The impact Fast Fashion has on our planet is a heavy one. Slow fashion and sustainable shopping habits are becoming more wide-spread. One way to track the real cost of what you wear is by paying attention to your Cost Per Wear (CPW).
CPW is a simple formula- start with the cost of an item of clothing or jewelry (include maintenance or alterations as well) and then divide it by the number of times you’ve worn that item. So let’s say you bought a pair of jeans for $50 and you’ve worn them 10 times- the CPW is $5. The more you wear something, the lower the CPW.
For example, this skirt was gifted to me, but I rarely wore it because it was too long. You can see here it matches half the shirts in my closet! I took it to be hemmed, so my ‘cost’ is $35.
It’s not just the initial cost of an item that determines the CPW. Say you pick up a shirt at the mall for $15, wear it three times, and then you launder it. After washing, it unravels/shrinks/needs ironing, so you toss it. Your CPW nets you $5 each wear.
On the other hand, a pair of well-fitting jeans priced $98 which you wear at least once a week through fall and winter (we’ll call it 26 wears) and now are three years old, that CPW is $1.25.
Considering the CPW when shopping can save dollars in the long run, especially if you think a classic piece versus something trendy, and are realistic about how much you will actually wear it. Another consideration is whether the piece will be versatile in your closet. A neon pink polka-dot shirt may be super cute, but if you have only one pair of pants to wear it with, it’s not going to get much wear time!
Getting Started
I started keeping track of CPW this winter, just to try it out. I am keeping track of the new items that are coming into my closet only. I can’t imagine trying to figure out the clothes already there! I made a simple spreadsheet and add pieces as I buy them. After keeping track for a few months, I added purchase date so I could see how quickly the piece incorporated itself into my wardrobe.
I just add a tick mark every time I wear something on the list. This photo is an updated list, so you can see where I added up the previous ticks. I keep the list next to my computer in my home office. At first I kept it in my closet on a shelf but I kept forgetting about it. Plus I’m always too rushed in the morning to remember to mark it. Now I just fill it out every couple days.
What I’m Learning
Unexpectedly, I’ve found myself making much more effort to regularly wear the new items. It’s also a tad shocking to see in writing how many ‘new’ things I purchase. Since most everything is thrifted, I’m not spending tons of money. But still…it’s alot of clothes.
I learned some people set a goal for how much they want their clothes to cost them per day. The general internet consensus, from I can glean, is about $3-$5 per day. There are some people who are happy with $30 or even $50 per outfit. I’m happy with under $5 per day.
Let’s take a look at the two pairs of pants I bought on our December Savers trip– brown Talbots trousers and white Gap corduroy pants.
Right off the bat- the Talbots pants are $99 retail and I got them $6.50. YASSSS! So far I’ve worn them 9 times so my CPW at the moment is $0.72. I can dig that!
The corduroys were also $6.50. I’ve worn them 5 times = $1.30. These pants don’t fit me very well so I decided to let them go. I think I got some good use out of them for the price. (PS. that’s the brown sweater I hacked here. CPW $2.50 lol)
What do I have that is still pretty high CPW? Well, one is the skirt mentioned above. I’ve only worn it three times so CPW= $11.67. In my defense- it’s pretty lightweight and doesn’t lend itself to leggings. My goal is to wear it more in the spring.
Another is the a green Old Navy sweater I bought new for $28. I love this sweater and I’ve worn it 11 times =$2.55 so far. It’s a keeper so I’m aiming for under a dollar by next year.
Sister to CPW is a movement to keep clothes long enough to acheive at least 30 wears. This is a real challenge for me because I get bored with a lot of my clothes after a season and I send them back to Goodwill. That being said, I’ve staple pieces many years old.
If it’s navy and striped, it’s usually a favorite for me. I’m not sure if the skirt has quite 30 wears yet, but this shirt and cardigan do.
These are two blog posts that go in depth with the Cost Per Wear concept, if you’d like more information: Clever Girl Finance and The Pretty Planeteer.
Tangerine Tea’s Comments
Ever since Winter Bee mentioned CPW to me, I was very intriged. I personally have not done this yet, but especially after reading this blog, I want to! I think even from the jump, when shopping, you can look at an item and know if you intend to wear it more than just a couple times. I am super guilty of buying a dress for one occassion and then just waiting for the next time I can wear it. Instead, if I shopped with the idea of wearing a dress for multiple occassions, I would definitely lower my CPW, and help out my wallet a bit too.
I’m a numbers gal, which is another reason I would love doing this. Setting up a spreadsheet to keep track of CPW would be so fun! Plus, I could categorize by occasions to wear the article of clothing, which may help me out in the long run.
I’m going shopping soon, so I will start with my new lot!
So tell me, do you consider Cost Per Wear? Do you have pieces that are at 30 wears or more?
