YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What is your target CPW?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What is your target CPW? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:46:29 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294368 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:37:04 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1294368@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't track wearings so I don't know an official CPW is for any of my items, although having that info would be really interesting, I must admit. I am probably aiming for something similar to Susie's range - under $5 per item for 'everyday clothes' like jeans or knit tops. I probably wear some things less than I think I do, like some of my shoes. But sometimes it's hard to tell until you get the item home. And then there are items that just last and last, like my last pair of flip flops which has probably been worn more than a thousand days since I bought them, and they're just now falling apart. Mary's idea about amortized cost per day is a good one, too. As some of you may remember I started setting a budget for my clothing purchases at the beginning of the calendar year, and have found it a challenge to stick to almost every month, even though it's not a particularly super-low number. It just proves, I guess, that I was spending more than I thought I was, even though a lot of my purchases were bargains or thrifted. (It's actually pretty easy to spend 50 or a hundred bucks a month on thrifting if you're not careful.) Gigi on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294303 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:51:08 +0000 Gigi 1294303@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks, Susie, for your excellent list! I don't have a time frame either. I do buy clothes that are of good quality, so as long as I'm still enjoying them, they should last a few seasons. JAileen on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294214 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:45:51 +0000 JAileen 1294214@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm impressed with the people who track this kind of thing. I was an accountant and used to do cost accounting, so this is right up my alley. Yet, I don't bother. I thrift a lot and just don't spend that much on clothes (the pajama jeans were wardrobe anomaly for me!). I have bought a lot of new things this past year, but still not totalling that much in the grand scheme of things. Susie on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294211 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:43:00 +0000 Susie 1294211@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Since I was tracking the number of wearings and keeping a list of purchases with the price of each, it only made sense to add that column to calculate CPW too. :) I did assign a goal CPW to each category. Mine are: Pants  $8 Jeans $8 Skirts  $8 Dresses $10 Toppers $10 Sweaters $9 Knit tops $8 Shirts $7 Tanks/tees for layering $5 Shorts $5 Sweatshirts $7 Shoes $10 Bags $10 If I had to guess I would say that maybe a third of my items have reached those goal numbers. But I didn't set any time frame in which I wanted to reach them so I don't know how meaningful that is, especially since the majority were purchased in the last year or so. I really don't use CPW in terms of shopping, other than knowing that for my lifestyle, it makes sense to spend more on a pair of jeans than on a formal dress. I also love the idea of joy per wear. A great outfit that is fuss free and comfortable and makes me feel confident and happy is priceless! Mo on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294208 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:37:58 +0000 Mo 1294208@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Today I have a prime example of how I utilize the CPW idea although I don't specifically track.  There is a certain modal cashmere blend v-neck tee that has caught my eye.  On sale, it is still $80.  I've never spent $80 on a tee.  But . . . . BUT, I am finding myself grabbing for a simple v-neck tee quite a bit lately.  The $8 versions from Kmart are getting worn every week.  Every week.  I have an $80 white maxi dress that I've been trying to sell for months now on eBay. To spend that $80 on the tee instead would be infinitely more useful for my wardrobe.  Suzanne (ambergreen) on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1294189 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:12:35 +0000 Suzanne (ambergreen) 1294189@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's so interesting how you cost trackers slice and dice everything. I am also very analytical, but I have never tracked actual CPW of anything. Going back a few years, when I relied mostly on thrifting, consignments, and flea markets for what I wore (when you could still get great things for a song), I would often mentally tally up the purchase prices of everything I had on (minus specs) and proudly note that the entire ensemble, including jewelry, was less than $100 -- or even $50 -- or sometimes as low as under $20. Since lifestyle/work and location changes, I've switched back to buying mainly new items (in many cases, thrift prices approach new prices now anyway...it's shameful) and have raised my average purchase price a LOT, relatively. It's up to like $25! (OK, well, $60 for shoes and boots, with a preference for leather vs. synthetics.) I am still an insanely bargain-oriented shopper. Most things I have bought this year (so far, 55 clothing items, 7 pairs of shoes) were 50% to 70% off original price. Most expensive item so far? $75, which was half price. I am OK with raising my bar here and buying this many things because I seriously needed to update and fill in after a few years of buying very, very little. If I'm accurate, I spent less than $300 on wearables in ALL of 2013, which was pre-YLF. So, I build in a low CPW up front, and that works for me. Just like with TV shows and movies, I don't care if I'm on the bleeding edge of a style the moment it comes out...I figure that I will be wearing a carefully-chosen item for at least a few years because I tend to go for simplicity even in trendy pieces and hope things don't date super quickly (a risk we all face, bah). Plus, lifestyle makes a huge diff. I work at home and don't need dressy things much at all anymore. Major bottom-line savings there. Suz on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw/page/2#post-1293971 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:11:06 +0000 Suz 1293971@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think Mary's and Adelfa's posts are extremely pertinent. CPW is sort of meaningless in itself. A helpful aide, maybe, and better than not bothering to think about the cost at all -- (well, unless you can afford that and don't care how large your wardrobe becomes)  -- but certainly not the final word or an accurate picture of what clothing is costing overall.  MsMary on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293963 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:06:38 +0000 MsMary 1293963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've been tracking CPW for my 2014 purchases and it's been really interesting.  It's only been half a year, but it looks like within the first season almost everything gets under $10 CPW, and the real workhorses get under $5 CPW.  But Adelfa is right, of course, that CPW per garment is only a small piece of the puzzle.  I realized a while ago that the number that really counts for me is "total annual expenditures on clothing and clothing-related items (e.g. dry cleaning)/365."   For me so far this year it's about $12/day.  Which is a gigantic improvement from last year, which was close to $20/day.  (And yes, I realize that leaves out the residual cost of last year's clothing... still working on that.) Anonymous on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293908 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:07:34 +0000 Anonymous 1293908@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I consider CPW when buying and see it justifying buying quality items for my casual life style, especially jeans. OTOH, I don't want to spend much on something I'm trying out or is an obvious trend..things I don't expect to have very long. I am noticing that I wear pieces much more often when I've had them long enough to settle into my wardrobe, so a second or third season sees more use. Maybe my eye has to adjust, the item seem less precious, or that I know how best to style it from experience. Elizabeth P on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293894 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:40:06 +0000 Elizabeth P 1293894@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I inadvertently track CPW.  Because I use StyleBook, it automatically does it for me.  Initially I wasn't putting in the price of a garment, but the geek factor took over at some point, and I figured why not.  But that number isn't necessarily very accurate... tax or shipping may or may not be included.  Conversion from US to CAN $$ may or may not have been done... I don't go back and scour my Visa bill, sometimes I think that would be too scarey :) But I don't really do anything with that number other than look at it.  And wonder what other fabbers do with it.   I find it far more useful to see how much wear a garment is getting.  I'm often surprised at how few times I've worn something, when it feels like it's seen a lot of love.  Like many, how a garment feels and looks tends to be more important to me than the price tag.  But perhaps I'm still a bit new at it all, and as time goes on I can use it as a more accurate evaluation.  Anonymous on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293848 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:52:59 +0000 Anonymous 1293848@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I started tracking cost per wear only recently.  It is interesting to see the types of clothes that get a lot of wear (lower CPW) and those that I just don't reach for much at all.  I find I have very low CPW for bottoms (skirts and pants).  My goal is to get CPW for bottoms down to less than $1, but I am happy if it hovers around $5 CPW.  Based on this information, I can easily afford to purchase higher end pieces because I know they always work out to be worth the price. Tops are completely different.  I would love to see a CPW of about $5, but that is not the case.  CPW can be anywhere from $1 to $80 (with a median of around $15).  Based on this information, I either have to buy lower priced items or reduce the number of tops in my wardrobe because a lot of them just don't get worn all that much.  I am still working out a plan for buying tops.  I don't want to buy cheap tops so that means much fewer tops that get worn more often.  I think Mo once said something about 12 tops per season.  That seems about right.  I'll just say I exceed 12 tops.   Shoes are similar to tops in terms of CPW.  I don't even assign a goal for shoes because I buy them based on other criteria:  comfort, walkability.  When I find a pair that meets all the criteria, I just buy them and wear them happily. Lyn D. on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293844 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:32:47 +0000 Lyn D. 1293844@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Good point, I hadn't thought of it that way Adelfa! Adelfa on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293780 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 06:16:00 +0000 Adelfa 1293780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't track CPW but I notice if an expensive item isn't getting worn. Or if a tee that cost $7.50 has been worn once or twice a week since I bought it. One thing I wonder about is Cost Per Wear Per Outfit. So to give a simple example, if I wear a $50 dress 10 times then obviously that's $5 per wear. But what if over the same 10 days I wore instead a pair of $50 jeans, a $50 top, a $50 belt, and a $50 topper. All of those things now have a $5 cost per wear, but the outfit each day cost $20 ($200 total expenditure) as opposed to $5 for the dress. That's why CPW on its own seems very incomplete to me. I wear separates a lot, as do a lot of fabbers, and I think it gives a better picture to think in terms of everything I'm wearing at one time. rachylou on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293735 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:19:13 +0000 rachylou 1293735@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ One thing I did, which was not CPW but which I think gets at some of things CPW does, was to assess how I really spent my time, and I've worked to get my wardrobe divvied up along the same lines. That might top my list of brilliant Angie wisdom. So I don't have $$ numbers per item, but I have a sense of what I do wear or need to wear. The result has been skyrocketing wardrobe satisfaction - and a smaller one to boot. carter on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293655 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:26:07 +0000 carter 1293655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't track CPW either, but at the time of purchase I do think about how long an item will remain in my closet to find the "what feels right" price that I'm willing to pay. For instance, summer work tops last 1, or maybe 2, seasons, so I'm not willing to pay more than $30-$40 or so. Summer work bottoms last 3-4 years in my closet, so $60-$80 feels right. Dresses spend an average of 8(!) years in my closet. Sweaters average about 8 years as well. Winter work pants stay around about 4 years. Attaching numbers to those is a "feels right" number, not a target $/year number though. I must say that the vast majority of my wardrobe is "classic", not what I call trendy. Straight leg and bootcut jeans may hang around 6 or 8 years, but I only expect boyfriend jeans to be in my closet for a couple years, so I'll spend much less on those. All a little wishy washy, I suppose, but I don't find myself regretting either pricey or inexpensive purchases because I feel like they served their time by the time I'm done with them. Gracie on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293622 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:45:21 +0000 Gracie 1293622@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't track CPW either. I keep track of the wears per item (but only for bottoms as I haven't cataloged my tops) and note which ones have fewer check marks and then bring them out to play. Some naturally fall back to fewer wears than others, but there's no guilt or regret about having purchased those items. Few of my clothes ever wear out, I just get tired of them and take them to consignment when the love diminishes. Marley on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293608 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:37:57 +0000 Marley 1293608@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I periodically track CPW because I find it to be kind of fun!  I will do it for a few months and then stop for several months.  If/When I start in again, its usually because it is the start of a new season - and/or I've bought a bunch of new things and I'm just curious as to how CPW figures with those new items.  I don't have a CPW goal.  When I track my CPW I also track the Happiness Factor - and then when I go back and look at what I've worn, I focus on the Happiness Factor, rather than the CPW.  I'd much rather wear something that scores a 10 on the Happiness Scale, than something that gets CPW down to pennies! Gigi on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293607 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:32:08 +0000 Gigi 1293607@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes, Janet, numbers certainly don't tell the whole picture! One of the things I want to see with my spreadsheet is if I am spending too much money on so-so items. I agree with others that if I have an item that I absolutely love, the CPW is interesting but not really something I would take seriously into account. And Suz, your example of buying jeans instead of a sundress is what I am looking to accomplish also: to make sure I am putting my money toward items that will match my life. If I find that I am investing a lot of money in pencil skirts but can't wear them often enough (I work at home and rarely go out, except to church), then I should consider funneling money for future purchases to a category of items that is getting a lot of wear. I'm also curious to see if I have an imbalance of bottoms to tops. It's funny...I bought pants and jeans with a vengeance this past year, after not having worn pants for a long time, but I also know after a year of YLF that the only time I wear pants is the spring and fall, and cooler summer days. This isn't much of the year! In winter, I need long, heavy skirts that I can layer under. So I keep reminding myself: No more pants! The other thing this thread has taught me is the possibility of an estimation of CPW on the front end. Many of you have mentioned taking an item's cost pre-purchase and asking, "How many times can I realistically expect to wear this?" and deciding if it's worth the money. I hadn't thought of that. Great advice, everyone! Janet on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293599 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:19:50 +0000 Janet 1293599@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gigi, I am a very analytical person, but suppose it manifests itself in a very different way. I have no interest in getting down and dirty with the dollar amounts of items in my closet. I don't feel like numbers tell the whole picture. But I adore Caro's JPW standard!  shedev on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293574 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:53:20 +0000 shedev 1293574@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ideally, CPW and JPW should co-exist. We should wear the things that bring us joy often. Suz on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293547 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:20:00 +0000 Suz 1293547@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Caro, you are brilliant. Can we clone you???  In soft autumn, of course.  I LOVE the idea of tracking JPW. That is sort of what Angie is talking about. It's  an instinctive thing. Even if I only wore my Reiss jacket 10 times, I would still probably consider it worth its very high (for me) price tag. As it happens, I've already worn it probably 20 times in just a few months.  Still...I know what you mean! Like yours, my wardrobe used to be really, really small. CRAZY small, when I think of it -- no WONDER I had nothing to wear. And now I have what seems an abundance of riches....and I want to make sure I am using them or I feel guilty. Fortunately, I DO use them all. But I have to admit there are items in both my summer and winter closet that make me feel uncomfortable. I wear them only once or twice a season. Even my "ballpark" consideration of CPW has helped me buy for the life I live -- one of Angie's mantras, actually. In other words, I now put my money where I wear it. $150 jeans make much more sense in my life than a $150 summer sundress. Or even a $150 pair of wide leg trousers.  Lyn D. on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293531 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:00:57 +0000 Lyn D. 1293531@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love this question! Mine is $10 or below, based on an average spend of $100 per item, spread over 3 seasons of 3 or more wears. This may sound on the high side, but for a reformed wear it once or maybe twice then purge person, YLF is saving me big Bucks in the long run! Caro in Oz on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293518 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:47:15 +0000 Caro in Oz 1293518@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sounds like you know what will work for you, Gigi :) I forgot to add I also track JPW - which is joy per wear, it trumps a monetary figure imo Gigi on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293510 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:37:20 +0000 Gigi 1293510@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks for this, everyone! I am surprised that so few of you track CPW...YLFers seem like a very analytical crowd! :) It's good advice not to get too caught up in the numbers...I have a tendency to do that. So when that starts happening, I will remember this thread. :) But more than that, I want to do what Caro and Rabbit and shedev have hit upon: find out where I'm spending my money, and find out if I have too many items in a particular category such that I can't possibly wear them as frequently as I'd like. Or like Caro says, maybe I will find that I need to spend more money on items that get worn more frequently, if I've got a lot of money wrapped up in seldom-used items.  Like Rabbit, I've added a LOT of items to my wardrobe this past year, probably 100 or more. So I want to see where the money is going and what is being worn. It is a bit of an experiment. :) I will admit that it's still kind of hard for me to see the amount of money I spend on clothes. Before YLF, I ran *everything* I owned into the ground. I bought somewhat expensive clothing (J. Jill) that would last and last, and by the time it wore out, I'm sure it was less than a dollar a wear. My wardrobe was extremely small, probably about thirty pieces, if that. Now I am at about 130. So for me to have items that don't get worn a lot seems wasteful to me. I know that that is just a product of my background and needs to be tempered with the emotional outlook that so many of you have mentioned. But it does make me prone to always wondering how my purchases break down financially vis-a-vis everyday wear. lyn* on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293466 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:53:51 +0000 lyn* 1293466@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do fun factor usually ... some items my CPW is less than $1. Some less than 10 cents.... but I'll still keep them because they're awesome! Caro in Oz on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293462 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:49:43 +0000 Caro in Oz 1293462@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I track CPW & have found it very helpful in deciding where to put my money, but I don't have a specific number in mind. It's interesting though I do have a gut reaction to the numbers when I look at them & that tells me what I want to know. Since tracking I find I'm more likely to spend more on items that get used every day than buy something that gets used infrequently. Janet on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293456 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:40:23 +0000 Janet 1293456@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm with deb. I have an idea of where the items in my closet stand, and there are many things that are down to pennies per wear, and some that will never get under $50 a wear, maybe even $100 depending on how unusual the item is, and that's OK. It's about the enjoyment and value in more than just dollars. shedev on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293451 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:35:58 +0000 shedev 1293451@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm still working on this. I'm tracking CPW this year to determine how many items I need and what is a good range to spend on them. I don't want to spend $$$ on designer stuff only to wear a couple times, but I also don't want to buy only bargain basement stuff just to up CPW. Using Mo's 50 wear lifespan, I've chosen $3 as my tentative CPW. Based on this, I think of $150 as my base price for purchases. Above this, I think of the item as a splurge. Some things I like are unlikely to see 50 wears. Net sweaters come to mind. Other things like coats or shoes will far exceed 50 wears. I think these two sort of balance each other out. rabbit on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293445 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:30:36 +0000 rabbit 1293445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ As a target, I'm shooting for under 2$ within a year of purchasing new clothes as a baseline, under 1$ as a goal.   Part of why I'm placing more of an emphasis on it is because, gulp,  I bought around 100 items of clothing this year (this includes shoes, belts, tights, coats, scarves and bags) and I really want to get a sense of how unmanageable or manageable wearing that is.   Halfway through the year,  I'm doing well in terms of my CPW goals, but I've discovered that older clothes (about 70 including accessories) are much harder to incorporate and wear because of the sheer amount of new clothes, and so my overall closet needs to shrink a bit more if I want it all to be used.   I'm culling older clothes that have done their duty and aren't 10s pretty regularly though. My takeaway so far is that with a small closet, CPW for some items could be a lot higher initially, because it balances out given time, but with a large closet it's tricker to get even 10 wears in of a 10$ top for instance within a few months just because I have so many.   I need to break down items by category more I think and set one in one out limits, that's how I ended up with too many tops, but still having room for growth in the shoe and bag department.  The other thing about tracking wear and cost per wear is it forces me to actually rotate outfits and come up with new ones constantly to increase wears for new items, and to experiment and get creative about how to bring an item into play in another setting or season.   In some ways this is artificial, and leads to occasionally wearing okay combos instead of repeating a great one,  but I really like it as a discovery and experimentation process.  rachylou on "What is your target CPW?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-is-your-target-cpw#post-1293439 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:24:46 +0000 rachylou 1293439@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't track CPW because 1) I'm lazy and 2) I don't know how to factor in wear and replacement. That is, the more you wear something, the faster it wears out, the sooner and more often you need to spend to replace. I suspect there's a tipping point where cost of replacement outstrips low CPW. I'm more clear about this with suitcases than clothes.