Cost Per Wear: Determine The True Value of Your Purchase

Imagine, you're scrolling through your instagram feed and you 'like' some outfits. A few days later, those outfits magically appear right at your door step. That'd be nice wouldn't it... Unfortunately that's not real life for most of us and simply owning an instagram account is not a rite of passage to getting free clothes. Things cost money, honey. We've got to spend our hard earned cash wisely and we're going to help you do that by giving you a tool which helps you easily answer the next time you catch yourself asking, should I buy that?

When it comes to choosing clothes, there are a few things to consider, like the quality, fit and style. But above all else, the most important consideration is the Cost Per Wear.

The idea is to maximise your money (aka your investment!) so you have less things in your wardrobe and more time thinking about things that matter, like how you're going to get that next pay rise ;) If you can commit to at least 50 wears, that's a pretty good start. However, clothes generally last much longer than that if you take care of it properly.

The Cost Per Wear formula is handy not only to help you decide whether that sequin covered v-neck dress is a sound investment, but to also help you think quality over quantity, which as a result will minimise your carbon footprint 👣. The lower the cost per wear, the higher the return on investment and the less pollution to the planet. Winning!

I wanted to take this idea one step further by looking at my own wardrobe to estimate the cost per wear on some of the items I own. The results? Pretty eye-opening.

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It turns out I've worn most things only 5 times even though I've had them sitting in my wardrobe for at least 1 year. This definitely got me thinking differently (in a good way).

Now, what about those 'out of the ordinary' styles for those special occasions? The Cost Per Wear on that must be pretty high! Well, there are better alternatives than buying a $500 dress you're only going to wear once. For example, you can maximise the CPW for things that already exist by borrowing from a friend, getting a second-hand ensemble or taking advantage of clothing rental services like Rent the Runway and Glam Corner, which we're glad to see is on the rise.

We all want to make a positive impact so let's embrace a new outlook on buying clothes. When you do buy, make it an investment and make it last.

What's the cost per wear on the items you're wearing right now? Tell us in the comments below.