2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

diminua

One thin brown jumper (could be a base layer or a top over a substantial cami) and 2 pairs of pop socks bought - and I've already used up my 'forces' nylons allowance so I think that's another 7 coupons gone in total (stockings being 2 coupons per pair, but these coming below the knee). 12 coupons left.  

Some coupon free buys too - two blouses bought in a trawl of charity shops up Streatham High St. One originally from Marks with pink and grey stripes and mid length sleeves and the other Phase Eight with brown and red dots and short sleeves - I always end up pushing sleeves up anyway. 

Speaking of which it's rare for me to sew but I did recently put a couple of buttons on a jumper that had long flared trailing sleeves that were driving me mad. Nothing so sophisticated as button holes - I literally just folded the sleeve over twice to the right length, put a few stitches through the layers to tack it in place, then fixed the button on top - stitching again through the three layers so it's nice and secure. It's not my favourite jumper anyway, but it goes beneath my aran cardigan quite nicely and it's a sort of light to mid-weight that was useful in that not cold but definitely not warm weather we had earlier in the summer, so I'm hanging onto it for at least one more winter.  

Mrs_Mavis

@thriftwizard sandles and shoes you forget you're wearing are the gold standard of footwear, well done for finding them. I bought a pair of Sketchers in Spring that are like that and anxiously checked that they're a long running model so I'll be able to replace them with identical ones when they wear out.

@diminua That's my kind of alteration! Ie. Preferably no cutting, minimal sewing and if in doubt add buttons.

diminua

Those were black market nylons, clearly, as I bought a trench coat today - bright green, calf length on me (thigh length on the model online, which seems to defeat the whole point of a long coat, frankly, because your legs would get wet) - and am now 2 coupons over. Oops. More than I'd usually spend on a coat too, but I have been looking for a long raincoat and most are stupidly big on me and the colours are either twee or so, so boring. And various other excuses

Nelliegrace

@diminua
Was the green coat  part of your WVS uniform? They did not require coupons initially, though they did after 1st, November 1941.

Nelliegrace

I frittered some money on two prewar handkerchiefs at a fund raising sale, (£9.50, no coupons.)

I would rather do that than give my aluminium saucepans to the National scrap collection where they will be worth a shilling if they are useable, and have to buy another at 10 shillings each. 

Cherryfudge

Those are exquisite, @Nelliegrace. Such a lot of work has gone into them - all those drawn threads!

I have a no-coupon scarf from a car boot sale today. DH is trying to buy slippers that don't have black soles as the carpet cleaning chap told us the black soles mark the carpet. Nothing found locally so an Internet search seems necessary.

ETA: completely forgot - M&S trousers from a car boot sale for self, second hand so no coupons.

Nelliegrace

“…do bear in mind that second hand is coupon free,” I was having a senior moment when reading the post about the pair of fingerless gloves. 

I am still convalescing from a day trip by coach, not many miles from here, a special event for our holiday from home.
It was a lovely day, visiting a country market town with produce stalls, then going further and enjoying my picnic in a popular village, by the shallow river where children were paddling on a hot day.
I saw a small egg in shiny stone in a fund raising shop, and pounced on it. The ceramic ones have been as rare as hens teeth, and they are necessary sometimes to get young hens to lay their eggs in the nest box.
The coach had been diverted, filled up so no space was wasted, and then it was delayed, as so many journeys are, which meant that it was a very long and exhausting journey home. I should have headed the warning posters. (1942)
The good news is that many of the bomb craters affecting the local roads are getting repaired. Some were very dangerous in the dark and filled with rain. Our friend fell down a hole a few weeks ago where the metal cover had been taken for scrap, and broke his ankle.

diminua

Nelliegrace said:

@diminua
Was the green coat  part of your WVS uniform? They did not require coupons initially, though they did after 1st, November 1941.

Sadly not, (although I just looked that uniform up and the colour isn't as far off as I  expected. I'd assumed the WVS would be in a khaki green). Those are great coats though - and they're the sort of length I mean, over the knee so your legs don't get wet. 

Laura_Elsewhere

@Nelliegrace those handkerchieves are exquisite!!

I have a lovely trench-coat from when I worked in France before the War- obviously I bought a trenchcoat and a beret  

Sadly, it's too small for me at present but I am working on it, and intend to be able to wear it in a year or so. I love the idea of re-lining it in some colourful Liberty-print fabric, perhaps... and will paint the outside well with Fabsil Gold, which we use on Mr E's lightweight zip-front rain-jacket, my bicycle panniers and saddle-cover, etc. Excellent stuff! 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

@Nelliegrace those handkerchieves are exquisite!!

I have a lovely trench-coat from when I worked in France before the War- obviously I bought a trenchcoat and a beret  

Sadly, it's too small for me at present but I am working on it, and intend to be able to wear it in a year or so. I love the idea of re-lining it in some colourful Liberty-print fabric, perhaps... and will paint the outside well with Fabsil Gold, which we use on Mr E's lightweight zip-front rain-jacket, my bicycle panniers and saddle-cover, etc. Excellent stuff! 

Agreed. Someone put a lot of time and care into those hankies.

@Laura_Elsewhere what is this Fabsil Gold of which you speak?  Where do you buy it and how do you use it?  (I might as well try to resurrect my old summer coat since, with the detachable lining it is warmer than the new one.  It’ll be shabby but waterproof.)

- Pip