2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

enkeltliv

Additionally I politely doff my cap towards @Laura_Elsewhere for sharing the nubuck leather knowledge.  The research that followed had me descend upon a rather deep heather covered rabbit hole regarding leather through history. Thank you Laura.

I have a coupon dispersal to declare:
2 - a pair of tights 
5 - a longline cotton shirt as a layering piece
It is said that I have 15 coupons left about my palm and I would agree. 
I am the happy owner of a needlecord corduroy skirt bought via the Sense charity shop. I'm the most happiest about label that states the fabric is cotton corduroy. The second hand market is awash with polyester corduroy so this was quite the find. 

florianatwobob

Repairs made today to one of my work shirts to replace a button. Amazingly a rummage through the button jar turned up a silver ‘not identical but so close you won’t notice’ replacement. After that I patiently sorted out two seams on the cuffs of a rugby shirt which were starting to part company with the sleeves. Both are favourite tops and now they live to be worn again.  

PipneyJane

Well, the Queue defeated me.  They closed it before lunch and now there is a queue to get into the Queue. Estimated time is 24 hours.  I did not go today.



We’ve decided that we’ll wander down to the A4 on Monday and watch the hearse drive to Windsor.

- Pip

maryb

I think they are calling the queue for the queue the QE2!

Cherryfudge

maryb said:

I think they are calling the queue for the queue the QE2!

Only in the UK...  

Being on holiday and having seen the weather forecast, I realised I may be a bit chilly tomorrow night when we are due at a dinner as we wend our way home. I have plenty of casual things with me but the 'nice' top and trousers are rather summery. It may be warm in the evening but I'm not sure so I searched the charity shops and came up with a few finds, none of which is what I had in mind but all of which may be useful. (Several also reminded me I've gained weight. )

I'm not sure whether I have a coupon spend or not because one item - an F&F bra - looks brand new but was bought through a charity shop that had lots and lots. I think as I would have been a bit reluctant to buy it had I thought it was pre-worn, I will count it as a coupon spend.

Other than that, I have some coupon-free clothing: a cream Per Una cardigan with a tiny hole in one shoulder that will be easily repaired (£1 due to hole). It's lambswool/angora/nylon so nice and soft and can be worn over the outfit I had planned for tomorrow. Then in another shop I found a navy needlecord shirt (also Per Una) and a formal day dress. So really I have quite a few 'new' things without any magical expansion of wardrobe and drawer space.

I've been going through this year's thread (up to page 70 so far) in the hope of working out my coupons. I see I hoped to copy @Laura_Elsewhere and do a sort of reverse coupon count wherein if I make something from stash, I can build up points with the aim of getting a book full of 'reverse' coupons by the end of the year. I confess I have completely failed! I think the only garment I've actually finished so far is a shawl. I wish I'd allowed myself a few points for darned socks, but even then, I wouldn't have done well. I also had grand aims that this was to be the year of the sewing machine. That hasn't yet happened either, but there's still time for it. One of today's bookshop finds was a 1962 book on sewing dolls' clothes which might be a way into using the machine with no dire consequences!  

I'm not sure if the bra purchase eliminates me from Second Hand September. (I expect so, I can't have it both ways). All other wearables have been second hand this month. I've bought quite a few second-hand books, too: west Dorset has some wonderful second-hand book shops of a kind I had thought were nearly vanished from the earth.

Right, back to scouring the early pages of the thread and eventually I may be able to update my signature!

enkeltliv

@Cherryfudge my brain offers up the information that second hand clothes will likely have been shrunken through washing and drying to the absolute upmost of the fabric. This is what I tell myself. 😉 

Cherryfudge

enkeltliv said:

@Cherryfudge my brain offers up the information that second hand clothes will likely have been shrunken through washing and drying to the absolute upmost of the fabric. This is what I tell myself. 😉 

It happens - though not always! Sometimes people just buy the wrong thing and don't use it, then have a clear out. Sometimes they gain or lose weight so things don't fit when the season comes round again. Sometimes they don't get round to taking wrong purchases back to the shop. Sometimes - as is the case, I suspect, with the cardigan I bought yesterday - people just don't realise they could fix a problem with a couple of stitches.

I have strong feelings about the enormous and unnecessary impact the textile industry has on the planet, so I try to make textiles last instead of replacing frequently. That doesn't mean it's wrong to buy new, but I'm trying to limit how much I do that.

Incidentally, most second-hand clothing has no appeal to me at all! Poor design, faded, bobbly etc. No thanks. A lot of sustainability is about old fashioned skills in clothes care that help things look better for longer.

(Jumps off soap box )

PipneyJane

@Cherryfudge - re the bra, sounds like the Charity Shop were used as a dumping ground for excess/returned stock.  Treat it as second hand.

enkeltliv said:

@Cherryfudge my brain offers up the information that second hand clothes will likely have been shrunken through washing and drying to the absolute upmost of the fabric. This is what I tell myself. 😉 

I like your thinking @enkeltliv.  

- Pip


ETA:  Your soapbox is welcome, Cherryfudge.  You are not the only person who feels that way.

Cherryfudge

PipneyJane said:

@Cherryfudge - re the bra, sounds like the Charity Shop were used as a dumping ground for excess/returned stock.  Treat it as second hand.

It certainly looked as though that was the case, Pip. Two big boxes nearly filled with bras, mostly for 38" which don't fit me. I think I bought the one I did because it was the only one in my size! (And it's a smart navy and white, so I shall feel efficient when I put it on, and a make that tends to fit me!)

Thank you for saving me the coupons.

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

I've been going through this year's thread (up to page 70 so far) in the hope of working out my coupons. I see I hoped to copy @Laura_Elsewhere and do a sort of reverse coupon count wherein if I make something from stash, I can build up points with the aim of getting a book full of 'reverse' coupons by the end of the year. I confess I have completely failed! I think the only garment I've actually finished so far is a shawl. I wish I'd allowed myself a few points for darned socks, but even then, I wouldn't have done well. I also had grand aims that this was to be the year of the sewing machine. That hasn't yet happened either, but there's still time for it. 

Oh good lord! I had completely forgotten I was doing that!!!  

Ah well... we can use these three months for properly organising ourselves and planning for next year, can't we?