2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

I succumbed to buying something the other day. I was having a really bad day on Wednesday and needed to get out for some air and walked into town. I ended up in TKMax looking for some long sleeved sports type tops (as that is where I get my gym wear from) but couldn't find any but I did find some three quarter length sports leggings which I have also been needing. I think they are 2 coupons so I have 52 coupons left. I know I shouldn't spend money to try and cheer myself up but I did buy something I needed. I'm going out tonight for the first time in a long time and I am looking forward to getting to wear something from my existing "posh" stuff for a change. I'm a bit nervous as it has been ages since I have been out and about on a night out but if I wear something I love that should make me feel a bit more confident.

PipneyJane

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I succumbed to buying something the other day. I was having a really bad day on Wednesday and needed to get out for some air and walked into town. I ended up in TKMax looking for some long sleeved sports type tops (as that is where I get my gym wear from) but couldn't find any but I did find some three quarter length sports leggings which I have also been needing. I think they are 2 coupons so I have 52 coupons left. I know I shouldn't spend money to try and cheer myself up but I did buy something I needed. I'm going out tonight for the first time in a long time and I am looking forward to getting to wear something from my existing "posh" stuff for a change. I'm a bit nervous as it has been ages since I have been out and about on a night out but if I wear something I love that should make me feel a bit more confident.

Have a lovely night out tonight, Lisa.

I’m sure you will be perfectly dressed and look great.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane wrote: »

Have a lovely night out tonight, Lisa.

I’m sure you will be perfectly dressed and look great.

- Pip

I bet she does/did, too - feeling as if you belong in your clothes is the best way to look good, regardless of what the clothes are!

Laura_Elsewhere

Ooooh, coupon-saving just got easier... a friend decided she's not knitted with laceweight yarn in years so when we met for cakes this morning, she handed over a bag wth about 80 quids' worth of reeeally lovely alpaca/ silk/ cashmere yarns in gorgeous colours!

wow!

Now considering knitting a little slipover in several colours of laceweight, to wear on cooler summer days - a slipover being my old-fashioned term for a sleeveless pullover

PollyWollyDoodle

Drool ... what a lovely friend!

CAFCGirl

Argh! I fear I may have 'lost' my loom knitting effort at the bind off stage! Noooooooo
Will attempt to rehook it but the gauge is so small I'm losing the loops. I may need to mentally prepare myself for the task.

Coupons still in place. It's definitely been a good challenge for me if for no reason than actually realising that I do purchase a lot second hand and feeling somewhat better about my eco-conscious efforts - which I had been feeling rather disheartened by - mostly thanks to social media

thriftwizard

feeling somewhat better about my eco-conscious efforts - which I had been feeling rather disheartened by - mostly thanks to social media

You and me both! I keep seeing & lusting after all those lovely linen-effect asymmetric smocky-things, which several of my friends wear day in, day out, and look effortlessly stylish in. However, they are beanpoles, and I am - not! I've tried a few on in charity shops, and I look like nothing quite so much as a mobile marquee, despite the fact I'm not actually that big; it's all in the shape & the drape, as they say!

CAFCGirl

Lagen-Look I love for how comfy it seems but being 5ftnotalot it just doesn't wear well on me and I end up resenting it all.
So I'm still 100% on where I'm at style wise but I'm for now embracing being fluid with that, and working on finding that which doesn't trigger me sensory wise first

BabyStepper

Just ducking in to say I have blown my voucher budget completely out of the water and am scared to add it up, I thought about stopping the challenge but I love the chat and info about clothing history, mindful shopping etc so I'm staying, even if this year will likely be an epic fail from me.

Also to add about boots, I'm not overweight and have never got a pair of knee high boots or wellies to comfortably fit over my calves. Thanks for the explanation about where they are made, it makes sense, we don't have fat calves we are just western women with different bodies. Love it! :T

Laura_Elsewhere

BabyStepper wrote: »

Just ducking in to say I have blown my voucher budget completely out of the water and am scared to add it up, I thought about stopping the challenge but I love the chat and info about clothing history, mindful shopping etc so I'm staying, even if this year will likely be an epic fail from me.

Well, how about seeing if you can identify HOW you blew the year's coupons in 3 months, and then start again with 33 coupons, half a year's worth, and see how you do at making that last out the rest of the year?

I know that isn't how it worked during the war, but we have the added disadvantages of having grown up in a hugely profligate society and being surrounded by constant advertising tempting and luring us, whereas in the war they were surrounded by advertising encouraging them NOT to buy new clothes!

So I reckon - Pip being the final arbiter, of course - I reckon it's reasonable to have just the one 33-coupon re-start during the first half of the year, so long as the person has a good go at working out what happened and how to prevent it...

What do others think? I did it last year, because I lost count and forgot to make notes and ended up with no idea if I had none or thirty or fifty or what, so I started again and even then ended up buying on the black market... but we keep TRYING, that's the point!

And yes, totally agree about the lovely company!