“Cost per wear”

I boringly usually buy clothing with the "cost per wear" thought in my head these days but it is getting more difficult in our throw away culture to buy items unfortunately that will stand 30 wears. The non cost effective things in my wardrobe are clothes that I have bought in a panic for special occasions and not really liked. I think in practice there are a few things we like and wear constantly and the rest there "just in case".

Ten years ago I bought a cotton dress by Marlene Birger on holiday in Southwold. It cost £199,and I reckon we’re now into negative figures. But that very expensive Max Mara maxi dress I bought in Turin? I haven’t worn it at all this summer. It’s going to the dress agency next summer- too late for this year. I’ll be lucky to get £40. I think the cost per wear idea is great, but then sometimes there are things you just have to have.
On the plus side, the French navy, crepe jumpsuit ( Marlene Birger again) and silk tunic dress (Whistles) I bought for my daughters’ Weddings have been worn lots of times, dressed up and dressed down, so cost-per-wear has worked well.

I have worn my linen trousers into holes.

This is because
a) I love them
b) I have fat thighs

I have not worn the very nice summer dress from John Lewis. Not once.
Maybe next year..........

The only things I have spent a lot on and not worn again were Mother of the Bride and Grandmother of the Bride outfits- everything else gets worn and worn and I still give very good stuff to the charity shop even after wearing a lot. I dont buy lots and lots of clothes - a few nice things per season.

I buy what I like - and then find it doesn't really suit me! However that doesn't stop me wearing it. My wardrobe consists of things I wear a lot and things I don't but enjoy having - just in case. It's the enjoyment of the item rather than cost per wear that I go for. I find the older I get the brighter my clothes are becoming!!!

I have worn my Joules Harbour tops off my back for years now so they have probably paid for themselves 100 times over . Likewise my Seasalt tee shirts . There is little point me buying an expensive ( or even cheap) dress because I know I would hardly ever have the occasion to wear it .

I only buy clothes where I can see exactly where in my wardrobe they will fit and can be reasonably sure I will wear them many times. Anything else is just clutter.

Yes, I have one or two special or occasional occasion items, essential when the occasion arises, even though it doesn't arise often. But anything that ceases to have a purpose is down at the charity shop asap.

It saves me a lot of time wasted tiddling around the shops, a lot of money and my entire wardrobe can be comfortably contained in one wardrobe and chest of drawers, so saves me space as well. leaving the time and money and space for much more interesting things.

I put on a white cotton top and green wide leg trousers yesterday for comfort when playing with my grandsons. A picture of me in the same outfit popped up on Facebook dated 2015. Not expensive items...less than £50 for both but I reckon I'll get another Summer out of them.
My special occasion outfits are mostly things others have worn once and sold on Ebay. Some have been in the wardrobe for years and are perhaps worn once a year!!

I've done the classic 'buy it in the sale' thing with dresses and then worn them maybe twice. Not because they're not nice, but because they're not me. Also, buying plain colours when you have two hairy cats is a ridiculous idea!

I still wear the jacket I bought for my daughters first wedding 17 years ago .I've never bought MOB type clothes ,I buy stuff I'll wear .Having said that I just emptied my wardrobe as I've lost weight and I'm not putting it back on,there were multiple dresses hardly worn, all gone to good homes though so not wasted .

I only buy items which I can team up with other faithful pieces which I have bought over the years.
I have a favourite jacket which comes out year on year and always attracts comments it must be 20+ yrs old now.

I buy things because I'm fed up. It never goes well.

In 1990 I went mad and paid £350 for a Betty Jackson jacket, a lot of money then and I actually felt sick as I paid for it.

It was the best thing I ever bought. I wore it an wore it for about 10 years till it, literally, fell to bits. The buttons were so lovely I kept them for further use.

The best and most expensive thing I ever bought.

Oh, Oldbatty- I do that as well!

I bought a dressy black jacket in the Spring. I thought I would wear it with dressy trousers, or dress up my jeans with it. I have never had it out of the wardrobe. It's been too warm!

I know the feeling, Minimoon! I bought a green velvet party dress to wear at New Year just gone . I went down with flu on Boxing Day and the dress has never been on my back.

Still, looking on the bright side, I'm all prepared for next New Year!

I'm a charity shopper, so I never worry too much about cost per wear, particularly when taking into account the previous owners wears too.

I have 3 wardrobes full of mostly impulse buys I rarely if ever wear. My whole lifestyle has changed since being widowed. I rarely go to events where I need to dress up, never go to functions, parties and dinners any more so tend to wear the same old same old: comfy and familiar. I now try to consider most would-be purchases. Do I really need it? Will I wear it? Is it totally necessary? If so, does it suit me (mostly no!). Do I look like mutton dressed as lamb (mostly yes). I took 3 big black sacks to the charity shop recently. It was very liberating......but I still have 3 wardrobes full .....

I once complained to a friend about the high cost of spectacles and she pointed out that at 50p per day for 3 years it wasn’t so bad since I wear them all day, every day. I have very few items of clothing that have proved to be such good value.