2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

nannygladys said:

I've never bought or worn anything cashmere, is it nice? I know it's usually out of my range!

Well, the thing is... real cashmere is very long hairs, and that means fewer ends and very strong when spun very thin, so a cashmere jumper - originally! - was very very labour-intensive so it cost a fortune, but then it weighed almost nothing, was soft as anything and lasted so long that people genuinely did inherit pieces! 
But then someone about 20 or so years back decided to make cheap cashmere, which they did by feeding the raw material through the machinery used for making cheap cotton, which chops everything up to 5mm or shorter, and then uses brute mechanical force and a kind of wash-out 'size' glue to make it into threads and then what you get is something weighs very little and is soft as anything BUT is incredibly fragile, will wear out incredibly fast and can actually be quite irritating to your skin because it has thousands of cut ends sticking out at microscopic level. 
But it's cheap so you can sell it to people who want cashmere for the poshness of it, ooh look, I've got cashmere! Only what they've been sold is a cheap, nasty near-fake. Hence why supermarkets sell cashmere cardigans for 20 quid. Only it's a complete waste of 20 quid... 

It makes me quite cross, really - I love textiles, and cashmere should be something very lovely, really special, and I'd love more people to have real cashmere, but not at the cost of making it really really really rubbish... 

(It's this same chop-and-glue processing that makes modern wool jumpers that are itchy so people think they have an allergy to wool when they really are just irritated by cheap processing, and the cotton clothing that wears out incredibly fast so you have to buy more, etc...)

nannygladys

Thanks for the explanation, Laura _Elsewhere, I've seen those 'cashmere' sweaters in the supermarkets! I will keep an eye open in the cs, you never know I may come across a real one or am I being optimistic? Mind you I'm not usually lucky, but I will make it my mission to own one before I die

Tomorrow I'm going to see what material I have in to plan a top, and I'm sure I once bought some flowered denim for a skirt, I hope it looks better than it sounds

Nannyg

I'm going to baking over the weekend so I will bring the cake and biscuits next week.

florianatwobob

That was fascinating @Laura_Elsewhere, thank you 

MoneysavingmadGem

Great description @Laura_Elsewhere thank you. 

@nannygladys enjoy your sewing day. 

Well my sewing day tomorrow is now full of work 1:1 appointments. Can't turn work down when self employed! Just means getting a routine is tricky. OH kids over the weekend as my sewing machine is in daughters bedroom wont get any done then ... but may start to go through box of old clothes that don't fit and start to design new. 

Getting knitting out now, 1 sleeve and 1 front panel to knit of a jacket .... love knitting but I'm definitely a slow knitter!!! 

Gem-gem

Thank you, that was such such an insight @Laura_Elsewhere, it does make me so cross that 'people / companies' find ways to make products not at their best - just to a) save money b) not last as long. Just like the light bulbs and electronic white goods. 

My worry now would be, if you see a cashmere jumper at £80-£90 (M&$) £150-£180 (The WC) would that be the 'cheap' stuff just overpriced? Or the good stuff????

I have bought two cashmere scarfs for £50 each (JL) and a beanie hat for £80 (F&M) I hope it wasn't !!!!!!!! (Excuse my language please). 

Laura_Elsewhere

Gem-gem said:

Thank you, that was such such an insight @Laura_Elsewhere, it does make me so cross that 'people / companies' find ways to make products not at their best - just to a) save money b) not last as long. Just like the light bulbs and electronic white goods. 

My worry now would be, if you see a cashmere jumper at £80-£90 (M&$) £150-£180 (The WC) would that be the 'cheap' stuff just overpriced? Or the good stuff????

I have bought two cashmere scarfs for £50 each (JL) and a beanie hat for £80 (F&M) I hope it wasn't !!!!!!!! (Excuse my language please). 

I hate to say it...! But hats probably last better than jumpers or cardigans as the strains on them are different... and they'll probably be fine for a bit - it's just that proper cashmere would be virtually as-new after ten years or twenty... 

Because the proper processing of the fibres is so incredibly labour-intensive, a good cashmere jumper is going to be several hundred pounds. It's why cashmere got the reputation it did! 
So anything that's full-price below a couple of hundred I wouldn't consider buying as a "this will last many years" piece. If you simply want a nice, lightweight cardi, then the supermarket ones and the M&S ones are great for that. Although you'd probably do better buying good merino wool...

But if you want it to have the properties that cashmere became famous for, then you either need to find second-hand from more than a couple of decades ago, or pay half a grand. 

Or knit... there are some yarn suppliers who carry excellent properly-processed cashmere yarn. I knitted myself this slipover a year ago and it is incredibly light, about 200g iirc, but beautifully cosy without being stuffily-hot, and incredibly thin so adds no bulk to my already big-enough bulk  
(Ignore pale blue yarn, it was In Progress when this pic was taken!) 

Fizz2015

Hello, room for another to join the challenge? I can bring cakes, knitting skills and I have an allotment. 

I would like to do challenge for myself, OH and DD-5. I do most of the clothes buying and love a bargain. Realistically we do not need anything for a good while. 

Do we have to declare gifts? It is my birthday and was gifted a coat (bought last year). 

Having to declare any spends will ensure I think carefully about buying items rather than random purchases. I need to find some new hobbies rather hitting the shops when I have any spare time.

thriftwizard

Happy Birthday, @Fizz2015! 

MrsCatz

Happy Birthday @Fizz2015.

@Laura_Elsewhere thank you that was fascinating. 

I have spent some coupons - 8 for a new winter skirt. I woke up to the frost and realised my wardrobe is mainly made up of summer frocks. I need something warm and versatile so maxi skirt it is. Hoping it will arrive soon. 

Cherryfudge

Fizz2015 said:

Hello, room for another to join the challenge? I can bring cakes, knitting skills and I have an allotment. 

I would like to do challenge for myself, OH and DD-5. I do most of the clothes buying and love a bargain. Realistically we do not need anything for a good while. 

Do we have to declare gifts? It is my birthday and was gifted a coat (bought last year). 

Having to declare any spends will ensure I think carefully about buying items rather than random purchases. I need to find some new hobbies rather hitting the shops when I have any spare time.

Welcome Fizz.

Gifts are gifts, they don't cost you anything, even coupons.

I have a couple of M&S cashmere jumpers which I picked up at a jumble sale many years ago for 10p each and have managed to keep them going though they have pilled somewhat. I've also bought a cashmere scarf at a charity shop which seems okay so far. I'm not sure I'll ever get cashmere as cheaply again!

@PipneyJane, it's such a shame about yours disintegrating.