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Update: Stumbled upon a leather jacket that told a story about durability.
Thrift stores reveal how consumer goods have degraded over time. This jacket from the 70s has outlasted three of my new coats. It's a blunt lesson in built-to-last vs. built-to-break.
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davidt734h ago
That bit about glued seams vs stitching reminds me of my dad's old work boots, lol. He had this pair from the 80s he'd get resoled every few years, and @michael548 is right, the stitching held everything together forever. Meanwhile my modern hiking boots just had the sole delaminate after two seasons, like the whole thing just gave up. It's wild how we lost the whole idea of maintaining stuff, like everything's just sealed up and meant to be tossed.
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michael54810h ago
Vintage stitching lasts decades, unlike modern glued seams.
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hill.margaret10h ago
Agree with @michael548! Vintage stitching lasts decades, unlike modern glued seams, and this highlights a bigger issue. We've shifted to a throwaway culture where items like fast-fashion jackets fall apart quickly, while hand-sewn quilts endure. Manufacturers choose glue for speed and cost, undermining durability and craftsmanship. It's frustrating how convenience erodes quality, and we need to value repair over replacement to combat waste.
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