02 / Cost
How to think about cost per wear.
Cost per wear is a scenario, not a prophecy. It can make two prices easier to compare—as long as you stay honest about how often each piece may enter your real wardrobe.
01 / The estimate
Use one simple formula.
Divide the purchase price by the number of wears you realistically expect. Keep the same currency when comparing pieces.
A €90 jacket expected to be worn 30 times has an estimated cost per wear of €3.00. The arithmetic is exact; the number of future wears is not.
02 / Uncertainty
Compare more than one plausible future.
When you are unsure, use a conservative, likely, and optimistic scenario. This exposes how dependent the result is on repeated use.
| Scenario | Expected wears | €90 item | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 10 | €9.00/wear | Would the purchase still make sense if it stays occasional? |
| Likely | 30 | €3.00/wear | Can you name enough realistic outfits and occasions? |
| Optimistic | 60 | €1.50/wear | What must be true for this frequency to happen? |
If the purchase only looks convincing in the optimistic scenario, pause. That does not prove it is wrong, but it reveals where the decision depends on hope rather than wardrobe evidence.
03 / Real use
Estimate from the wardrobe you have.
- Role: Is this a daily layer, work item, occasion piece, or replacement?
- Outfits: Can you identify at least three combinations using clothes you already own?
- Climate: How many months of the year can you reasonably wear it?
- Care: Will washing, ironing, dry cleaning, or delicate handling reduce how often you reach for it?
- Duplication: Does a similar piece already receive the wears this purchase is supposed to get?
Past behavior is often more useful than aspiration. If you own several similar garments, check how frequently you actually use them before assigning a high expected-wear number.
04 / Boundaries
Do not turn the estimate into a quality claim.
Cost per wear does not prove that a garment will survive the predicted number of wears. It excludes maintenance, alteration, repair, resale, and opportunity costs unless you deliberately include them. It also cannot decide whether an expensive occasional piece is emotionally or creatively worthwhile.
The useful question is not “Is the lowest cost per wear always best?” It is “What assumptions make this purchase look sensible?”
Fabric Lens stores the expected-wear number locally and lets you change it. For purchased garments, actual wear tracking can later replace the scenario with a record of use.
Source notes
The formula and examples are transparent arithmetic created by Fabric Lens Editorial. Expected wears are user-defined scenarios, not retailer evidence or a durability forecast.