2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

tiddles

Re leggings: I find that Snag ones are very comfortable and hard- wearing, and they even have pockets!

Laura_Elsewhere

I have investigated my shelves and I have a pair of well-made black linen shorts, mid-thigh, loose enough to allow movement, but long enough to stay decent! Hurrah! 
No coupon-spending for the gym

thriftwizard

@Laura_Elsewhere, if you do end up resorting to leggings, proper dance or cycling leggings will last a LOT longer than the flimsy items sold for general wear or even gym-lite, if you know what I mean. They are more expensive but well worth the difference. I'm wearing a pair of M&S high-waisted cotton leggings, which barely lasted one winter before going in holes at the inner thigh, under a pair of "Under-Armour" cycling leggings - ex-OH's, cut off at the ankle as he's 6'3", but he hasn't cycled since his accident in 2010! - and I'm toasty warm.

Laura_Elsewhere

Thanks, @thriftwizard, but leggings are now one of those things, like nylon tights or long-sleeved tops, that I just don't buy any more because they last such a short time that I no longer feel comfortable wasting coupons on them! I used to wear leggings a lot but never ever liked the mostly-synthetic ones, which most of the dance/cycling ones are, and the high-cotton ones just wore through so fast...

I changed a few years ago to linen shorts to wear under my skirts and dresses and NONE of those have worn thin yet, let alone needed repairing! I added crocheted thread-lace to the edges of the legs to make them more undies-ish, so definitely not wearing those to the gym  

The black ones were an eBay barely-worn-second-hand purchase, an odd mustard colour, but M&S so good quality linen- I machine-dyed them black last year, and they will do very nicely, along with vest-tops (which are so thin nowadays that I wear them two-at-a-time for decency (I don't do sports-bras)), and somewhere I do still have a hoodie in sweatshirt material which would be suitable for warm-ups... 

pixtotts

@florianatwobob - if you like the Lucy Locket Loves leggings I have to recommend trying the Be Your Happy Place ones. I bought some LLL in the summer as an artist I follow has a range with them, and while I do like them, in my books they still come in second to my Be Your Happy Place, I can't put my finger on exactly why they just aren't quite as comfy. 


I always just wore leggings and a t-shirt to the gym, I didn't often even bother with active leggings, and just wore some comfy casual ones that stayed up well - that was the main thing haha. 

No coupon usage to declare but I have bought myself a new Christmassy storage bag to stash my Christmas jumpers off in, so the one I'm currently using can be used for summer clothes and keep things a bit more organised. Hopefully... 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! x 

alicef

I'll also put my hand up for wearing any pair of leggings that stay up and a T-shirt, (probably the OH's), when in the gym.  I have, however, noticed that many seem to be wearing longer leg swimsuits in the pool and looking very fine - indeed - cutting a dash, (I may squirrel away coupons for this new style).

Mending - OH work trousers done - though I am overlapping patches and the seat is looking decidedly thin - may be destined for the rag bag soon.  Found a sweater of his that needs some work.

Elastic redone in the pyjama bottoms

My sweater won't unravel so have decided to re-fashion as fingerless mitts; cowl and any scraps to be made into pumpkin pin cushions, (the sweater is a rusty orange colour), to flog for the village library funds - if I aim for autum for the latter, they might get done!

Had a cotton knitted washcloth still on needles (because I had to knit an i-cord and hadn't got round to it - I'm a terror for not finishing my projects); I decided to cast off, whip out a bit of grosgrain ribbon  from my ribbon box and stitch it on as the sewing machine was set up - job done!

thriftwizard

Sigh! Another 5 coupons gone... a dance costume needed for February; the thing itself (a galabeya or baladi dress) is very simple but the trims will take time - and lots of it! I went to grab the remnant of suitable fabric I'd kept to make one - but despite turning the "sewing room" inside out & upside down (and turfing out a lot of stuff to give away/throw out at the same time) there's no sign of it and I'm reluctantly driven to conclude that I accidentally dropped it into the last bag of offcuts that I Freegle'd before Christmas. So 2½ metres of glittery stripy lycra later... I have to surrender 5 coupons! Must hang onto the rest a bit harder, you never know when you might need to actually buy stuff...

Elisheba

florianatwobob said:

Spends to declare 15 coupons on 5 pairs of wool socks (blinking multi packs) but my feet are oh so toasty!

Ankle socks are only 1 coupon a pair, @florianatwobob. Doesn't mention material, so unless they are really long ones I think 1 coupon per pair would suffice rather than 3 coupons.

florianatwobob

Oh there’s a thought @Elisheba…..they’re normal sock length so above ankle but below mid calf. 

What do we think classes as ‘ankle’ i tend to think ankle as being the lace trimmed ones from when I was little. 

skogar

Pip - Really sorry to hear about the health issues - hope you manage to get things resolved and hope you aren't feeling too poorly at the moment.