Cost per wear calculator: what a piece really costs you

The price tag tells you what a piece costs once. Cost per wear tells you what it costs every time you put it on. Here is a calculator, three worked examples and the habits that make the number go down.

Why cost per wear beats the price tag

A price tag answers one question: how much leaves your account today. It says nothing about how often you will reach for the piece, how it will look after the tenth wash, or whether it goes with anything you already own.

Cost per wear answers the question you actually care about. Take what you paid, add anything you spend on care or repair, and divide by the number of times you wear it. A coat that felt expensive can turn out to be the cheapest thing in your wardrobe. A bargain top worn twice can turn out to be the dearest.

It is a simple sum, and it changes how you shop. You stop asking "can I afford this?" and start asking "will I wear this?". That second question is the one that saves money, space and the small regret of a hanger you never touch.

Try the calculator

Fill in what you paid (or are about to pay), how often you expect to wear the piece and for how long. Add care or repair costs if you know them: dry cleaning, re-heeling, a tailor. The result updates as you type. Nothing you enter leaves this page.

How to read your number

There is no official "good" cost per wear. It depends on your budget and on the piece. What helps is setting your own rule before you shop, so the decision is made with a calm head rather than at the checkout.

A few rules people find useful:

• Everyday pieces (jeans, knitwear, a work blazer): aim for a cost per wear you would happily pay for a coffee, or less.
• Outerwear and shoes: these earn their keep over several seasons, so count wears across all the winters you expect to own them.
• Occasion pieces (a wedding guest dress, a party top): the number will be higher. Ask whether you can style it a second and third way before you decide.

If the number only works when you imagine wearing the piece every single day, be honest with yourself. Put it in My closet for a few days and see if you still want it.

Three worked examples

These are illustrative sums, not prices from our store.

The winter coat

You pay €120. You wear it four days a week for about five months a year, for three winters. That is roughly 240 wears. Cost per wear: €0.50. Browse jackets and coats with that sum in mind.

The party top

You pay €25. You wear it to one party, it photographs well, and then it waits for the next occasion that never quite comes. One wear. Cost per wear: €25. Worn to five events with different trousers or a skirt, it drops to €5.

The boots

You pay €90 and €20 later to have them re-heeled. You wear them twice a week through autumn and winter for two years: about 100 wears. Cost per wear: €1.10. Care is part of the sum, and it often pays for itself. See women's boots.

Make every piece work harder

The fastest way to lower your cost per wear is to wear what you own more often. That comes down to three habits.

Care. Wash cooler, dry flat or on a hanger, and read the care label before the first wash. Our fabric care guide explains what each fibre likes.

Repair. A loose button, a dropped hem or a worn heel is a small fix. Keep a basic sewing kit at home and find a local tailor or cobbler before you need one.

Combinations. A piece you can wear three ways is worth more than three pieces you can wear one way. Plan outfits from what you already have in the Mix & Match Studio, and build a small core of sweaters and cardigans and tailored blazers that go with most of it.

Try it on before you count it

The piece with the worst cost per wear is the one that does not fit. Before you buy, check the measurements against a garment you already own using our size guide, and try the look on your avatar in the Dressing Room: Magic Mirror sits on our fashion product pages.

When a piece fits, suits you and works with your wardrobe, you wear it. When you wear it, the sum takes care of itself. If something is not right when it arrives, our returns page explains how to send it back.

How giving works when you shop with us

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. After your order you pick one of three causes: CARE International, Cool Earth or Project Zero. The donation is paid out through PayPal Giving Fund UK. Those three causes, together with how we run our own store (honest product data, fair prices), are matched to 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

That is the heart of the 1% Movement: small choices × millions of us = change. It is a giving promise we can show you, and it is the only promise we make on this page.