2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane wrote: »

Yes, me. Particularly when I'm working in a cold portacabin, day-in-day-out. I'll wear a different jumper each day, under my work fleece. Given my ability to spill liquids on me, I probably need 10 jumpers in winter, just to keep up with the laundry.

- Pip (I just have to look at a glass, for it to spill. I once covered the entire kitchen in squash, having knocked a pint glass that contained 1cm of squash in the bottom.)

Pip, my Dad once had a terrible shock - he was working in an old university building, 19th century house half-converted into offices, and the loo was immensely high-ceilinged, a room about four foot wide but twelve foot long and standard Edinburgh 14-foot ceilings.... and one day he went in to find alarming blood-spatter clear up onto the ceiling, must have been arterial... still dripping...! It was a weekend and he thought he was alone in the building, so was a bit spooked... til one of his post-grad students appeared carrying a load of paper towels.

Apparently if you leave a full bottle of Ribena on a radiator overnight, when the radiator heats to Tropically Hot (the university's standard setting), the bottle explodes upwards

PipneyJane

This weekend, I met a transvestite friend for a cuppa. Every so-often, he organises "meet ups" with a couple of sympathetic female friends, so that he can frock up and do the things that he imagines women do in their girly time, like afternoon tea and shopping. All very 1950's...

Anyway, since he hadn't actually thought beyond the fantasy*, after we'd all met up over a cuppa we were at a loss as to what to do next. (Given how long he's known me, you'd think he'd know that I don't "do shopping". It's not a hobby for me.)

In the end, I dragged him around the womens' wear departments of John Lewis and Bentalls and inspected the fashions. OMG... This is going to be a terrible winter for fashion, if their wears are anything to go by. I even saw a £300+ floral smock! Seriously, it looked like something that had escaped from practice wardrobe department of Little House on the Prairie and then had to sell half it's fibre for food. The main print was extremely busy but it had a contrasting bodice print - also extremely busy. The fabric was very flimsy and almost see through. No self-respecting hippy would be seen dead wearing it.

These were the "quality" shops, so if they're anything to go by then good fabric is getting harder to find on ready-to-wear clothes. I did find one silk dress - styled for a boob-less bean pole - and something in pure wool crepe, but pretty much everything else was polyester. Even the Prince of Wales check jacket was 100% polyester.

On the shoe front, Chelsea Boots are "in". (Jodhpur boots to us horsey types.) I saw several, slightly different styles. Also things with clumpy, molded soles.

Anyway, that's my fashion report. Nothing was worth buying.

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Pip, my Dad once had a terrible shock - he was working in an old university building, 19th century house half-converted into offices, and the loo was immensely high-ceilinged, a room about four foot wide but twelve foot long and standard Edinburgh 14-foot ceilings.... and one day he went in to find alarming blood-spatter clear up onto the ceiling, must have been arterial... still dripping...! It was a weekend and he thought he was alone in the building, so was a bit spooked... til one of his post-grad students appeared carrying a load of paper towels.

Apparently if you leave a full bottle of Ribena on a radiator overnight, when the radiator heats to Tropically Hot (the university's standard setting), the bottle explodes upwards

He-he!!!!

:rotfl:

- Pip


* He's actually terrible to shop with regardless of whether he's dressed as a bloke or as a woman. Supermarket shopping with him on holiday is painful (BTDT).

PollyWollyDoodle

PipneyJane wrote: »

. I even saw a £300+ floral smock! Seriously, it looked like something that had escaped from practice wardrobe department of Little House on the Prairie and then had to sell half it's fibre for food. .

That made me spit my tea out! :rotfl: I don't go into new clothes shops any more, only charity shops, but I was looking at a magazine the other day and trying to spot what the current trends are. I didn't identify anything I would wear, although I have just bought some Chelsea boots. I really must tot up my coupons.

CAFCGirl

Hello all!

I have acquired by way of eBay a lovely ditsy-ish navy blue and burnt orange floral cropped wide leg jumpsuit, brand new with tags.
Being president of the Short Leg Committee I am thinking this will end up ankle grazer length, with some converse style boots I think will end up a bit eclectic artistic looking (my goal style), but funky and offbeat LOL
Will give it a try today.
Not coupon related but I'm also having my hair cut super short Monday as it's time for a change there too.

Laura_Elsewhere

CAFCGirl wrote: »

I think will end up a bit eclectic artistic looking (my goal style), but funky and offbeat LOL
Will give it a try today.

....and??? How did it work?? And how's the haircut doing?


I'm off today to meet two nice old ex-fellow-students, last seen nearly 30 years ago - and one a knitter as well, but we are meeting near the really good knitting shop, eeek!

CAFCGirl

I'm getting the hair cut Monday, going Elfin/pixie crop short.

It actually looked pretty nice on, just ankle grazing length. Only bug bear was it showing a bit of the old 'mum tum paunch' but I'm going to work on ignoring that and stop thinking of it as a flaw/undesirable.

Laura_Elsewhere

CAFCGirl wrote: »

I'm getting the hair cut Monday, going Elfin/pixie crop short.

It actually looked pretty nice on, just ankle grazing length. Only bug bear was it showing a bit of the old 'mum tum paunch' but I'm going to work on ignoring that and stop thinking of it as a flaw/undesirable.

A flaw????

You're kidding?!

A Mum Tum Paunch indeed, tchah... that is the most gorgeous curvaceous lovely memento, a souvenir of your lovely offspring! How nice to have clothing that allows you to enjoy happy and enjoyable memories like that!

Laura_Elsewhere

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

I'm off today to meet two nice old ex-fellow-students, last seen nearly 30 years ago - and one a knitter as well, but we are meeting near the really good knitting shop, eeek!

I was very good - I bought 50g of Jamieson & Smith in a glorious gorgeous deep rich crimson that practically glowed at me like a stained glass window with the sun setting behind it... I plan to use it with some dark rich charcoal-grey I already have, to knit another pair of the Speckled Band socks which are working so well in DK. This will be in 4-ply, so I'll wear them with shoes, rather than with boots. So I did use coupons - well, a single coupon! - but will also be using up existing stock from my cupboard AND knitting happy memories into the socks!

thriftwizard

Heroic stuff, Laura, just 50g...

Hold my hands, everyone - this may be where all my coupons vanish! I'm off up to Town for a few days to look after my 12-week-old grandpuppy, and I have a ticket for the Knitting & Stitching show... Not to mention the fact that DD2 is coming with me, and could quite easily spend the entire family's coupon allowance in one department store! So I shall probably need to drag her around umpteen museums & parks instead.

Not sure we'll find any brilliant bargains like we do at the local recycler's - she walked out with a vintage Dolce et Gabbana top the other day for 50p - but I may not be able to resist at least having a look... I do need some sensible boots!

Laura_Elsewhere

Cor, good luck!!! I only managed it by thinking VERY sternly of points, and that I may want to buy fabric whilst back in my old hometown with its excellent fabric shop - although in a cunning plan, I asked my chap if he might buy me a few metres of something luscious that he would help me choose, so I can make an everyday skirt in something sumptuously lovely - on his points!!

Re the boots - if possible, you could try to get the sort that can be re-heeled/ re-soled, instead of the much more common sort with sole and heel all cast in one piece that can't be mended in any way... then next year's points won't be needed for more!