2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge
PipneyJane
Forumite 
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.
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.
- Pip
- 1 L!dl Christmas Jumper - 5 coupons
- 1 top for running - 5 coupons
- 1 long down-filled coat - 14 coupons
Replies
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...
Crafting from stash only 2023 - 5/12 items finished
Fashion on the Ration
Declutter 2021 items in 2021.