As a seamstress for 25 years I recycled anything possible.....zippers, shoulder pads, buttons and many other items. I recently went on a hunt for plaids, checks and stripes for a quilt and men's shirts were my prey.
And when my daughter was in jr high and high school name brand clothes were a 'must' to the kids. Her Izod alligators came off her father's old golf and tennis shirts - she had to have been in her 30s when I finally told her that one. I even bought a pr of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans from the thrift store, made her a brand new pr and used the old ones as a guide for the stitch design. Jeans become bags now and working up an idea for a small denim rug for my grandson's bedroom.
Oh.....and lately I've been using old towels, backing them with fabric (seasonal and other) and using them beneath the dish drainer.