How a $78 shirt can cost you $7.80

Ok…confession. I tricked you a LITTLE bit with that title (but just a little, not a lot!). I learned about “Price Per Wear” from Marie Claire when I was in 8th grade (I was VERY mature).

Basically the idea is, if you buy a sale shirt for $10 that you like but only end up wearing it once, that cost you $10/wear. If you buy a top that you LOVE for $78 and wear it 10 times, it is only $7.80 per wear, which is less (plus your ecological footprint is much smaller!)."

These Tory Burch Flats are down to PENNIES per wear (although they were a gift) because I have worn them several times a week since 2013!!!

It can be really hard to front the cash, but I try to keep the principal in mind if I have a need in my wardrobe. I’m MORE likely thinking about it when I’m skimming the sale section (which is basically where I only shop). If I’m thinking of getting something because it’s $20 but maybe the fit isn’t perfect or I don’t love it (but it’s such a steal!), I take a step back and think about price per wear. I would way rather find something that brings me joy and I can wear for a long time for a little more cash and wear it to the death (never had a dress bring you joy? Let’s go shopping together!).

This shirt cost $39.95 from Anthropologie. I have worn it AT LEASE 10 times, so it’s currently at $4/wear (and going down!).

I’ve also heard of the rule “name 5 places/times you would wear this item,” which I’m not quite as much of a fan of (because I only go 3 places), but I do also like the principal to think about if it COMPLETES an outfit or STARTS an outfit. If it starts an outfit, that means you will need to buy more items to complete the outfit and therefore you’re much less likely to wear it.

Whenever people tell me it’s SO expensive to shop at Anthropologie, I totally get it. The prices are totally high up front. BUT I only shop the sale section 98% of the time and use the price per wear model. Most of the clothes I have from Anthro are down to $3-5/wear because the quality is also great and they last for YEARS. I also really like to shop places that have great return policies, in case the item doesn’t hold up after washing (usually my #1 reason for returning).