Cost Per Wear Calculator
Enter a price and how many times you’ll wear each piece to see its real cost per wear, then compare items so value, not the price tag, guides what you buy.
The price tag is the wrong number
Shopping by sticker price is how good wardrobes fill up with things nobody wears. The number that actually matters is what a piece costs each time it leaves the hanger — and by that measure a considered, well-made staple almost always beats a cheap novelty. Costing your options this way tilts every decision toward versatility and wear.
Once you know what earns its place, plan the whole set with the Capsule Wardrobe Planner, and see how far a few well-chosen pieces stretch with the Outfit Combinations Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cost per wear?
Cost per wear is a garment's price divided by the number of times you actually wear it over its life. A $300 coat worn 150 times costs $2 a wear; a $40 top worn four times costs $10 a wear. It reframes 'expensive' and 'cheap' around use rather than the price tag, which is usually a far better guide to value.
How do I estimate how many times I'll wear something?
Think in wears per year times the years you'll realistically keep it. A everyday pair of jeans might be 80–100 wears a year for several years; an occasion dress might be two or three wears a year. Be honest — the most common costing mistake is overestimating how often a trend or occasion piece will actually leave the wardrobe.
Why can a more expensive item be the better buy?
Because price and value are not the same thing. A well-made staple you wear constantly spreads its cost across hundreds of wears, while a bargain piece worn twice never earns its keep. Cost per wear rewards versatile, durable, genuinely-loved items and quietly penalises impulse buys, which is exactly the shift a considered wardrobe needs.
Does cost per wear capture everything?
No. It ignores cleaning and repair costs, resale value, and how a piece makes you feel, and it assumes your wear estimate holds up. Use it as one honest number to compare options and to sense-check an impulse buy, then weigh fit, quality, and how often you'll truly reach for it before you decide.
Estimates only. Cost per wear depends on your own honest wear estimate and ignores cleaning, repair, and resale — treat it as a guide to value, not an exact figure.