The 1940s System I'm Using to TRANSFORM my Wardrobe
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- I'm starting a new challenge!
Using the 1941 Clothing Rationing Scheme I'm going to be limiting my purchases of new goods in an attempt to be more sustainable.
My hope is that this will make me more conscious of what I buy and when, what is working for me in my wardrobe and what I need to do to make it work better for me, and hopefully it'll inspire me to get more creative with what I already have!
If you'd like to follow along I've got some resources for free in my ko-fi shop: ko-fi.com/retroclaude/shop
I would also like to add, I'm not doing this because I think we should 'go back to the good ol' days' 🤮I'm a clothing historian. I've read many first hand accounts of just how difficult clothing rationing and clothing shortages were in WW2. I'm doing this because, unlike the 1940s, we live in a world of over consumption. We can take inspiration from the past, respect those who came before us and still be aware of the progress we've made to a fairer, more equal society. Now if we could just xto killing the planet....
The book I mentioned: -AD amzn.to/3X1z9HR
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![The Quiet History of Adjustable Clothing [from a non-historian]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RjjsI27O4Pg/mqdefault.jpg)
Im a simple gal, I see a video of Claude, I immediately click it.
Me too! Love it!
You and me both!
Same!
Right there with you lol.
Same 😂
Claude, please try your local dry cleaners for simple mending and alterations. My dad uses them to put in new pockets and zips and buttons all the time. They often have a tailoring/mending service. For leather repairs such as bags, your local cobblers can help.
Getting a few things off of The List to reduce stress and frustration can make the rest of The List less tiring to think of.
Great ideas, definitely worth considering. I have similarly 9:58 taken advantage of grocery delivery lately to conserve my time and energy.
@@Carolyn-qd8mj Any good grocery delivery you can recommend? I've ttried ASDA but I ended up with spoiled milk. I tried Tesco but their "loose" veg and fruit comes double-wrapped in plastic bags. I'm struggling to justify delivery when it comes with so much plastic that also takes more energy to sort and recycle. Especialy as it's dubious if the gov even recycles it at all. Sadly, there was a documentary. In Mayalsia a lot of UK plastic was exported there and the plant said that they couldn't recycle it because it was sent to them unsorted and dirty, so it all ended up going to landfill. Sadly, I work with computers for a living, and we're all aware of how electronics are also often exported where they're burnt to retrieve the copper, with devastating environmental and health impacts on the local community.
@@Stettafire I’m in the US, and I’ve just used the delivery service my local grocery store has. Good considerations you mentioned. It’s not ideal, but I don’t use it all the time.
Dump the list, fir now anyway. Anything really important will get done automatically.
Don't feel bad about buying some new stuff. Disabilities are so hard to live with, and a 5-year run of no new purchases is awesome! It's ok to do what you need to do for your health issues. There's a reason they say not to use plastic straws, for instance, but make allowances for those with disabilities who need them. You're doing the best you can, which is all we can ask of anyone.
1st - as a plus size person also with ME/CFS, the thought of trying to go through racks of stuff in a charity shop to find something in my size - let alone something that I like - is a nightmare. So same. 2nd - Claude you are so hard on yourself. Please remember to try and practice kindness on yourself, none of your friends would ever be as harsh to you as you are to yourself for buying new stuff after 5 years! (I hope). You are doing amazingly, and more importantly, you are doing your best. Please give yourself a break
You don't even have to be plus size. I'm just tall and would never fit in clothes that are in the smaller size. I have given up on thrifting clothes because there is never something in my size that is just remotely nice.
For the cost of about those new items of clothing you should be able to pay for some alterations.
I think it also needs to be said that while WWII-related rationing did last for years, it didn't last forever, and the coupon allowances did become more generous during the post-war recovery period. It's a FAIRLY sustainable model, but it's not surprising that it would start to become difficult to follow strictly after five years when your fabric/old-remakeable-garment stash starts to thin.
So lovely to see you adopt this scheme for a reset and inspiration. I used it for nigh on 11 years starting in 2011 because it was such a well developed scheme from a resource/energy usage perspective. After number crunching using life cycle assessment data I did tweak the numbers very slightly to reflect the modern ecological crisis and treated wool garments equivalent to cotton and linen but point loaded manmade and 'hybrid' fibres/garments as if they were wool.
I fell off the wagon in December 2022 but only because a/ horrific fuel prices meant I was being really parsimonious with energy and realised I needed more clothes to last between washing AND drying cycles as drying clothes quickly without the heating on took forever and b/ when perimenopause made all the fibromyalgia body issues worse and my body changed size wise and in terms of tolerance to seams.
Given the fortuitousness of the dates though, I am going to re-engage with it to get me back on track too.
PS - I can thoroughly recommend the clothes rationing related Pathé reels of the era.
PPS - The soap rationing was really brutal. I'm not a lotions and potions girl but boy, that was tough. I don't religiously do that anymore.
PPPS - I've also been following the principles of food rationing systems and Mr M has no idea that he's been living quite happily on the calorific equivalent (swapping out lard with olive oil) of the wartime fat and milk ration with no ill effects for over a decade. 😂 That's how well considered and developed these schemes were. They really are viable.
I really like the point of bundling natural fibers together and making all the plastics the costlier option
@@smarmasaurI definitely avoid synthetics as much as possible for their environmental impact so it makes sense.
Indeed I read that nutritional deficiencies only appeared in Britain *after* the rationing was lifted.
@@NouriaDiallo Think around then a lot of cheap readymade food entered the market. The thing with post-war rationing is there was a bit of a cost-of-living crisis and it was (1950s? I forget) when the pound was devalued and that had an awful impact on the economy. So cheap poor-quality food (not to mention a lack of regulation around that area) combined with high-availability but combined with an economic crisis.
My Mother was a young woman at the outbreak of WW Two. I am a child of the early 1950's so am very old now but I still remember my Mother wearing a very inventive coat when i was little. As I grew up I developed an interest in sewing and we often talked about our shared interest. . She told me that she wore a thick dark grey woollen double breasted overcoat throughout the war and for many years after. My mother was a talented seamstress and told me she made a detachable panel for the front of the coat, just slightly wider than the two parallel rows of buttons (that made the coat double breasted) and the length of the coat, (from a piece of tartan, tweed, etc - whatever was available) and matching turn back cuffs then made button holes to correspond with the buttons already on the coat to hold them in place. She had at least three or four different coats using this cunning method. I can still remember her wearing the coat. When she was expecting my little brother who was born in 1958 and based on what i now know about sewing myself, she must have used a rectangle when she was slim but used a piece of fabric much wider at the bottom than the top for when she wanted to turn the coat into a maternity coat. Talented AND resourceful!
I have a vintage double breasted coat that sounds like your moms. I have replaced lining and buttons several times over the decades but her panel on the front idea is genious! Yes, talented and resourceful.
That coat sounds fantastic ❤
I wonder if you could do a trade with someone? Like, you knit them something, and they mend a few things for you?
When my Grandma passed away in the 90s, we found that she had kept her ration books and still shopped for things as though rationing was still in effect. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
My granny (1916-2017) grew up in a large family, living frugally. However, the war influenced her for the rest of her life and she continued to live in much the same way for the rest of her life, appreciating small luxuries now and again but being thrifty and careful in the ways the book describes. Reading this book Claude mentions explains some things I‘d not really considered before - we had recently been musing over why washing up in a bowl in the sink is such a British thing… wartime, of course. (btw the book Claude has is by Jill Norman, it‘s not the little book of the same name issued by the Imperial WAr Museum!)
Like Claude, I am both English and German but have lived most of my life in Switzerland, so it‘s always been of interest to me to hear several sides of the story, how things were the same or different for each country. It was a pleasure to bring family members from both sides together in harmony, neither of whom had been to blame for the politics of war.
@@Woeschhuesli Not to mention, that popuring it down the drain like so many people do (I've seen videos of people litterally pointing the nosel of the washing up liquid at the plughole) is super wasteful. If you use a branded washing up liquid then it can also get expensive. Save the pennies, the pounds look after themselves!
(In saying this I don't own a washing up bowel. I just use a plug and clean my sink before and after. Those plastic washing up bowels are bad for the enviornment since they only last so long before they start absorbing the dirt and getting stained.)
@@Stettafire Same here. I find people are generally very wasteful with the precious resource that is water. We are lucky enough to have plenty, but that doesn't mean we should waste it...
As someone with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, I've been struggling due to weight gain. I stood in my closet and cried Thursday because none of my favorite summer dresses fit anymore.
I don't buy new clothes or fabric. I have some old linens I plan to make me skirts with. I also have enough fabric that I've had for a very long time that I can make several wardrobes before I run out.
Thanks for the download. I'm excited to see if I can use it in my plans.
From someone who has experienced dramatic weight gain due to med side effects, sending you love and support and good wishes for your crafting endeavors! ❤
That’s a good idea. You may already know this, but in case you (or others reading this) don’t:
You can make very simple, somewhat flexibly-sized skirts out of table cloths. You cut a circle from the center that’s bigger than your waist - able to come down over your bust, or up over your hips, one or the other or both - and then add an elastic waist to it. Round table cloths literally get you a circle skirt. Square ones will get you a skirt with a fun, asymmetric pointed hem. Oval or rectangular table cloths can get you interesting hi-lo hems, depending on where you place the waist opening. Just make sure it’s not so long on the long edge that it drags (unless you like having a train!).
Of course you can do this with other yardage besides table cloths. It will just require extra steps like piecing and/or hemming.
Good luck with finding and/or creating your new wardrobe for summer!
I'm also disabled and my weight fluctuates a lot more than most people's according to my health. It's so difficult, because I have a closet overflowing with clothing, but much of it doesn't fit because I've lost or gained weight. That means I have to buy items that I already own in a different size. In other words, it's more expensive to clothe my disabled body than a healthy person's. It's yet another disability task.
A friend of mine told me they alter their clothes on the inside and don't cut the extra fabric off. For example they have a t-shirt that's to big so they put in a new seam and don't cut the fabric so that they can unpick the seam when they need the t-shirt to be bigger. If you're skilled with sewing or doing alterations (and your disability allows it) that could be a possibility for you. Just thought I share this...
I have been working on figuring out patterns and such for things that are adjustable. Katherine sews has a tutorial for a skirt design that has the top split at the sides and it ties on for instance, and Im trying to figure out how to do a wrap top that would eliminate the need for bras and still be supportive. I'm hand sewing everything and bigger than most pattern ranges though, so it is slow going.
I would suggest looking at something like a supportive kirtle. Morgan Donner has a video about making one. You can also add in ties on the sides, so the size is adjustable! I feel like that would be a decent compromise. You could make a shirt/blouse version of it instead, maybe?
sounds like a plan.
Being 74 and having only last year donated a lot of my archive of beautifull but unsuitable for gardening clothes to Oxfam I still have an awfull lot of nice stuff. More than I can wear in this lifetime. I still 1 or 2 items from charity and evict a few every year. Thankfully I can darn and patch still and knit using charity shop wool yarn faster than the garments wear out. So I don't get bored. I have a system of wearing colours relating to the 13 Celtic Tree Moonths - currently in Willow so pale greens greys and white which will change to red , white and paler browns when Hawthorn comes in with the new moon. Then I put away the garments that don't fit the Moonth thus I have a constant change of colours/textures and a fresh start that feeds my need for novelty. I'm lucky to have storage space.
I can remember clothing coupons and having only 1 or 2 dresses at any given time as a child in the early '50s . Each item was much more gratifying than people seem to find cheap abundance. The quality of textiles was higher and I wonder if making dolls dresses would give pleasure to those able to sew but needing no new clothes. All the tactile rewards without so much guilt
Thank you for the frank discussion and candour.
Sounds like a great plan. Consumption is something I have been struggling with for a while and here are a couple of the things I do.
I have been going with not buying more than 10 items of clothing & accessories in a year which has been working for a couple of years. However my current yarn consumption is far less restrained and possible needs to me looked at, I am trying to mostly buy yarn second hand but may need to look at the idea of yarn rationing soon.
I've destashed half of my fabric to a school textile department as I just can't use it anymore.
My only additional point I was told repeatedly at uni; put your own gas mask on first! You can't help others or the planet if you are to unwell to function. For me this looked lik body bath wipes and disposable pads. I used to try using reusable but physically couldn't maintain it myself and would get really upset. Where I can I make eco conscious choices but know that trying is better than nothing and it is part of my disability. 😊
P.s. think of all the carbon I save not travelling loads like normal people 😂😂
If it's possible, find an elderly lady that is willing to share closet with you. My grandparents old closet was an absolute treasure trove, and I'm so happy my mother held on to lots of it.
If you find a suitable lady that is downsizing and can come by for a coffee a chat and bring a dress or two you really have a win-win.
I hope you get some energy back soon. ❤
All with you. It's taken me 6 months to alter and fit etc the last 3 items I bought in a thrift shop to fit me because, spoons. I want to do it but I simply have no energy. And I only got around to doing it becase my clothes had worn out and ripped! I do it coz it's the only way to find natural fibres here (everything in the shops are polyester, even 90% in the fabric shops.)
I've spent like 5+ years not buying any clothes, crocheting only from stash until last year what yarn I have can now fit in a foot-poof (a 2ft cube).
I'm a different creator-type in that I follow instinct rather than instructions, and am self taught (by studying and taking apart clothes) and not trained costumier. I actually enjoy repairs and mending because everything is a little challenge/problem to solve, and no two are the same! Bring me all the stuff to fix! And I do 95% of it by hand, coz why not?
And yeah, sizing 🙄 I've got 12-20 that all fit the same body. A body that keeps changing shape :/
Off do download the book, coz why not?
"Make do and mend" was part of my mother's library while I was growing up! I learned sewing basics in school and my mom helped me increase my skill-set. But in recent years due to disability I haven't had the energy for anything like sewing and I sold my beloved sewing machine. And the box holding my mending pile is overflowing now. Clicked on this video so fast...
This is so exciting! I'm so inspired and comforted by this video topic. I just changed the sleeves on a 2nd hand dress so I can keep it and love it for longer. But the mending pile is so large, and the time after work is so small... The mental load is even bigger some times. Hugs and best wishes Claude ❤
I have this book from my teaching days but use it and the cookery/growing companion volume too. Having been born in 1952, rationing had almost ended but shortages lasted into the early 60s, so was brought up to be careful about both food and clothing. I can't not mend small holes, turn collars, darn socks etc. My 80s children hated it! They liked shopping and felt my mending fetish got in the way of that. They have changed their minds now though.
Like you, at one time I only bought second hand clothing or sewed it myself. But, my rheumatoid arthritis/bone spurs/scoliosis/ME/fibromyalgia body made that too impossible so I started purchasing new clothing that made me happy. I still sew garments when I can but it's getting less and less possible. So, I can commiserate with you.
That being said, don't berate yourself too hard. You aren't constantly going shopping - you are purchasing what you need due to a situation you can't control. And you're getting things that will last a long time vs. fast fashion.
What a brilliant idea, to "repurpose" the WWII rationing ethos for the 2020s! Thank you for sharing it (for those of us who were not aware), and here's cheering you on.
"Use it up, ware it out, make it do, or do without."
I'm joining in! Sounds like it's the answer for someone who finds it difficult to resist buying yarn and fabric but doesn't find the time /energy to use it. Thanks Claude that was inspiring.
I have a copy of the Make Do and Mend book - I am Canadian and bought it on holiday several years ago in the gift shop of a historic house I visited. I am fascinated and humbled by the ingenuity that was shown in wartime in keeping families clothed and fed, and ashamed at how wasteful we are these days. Thank you for sharing your journey! Looking forward to updates!
After struggling with Post COVID fatigue since the beginning of this year, viewing your video and reading the comments is a real comfort to me - loving the candour. Many thanks to all.
What a brilliant idea. My daughter and I always try to buy second hand and I alter them if needed
It saves us a fortune and I have clothes going back thirty years I still wear. I’ve never been into the latest trends and just wear classic clothes so I’m never in or out of fashion.
I’m definitely going to do this idea.
Thank you Claude ❤❤❤❤❤
Ps your make up looks flawless.
That's such an interesting concept! To be honest it also looks like good way to teach kids and teens how to not overbuy clothes, just turning it into a game. I wish someone would show me it when I was a teen, it would save me so much money and space. I understand that it was necessity for times back then but now we are fortunate enough to not be stuck with it, so if it doesn't work, you can just stop following it. Great idea! I think I might try it, I don't buy clothes until I really have to, but it might be fun to see how much coupons I would spend.
Thank you so very much Claude for every second of your time you share with us. I feel like I have a understanding friend with common interests. May our health be the best as it can be❤. Not doing so well with my disabilities physically and mentally. Hoping some ease will come soon. Thank you Claude for all your vlogs, bless you
I started sewing again in 2016 because nothing was what I wanted ir the price was nuch too high. I love this type of sewing no matter what my size. I never heard of this book my mother's side of the family immigrated in the 1940s but grandma knitted and mended. My mom made copies similar to what she saw in the store. My sewing was just for fun and I love to redesign what I find sometimes even cutting it up and making something new. I challengeed myself redoing wedding dresses/making them out if theifted fabrics and sell them. I love how I can make anything i want and keep the orice low. I don't have a problem in Houston Texas, thr big city has cheap thrift stores. 🤠🇺🇲
As a fellow ME-sufferer I totally get what you mean. Going through shops and trying to buy second hand is not really doable any more. Don't trust peoples listings on Vinted and other such sites. Sewing myself is fun, but the startitis is SO bad cause I can't afford to mess up. Literally, can't afford to buy new fabric if something goes wrong. And weight fluctuations mean I have to try and make clothing as adjustable as possible. And if I have 30 minutes of energy a day I have to choose between sewing, showering and household chores so making a garment can take weeks.
Erm I sell on Vinted thank you! And I have the ethos if I would not wear I don’t sell it. So please don’t tar everyone with the same brush it’s very offensive!
@@dottieland7061 when you are on a tight budget and buy garments that is absolutely NOT the sizes or measurements stated in the listing you eventually get tired of even trying.
As a disabled person in a similar situation to yours, but in Spain and with a few differences here and there, I am very excited about this journey and looking forward to your videos on it. I'll try to join you! Thank you for your videos!!
Oh my gosh, I completely understand much of this struggle. Although I don’t have a chronic health condition, a stressful job has put me in a similar situation with my weight, clothing functionality, and budget. It is SO hard, and I am sending you love with this stuff.
I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which is finding clothing shapes that fit me again and gradually creating time to knit/sew things that I’m excited about.
For anyone else going through this, you’re not alone. You’re worthy, you’re valid, and I promise this time of transition is temporary. ❤
My mother was born at the beginning of the great depression and I was born in 1949. My mother pretty much made all my clothes (except panties, slips, petticoats, and socks). She made my brother's shirts. Between her and my 2 grandma's, learn to sew, crochet, knit, and embroidery. I not only taught my daughter's but my son's as well. I love to take old clothes and turn them into new and useful things. Right now, l am making so placemats. I had them when I had a rectangle table. Now I have an oval table. The rectangle placemats just don't work or look as well. So, I have cut the old rectangle placemats into an oval. That's my project I have been working on today.
Something you can consider is "pre-mending". That's where you preemptively strengthen the places most likely to fail before they fail. It can be putting twill tape into shoulder seams, adding interior patches to the knees of children's blue jeans, doing REAL stitches to attach buttons.
It’s such a faff when I need clothes to wear but I’m not prepared to do the research to make an investment. “I should be smart about this” butts up against “I just need to not be naked or slovenly but I am so tired”
Relateable. Especially as some "ethical" companies aren't all that ethical (recycled plastic, or "biodegradle" plastic is a pet-peve. Recycled plastic still uses a small amount of new material, and it's still not neccesary for clothing, not to mention the manufacturing process also has an impact. And biodegradble plastic like PLA or PVA is only biodegrable under very specific industrial settings. PLA needs to be broken down at a very high termperature while there is dubious evidence that PVA breaks down at all in the environment. Don't get be started on (plastic) "pleather"Just cus it's vegan does not mean its ethical!).
Also, who made it? How much were they paid? What was their working conditions....
Point being, it's a minefield. It's exhausing.
*looks at storage unit half full of yarn and fabric*
*looks at things bought over the last 3 days at the craft fair ...*
Right. I'm in. I don't tend to buy much clothing either, but I have gone just a little overboard with some of the purchases. A bit. Just a touch.
My mother sewed clothes for us both and i made nearly all my clothes in the 60s and 70s. Mybfriends did the same. We had lots of great fabric shops though. I have bought some new clothes to replace old things but have started doing a bit of sewing again and using up some of my stash.
Claude, You look great, and that is a fabulous sweater you are wearing.
I am glad you bought much needed new clothes!
What a fantastic idea! I was following a rationing system for food this year, found on the 1940s experiment blog and learning so much about life on the homefront during this time. Had to stop as making authentic recipies were too hard on me.
I definitley need to ration myself when it comes to fabric and yarn though!
I've recently had to buy a lot of clothes too, I'd lost a lot of weight so bought smaller clothes, now new medications have put weight back on, plus most clothes hurt to wear so it's really tricky trying to buy clothes sustainably that also work with my disability.
Blergh, should wait till I've finished my first tea of the day before I write haha
Looking forward, as ever to watching you on your new journey!
I've never heard of this idea but it sounds great! Looking forward to seeing how this unfolds for your wardrobe (pun intended)
I completely understand how you feel! I underwent a major health issue last year that resulted in my now being full time in a wheelchair. With this has come a change in by body and so now, I'm having to rethink what clothes work for me and what I keep out of my previous wardrobe. My thrifting days are no more (no energy and a real lack of access in most shops), so I'm resigned to ordering items online. Yet another change I must adapt to in the new life I have.
Oh dear Claude, I feel you. When it comes to clothing and being/becoming more chronically ill or more limited in your energy levels - than you used to be. It has an impact on what you can make, alter and mend. I'm there with you. So I've turned to Vinted as well...but it indeed can be a real "hit & mis" campaign, finding the right fitting sizes and comfortable materials.
I love how you are trying to find your Mojo back to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of consuming.
BUT I hope you grant yourself some kindness and compassion when you "slip" once in a while. Being "house bound", like many of us out here are, it can all be extra difficult. Be kind to yourself 🫂❤️❤️❤️👋🏻🇳🇱
I’m so glad I came across your channel! I have had M.E. for thirty years. Now I’m recovering from long COVID as well. It’s delightful to know there are other sewers and fashion enthusiasts who have the exact same struggles as I do. I also love anything to do with the 1940’s. Thank you ❤️
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. You do the best that you can at the time.
As someone with a long time chronic illness - I hear you girl, I know your pain. I have had this situation for the last twenty plus years . At one point I didn’t/ couldn’t buy any new to me clothes for close to 10 years cause I just didn’t have any spoons to the point that I couldn’t even think about what I like or what my fashion sense was. Yes I used to enjoy ecological slow fashion but I was that unwell that I was just existing in a second hand uniform style set of men’s clothing (mostly my husband’s old clothes) that gave me the comfort I needed for being bed ridden, socially isolated home bound. The panic of having to find dress up clothing for one off social events like family weddings argh!! Especially when your body shape and thus sizing has changed - totally nightmare panic episodes.
I have some secondhand polo shirts that are 30+ years old that are so soft but I just wasn’t well enough to mend them, they laid waiting in the very large mending pile. I am now well enough to mend and I am starting to get well enough to make clothes again. The mending pile is still being worked upon.
I was brought up by WW2 and depression era grandmothers who did and continued to follow make do and mend along with rationing saving until the day they died in their late 90s. I have a great Aunt still going at 100 this year. The ration book system works and you may find it that is very helpful in purchasing ethical sustainable new to you items without overwhelming you budget and space.
I believe that you will get better, that you will have an improvement in health. I did. Many chronic illness people who got COVID and long COVID have been reporting that they are getting better slowly, very slowly. So I have hope for you. Don’t give up you are on the right path for social responsible ecological slow fashion, best wishes for your health.
I hope that you are doing better, although I know that chronic illness can come with many ups and downs. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea. I'll have to look into this more. However, I do want to say, please don't feel like you must mend your clothing or stick to vintage and used clothing all the time if it doesn't work for you right now. You are not a less valuable person and you are not betraying yoursef or your values if you have to find easier ways to meet the needs that today's version of you may have. Tomorrow's Claude may be able to mend or thrift shop more, but today's Claude might need a different way to clothe herself, and that's okay.
A book that I might recommend is "How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing" by KC Davis LPC. It helped me accept when I had to meet my needs in a different way than I may have been used to because of my disabilities. Maybe it will give you some ideas on how to navigate your current situation, both when it comes to keeping a home tidy and in other ways. Regardless, have a lovely day!
This is really exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing what decisions you make. I've been trying to be a lot more thoughtful about my fabric purchases for a couple of years now, mostly purchasing second hand. I volunteer sorting craft supplies for a charity shop and it's given me a fresh perspective on crafting and what I buy. Now I feel more able to let supplies go that no longer fit my style or plans etc because I know someone else will love them. The only bad side is I get tempted by the lovely vintage fabric and patterns we get donated sometimes. 😊
The couponing is such a neat way to help “budget” clothes (and craft) purchases! Weirdly I’m thinking it will help my inattentive ADHD brain remember that I might need to buy certain things before I actually suddenly urgently *need* them lol. Thank you ever so much for the download ❤
Hello from Ohio. I know exactly what you mean. I've been fighting cancer for a year and feel miserble most days, yet I bought a bunch of sewing patterns from ebay! I've only been able to go thrifting once, and didn't feel well enough to purchase anything. I've done a few alterations, just small things. I keep thinking - next year..........
As an impulse book buyer I was delighted to see this video pop up - looking forward to seeing what you do. I have a budget of £365 pa ( a £1 a day). A system copied from a friend of mine…been working well for several years and allows me to buy one high-ticket item a year, if necessary.
Thank you for another lovely video! This is something I have been trying to get into as far as sustainability and I've been drop the ball a bit as far as lessoning my buying of new things. I can't wait to go on this journey together and see how we all get on!
I am joining! I am an historian, trying as much as possible to buy ethical clothing for the last twenty years, but this is a new challenge I would love to try.
I understand about a change in size and price rises. I recently found myself buying 2nd hand clothing made by a definitely unethical clothing company that I then altered to fit me.
Birdy
Same... I adjusted the shoulders of a friend's dress a couple of weeks ago. First time I've touched a needle for over three years.
I found the more my health issues impacted my life, the more 💩 I bought online. I actually developed a bit of a hoarding mindset, and when I tried to address it and pass stuff on. I panicked and repurchased. I also bought a ton of crafting supplies/books because it made me feel better about not doing anything creative.
How have i never heard of this!! This is a-mazing. I'm 100% joining you on this journey.
Oh I love this idea! I might try and see if I can replicate it with the Australian WWII rationing system (which I know included yarn and clothes as well)
I really feel this! I have limited time and engery for making clothing due to working part-time and parenthood. Limited free time and changing health conditions have also resulted in body changes that have made lots of my existing clothing uncomfortable/unwearable. I also have real problems making decisions (thanks anxiety/executive dysfunction) so I will spend weeks researching the best options when i need to buy something new in a worsening spiral of indecision!! I recently bought some leggings and tunics for work (more practical for a primary school creative arts teacher) and it took more than a month to make the decision! (Annoyingly the leggings started to pill first wear despite costing $30 a pair)
Found your videos through shorts and I love all of them. Thank you for the insight, honesty and slice of life you provide. English is not my first language, but I'm hoping that my words properly express my thoughts regarding your videos.
I've never heard of people using the WWII rationing scheme today, thanks for introducing me to the idea.
I have ME as well and it's truly mad all the ways it manages to steal joy from our lives.
I love seeing your videos so much!
I completely relate. A little over a year ago, I gained around 15kg for no discernible reason. I think I was in an extended crash and trying to power through. Now, most of it has gone away, but I have a huge stash of larger clothing that needs tailoring when I have the energy - an easier place to be, I think, than everything being too small. I’ve learned (the hard way) to only buy online secondhand from sellers who provide measurements.
Also, when I’m in a crash, the only thing that has full energy is my inner magpie. The combination is not awesome. I might have to follow your brilliant lead and start a ration system, too.
Excellent idea! I am thrilled to give it a try! 🤩
This sounds soo interesting I follow Claire but hadn't really looked at her rationing scheme have since gone through and looked it all over what a great idea!! Her shots of what she's done/bought in a year are great! Looks like lots but also really reasonable especially for makes and I love all her remaking and such! Thank you for bringing this to my attention have got my sew gears turning and ideas forming.
I am so excited to see how you apply the clothing rationing in our modern day, or maybe you could even adapt some of the coupon values to be more applicable in our current emergency (like higher coupon values for synthetics or for denim with its crazy water consumption, instead of for wool and rubber that the army needed). I personally have just a simple dollar value that I stick to because I know I don’t have the mental energy to stick to any complicated system, but it’s true that doesn’t account for whether anything was sustainably produced. I just kind of figure that if I keep a fast fashion item for 10+ years, stubbornly mending it all the while, it’s not so fast anymore.
What a great idea! I usually shop second-hand but I still feel I over-consume, I will give this a try to be more mindful of whether I truly need a new purchase
YES! I'm participating and following you! I also have recently had an uptake in consumption/shopping. We have the same vises.
Cheers to a year or even more creativity!
What a great idea! I look forward to seeing it!
I've been trying to refrain from buying fabric lately too, both because I have a massive stash, and because my finances have been awful this year. I get most of my fabric from the thrift store these days, so I'm just not going to go to the thrift store for a while.
What a great idea! Good luck. Cant wait to see your journey
I've got that Make do and mend book! It's really good and inspiring. Wishing you better health this year 😊
This 1940s guide has helped me so much also. I have the same issues and I thank you so much for making this video. At the bare minimum it makes me feel less alone and gives me further resources.
This is such a remarkable idea! Can't wait to follow along this year.
I thought of Clare as soon as I saw the title! I really enjoy reading her updates on the scheme. Best of luck!
I have done a food rationing challenge before but I haven't tried with clothing yet. I have that same book, and I love the tracker you've created. I look forward to giving this a shot and watching your journey!
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that sounds super interesting! and thanks for having the pdf available!
I'm still going through all my yarn right now to use it up, but doing something like this once I've got my stash under control sounds like a super good way to actually stay on top of things
This sounds great! I am avidly looking forward to the journey.
I love this video. I want to start sewing again. Thank you!
I AM so inspired. I’ve tried to make or buy second hand clothes. With one exception, I do need to go to rather “fancy” gatherings so clothes for work occasions, and they are the only exceptions. But, I’ve also bought things but not used, cloth/yarn. This system is very much appreciated to know about! Thank you!
This sounds like a fabulous project. I inventoried my closet, realized how much I have overconsumed, and am focusing on repair and care of my current clothes and purchases are more needs based. I can't wait to see how this goes!
This is a very timely video for me! I had the idea last week to stop buying fabric until I've used up everything I have, which is enough for a coat, 3 dresses or 5 skirts, and at least 2 pairs of lounge pants. But I also received a gift card for Joann and want to buy several items for 3 projects. 3 projects with current stash and then 1 new project if I'm still interested?
I'm definitely going to join you on your journey, regardless of how mine turns out 😊
This sounds like a fun way to be more conscious about what you're making or buying. I'll have to join in.
I love this idea! I am also currently low energy and overwhelmed with the state of my wardrobe. I'm going to try this as a starting point!
Never saw your videos before. I’m in on the coupon book idea. It sounds great. Thank you. Feel better
I love WW2 history and fashion and am so excited to see your journey with the ration system. Love this idea!
I love this! I'm going to try it myself. Good luck to you!
I love your smile and positive attitude through the challenge!
It's an interesting thought, and for me (besides keeping on using my stash exclusively) what needs to be rationed is *TIME*!!!
I love sewing but my time at a premium, so if I assigned myself a finite amount of sewing hour coupons per year, how would I spend them??? Great food for thought.
As a fellow ME disabled person who is interested in slow fashion, I’m so excited to find you! I totally get the energy limitations and the changes this illness causes in our bodies! 😘
Good for you Claude. I love that you are tackling this subject. Too many people just buy new because it’s easy and can be cheap. I am also on a journey to transform some of my clothes to fit my new body. I have scoliosis and arthritis that is causing more curving and twisting. Wearing pants with a normal waist means that one side of my waist constantly pulls the waistband into the other side. Even some elastic waists painfully do this as well. As this will only be getting worse 😢 and I do not want to get rid of my lovely clothes i am on a journey to figure out a retrofit system. Good luck to us both. I am anxious to watch your journey. ❤
First time viewer here, loved your post, Ive already subscribed! You just gave me the push I needed to alter two tops I bought at the thrift store with that intention, but have not done so. I am going off right now to read up (or watch up) on altering sleeves. I look forward to your coupon journey.
I love this. And thanks for the Claire Bradley info as well. As someone who very rarely watches regular TV, I wasn’t familiar. I’ll follow your journey, and also hope your health improves to the point you can follow your passions more easily again. ❤
I absolutely want to join in this challenge! I’ve knitted for years and developed a stash (small but there is no room for more) and I’ve learned to sew this year! I’ll definitely be following along and joining in to reduce my consumption, capsulate my wardrobe (I wear a uniform 5 days a week I don’t need as many clothes as I own!!) and be more conscious along with you!
This is a nice thing to tray. I gain some weight myself and its fine if i keep it. But oh my i have to rediscover my size and adjustments. At the moment i endup met to big trousers and to small tops😅 (i think im 3 sizes bigger than i was...but the ajustments i have to make are totaly different know). But with this as a extra focus im hopefully not so hard on myself that i have to make 7 pairs of trousers in a weekend in a year is probebly more realistic😅. Realy like your channel and love the top you wearing and send you happy energie so you can hopefully start a bit off sewing soon yourself❤
I retired 3 1/2 years ago and committed to only buy clothes second hand - thrift shops and eBay, mostly. I also sew and alter. Arthritis in my hands keeps me from doing much knitting, but am fortunate to have a circular sock knitting machine, so I have a colorful array of wool socks. I wish you well in your post-Covid journey. I caught it (for the third time) in February, and still have a cough that won’t go away. After hearing how sick you became, I guess I really don’t have anything to complain about.
Very cool! Personally I switched to clothing rentals. Each month I send back my clothes and am sent new ones that I rented, and the ones I sent back are sent to other people who are renting. As a result, all I buy now are shoes when they wear out and some key trousers that I like to have on hand.
Love what you are wearing, and I love your energy, candor and beauty.
Just found and bought the book on ebay! I'm OBSESSED with repair books xx
It‘s also available as an ebook
Oh dear girl this was so instantly relatable to me. Wishing you health.
Have just come across your channel by chance, it reminded me that I had clothes in the wardrobe that were too big/small and to get them back out and revalue them
Sounds great. I look forward to the updates.
I LOVE this idea. I need to go through all the clothes we have. Its mostly kid stuff for me. And how in the world did people make clothes that could hold up to little boys playing?!
You haven’t fallen from grace, it’s a bump in the road. Be kind to yourself.❤
I do like your clothing plans. I happened to purchase the same book when I was in England over a decade ago. It's very helpful. You are a wise lady with your purchases. 😃
I am so excited for 2 Claude videos in one week. What a fascinating idea! I find shopping for clothes a real headache myself being plus size with limited time and energy and on a very limited budget. Especially since I’m trying to avoid synthetic fabrics for environmental reasons. Clothes are necessary but also often avoidable expenses. I agonise a lot about sales because sometimes it’s worth getting a bargain of course, but sometimes I’m lured into buying things I won’t use. But then as you say, complete bans don’t work. It’ll be interesting to see how rationing will help. I am very excited for this series and I will try and give it a go myself!