2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

dreamyd

Laura_Elsewhere said:

My mum, even though she made quite a few of our childhood clothes and is completely competent at sewing, and for that matter made my sister's "full meringue" silk wedding dress with four-foot train, and my ghastly sickly-peach silk bridesemaid's-dress, never had a button tin....! 

Luckily, my Gran did and I inherited it, a flat large wooden box dating from just after the War, with tobacco tins from Grandaddy's pipe-smoking, and all kinds of buttons...

I inherited  my great aunt's button box.  She was my Grandma's half sister, who left school at 14 in 1923 and was a seamstress all her life ( apart from when she turned out to be a cracking engineer in a waterplane factory during the war). She's been dead 28 years, but when I open that box, it still smells of her house.

PipneyJane

dreamyd said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

My mum, even though she made quite a few of our childhood clothes and is completely competent at sewing, and for that matter made my sister's "full meringue" silk wedding dress with four-foot train, and my ghastly sickly-peach silk bridesemaid's-dress, never had a button tin....! 

Luckily, my Gran did and I inherited it, a flat large wooden box dating from just after the War, with tobacco tins from Grandaddy's pipe-smoking, and all kinds of buttons...

I inherited  my great aunt's button box.  She was my Grandma's half sister, who left school at 14 in 1923 and was a seamstress all her life ( apart from when she turned out to be a cracking engineer in a waterplane factory during the war). She's been dead 28 years, but when I open that box, it still smells of her house.

Those are the best memories, @dreamyd.  The ones where you pick something up or open it and the smell takes you right back to a particular place and time.  

- Pip

PipneyJane

Fizz2015 said:

Hello, sneaking back in. I have well and truly blown my allowance and DD's already! Will need to resort to the black market.

I visited a well known high street  stores underwear department and bought 7 new bras (only have 2 that actually fit currently). My too small ones are either going to recycling or my sister. My shape has changed and if I continue to lose weight it is not guaranteed the style of bras will now suit me.

DD just keeps growing and has a whole new wardrobe. Her clothes are sold at the carboot or passed to my younger nieces.  One particular carboot we sell at ladies clothes sell very well so going to sort through my wardrobe again.

In terms of make do and mend, OH has a few work trousers gone at the knees, so using my old jeans to patch and repair them. All will be sown by hand (well I will attempt too). Otherwise my mum can sort them. Most repairs end up at her house. 

@Fizz2015, but you've only spent 10.5 coupons!  (7 bras = 10.5 coupons)  You get 66 each year. What else did you buy?  Sorry, I have no recollection of your earlier spends.  (That's why I keep mine in my signature.)

- Pip

Fizz2015

@PipneyJane I have bought far too many clothes, I'm embarrassed to list them all, which is why I stayed away from this thread. I think I need to list them and take accountability. 

PipneyJane

Fizz2015 said:

@PipneyJane I have bought far too many clothes, I'm embarrassed to list them all, which is why I stayed away from this thread. I think I need to list them and take accountability. 

@fizz2015 - here, have a cup of tea and a piece of (calorie free, virtual) cake.  We'll hold your hand while you work out your coupon spend.

Ultimately, as long as the clothes fit you, look good on you, you love them and want to wear them, it doesn't matter how many coupons you spend.  It's when you're shopping and you buy something because "it will do" (but it never does), that is the real purpose behind this thread:  mindful shopping.  We've all been there.  

- Pip

TwibbleDee

My mother is apparently not impressed with me wearing the same dresses in different colors all the time.  Good thing I learned a long time ago to ignore her comments.  

Laura_Elsewhere

Fizz2015 said:

@PipneyJane I have bought far too many clothes, I'm embarrassed to list them all, which is why I stayed away from this thread. I think I need to list them and take accountability. 

@Fizz2015 - my first year I used all my coupons by about April, my second year by midsummer...!  It takes practice - you're smashing the insidious habits that the throwaway society has pushed and pushed at you from infancy, after all  

I like to think of the wartime "Squanderbug" adverts and if I want to buy something I try (don't always manage it but at least I do try!) to think of whether it's really worth my coupons and whether I really do want it, or is it the Squanderbug whispering in my ear wickedly?!

Look.... see? "Shoppers' Disease" at the bottom...! 

maddiemay

@PipneyJane if there is space (and cake of course) I will pop along and sit next to @Fizz2015. I do admit to buying carefully and at the best prices I can, but I have splurged on a zip fronted Navy Hoodie, a Denim jacket, 1pair of Navy and 1 pair of Black jean style, but smart and not denim trousers and no less than 3 Kipling cross body/ large handbags.  Wow feel better after that declaration.

Justification - have been searching the second hand market for almost 2 years for the hoodie and denim jacket with no luck.
Same with the trousers, not bought any new for 5/6 years and even with re-dying all too tatty now.  Urgently needed the black ones for a family funeral which pushed me into it. I just happened to see the Navy ones through a shop doorway, my summer "uniform" is mainly nautical Navy and white so I am happy now.
Bags, well that is a little weaker argument, had looked IRL shops, again for a couple of years and then rather like buses several came along within about 10 weeks.

OH and I have a family wedding to celebrate this week and after a mammoth trying on session everything has been found from stock, and mostly C Shopped so to speak and the Purple bag will look great with it, even tights (horrid things) have been fished out of my CS pile of new tights.  

I had better get on with some cake making to replenish the stocks, and when I feel less faint from the confession I will tot up and post the points on my return from the celebrations. Note to self don't forget my p.js., not like I will have a spare T shirt or 2 in camping luggage, much more posh.

florianatwobob

I agree with the sentiments above, we are trying to break years of consumerism and throwaway fashion. We can do it! 

I’m currently trying to avoid buying new black work trousers…new to me are currently proving elusive 

Laura_Elsewhere

@maddiemay, what a time of it you are having, a family funeral and wedding... do take time to look after yourself in amongst it all. 

We drove down to the south coast last Friday and stayed overnight with my new Mother-in-law, which went fairly well, and then our next trip will be north to stay overnight with Mr Elsewhere's new in-laws! 

I've just made a batch of very chocolatey brownies if anyone wants to test them. Mr E likes them, I loathe them, so it's my ideal kind of baking...!