Honey, I Shrunk! 5 Women's Amazing Transformations

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

What do you wear when your old clothes are 20 sizes too big? Adam Glassman helps radically reshaped women get gorgeously dressed.

Next: From a size 22—to a size 4

Photo: Courtesy of Ashli Largé

That Was Then...

Ashli Largé, 23, recent college grad

Slimming Down
When Ashli Largé saw her aunt lose 30 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan, she knew she had to try it, too—even though she couldn't walk up the small hill near her home without getting winded. A few months after she started the program, she hit the gym, and the pounds began melting away.

See Ashli's amazing transformation

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

This is Now: Embracing Color

After years of hiding in jeans and oversize shirts, Largé wasn't sure how to handle body-hugging bright colors. This modern working-girl look is one the aspiring writer would happily wear to a job interview. Says O's creative director, Adam Glassman, "If you're new to brights, start with one piece, like this chartreuse skirt, and pair it with something more subdued—in this case, a dusty-rose cardigan, which operates like a neutral." Metallics, like this Pleaser shoe, always work with bold shades. To add more color, Glassman suggests starting with accessories. But Largé loves the look as is. "It's like something Lois Lane would wear," she says. "Only better!"

Worked for Me!
"I did a lot of jogging in place—while microwaving a meal, while watching TV, while listening to half a Lady Gaga or Black Eyed Peas album. And jogging wasn't the only thing I did to music. God forbid if anyone had witnessed the spastic movements I call dancing!"

Sweater, L'Wren Scott; Blake, Chicago, 312-202-0047. Skirt, Boden, $118. Earrings, Wendy Yue at Fragments; 212-334-9588. Bracelet, Finn. Ring, Kenneth Jay Lane; 877-953-5264.

Photo: Courtesy of Susan Martin

That Was Then...

Susan Martin, 36, publicist/event planner

Slimming Down
"If something tastes good, I want as much of it as possible," says Susan Martin, whose work in public relations has long involved expense-account meals and mindless eating during meetings. Seven years ago, she lost 25 pounds but then gained the weight back. In 2007, after she'd started her own business and established a more flexible schedule, she got serious: "Instead of continually gaining and losing, I decided to quit my bad habits. I started working out every day, eventually hiring a trainer, and acknowledged that even though I'm tall, I can't carry an infinite amount of extra weight."

See Susan's amazing transformation

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

This is Now: Perfect Pants

As she lost weight, Martin rewarded herself with new gym clothes. But a workout wardrobe can't do it all. These cigarette pants have just enough stretch to fit right in both the waist and thigh. Glassman pairs them with a vibrant, loose top. "You don't want to do tight on the top and bottom," he says. "You need to balance it out." Don't be afraid to try heels or a heeled bootie with skinny pants. "And to really go for the long-and-lean look," Glassman adds, "match the tone of the shoe to the pant. Dark navy pants like these look great with a dark brown, black, or charcoal shoe."

Worked for Me!
"I finally learned that your mind plateaus just like your body does—so if you run around the same track 1,000 times, you're eventually going to give up. Now, to keep myself engaged in working out, I do boot camps, I create little bench workouts, and I never run the same route twice in one week."

Pants, Theory, $245; bloomingdales.com. Top, Reiss, $180. Earrings, Deanna Hamro at Fragments; 212-334-9588. Necklace, Nadia Lee by Adia Kibur; lespommettes.com. Bracelets, Zeffira, Kevia, and Sushma Patel. Shoes, René Caovilla.

Photo: Courtesy of Darice Blackman

That Was Then...

Darice Blackman, 53, TSA lead security officer

Slimming Down
By 2007 Darice Blackman's body was so big that she could no longer cross her legs or bend to tie her shoes, but it took a ride in a hot-air balloon to change her life. "My husband and I were on vacation in New Mexico," she explains. "The ride was great, but after the pilot landed the balloon, he had to tip the basket over because I was unable to climb out." Four months later, Blackman started looking into gastric bypass and had the surgery the following spring.

See Darice's amazing transformation

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

This is Now: Girly Chic

Though it's been three years since her surgery, Blackman is still adjusting to her new body, which, most days, is clad in a decidedly unsexy TSA uniform. But one of the reasons she wanted to lose weight was to look good for her husband, so she's in the market for more feminine styles. Glassman loves this shapely dress, with its pleated A-line skirt, waist-nipping silhouette, and pretty print. "This is such a flattering look that you don't need accessories. Trust me, Darice: This dress will get you noticed."

Worked for Me!
"I read labels on everything. If I go to a restaurant that lists calories, I eat only the 'under-550 calorie' meals. I keep whole grain pasta and quinoa in my pantry. I take recipes for peach cobbler or brownies and make them using applesauce, agave, or Splenda. And yesterday I walked 11,000 steps."

Dress, CH Carolina Herrera, $800; 212-744-2076. Earrings, Nava Zahavi at Fragments; 212-334-9588. Watch, Movado; 888-466-8236. Bracelets, Lulu Frost. Shoes, Jimmy Choo.

Photo: Courtesy of Tammy St. Clair

That Was Then...

Tammy St. Clair, 41, patient liaison

Slimming Down
"When my doctor told me that, at 34, I had the health problems of a 64-year-old, something shifted in me," Tammy St. Clair says. "I have a family history of diabetes, and suddenly I became defiant—that wouldn't be my fate, too." St. Clair chose to have lap-band surgery, and more than six years later, she's still cultivating a new sense of confidence.

See Tammy's amazing transformation

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

This is Now: A Structured Fit

Shopping for structured clothing has been tricky for St. Clair. "That was one great thing about oversize clothes," she says. "I could pull a size 28 off the rack without caring how it fit." Glassman chose this Bordeaux-colored sheath dress for her because it "creates the illusion of structure." When shopping for formfitting clothes, he says, "look for seaming details that draw the eye up and down to make you look longer and leaner. Try fabrics that have enough stretch to move with you. And remember that formfitting doesn't mean skintight. When a piece is too tight, it shows every lump."

Worked for Me!
"I made a cross-country map of all the places I want to visit—from New York to San Diego—with the goal of 'walking to them' on the treadmill. I think I actually made it to St. Louis!"

Dress, Roaman's, $45; onestopplus.com. Earrings, Suzanna Dai. Ring, BaubleBar. Stone link bracelet, R.J. Graziano; 212-685-1248. Tahitian drop bracelet, Samira 13 Jewelry. Shoes, L'Wren Scott; Barneys New York, 888-822-7639.

Photo: Courtesy of Brenna Ireland

That Was Then...

Brenna Ireland, 36,teacher

Slimming Down
"When I was heavy, the only thing I liked about shopping was hanging out at the makeup counter," says Brenna Ireland. "I found most of my clothes in the Gap and Banana Republic men's departments." She vowed to lose weight after her mother gave her several size 28 outfits—and none of them fit. Within two years of starting to eat less and exercise, she'd lost 200 pounds.

See Brenna's amazing transformation

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

This is Now: The Mini

"I've always wanted to wear a minidress!" Ireland says. Now that she has the body for it, Glassman has some advice. "If you're showing off your legs—and Brenna's are great—you don't want to show off everything else, too," he says. "This piece works because it has sleeves and a sane neckline." But the real key to pulling off the look is what lies beneath: "With a mini, whether you're size 6 or 16," Glassman says, "shapewear is your best friend."

Worked for Me!
"The whole time I was losing weight, I made sure to have a five-pound bag of potatoes in the house. And every time I lost another five pounds, I'd haul out that bag and take a good look. It was my way of visualizing how much weight I'd just gotten rid of—and it's what I needed to keep going."

Minidress, Aidan Mattox, $300; Neiman Marcus, 800-365-7989. Earrings, R.J. Graziano; 212-685-1248. Shoes, Casadei; similar styles available from neimanmarcus.com.

From the September 2011 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.