2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

Surely someone has bought a tee shirt? But I don't remember ever seeing one costed. Comparing with men's things the most similar seem to be between 4 and 5 coupons, or for complexity and amount of fabric, perhaps a woman's slip?

I struggle to imagine a world without tee shirts, so I googled. According to this site, they were in existence well before the war and were originally an undergarment for men - so perhaps that's your reference point?

Yes, my Gran always called a t-shirt an undershirt! As in, "goodness, that girl's undershirt is a nice shade of green" in a 1970s shopping-street! 
Mind you, Dad still talks of Xeroxing things instead of photocopying or copying them... 

Even when we were teens in the 1980s, I think nobody would have worn P.E.kit outside school sports grounds and changing-rooms, would they?! So people going round in tracksuits and trainers and drinking in a bar would have looked really peculiar to us in the 1980s - and I suppose Gran in the 1970s was just a bit further back culturally, pre-t-shirt! 

The thing that baffles me about t-shirts is that people think they'll be cool in hot weather, or help cool down menopausal hot flushes - the machine-knit "t-shirt material" was developed to insulate muscles and keep you nice and toasty-warm!   So anything made from t-shirt material is less than likely to keep you cool!

PollyWollyDoodle

Man's vest would be 4, that would sound about right?

Same thing here, you have to ring at 8 am, get in a queue, eventually get through only to find all the available appointments have gone (how?) ... I have gone in to the surgery, and been told 'you can book online' but there are never any appointments to be had.  It's incredibly frustrating and I don't know how some people manage, if you are feeling ill anyway the last thing you want is to hang on the phone for hours.  Once you are in the system I cannot fault the care I've received from my GP but it took great persistence to get past the telephone appointment and 'we'll try double the dose of drugs' to actually seeing someone.

Pip I'm sure you know this but stomach ulcers are not caused by stress but by bacteria and cured by antibiotics.  If you are offered an endoscopy, can I strongly suggest accepting the option of having sedation.  I didn't, but if I ever have to have one again I will opt for it. 

Sorry to hear about the health problems being experienced by Pip and Mr E, hope you can both get some resolution soon. 

MrsCD

Oh my goodness, Pip and Mr E, I hope you both get the treatment you need as soon as possible! 
I must admit the various NHS people have been absolutely amazing with my dad, and the Macmillan nurse and Marie Curie nurses worth their weight in gold. My DH has his own health issues, and our system is that you fill in a form online, a nurse rings you then decides if you need to be seen. On the whole it works.

Laura_Elsewhere

More coupon-spending! I'm throwing coupons around here!  

Sold as shorts but I wear them as knickers - basically they are comfortable old-fashioned "French knickers" with the added advantage of pockets (I've got pockets in my knickers!! ) made in light viscose. 
Pic from online, mine are the same but without the tie, in navy-blue, £6 a pair from Morrison's 'Nutmeg' range - with the four pairs of Primark ones I found, pair by pair, brand-new on eBay, I now have plenty  


Cami-knickers are 4 coupons each, and Page One says modern briefs are counted as half that, so briefs would be 2 coupons a pair - I think these should count as a cami-knicker each, far more fabric, and the pockets too  

So if I call the t-shirt a man's vest at 4 coupons (good suggestion, @PollyWollyDoodle!), and these two pairs of shorts-knicks at 4 coupons each, that's 12 coupons this week! 

I had 33, so now I have 21 coupons left, and only in the fifth month...  where has it all gone?! Two pairs of jeans, two pairs of plimsoles, 300g wool, leather lace-up shoes... (there was also 8 metres of undies-linen but that was a present, so no coupons).

Well, all of those I shall be wearing next year and the year after - decent quality, and designs that will last. 

I wonder what the 21 coupons will be used for, if at all...! 

Nonnadiluca

I managed couponless knickers! I found an unopened m and s 5 pack in my size and one of my two favoured styles in a charity shop so they came home with me.

Laura_Elsewhere

Nonnadiluca said:

I managed couponless knickers! I found an unopened m and s 5 pack in my size and one of my two favoured styles in a charity shop so they came home with me.

Blimey, not THAT is a rare achievement - well done, you! 

Gem-gem

Pip, I would second what Pollywollydoodle said, take the sedation. Also, if they will numb the back of your throat take that as well. 

Nonnadiluca that was a good charity shop find. I also did well this week in the charity shops. We spent part of this week in the Isle of Wight. No coupons spent on clothes. However, I did bag a brand new game of Cluedo (Harry Potter themed) for £4. It is £30 in W@terstones. Also, a jigsaw puzzle for a £1 saving £14 and an old Pyrex bowl - small for 50p

Nelliegrace

I have been having a splurge on eBay. 

Boxes of vintage handkerchiefs from someone’s bottom drawer. Rather sad they were saved for best and never used, though two boxes had one hanky removed, perhaps for some special event.  9 thick white cotton handkerchiefs for DH, and 6 embroidered cotton ones, six linen ones, and two lace ones. With postage they were just over £1.20 each, and no points used.

They will need laundering, sometimes there are sticky tape stains or mildew. If they come up well, my sister has a special birthday next year. They would go well with a lavender soap, and some lavender bags from our Munstead lavender bushes. I would have time to take some plant cuttings.

I got some vintage linen, afternoon tea napkins with appliqué flowers and embroidery, at £1.75 each. They will be lovely to take with our picnic when we use the Gardeners’ World 2 for 1 card to visit lots of gardens this Summer.  

diminua

Just dropping in to declare 7.5 coupons spent on underwear - the knickers that matched the bra I wanted only came in a three pack with black and white as well. It almost stopped me buying the bra, but I reasoned that I will wear white and black. I still would have preferred 2 pairs that matched than one that matched and two that didn't though. 
I also bought a black skirt for a funeral (7 coupons). It's tiered, broderie anglaise style (but with a lining past the knee) and just above ankle length. To go with it I have two tops - a 'draped' style and a long jacket to go over the top, but those were secondhand so no coupons. I did try the 'proper' shops too, but they're full of summer pastels at the moment.
I might feasibly wear the skirt again. The other things will go straight back to charity.  

Nelliegrace

I got them!
CC41 Utility Mark on the box. Irish Linen handkerchiefs. I think the print might soak out.
Someone must have treasured these. £1.99 plus postage for these and a box of 3 old lacy handkerchiefs.