2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I have a habit of keeping disintegrating shoes as well because I think to myself "I'm sure I can get a bit more wear out of them".

Yes, I think that's it - I know one pair with a hole worn right through the sole and the metal arch support collapsing through, I hung onto on the grounds that I could wear them when it wasn't wet and I wan't going far, ie around the house...!

thriftwizard

I'm thinking that the cotton polo-necks might qualify as "other undergarments" i.e. 3 coupons each? In general, the coupons seem to reflect the amount of fabric in each garment, and they're pretty skimpy!

Laura, I really had to hunt around for them; they weren't on display at all, but stacked alongside t-shirts on a back wall. There were some lovely patterned ones too, but they wouldn't have gone with any of the things that needed going-with, IYKWIM!

I'm also guilty of hanging onto shoes so worn that I could tell which street I'm on by the feel of the cobbles through the holes in my soles! (Any other Pratchett fans in here?!) I moved most of the ones that are still genuinely comfortable & useful into a new, lidded box the other day, ready to dispose of the rest. But then I discovered that I could get both boxes under the bed... oh dear!

PipneyJane

thriftwizard wrote: »

I'm thinking that the cotton polo-necks might qualify as "other undergarments" i.e. 3 coupons each? In general, the coupons seem to reflect the amount of fabric in each garment, and they're pretty skimpy!

Laura, I really had to hunt around for them; they weren't on display at all, but stacked alongside t-shirts on a back wall. There were some lovely patterned ones too, but they wouldn't have gone with any of the things that needed going-with, IYKWIM!

I'm also guilty of hanging onto shoes so worn that I could tell which street I'm on by the feel of the cobbles through the holes in my soles! (Any other Pratchett fans in here?!) I moved most of the ones that are still genuinely comfortable & useful into a new, lidded box the other day, ready to dispose of the rest. But then I discovered that I could get both boxes under the bed... oh dear!

3 Coupons is fine by me.

And yes, I'm a Pratchett fan. Sir Terry's books are wonderful. (I had to explain the Round World theory to someone on Tuesday. It would be funny if we really were a UU experiment.)

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

One of my nicest feelings is when an old friend occasionally refers to me as 'Weatherwax'... a real compliment, imo!

No more coupons spent here, still 11.5 left - been using up fabric I already had putting linings into my old velvet curtains for the sitting-room's big north-facing window.... talk about good quality lasting, these are the 1979 curtains still soldiering on!

thriftwizard

Signature edited - just 2 coupons left! And to think I thought I was going to end up with about 50... just goes to show!

PipneyJane

It's my office "Christmas Do" tonight and I'm stressing about what to wear. There's no dress code - seriously Black Tie would be so much easier - and the venue is a wine bar in the City so I have to trek into London in the cold, too. I don't want to turn up in jeans only to discover everyone else has poshed up, nor do I want to be the only one in a really dressy dress. Grrr......

Also, I have a confession to make. I bought a sheepskin coat from the spivs. It's lovely and long and very warm, but it's 14 coupons I didn't have. It's the long military coat from Celtic & Co. If your eyes are popping at the price, I have been saving up but I blew the Coat Fund, the Clothing Fund and the Sanity Fund on this one. (Just pray that my iPad or phone don't go kaput in the near future - I spent their money too.)

I'll have to work out how far I'm over, coupon-wise. (I've lost track.) Must be double by now. Next year, I'll do the signature thing.

- Pip

PS: Thriftwizard, two coupons is better than none. At least you'll get good use out of your purchases.

PPS: Laura, love the new shoes. ETA what a wonderful website! I've bookmarked it. May yet buy a pair of 19th century ladies boots from there. (Next year.)

Laura_Elsewhere

How about jeans, but with a seriously glitzy top under your cosy warm new coat or jumper - wear comfy shoes for travel, and take fabulously glitzy stilettoes to change into on arrival!

A bit late for tonight but a few years ago I went to my chap's work Xmas Meal do - my first-ever works do! - and bought a pair of Clark's heeled round-toed, mary-janes on eBay in three tired-looking shades of ultra-beige... a few coats of red shoe-paint later, and a row of 2mm red stick-on rhinestones all round, they looked very festive!
worn with a red tartan circular skirt with a four-point handkerchief hem, and a dark green loose chenille jumper with a bog cowl-neck (ideal loose jumper as it meant I could eat as much as I liked and not bulge obviously )

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane wrote: »

Also, I have a confession to make. I bought a sheepskin coat from the spivs. It's lovely and long and very warm, but it's 14 coupons I didn't have. It's the long military coat from Celtic & Co. If your eyes are popping at the price, I have been saving up but I blew the Coat Fund, the Clothing Fund and the Sanity Fund on this one. (Just pray that my iPad or phone don't go kaput in the near future - I spent their money too.)
)

I looked at the (utterly GORGEOUS) coat, looked at the price and thought, well, that's not all that bad... and then realised my eyes had elided the first digit... golly!

Fingers crossed re the iGadgets!!!!

But the coat is reeeally beautiful - and it will outlive you and probably another two generations of your family!

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

How about jeans, but with a seriously glitzy top under your cosy warm new coat or jumper - wear comfy shoes for travel, and take fabulously glitzy stilettoes to change into on arrival!

A bit late for tonight but a few years ago I went to my chap's work Xmas Meal do - my first-ever works do! - and bought a pair of Clark's heeled round-toed, mary-janes on eBay in three tired-looking shades of ultra-beige... a few coats of red shoe-paint later, and a row of 2mm red stick-on rhinestones all round, they looked very festive!
worn with a red tartan circular skirt with a four-point handkerchief hem, and a dark green loose chenille jumper with a bog cowl-neck (ideal loose jumper as it meant I could eat as much as I liked and not bulge obviously )

The Christmas Party turned out to be in a City wine bar, where we had a small section to ourselves, and the rest of the patrons were office-workers, drinking with their colleagues before heading home from work. Unlike the previous Christmas Party I’d been to, it wasn’t one of those multi-corporate dress-up “do’s”. The food was lovely and the company was good, although we did have to contend with a couple of p*ssheads, but nothing like at the previous thing two years ago. (I missed last year’s because I was in NZ.)

In the end, I wore the black, short-sleeved dress that I’d worn to my interview three years ago (that was a really hot, sunny day), together with a lacy shrug-thing, which has a ruffled edge and ruffled sleeves. Both were charity shop bargains - as were the shoes I wore - so I reckon my entire outfit cost less than £20. It was perfect. Smart but not too dressy.

Coat wise, I wore “the duvet”, my long black puffer jacket, not the new coat. Since I didn’t know the venue, I didn’t want to risk it getting crap spilt on it or - worse - “mislaid” and taken home by someone else. The new coat will get road tested today at the football.

- Pip

maddiemay

Pip I love the coat looks so cosy and a definite investment item, I hope it keeps you snug and warm and you will look great.

I decided that today was a good day for properly tracking my ration coupons and clothes/shoe spending in general for this year. I really did not think that I had bought very much, but find I have spent £256, 34 items in total, 12 being new purchases, leaving me with a whole 4 coupons left

The new things are:-
2 Down & Feather Gilets,
1 Down & Feather Jacket
2 pairs leggings (1 for gym use)
1 warm, lined bobble hat
1 gorgeous pink & purple Baker's Boy cap
1 pair Skechers sandals
1 pair summer trousers
1 summer skirt
Yarn for a sweater
1 white T shirt

With the exception of the white t shirt which has turned out to be "rather a snug fit" (my OH was less complimentary LOL) everything should be in use for many years to come.

I have not kept a note of how many ill fitting or less than flattering things I have sent to the CS this year, but realistically I think I have matched or got close to the 22 CS buys, most of which are really good quality and again should be worn for a good while.

Can you tell I am working hard at justifying my clotheaholic sp? tendencies :rotfl: