Had a talk with my neighbor's grandkid that made me feel silly about my own habits

He told me he hasn't bought a single new piece of clothing in 3 years and showed me his mended jeans with patches from old shirts, and I realized I've been throwing away good stuff just because it's not trendy anymore - has anyone else felt that shift when a kid points out something obvious you've been ignoring?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_craig3d ago

And honestly that kid is probably right and we're the ones who have been programmed wrong. I mean think about it, clothes used to be mended and passed down all the time before fast fashion made everything disposable. It's kind of wild how we've been trained to see a small tear or a faded color as a reason to toss something. I've been trying to patch my own jeans lately (badly, but still) and it feels way better than throwing them out. Plus that kid is saving a ton of money, which is pretty smart in this economy.

lane.joel1d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me this kid is actually WEARING patched up clothes to school? Like, in public, where people can SEE him? That is absolutely BONKERS to me. I literally threw out a perfectly good hoodie last week because the drawstring came out and I couldn't be bothered to fix it. The idea of sitting there with a needle and thread, looking like a grandma from 1955, just to save a piece of fabric? Man, that takes some serious guts or something. I guess I'm the one who's been brainwashed into thinking clothes are disposable trash the second they show any wear.