2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

skogar

Finally got round to counting up my coupons - I had a bit of a splurge at the end of the year but on counting up it has come in just under. Will need to reset my signature for this year now.

The items I got in December were

2 knitted sleeveless jumpers - 1 navy and 1 khaki green as I finally found some that looked nice

1 teal/green cardigan - style I've had before but a different colour (not the one I ordered though - they sent the wrong colour)

1 skirt in the sale

1 dress also in the sale

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2023

Fashion on the Ration - 0.5/66 coupons remaining

2 prs navy wool ankle socks

6 prs navy cotton ankle socks

3 bras

2 pairs leggings

1 pair jeggings

1 pair black trousers

1 pair navy trousers

1 green zipped wool cardigan

Laura_Elsewhere

florianatwobob said:

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. 

I think 'ankle length' means as opposed to calf-length which was the length for 'socks' for men, not very common in the 1940s when most men and boys wore stockings, which meant knee-high and usually with a turnover... 

As for this challenge... I *think* I would say that ankle socks means short socks- the sort worn with trainers at the gym, for example. It sounds to me like yours are not ankle socks... 

In the 1940s, the distinction was about materials and war effort.... nowadays we're trying to reduce purchasing new items so on those grounds, five pairs of socks is five pairs of socks and not much difference... but I think as a general thing, I'm inclined to suggest we 'round things up" rather than down, because it's not really meant to be about trying to juggle the system and get away with using fewer coupons... it's about trying to reduce how much we buy. 

Does that make sense and do you think it sounds fair? I'm not Pipneyjane, so I'm not necessarily right! 

skogar

I mentioned that before Christmas I ordered a cardigan and when it came they had sent the wrong colour. It was one that I had been tempted to order but had talked myself out of it as I wasn't sure how well it would go with my existing clothes so I ordered the other colour instead. When the wrong one came it was really nice so I kept it, so I have now ordered and received the one that I orignally ordered so first spend of the year. Pleased that I have finally got some nice wool cardigans and sleeveless jumpers to wear as it has been really difficult to find ones with sleeves at normal wrist length - Over the last couple of years (perhaps longer) I have tried so many cardigans and jumpers which have sleeves designed to be much longer than I like.

florianatwobob

I’m inclined to agree with you @Laura_Elsewhere. These are definitely not trainer/gym sock length but proper modern sock length. Not as long as a gentleman’s formal length sock but I’m not getting drafts up my trouser leg or breezy, frost bitten ankles!

Happy to keep with my 15 coupons used and my smugly toasty feet! 

diminua

Five coupons gone on a jumper. It's quite nice, but I suspect I mostly bought it for psychological reasons because it's so flipping cold out and that makes me go in shops and look at things like jumpers and socks and hot chocolate. It's beige/grey so will go with my brown coat and boots and over some of my long sleeved tops so it will definitely be worn. 

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all 're socks, I tend to class anything that is not knee length as an ankle sock because the ones I would wear with trainers, ie trainer socks, don't reach the ankles and only really cover the foot area. I think what Laura says are worn at the gym I would call sport socks and they just about cover the ankle though some do have a turn over which some people don't turn down iyswim . It's a bit of a conumdrum isn't it . Like many things we wear now they can be hard to fit into the 40s classifications.
Take care everyone

PollyWollyDoodle

I was thinking the same - ‘ankle socks’ would be ordinary socks to me, assuming they don’t come up to the knee.  I think most of mine, if the top isn’t turned down, just come at the top of my ankle boots (conveniently covering the bottom of the thermal leggings that I’m living in at the moment!). 

Interesting point about ‘stockings’ @Laura_Elsewhere - I’m picturing the sort of thing that you see the King wearing with a kilt when he’s in Scotland. I seem to recall Miss Marple is often knitting stockings for her nephew’s family.  Certainly for boys, who would have worn shorts until they were in their teens, although presumably they had longer trousers for days like these.

How lucky that tree came down last year, and we’ve got plenty of wood for the village hall stove. I think I’d rather spend the day in here knitting than at home! 

Elisheba

Regarding the sock debate, I did a bit of googling and it appears that while ankle socks were turned down, at full length they would be a similar length to our 'normal' socks.  I do appreciate the fact we are aiming to reduce consumerism here (not help fight a war - shhh!) but on the flip side socks are probably one of the very few things people only buy if they need them so 1 coupon a pair seems reasonable.

PollyWollyDoodle

Ooh, socks and sandals!  😄

Laura_Elsewhere

I'm happy to go with whatever everyone else prefers, so feel free to count them as ankle-socks, @florianatwobob! 

Just as a quibble, and completely as an aside, and no need for any replies- the term 'ankle socks' is in the modern description of that 1940s pattern, not the original wording, and a quick look through my own vintage knitting books suggests that the term wasn't used in Britain for women's socks at that time. I suspect the seller on Etsy is just using terms that makes sense to the modern reader, ie their sales audience! 

I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary and to my surprise it goes right back to the 17th century! It seems to have been used for socks used for specific purposes (like tennis!!), for invalids, for wearing in bed, etc. and then in the 1950s it is used in describing sports-clothing. 

1660Robt. Long..attended your Matie at Oxford..at which tyme, your Matie did also confirme on him the keepeing of your Tennis Shoos and Anckle Socks.in State Papers Domestic Charles II (P.R.O.: SP 29/2) f. 22
1. 1789

   Ancle socks, knee caps, mittens, night-caps, stomachers, &c.

   World 23 February
2. 1849

   Those who persist in wearing cotton-stockings through the winter, should, at least, wear under them a thin ankle-sock of lamb's-wool, or of wash-leather.

   Family Economist vol. 2 10/1
3. 1958

   She wore a pink blouse, a very short dark green skirt and running shoes with white ankle socks.

   N. Levine, Canada made Me ix. 196
4. 2006

   There are now 500 factories crammed into the coastal town, all filled with workers making everything from ankle socks to woollen knee-highs."