2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Welcome to the village hall of Little Mending on the Borrow, where it is perpetually 1942. We’ve just finished the village Fun Run and the runners are discussing their times.  There’s a fire in the wood-stove, tea brewing in the pot and cakes to share.  Don’t mind Scruffy-dog on the hearth rug, or Jess, the cat, on the windowseat.   They promise not to shed all over your knitting and, if you’re feeling down, they’ll come over and give you a cuddle.

We’re quite a busy little village.  There’s a cricket club, @CraftyLittleLisa’s haberdashery shop, a weekly market where @thriftwizard has a stall, a half-timbered pub called The Make Do and Mend, the Norman church with its choir, and the nearby USAF airbase where @TwibbleDee lives.  @Cherryfudge is captain of the Athletics Club, while @Laura_Elsewhere organises the Ramblers.  Up the hill is Much Mending On The Rise, home of Margot Leadbetter, that horribly patronising Lucia woman and the railway station. 

The talk turns to the new tranche of 66 clothing coupons for the year.  Who has any left from last year?   What are your plans to spend them?  Would you like to join us?  Last year’s Fashion On The Ration Challenge can be found here.  The challenge is based on the original 1941 coupons.  

Government announcement in the Evening Argus, June 1, 1941

To break it down into Women's clothing only:-

Lined mackintosh or coat over 28" - 14 coupons

Under 28" short coat or jacket - 11 coupons

Frock, gown or dress of wool - 11 coupons

Frock, gown or dress of other fabric - 7 coupons

Bodice with girls skirt or gym tunic - 8 coupons

Pyjamas - 8 coupons

Divided skirt or skirt – 7 coupons

Nightdress - 6 coupons

Dungarees or overalls - 6 coupons

Blouse, shirt, sports top, cardigan or jumper - 5 coupons

Pair of slippers, boots or shoes – 5 coupons

Other garments including corsets - 3 coupons

Petticoat or slip, cami-knickers or combinations - 4 coupons

Apron or pinafore - 3 coupons

Scarf, gloves, mittens or muff - 2 coupons

Stockings per pair - 2 coupons

Ankle socks per pair – 1 coupon

1 yard wool cloth 36"wide – 3 coupons, non-woollen cloth is 2 coupons

2 ounces of wool knitting yarn – 1 coupon

Assumptions for the Challenge:-

• 1 yard of fabric equals 1 modern metre. No penalty for width.
• 2 ounces of wool knitting yarn equals 50g of any knitting yarn containing natural fibres. Note: according to a display I once saw at the Imperial War Museum, there was a different coupon cost for man-made fibre, but I've never found out what so let's assume acrylic is half the coupon cost of wool.
• Based on the quantity of fabric and work involved, a "corset" is the equivalent of two bras.
• Ditto one pair of Cami-knickers would equal two pairs of modern bikini-style knickers or thongs.
• Bodice with skirt = shirt/blouse/t-shirt purchased at the same time as a matching or co-ordinating skirt or trousers = 8 coupons in total.
• Dungarees = jeans = 6 coupons.
• Ditto trousers.
• Leggings count as 2 coupons, the same as thermal tights.
• Second-hand clothing is exempt.
• Leather handbags aren't mentioned anywhere in the clothing coupon data. The assumption is that they weren't made once the war was in full swing. Ditto leather wallets and purses. I assume a leather handbag involves the same effort and leather as a pair of shoes at 5 coupons. A new wallet/purse can be 2 coupons.
• Stockings/tights. At 2 coupons a pair, stockings are really expensive in coupon-terms. Because of your connection to the armed forces, you have been given 6 special vouchers for those 4-pair value packs, which will not require coupons to redeem.
• Face masks are coupon free.
• Shorts aren’t mentioned in the list of women’s clothing, so ladies shorts cost the same as the men’s - 5 coupons.
• Hats are listed in the fine print.  They are coupon free.

Some posts you might find useful:-

The sock knitting pattern:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76693555/#Comment_76693555 

@Laura_Elsewhere’s advice for making a face mask:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77193632/#Comment_77193632

@Nonnadiluca’s broccoli and pasta au gratin: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77197230/#Comment_77197230

The free knickers pattern used by @thriftwizard to turn old t-shirts into undies:  https://indigorchid.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/sewing-underwear-the-free-pattern/ 

Website for printing PDF'd sewing patterns onto A0 pattern paper:  https://www.patternsy.com/

Finally, below is the list of everyone who participated last year.  Please join us again.

@Dolly84

@Diminua

@CAFCGirl

@lolly2481

@Laura_Elsewhere

@Skogar

@Liverpoolanne

@Bethanrooni

@catherinekate

@CapricornLass

@Thriftwizard

@Maddiemay

@keepcalmandcraft

@spooney7

@supersaver1000

@Katiehound

@PollyWollyDoodle

@Bigjenny

@Nonnadiluca

@borscht

@Joedenise

@Brambling

@maryb

@missychrissy

@Noaidi

@retired19

@tgroom57

@boazu

@Basketcase

@Baileys_Babe

@TwibbleDee

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger

@Shropshirelass

@Rah

@sevenswans

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

I'm here! And very admiring of everyone who's been out running in this weather - I've stayed in, keeping an eye on the tea-urn and making sure That Dog doesn't get in the biscuit-tin again... 

PollyWollyDoodle

I’m in!  Today’s run was rather chilly but that’s a good incentive to keep moving. Looking forward to another year of thrifty shopping and careful conservation of my clothes

tgroom57

I'm in and thank you for the invite. I really only need summer sandals this year, and new underwear. Yesterday - sew it Sunday - I mended a large wool-mix cardigan that is currently keeping me warm.  Today's job is to add a loop to my watch strap.  Starting afresh with 66 coupons for 2021.

TwibbleDee

I'm here.  Will update my signature once we hit the new year.

maryb

Failed spectacularly last year but will try again in a more organised way this year

tryingtoavoiddebt

I love the idea  of this. Would love to give it a go! 

I need to give my wardrobes a good tidy out but if I lose the lockdown weight then I should at least have enough work clothes to see me thro the year and if these lock downs continue I’m sure my leggings will see me thro when I’m at home! 

It’s shopping for the kids i need to get under control. They’ll need summer clothes though. 

Wish me luck!

Laura_Elsewhere

tryingtoavoiddebt said:

It’s shopping for the kids i need to get under control. They’ll need summer clothes though. 

Wish me luck!

I would start by asking around - everyone's a bit stuck this year, after all, so if you have any kind of school FB-group or PTA online-forum, then why not ask if anyone's up for a non-uniform clothes-swap or sale? You could see if yours have any outgrown-but-still-sound clothes you could offer for others. It's how most of us were clothes as kids, after all  

If they're too old for that, ie young teens, then what about setting them a challenge - who can get the best bargains for a fiver in one month in the local charity shops when they re-open next year? Get them to work out what they need, ie trousers or shorts or tops or jumpers or whatever, and then send them scavenging as a treasure-hunt! Most charity shops these days only sell really barely-worn or unworn things. I can't recall the last time I saw anything darned or faded... 

Wraithlady

I would really like to join in with this - not that I need a lot of clothes, but it might stop me buying fabric and wool 'just cos' and use up some of the stash I already have.

Luciecat63

I'd like to join too please. The only items I think I need for this year are winter jeans, smart trousers, knickers and some summer shorts or cut-offs. I have quite a stash of summer weight fabric so I simply need to get motivated. I've put off using my stash of lovely fabrics because I have put on a lot of weight over the last too-many years and I don't like the look of any clothes on me, but this year I am going to step up, step out and whatever else I need to do.

Laura_Elsewhere

@Wraithlady, this will be my fourth year and it has made a HUGE difference to my textile impulse-buying! I am getting so much better at buying things because I specifically want to make that thing from that fabric for use/wear asap.... slowly but steadily!