2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Cherryfudge

I am late to this game so here are my PJs for tonight! Pink fleece lounge top of unknown vintage that I bought for myself back in the mists of time, so long ago that I don't remember where or when, but has been worn around the house for years. Navy strappy top from Primarni some years ago. Slippers that were a gift from DD probably about five years ago but haven't worn out as I have too many slippers. Grey joggers, probably also from Primarni, that I bought to wear when doing work sleep-in shifts for a job I left years ago. That makes them 16 years old.

During the day I wore sage green jeans, originally Tesco but bought 2nd hand, with a green tee shirt from Primarni about five years ago and a cream sweatshirt of similar origin and vintage, followed by a uniform polo shirt and tabard with scruffy jeans (bought second hand and certainly nearing the end of holding together, but can withstand bleach marks). Shoes: Skechers, bought last summer and with a couple of bleach marks carefully inked in!

potplant

Another latecomer - in bed wearing dark blue with green polka-dots M&S pyjama bottoms, only 3 or 4 years old, and blue t-shirt bought in Beijing around 20 years ago when the airline had lost our luggage!  Daytime was jeans ( which I'd altered to fit better and extended the silly small pockets to fit my phone),  sandals, stripy Uniqlo camisole thing under black warmish top, all fairly well worn. I had a friend coming round so we could sew a new top which she had a pattern and (lovely) fabric for, and she is always very stylish so I wasn't going to let the side down. 

weenancyinAmerica

Good news Pip, except for the the two five day stays. The books sound interesting though - i have made a note to track them down for my Home Front collection.

All of my clothes I was wearing today were bought over 20 years ago - but they are soaking wet now - I tried bathing a kitten. Now wearing shorts and a t-shirt given to me by a friend. Trying to introduce kitten to older cat today - lots of hissing and laid back ears. But I hope she comes around soon. Said cat is 13 plus years old. Kitten is 9 weeks old.
Right now they are both sleeping about two feet apart.

I will be taking a knitting-crocheting-needlepoint class this next semester - I am determined that I will be able to follow patterns. Right now I crochet and knit blankets, scarfs, and face flannels galore - but not following a pattern. It will be taught at the local Senior Center as part of the local night school program (but early in the day - don't do night classes any more).

Cherryfudge

A new kitten and a knitting/crocheting/needlepoint class - lucky you, @weenancyinAmerica! What's the kitten like to look at?

I meant to say I've noted the books as well - thanks Pip.

weenancyinAmerica

Very tiny - I will try and send a picture when I can - maybe tomorrow. Mostly white with ginger head, tail, and a couple of spots. Left on our back porch by the mother cat. So a little hard to say no or give back. Our other boy cat is almost 8 yrs old and is hiding in the other room still (last couple of months). The female cat is a 13 year old ginger cat. Little cat is trying to get together with her. Think he misses his mother. She hasn't been very receptive so far.

Cherryfudge

He sounds very cute - and there's no way you could have returned him whence he came, could you? I expect Mama cat has sussed out that here's a cat household and it's a good place to leave the boy. They are canny like that.  

Gem-gem

Good morning everyone, this morning I am in my gym wear - 10 minutes cardio, 30 minutes on lower leg weights, 10 minutes on shoulder physio exercises and the 1hr yoga session.  

Edit...
i am now in my old M&S jeans and an old navy WS cotton top that made its way to the bottom of the draw.

Laura_Elsewhere

Just to add my encouragement for reading Simon Garfield's three books of excerpts of the Mass Observation archive. 
I think he does a very good job of choosing whose entries to follow- he doesn't pick only obvious, sympathetic, admirable 'types', but includes one or two people you feel quite glad you don't know- not great villainous evil characters, but just giving a reminder that a very large number of people in Britain in the early years of the war were pretty anti-semitic, and of course racism, homophobia and misogyny were widespread and open... 
But the majority of characters we follow over longer periods - and especially 'Maggie Joy Blount' my favourite- are really interesting and intriguing. Along with 'Maggie Joy Blount' I particularly enjoy the observations and comments made by the woman in Glasgow who was originally from Dorset, and the research scientist in ?Reading? with his small child and wife. There's a woman in Sheffield as well, who I like. 

Cherryfudge

And I'm in skinny jeans (bought second hand some years ago) and a chambray shirt by East (bought second hand on the memorable occasion I forgot to put my case in the car when off to Scotland for a week!)

Nelliegrace

I enjoyed The Oaken Heart, wartime diary by Margery Allingham. 

Grandma Donna has just started researching 1940 America for her latest social history project. She is reading the local daily newspaper from the archive, and to join her I have started reading The Times archive from June 1940, starting with Dunkirk.
I found these which explain why clothes rationing needed to be introduced, using the margarine coupons in existing ration books, which were not needed yet. There must have been panic buying, clothes and haberdashery shops cleaned out, as well a rush on household goods.




I am feeling very pleased at buying three unused Irish linen tea towels for £2.99 from eB. They are good quality from Ulster. It reminded me of Miss Marple on her shopping trip in, At Bertram’s Hotel. I have some of Granny’s (died 1974) and from Great Aunt Mag, the linen worn very thin and darned and still used to cover a rack of cooling cakes.