> I think the natural end point for heavily worn clothes would be as a rag? This used to be a super-common middle class (and under, I suppose) habit, at least

> I think the natural end point for heavily worn clothes would be as a rag? This used to be a super-common middle class (and under, I suppose) habit, at least in the US. But synthetics make shitty rags, so that rules out a high percentage of modern cheap clothes of the sort that don't tend to get repaired or sold used, and material costs are so low that more people can easily afford to just buy cotton rags that'll perform better than strips of denim or old cotton t-shirts. Plus I don't think people do things that call for nigh-disposable cloth rags as much anymore (in our house they were mostly used for cleaning up engine grease or motor oil, but folks worked on their own cars and lawnmowers and such a lot more back then, and they were all ICE, not electric)