates. My mother-in-law has taken me shopping a couple times, but it hasn't gone well because we have very different tastes in clothing.
Maybe I should get a part time job at a fast food restaurant and I'll either regain my weight or I'll have enough money to buy clothes.
I should note that these clothes are not for work since I wear a uniform there. I am married and almost 27. I like to look good, but I don't appreciate other men staring at my chest.

[haele]

1. Go ahead and ask for a gift certificate...

There's nothing wrong with asking - and if your relatives want to make their gift "special" - tell them that a nice, individualized Christmas card with a letter and photos will make the gift certificate special.
And even if you're a rather laissez-faire person, you will remember what you got with the gift certificate - trust me. I always remember that my brother's GC allowed me to get that nice set of plates and glasses when I needed them, that my parent's GC allowed me to get that nice coat and pair of shoes...

A nice $50 gift certificate will get you at least one item of clothing that's nice, perhaps even two if you hit the January and February sales. That way, you don't have to worry about returns and bad feelings if you get something that's too large or the wrong style.

Even if I "know" what someone wants in the way of clothing, I'll give them the gift certificate so that they can go out and get what they actually want they know actually fits them. I also don't run into the problem of sending them something that another friend or relative has already gotten them.
(Learned that trick going to a couple of weddings early on in life - how many toasters and coffee makers do a new couple need?)

BTW, my 60ish parents have asked for gift certificates this year - they've moved and don't want to deal with the hassles of sending out lists to people.

Good luck.
Haele