https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 15 May 2026 00:21:17 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437500 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:26:05 +0000 Sylvia 437500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Goldenpig: I totally agree that you have to feel fabulous in your outfit. That is a prerequisite. What I really mean here, is how often do you wear an item AND feel fabulous. I have quite a few items in which I felt wonderful only a few times, and then after that I don't wear it anymore. And they were certainly not all cheap. </p> <p>I have actually few outfits that are a true success and that I have worn many times. so I'm either:<br /> 1. A bad shopper and constantly pick the wrong outfits or,<br /> 2. I just want / need constant change.</p> <p>I want to buy those more expensive pieces that will last me for years! That's one of the reasons I'm on a style journey. I need to get smarter.</p> <p>Kate: wow, under a dollar per wear. I don't even come close to that for many of my clothes. Very good.</p> <p>Elly: I'm impressed at how many years you get out of 1 dress. You seem to be very disciplined with your wardrobe and get good wear out of most of your clothes. Very impressive.</p> <p>afterism: I agree. It doesn't really matter to me that much how much I've spent on it, just as long as I wear at least say15 times with a lot of pleasure.(yes it's sad but many clothes don't even make that) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437499 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:25:08 +0000 Janet 437499@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>With the size of my wardrobe, I would go crazy if I tried to track cost per wear on every item. However, I have a pretty good idea where each piece falls, and I do have a pang of guilt when I realize an item did not live up to its promise in terms of multiple wears. But in my case, that's more likely to mean the $15 top that I only wore once before I realized it wasn't so fab, than a more expensive piece that I "only" wore 5 or 10 times. </p> <p>I'm getting better about that though -- I don't remove tags until I've committed to wearing an item, and I'm getting smarter about impulse buys.</p> <p>Bottom line for me is that I could never come up with a hard and fast number to calculate the value of a piece. Like afterism says, it's more about how the piece makes me feel when I wear it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437431 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:57:55 +0000 goldenpig 437431@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well I agree with AJ and afterism, success is how FAB you feel in the item, not necessarily cost per wear. I could buy a so-so shirt for $10 and wear it ten times and never feel fab in it and I wouldn't consider that a success even though I got my money's worth out of it. I would rather buy more expensive items (assuming I can't find similar items cheaper) and wear them less often but for longer periods (like 5 or 10 years) than wear something a lot but only for a year or two before I get tired of it.</p> <p>Now when my awesome Anthro red trench coat and mustard blazer and purple poncho go on sale and I get a price adjustment (once or even twice) on those items, now that is an even better success!</p> <p>Oh and I only wore my wedding dress once, but I consider that a big success! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437425 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:42:58 +0000 afterism 437425@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For me it's really more about how I feel wearing the item (Assuming the price isn't ridiculous).</p> <p>I am just as hapy to pay $20 for a dress that I love &amp; wear over &amp; over as I am to pay $100-$200.</p> <p>I do feel just alittle more smug wearing the $20/dress than the other though as I know I look awesome for hardly any $$. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437418 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:55:23 +0000 Elly 437418@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have several items that are just for special occasions. My formal wear is the main example--- I have one formal dress (cocktail/black tie-- but not long) that obviously isn't something I wear more than a couple of times a year. Still, I do attend lots of weddings and I generally wear that dress for all of them. So, let's just say 5 years x 2 times a year--- at least 10 wears out of one dress. My particular formal dress was less than $100 on sale-- 65 maybe? plus what I had spent on wraps, shoes, clutches, and jewelry to make it more versatile. These special occasion only pieces are the only things that I feel need to be super versatile in my wardrobe as I just can't justifying owning more than a few. I do have a couple dresses that are a step up from a cotton day or sun dress that I tend to wear to graduations, special occasions, casual weddings, ect. These two are less versatile since I have two and can switch between them so I don't show up to a similar event with the same group in the same dress 2 or 3 times a year--- </p> <p>I have 6 year old dress pants that are occasional wear items, but I have gotten my use and money out of them and they are both wearing out and I am ready to retire them. </p> <p>Most of my other items have a much shorter lifespan in my closet. Blouses, sweaters, ts---- all stay in less than 5 years. </p> <p>However, I expect a much higher level of wear from them. It is pretty common for me to have maybe 8-10 work outfits (some incorporating the same slacks or blazers) and a couple casual outfits in the rotation. I have a 4 season climate, but tend to wear the same clothing in spring and fall, with a coat over it in winter. Summer has its own much smaller wardrobe to some extent and I mix those pieces into spring and fall outfits. So essentially I wear the same 12-14 outfits 8-9 months out of the year. My pieces are usually under 100 dollars at the most with the exception of shoes, blazers, and coats. I expect blazers, skirts, ect to last upwards of 3 years, jeans to last a year or two with constant wear or more with less, and ts and blouses to last 2 years. That is a pretty high cost per wear.</p> <p>Still, I have some pieces that don't get worn much--- things that end up as orphans, wear poorly, aren't practical or I just hate. Keeping a small wardrobe allows myself to get over the fact that sometimes this just happens-- I don't feel wasteful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437415 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:47:59 +0000 Kate 437415@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Do you mean to consider it worthy of the money I spent on it? I strive for under a dollar cost per wear for all of my clothes (and accessories, shoes, and jewelry), so I guess it's a full success once I've worn it more times than the number of dollars it cost me. But for most items I know if I'll reach my cost per wear goal within a month or two of buying them, even if it will take me years to wear it 100 times (or whatever it cost). I think a lot of it depends on what I paid for the item. The $17 dress that I've worn 4 times is certainly a success, but I'm going to need to wear my $140 blazer many more than the current 5 wears ($28/wear!) to be sure it was worth the investment. Maybe once I'm down to less than $8-10 per wear for more expensive items, and $2 per wear for the cheaper ones?</p> <p>I no longer have special occasion only items, because I don't really have THAT special of occasions to attend. Some things are certainly fancier than most, but everything can be dressed down so that I can wear it more often. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437410 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:37:08 +0000 anne 437410@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is a good questions and I imagine you'll get a range of answers</p> <p>I tend towards a minimal wardrobe and, off the top of my head.<br /> For everyday looks - once or twice a week for the season I buy it for, and hopefully into subsequent years too<br /> For more dressy looks (eg for church) - once a month at least for the season I buy it for and hope for at least a few more years too, as it won't be worn out.<br /> Special occasion - I try not to spend too much on these and count it a bonus for every subsequent wear I get after the occasion I wear if for.</p> <p>Price paid for items is related to above</p> <p>eg wedding - $30 silver sandals from payless - may only wear 6 times a year for 3 years<br /> everyday riding boots $180 plus at least $100 in mending - wear 3-4 times a week for 5 months a year for 3 years. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-wear-a-piece-of-clothing-for-you-to-cons#post-437405 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:26:15 +0000 Sylvia 437405@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This question got kinda lost in my other thread as I asked too many questions at once, but I'm still curious.</p> <p>How many times do you have to wear a piece of clothing for you to consider it a success?</p> <p>Or do you just accept that some items get very little wear, but are just for a special occasion? </p>