toskarin:

something that gets left out a lot when people are talking about shinto shrines periodically getting rebuilt (which usually has the poetic anti-“ship of theseus” moral applied to it in retelling) is that doing this also serves the function of maintaining the techniques used to build them, which is why those structures look authentically ancient even when they’re reconstructed every couple decades or so

which is its own interesting line of thought: it is a preservation, but specifically of the idea behind the building itself rather than the literal materials, so you’re experiencing a structure that was also experienced hundreds of years ago rather than one that’s been experienced for hundreds of years (both having obvious merits)

This resonates with me very very much

especially as someone learning to make many of my own things, who in the process of coming up with clothing designs has realized I am passionate about both making durable clothes and making clothes with a simple, well-documented pattern that will be easy to repair and remake and replace when the time comes.

both are important. but only the second can make your clothes last pretty much forever.