A quick lesson in Cost per Wear

Cost per Wear is an equation that looks like this:

Price of Item / Times Worn = COST PER WEAR

I love this equation.  It reminds me that buying quality items that last forever is so, SO much better than buying cheap (cheap is different than inexpensive, but I'll get to that later) items that I'll get sick of or wear out in a few months (even weeks sometimes!)

I have bought Payless shoes before because I LOVED their look.  But then when I'm standing at the party in them I can't concentrate on what the person I'm chatting with is saying because me feet hurt so bad.  When I get home, I swear I'll never buy cheap shoes again, but then I spy another $20 shoe in the Payless window and I think YES! $20, so cheap, so cute.  How quickly I forget, and then it seems like I have a closet full of shoes I never wear because I love the way they look but hate the way they feel!

 Now instead of YES! I try to train my mind to remember NOOO, this is bad news, this is a bad investment!!

  It's a bad habit of mine I have almost broken. (Now I force myself to put the Payless shoes on and shop in the store for the next 10 minutes in them, Ouch. No sale.)

Then, there's the other side of the coin.  Not for once have I ever regretted the black leather Foley&Corinna medium city bag that I bought on sale for $345 at Bloomingdale's a few years ago.  That bag was my backpack throughout college and now it can take me to interviews and even out at night because it folds over into an oversized clutch.  So, not only did I get one extremely useful and beautiful bag for $345, but I got two because it's a convertible.  Regular price, the bag is close to $500.

The cost per wear for my city bag is:

$345 / 968 = 36 cents per wear!!!!!!  

Can you see why I love it??  I figure I wore the bag for 2/3 of the 365 days of the year, so about 242 days each year, for the past 4 years.  That's 968 times (and honestly, it's probably even more than that). 

Granted there is a lot to consider if something is going to be a great cost per wear equation like my city bag.  If I had bought a trendy, of-the-moment bag with tassles and hardwear in the latest color of the season would I have worn it all those times and still be wearing it now? N-O. 

 It's imperative to consider the timelessness of the item and its cost and try to break down the equation in your head at the store.  If it's driving you nuts, take a walk around the block, or the mall and think about it, if you MUST have it, then fine, go back, purchase it, and see how you feel about your decision in 6 months. Maybe you love it and still wear it and the cost per wear is great, maybe you've used it once or twice and it was so not worth it. 

An evening gown that costs $2,000 probably will not break down enough to be considered a good deal since you will likely only wear it twice at $1,000 a piece.  (Think of how much women spend nowadays on their wedding dresses that we wear for half of a day! Not me, mine was from J. Crew, at the beautiful price point of $500. Love it.)

I know, I know, the logic is that it's your wedding dress and the pictures and video and everything else will be around forever, but my point is, that true style and quality does not need to cost in the thousands, most of the time, we are paying for what it says on the label. My J. Crew number was silk chiffon and had a beautifully wrapped grecian bodice. Worth every penny and I saved a ton!

But, I digress.

When investing in quality pieces sticking with the classics is the way to go unless you are very bold and know what works for you.  For instance, I invested in a printed leopard vest that was $350 and I have probably only worn it 20 times in the past 4 years. The cost per wear is $17.50 for every time I've worn it which for a vintage printed leopard fur vest is pretty incredible!

Best items to purchase at the best quality you can afford because they will always break down well into low cost per wear:

A well fitting Tshirt or polo in a cut that flatters your body

A navy cashmere V-neck sweater (or black if you prefer)

A classic winter coat in a quality wool

A black or tan bag in quality leather or quality faux leather if you prefer

SHOES.  All shoes, all the time except summer sandals, those you can go crazy with.

A tuxedo jacket or a well fitting men's style blazer.  Tres Parisian chic.

Jeans that fit you really well in the butt, the crotch, the waist, the thighs and are the right length and shape for your body

Odds are, if you have quality basics that fit you beautifully, you won't have much trouble filling in the rest of your wardrobe with pieces that you can either skimp or splurge a little on depending on the cost per wear. 

And if there is anything at all I learned from the dozens of fashion books I've read, it's that the shoes are the part of an outfit that make it or break it. You could be wearing a Valentino dress, but if you have cheap shoes on, it's going to look like a cheap knock-off Valentino dress!

Cheap means poorly made, poorly constructed, poorly cut, made of poor quality fabric, or all of the above.  Cheap means it's going to fall apart rather quickly and not hang on your body right.

Inexpensive means well made clothes or shoes of great fabrics, having a great cut but being sold at an affordable price for the workmanship.  Gap is an example.  They make quality cuts and everything is stitched well and they don't cut corners by sourcing cheap fabrics but Gap is rather affordable. J. Crew is another example, though J. Crew is getting more and more expensive as they launch into high end with better fabrics, cut and quality.

So the next time you're out shopping think of the cost per wear equation and get the best bang for your buck when you purchase something new. You should never, ever spend a lot on trendy of-the-moment items I don't care how badly you NEED it!  The worst is having a bunch of mediocre clothes that aren't great quality instead of fewer, beautifully flattering, quality made pieces. 

Here's to never having to say I have nothing to wear again! (You're getting there!!)

My Foley & Corinna city tote in black.   I still love, love, LOVE it.