2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Welcome to the village hall of Much 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 window-seat.   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, therefore each bra is 1.5 coupons.
• Ditto one pair of Cami-knickers would equal two pairs of modern bikini-style knickers or thongs, making each pair of modern knickers 2 coupons.
• 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.  Each voucher can also be swapped for a pair of thermal tights.
• 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.
• Leather and cotton belts 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/

PipneyJane

This is the administrivia post.  To be populated later.

maryb

I’m in.  I went over my coupons last year but I really don’t need much that I can think of this year.  And I have wool and fabric at SABLE levels if I do need anything 

CAFCGirl

FOUND IT!!!!! Ahead of the new year's arrival too!

Just goes to show one should only wander at night when one knows the way.

I did well with coupons last year, 31/66, mostly because yarn purchases most of the year have been business purchases so I don't include them in my coupon spending. I don't feel like I've missed out on buying new 'fashions', and actually haven't enjoyed going into many new clothing retailers anyway so there's been the joys of charity shop purchasing to keep me going.

The one big spend I did have planned was a winter coat now I live on the wet windy cold side of the village by the river bridge crossing, but I was gifted one which has so far not seen my go cold at all. This mild end to the year might be lulling me into false securities now though.

I haven't really assessed my wardrobe of late, we've just been 'existing' with one another, but a cull might be in order. Not sure if I'm happy with items being utility and 'making do' or if I want to start making more of an effort with styling....

Waffling on anyway so might take a brisk walk round the village. Anyone know if that cute little tea room on the high street is back open again. I quite fancy a pot of tea.

maisie_cat

I'd forgotten about this thread, in 2021 I used 5 coupons. I bought new boots in December but no clothes, not even 2nd hand. That does explain the slightly threadbare nature of my T-shirts, fleece & leggings daily wardrobe.

Nonnadiluca

I've got 3.5 coupons to carry over from this year; 10 were used as a gift for a bride to be, so 52.5 used, mostly undies, socks and a couple of things only bought every few years - new waterproof jacket and walking boots - and quite a few lovely things bought from charity shops ( my preferred retail experience ). I will try to spend fewer coupons next year. Thanks Pip for running the challenge again and for all the brilliant ideas and advice from everyone. A special shout out to Laura for bringing non metal segs, fabsil watrproofing and ecover bio laundry liquid into my life. 

TwibbleDee

No carryover for me.  I might have gone well over. Maybe triple. 

PollyWollyDoodle

I’m in - thanks for setting this up, Pip. This is such a friendly and helpful thread, I can’t wait to get back into the village hall! Special thanks to Laura, an absolute mine of information about fabric, history, garment construction and many other topics!  

I’m carrying over some coupons, but I am aiming for another ‘second-hand only’ year, so I’m hoping to only spend on new shoes and some underwear. 

RicardaRacoon

Good evening

may I join again? I think I last too part in 2019 but wasn't too sucessful, there was a coat that fell off the back of a lorry and a kimono that, uhm, certainly didn't came from the black market...

I feel quite well prepared this year, I've followed the 2021 tread over the last weeks and made an inventory of my wardrobe and sat down thinking hard of what I might need to replace and what I want to add to my wardrobe.

Trousers: one pair will not survive another year, so that is 8 coupons.

Blouses/shirts: should be fine

jumper/cardigans: have enough jumper/cardigans plus yarn to knit some new ones, but want to knit a summer top, so 5 coupons for the yarn.

dresses: want a new summer dress, 7-11 coupons, depending on material. I think I will go for a jersey one from $easalt, as I know that I can get 3 years of wear out of it and then cut it down to a skirt.

shoes: am on the lookout for a pair of summer shoes, that will be 5 coupons.

outerwear: both my trench and my winter coat will need replacing, but I will pretend that I have swapped my brandnew but too big trench for one in my size, so that means I will "only" need 14 coupons for the winter coat.

Basics, underwear, socks, tights: should have everything I need.

knitting yarn: I intend to not buy yarn for myself besides for the summer top mentioned and work through my stash. Should I need yarn to knit something as a gift I will pretend that the yarn was bought with someone elses points and handed over to me to knit it up for them. I don't think I will need yarn for charity projects, but should I still buy somethign it is over a "socks for soldiers" scheme.

So that is so far 22 coupons that are non-negotiable plus 17-21 for "wants", so that leaves me with at least 23 points for emergencies or things that take my fancy (or yarn, I don't have any illusions....)

You will find me over by the fire with my knitting. Currently work on a jumper for a friends 5 year old son and hope to finish this project before the end of the year.

MrsCD

I'm in again if that's ok, please? 
I went over by a few coupons last year, so must try harder this year. I think I will need some underwear, so will probably buy sloggis instead of m and s. The last lot just haven't lasted as well as they used to, so I'm voting with my purse.
Are we having a New Year's party in the village hall? I can bring mince pies and some bottles of fancy soft drinks for those who don't want alcohol. You might find me asleep in the corner not long after midnight though 😉

RicardaRacoon

MrsCD said:

I'm in again if that's ok, please? 
I went over by a few coupons last year, so must try harder this year. I think I will need some underwear, so will probably buy sloggis instead of m and s. The last lot just haven't lasted as well as they used to, so I'm voting with my purse.
Are we having a New Year's party in the village hall? I can bring mince pies and some bottles of fancy soft drinks for those who don't want alcohol. You might find me asleep in the corner not long after midnight though 😉

I noticed similar things with their tights. I bought black tights at MS for years, both 40dn for spring/autumn and 60dn for winter. Really liked the quality, eventually there would be holes at the toes but they were easy to mend. Very rarely a pair would ladder, but only if they got caught somewhere (cats claws....).

The last two lots I bought were of a much lower quality, one pair laddered the first time I put it on and a couple more pairs got huge holes on the inside of my thigh within two or three wears....