The issues you raised here have bothered me for years. A related bit is the sheer waste: my and my wife’s closet are stuffed with clothes. I have enough to last me the rest of my life and I think she could go much longer :)

But clothes are thrown away because of a tiny rip or stain. When I was young (just after the dinosaurs died, I think) we’d sew or patch tears. We’d darn socks. We don’t even pause to give that any consideration today. I certainly remember wearing jeans with knee patches, but apparently that is inappropriate now.

We used to have a sewing machine. We must have tossed that sometime too. There is still a sewing box with needles and spools of different colored thread, but we haven’t touched it in decades. Why?