2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Well... you can pinch all his coupons BUT he then can't have any new clothes or shoes this year, which might be a problem!

**PipneyJane** - would you okay this idea? Your thread, after all!

Since you weren't doing this from Jan 1st, I suppose you could draw a line and start on Feb 1st with 11/12 of the annual coupon count? I did that last year after getting hopelessly lost and muddled and having no idea at all where I was, just drew a line and started again with 6 months to go and 50% of the coupons.

I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to rely on doing it, and certainly I don't think anyone should do it repeatedly! - but you hadn't started when you spent those coupons, so you could go for starting on Feb 1st with sixty and a half coupons, and be firm with yourself from then on?

Laura, I agree with your logic and your wisdom. Sayschezza how about you start the challenge from this week, with (say) 63 coupons left for the year? We'll ignore your earlier spend.

Regarding the dress-bought-as-birthday-present issue, this is within the "family dynamic" so tricky because a husband buying his wife a coat, would normally spend her coupons not his own because he'd have access to them. The deciding question is: is it a genuine surprise gift? If he's buying you the dress because you wanted the dress as a present, then I think you should spend your own coupons on it. If he buys you something without prompting because "I know how much you love that cashmere cardigan, so thought I'd give you another for your birthday", then that's a surprise gift that came out of his coupons.

Does that make sense? When my friend gave me a dress to wear to her wedding last year - I was BestWoman - we decided that she'd raided her wardrobe and given it to me, making it coupon-free.

(It was presented to me as a fait accompli. I never chose the dress. Didn't even try it on before it was purchased. Fortunately, it fitted. I think we'd had a conversation about clothing sizes at one point.)

- Pip

Thanks to whomever mentioned the "Fashion On the Ration" book (Fashion on the Ration, Style in the Second World War by Julie Summers). I've been reading the kindle edition. It's fascinating. Did you know that the reason silk stockings were so hard to find is not because there was difficulty importing the raw material nor because all the silk was saved for the military? No. It was because it was all saved for the export market! The country was desperate for foreign income, so 75% of all items not manufactured for the military was for the export market. The civilian population were limited to 25% and, before the Utility scheme came in, it was usually the second grade, worst quality stuff that was saved for them.

funfairprincess wrote: »

Hi all x have you room for one more please? (I'm only little I promise )
Spent far too much on clothes and shoes last year, I need to get it under control. I've been good so far this year nothing at all purchased!

Yes, certainly!. Welcome. Just shove the labrador off the couch, so that you can get close to the fire to warm up. (It's snowing here.) He won't mind, so long as you pat him first.

What others have found is that it helps to do an audit of your current wardrobe and to be brutally honest with yourself while you do it. Not only do you get to see exactly what you own, but you get to identify the holes in your wardrobe too, so that you know what you need to spend your precious coupons on (or stalk the charity shops for).

I warn you, it can be a painful process. You have to admit why you don't wear something. Does it fit? Do you not like the way it looks on you? Does it need a new jacket/cardigan/top to make it wearable? Does it need mending? Is it waiting for dry cleaning? Do you hate the fabric? Do you just hate the outfit? (If the above sounds too painful/messy/fussy, someone suggested turning all the hangers around and then turning them back when you wore an outfit. That way, at least you'll be able to identify which ones you never wear.)

In my case, things that don't get worn usually "needs the hem taken up" or "sew on new button", but there are a few items waiting for "lose spare tyre from waist".

We have a couple of challenges ahead to inspire us: for mending, we're planning on having a "Mend It March"; to tackle the pile of knitting/sewing UFO's (unfinished objects), we will be doing "Fix and Finish February".

- Pip