2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

@TC77. Merino is a breed of sheep, developed for its long fleece.   It’s most commonly grown in Australia and New Zealand*, and is the reason that “Australia rides on the sheep’s back”.  The breed originated in Spain in the ?17th century and was incredibly feted by their royalty and nobility for its softness, etc.  Only the “best people” could wear it.   In the early 1800’s John Macquarie (IIRC) managed to smuggle a small flock out of Spain and shipped them to his property in New South Wales.  The rest is Australian history.  (Honest, Sir, I was paying attention in class!)

Sadly, if you want a really good new British woollen jumper, you are going to have to pay a lot of money.  There are a few companies who make them, but I can only remember Celtic & Co, who are expensive but manufacture in the UK and have a Kings Award for doing so.  (I buy my “Ugg” boots and slippers from them.). However, even they crack me up with their talk of “Geelong Wool”.  Geelong is not a breed of sheep.  It’s a wool-broking town in Victoria, Australia, and used to be our second largest port.  (Second only to Melbourne, that is.).  The fleece undoubtedly came from a merino, who Baah’s with my childhood accent.

- Pip



* One of my most striking memories of our trip to New Zealand in 2018 was the sight of a merino ram, fully laden with fleece, standing on a bluff overlooking his kingdom.  Sadly, I was driving at the time.  I turned a bend in the road and there he was looking down on us.

PipneyJane

Kim_13 said:

Found my way here having been curious as to what the coupons mentioned in a signature were. Bought rather too many clothes in January (recently discovered Shein..) so had a count up and came to 93 - oops! That included counting a mix and match nightwear deal as pyjamas despite being a vest and a pair of cropped bottoms.

Would be interesting to know what the coupon requirements would be nowadays had COVID got that far with all the panic buyers - clothes don’t seem to be made to last in the way that they used to be, and handbags are more likely to be made out of something other than leather. 

Not planning on buying anything further and will try to keep to 66 coupons in ‘25.

Welcome @Kim_13.  Please pull up a chair by the stove and tell us all about yourself.  Do you craft?  Cup of tea?  I’ve just made a fresh pot.  Please stay and play along with us.  Keep counting coupons for 2024, even though you’re over, and we’ll pretend that Flash Harry has his claws in you.

Sadly, “fast fashion” is called that specifically because it’s not designed to last.  It’s made in sweatshops, frequently in appalling conditions, and out of poor quality fabrics.  

Personally, I gave up on fashion years ago, because it just didn’t suit my body type.  I’m big busted, short waisted and definitely not a pear.  
 
Dare I say it?  I have a clothing budget, setting aside a certain amount each month into its own savings account. It’s there when I do buy clothes. I tend to look for classics that won’t date and have a couple of suits from the 2000’s that I still wear to the office every few months. Pre-Covid quite a lot was second hand from Charity Shops, even several of my work suits.  I just don’t get the chance to browse like I used to now.  Also, at best my team are only in the office 2 days a week now and our office is converted barn, in the middle of a field, miles from anywhere.  (No popping to the charity shops at lunchtime.).

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

Just catching up, some fascinating information about wool/yarn.  Isn't that a telling point - I grew up talking of 'wool' and 'the wool shop' (like almost every town in the 1960s we had a shop that just sold knitting wool).  These days we talk of yarn.  

Anyway, welcome to the village hall @Kim13. One of the many reasons I enjoy this thread so much is the wealth of advice on fabric, clothing history, cleaning, darning and so on.  If you've got any questions someone on here can probably answer them.   Great repair job by the way @Cherryfudge.

One of my motivations for joining this thread was watching a Stacey Dooley documentary about the environmental cost of making jeans. I have not bought a brand new pair of jeans since then, despite wearing them five days out of seven.  

TC77

@PipneyJane, thank you, how interesting.... I mentioned to my DB about this thread as we're clearing my dad's house, and his comment was about the items we buying not lasting so long.  Nearly took a fisherman's rib jumper of my dad's but really too big for me so left it for DB, I knitted one years ago for a bf. Lovely classic Navy made in scotland prob late 50s/early 60s and not bobbly at all!

Nearly all trousers/jeans are second hand but jumpers are harder to find, and tops generally for me. Last year I did a short sewing course but ran out of time to finish my shirt - the sleeves aren't sewn on/in yet!

Kim_13

Absolutely can’t craft at all, so my contribution will be trying to cut down on what I do buy. My mum still fixes the odd thing for me, including a pyjama top I was given for my birthday that needed the seam stitching straight out of the gift box! Where shoes are concerned, I wouldn’t buy anything other than fast fashion as being disabled, they’re just going to be ruined anyway.

No to the tea - mainly hot chocolate for me though I have started to drink a few flavoured coffees.

+ another 5 coupons for a cardi that I thought I had bought in December, but looking back through my emails, it was early January.

maryb

Woolovers manufacture in the UK but, sadly, I find their 100% lambswool jumpers pill and bobble sooner than I would expect and the hem starts to flute

alicef

@TC77 - I do love a fisherman's rib jumper - my dad had a couple.
I have 2 Le Tricoteur guernseys - one was my OH's mum's - so I would say at least 40 years old - it is perfect.   On the other hand, I bought quite an expensive lambswool jumper, a couple of years ago, from a lifestyle company based over on the east coast and it lasted less than a year before showing signs of considerable wear, (holes in elbows).  

MrsCD

Hello @TC77 nice to see you. 
We're a decent bunch and you can ask anything. There's usually someone around to give advice.

boultdj

Can someone tie my hands please? The temptation of discount aran wool blend wool [20% wool 80%acrylic] is strong but I've already got enough wool for 3 more jumpers and 6 pairs of socks. 

Laura_Elsewhere

@boultdj! 

Step. Away. From. The. Unnecessary. Yarn.


During the war, stockpiling was considered to be against the war effort, as if you hoarded more than you needed then you were depriving others of it and increasing the need for more to be made, which in turn reduced the amount of manufacturing personnel and equipment available for the war effort... 

And as for just taking more than you need and then its going to waste...Well!   Keep that conscience clear!!  


(Wsrtime poster from the IWM)