2026 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

itsthelittlethings

weenancyinAmerica said:

@itsthelittlethings - if the items you got had been returned to her or had been left behind, wouldn't they be considered second-hand and not requiring coupons (unless each was over 100 pounds)?

Oh no! They definitely weren't over £100, not even all in. I'm not rich. The blouse from Bond Street was brand spanking new for sure. That was what originally tempted me, my friend's mother told me Elaine had a few bits and bobs in from Bond Street so I went along to have a look. The blouse is a bit see-through so we shall just see if I have the guts to wear it at work. I don't think stuff made by a tailor and not picked up counts as second hand....

I also bought a lipstick in town after work. It was 2 bob. Beauty as duty! I won't be putting it on very often at those prices.

itsthelittlethings

I'm all dressed up for the day now. I have my gypsy hoop earrings on. Mrs Miller told me off for wearing them at work, she said it wasn't fitting when so many are struggling. I was supposed to do some land work today but it's been cancelled so I'll stay at home and perhaps go out for a short walk near the fields. I gave my landlady 10 bob extra for heating at the beginning of the month. She brought it up and told me it was extra. I could tell she felt terrible and I thought January would be cold so I wanted not to feel too guilty about putting my heater on. I'll probably curl up and read a book all day. I'm reading Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. It's very good but a friend who was at Cambridge told me he is terrible to his wife. Could all be gossip. You never can tell.

thriftmonster

That sounds so smart @Laura_Elsewhere

I agree with @Cherryfudge that the second set don't need coupons -they were bomb damaged stock being disposed of 

I'm knitting a baby cardigan from the Elizabeth Zimmerman practically seamless pattern but the wool is leftover from a blanket started in 2024 (and finished last year) so no coupons needed now

diminua

Just dropping in to say that I've bought the underclothes I planned to so if I roll my remaining 1.5 coupons over from last year I have 60.5 left. 
I've also had a secondhand gift - my aunt is having a clear out of handbags as she only ever uses her favourite two and lots were just sitting in their original dustbags in her wardrobe, and asked various family members to take their favourites before the rest go for sale secondhand. 
I took this lovely music case, which is big enough to take a laptop too, but resisted anything else as I'm another one who tends to use the same two bags all the time.  

Floss

itsthelittlethings said:

.... The blouse is a bit see-through so we shall just see if I have the guts to wear it at work. I don't think stuff made by a tailor and not picked up counts as second hand.....

Have you got a liberty bodicevto preserve your modesty? Or maybe wear it under a nice Fair Isle sleeveless jumper?

Floss

Ooh @diminua that's very smart! You will look the bees knees on your journeys to work.

Elizabeth49

PipneyJane said:

Hi @Elizabeth49

Yes, of course, it's not too late to join.  Welcome to Much Mending On The Borrow!  Cup of tea?  What are you knitting now?

I feel your pain re knitting yarn.  It's hard to turn down the good stuff, isn't it? Despite my best intentions, most years I'll spend at least half my coupons on yarn, and I really don't need any more.  I'm at SABLE*, with enough yarn to keep me knitting for a decade or two.  My plan this year is to not buy any, unless I desperately need a skein in order to finish a project.  (Yeah, right.  We shall see.)

- Pip

*Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.

Thank you. Tea is always welcome!

I've just started a jumper, aran yarn but not a 'real' aran pattern. It's a combination of moss stitch and stocking stitch. It should keep me busy for a while, but that doesn't mean that I'll resist buying more yarn in the meantime.

Gem-gem

Good evening, 
Just popping in for a quick cup of something hot and to let you know that I have purchase one pair of woolly socks (75% wool) to help keep my feet warm. 

2 coupons spent
64 coupons left
At the moment I am making a granny square blanket for an 80th birthday present. With donated acrylic wool. 

CapricornLass

I've been a good girl today and managed to resist buying the fluffy lined thermal leggings, even though it was a buy one get one free in the sale.  They were sized at 14-16, and I told myself they would probably be too small to be really comfortable....

thriftmonster

I'm sure this has been asked before so apologies. Ive ordered a pair of wool mix trousers for work and they are 45% wool, 2-3%silk and then about 52% other fibres. Should I count them as woollen (8 coupons) or other (5 coupons) or something else. I wondered about using 6 or7