Thought I'd mix it up and chime in too.

It's all a matter of how you think about your own money and your own comfort level of spending.

$300 dollars should mean that it's money spent well either in terms of happiness or CPW for me. I could easily spend $300 on a frivolous knickknack for my mother or a dinner with friends. When I spend it on myself I tend to be more calculating, it's really about love of an item then and in that case I considered these pants against my style goals.

Could I afford it was the question I asked myself and if I didn't buy these pants what else could I spend that $300 on that would make me happier, if there isn't anything else on my list (there are too many) then I just pass them up.

Right on about refreshing. When Angus said something like that could change the landscape of your wardrobe,I hoped it.might.mean not just that you headed off in A new direction and bought all new stuff, but that your old stuff loosened again. So you are right that with a bit of girl math one might end up spending less or getting more life out of your existing items.

This is something I'm trying to do more of. I don't want to turnover lots of wardrobe items so frequently. I like the thrill of wearing quite a few of the same pieces but maybe in combinations you never thought of because a new item creates a kind of bridge or new translation of the older.one.

Day Vies makes an excellent point that sometimes there is an investment in being fashionable.

However, on the whole, everyone has their "thing". I doubt the people interested in technology wonder if they have brought cost per use down far enough on their iphone or ipad to warrant investing in the new one just released. Many people trade their cars in every 2 years regardless of wear or miles driven. People who collect unusual things jump at the opportunity to buy a coveted part of their collection.

I would argue that happiness is far more important than CPW, which is why it makes more sense to me to purchase fewer items that I truly love - even at high price points - than more items I don't or lower cost substitutes that will never truly fill the hole left by what I wanted in the first place. If you have the money, you don't have to justify the cost of an item to anyone - not even yourself (as we are often our own worst critics).

What a fascinating thread! There are a lot things that really resonate with me. CPW is only one measure that has to be factored somehow with H(appiness)PW. If the HPW is high your purchase may be more than worth it after a short time even if the CPW remains on the high side, or the item does not last for years. I also relate to Anna and others' point about buying around what you really want - I have done this too and end up spending as much as the original cost of the item trying to find cheaper substitutes.

I really liked what Day Vies said -- that style is an investment. I never really thought of it that way, but it makes sense. And it's not about buying up all the latest trends (unless that fits your style persona). But it *is* about trying the trends that strongly appeal to you -- at whatever price point feels comfortable. We often talk about individual items being investments and then feel frustrated with ourselves if our tastes change or the item turns out to be poorer quality than we supposed. But perhaps if we looked on our *overall* style as the investment we would worry less about what we paid for individual pieces (always assuming we were staying within our own budget, of course -- whatever that might be).

Of course, it is always going to be a personal decision, but for me, happiness factor is so important. I would not get a high happiness factor from just any trend. There are certain ones, though that would shoot my happiness through the roof. And the only way to know, really, is to experiment by trying the items on.

I skimmed, but can say that the first thing that came to mind for me was the beautiful silk Emilio Pucci dress I did *not* buy 2 years ago. My thought was 3 months of clothing budget on one dress might not be worth it. Now, I totally regret it. I've searched for the dress every few months or so since The CPW may not have been lower than $50 or $25 per wear, but the happiness factor would have been 11.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ay-feature

I don't know if I even have a right to comment on this, because I have a strange budgeting system to begin with and don't find CPW relevant - I don't look at clothes as outright expenditures, but as assets that can be liquidated later. So I personally look at how well the item holds its value at Ebay or consignment, and I also think of what I could "trade in" for the item... basically high-level girl math, lol.

But getting back to your point... $ and longevity are *not* the only items on my rubric. Happiness, the "game changer" factor/style quotient, artistic value, and crossover value, often factor in. I *collect* boots almost like art, so the happiness of looking at them matters as much as the CPW. A wedding dress is only worn once, most of the time.

I think of many things when considering a purchase, in my own personal sequence:
- do I love it
- will I get to wear it (realistic for my lifestyle)
- does it fit/flatter
- do I feel like spending the money on it right now
- can I EASILY return it if I change my mind
- will it hold up or fall apart with washing / does it need dry cleaning
- does the item have potential resale value if I tire of it-
- does it need alterations
- does it fill a wardrobe need/hole
- is it possibly a duplication?

I really don't think about CPW. I am satisfied if my purchase comes up favorably in the above calculations and if the item gets worn.

Very interesting question and discussion! I have no real answers, and I think there must be several, but here's my thought on why spend money on expensive clothing:

It occurs to me that we often think of buying clothing beyond a reasonable amount as frivolous in a way. If the money were spent on something else (we didn't exactly need), we probably would have justified it easier. Example: DH bought cycle gear for quite a lot of money lately. He has a budget for this, and his hobby means a lot to him. Then he needed/wanted an expensive trench. He hasn't bought decent Spring outerwear in years, so it was a reasonable desire. The purchase would blow his clothing budget for a few months, but that's okay, too. The difference was that he didn't think twice about spending on cycle gear, but paying for a trench, that's another matter. How come? I think that an activity or hobby holds so many positive values in the society, that most people would think that spending in this area is a good and even necessary thing. Doing sport or hobbies keep you in shape, give you skills etc. If clothing are merely seen as functional, then splurging on very expensive clothing makes no sense. I think we all make similar distinctions (like Rachy mentioned) on some level.

To me, and I suppose most of the YLF members, clothing are a lot more than functional items. They are bearers of ideas, hopes, dreams, values and how we see ourselves, or want to be perceived. That means, to me, that splurging on a trendy item that never will get a very low CPW is okay, occasionally. I think of clothes as an equivalent to a hobby. To keep up with trends is an expression for an interest in colors, shapes, textiles, and then it is more likely that we buy more, and more current trends.

I think it is obvious that paying more for staples and essentials is sound economy. But if the answer to the questions 'Do I love it?' 'Do I have the money?' 'Does it play with other things in my closet?' is yes, then splurging - within reasons, of course, is not only okay, but desirable, even if the CPW never whittles down all that much. Clothing are not only covers. What *your* answer to this is, is probably depending on how much you value the art of self-expression.

I am a going for a resounding 'yes!', to the question of whether it make sense to buy an expensive item you will wear to death for a short trend. Of course we should have fun with fashion and treat ourselves now and then to a wild item that we know will be used.

The hard part is knowing you will actually use it and limiting yourself to 1-2 items like that per trend/season. Going overboard on those types of items means you cannot wear them all and also you are letting the trends live you and you are not living the trend!

love the new HPW acronym! he he

For me to spend a lot of money on an item I need it to last a long time. I couldn't spread mega money on a high fashion item. At the end of last year I spent *whispering* £230 (I still can't say it out loud) on a gear coat that doesn't look like gear. It's knee length down filled and truly waterproof. It's like a reverse puffer with the quilting on the inside. It's a perfect fit and I agonised over it for days. I eventually reconciled myself with the purchase because it'll get so much use, I've worn it pretty much daily since I bought it and its a classic cut so will hopefully last many years x

Coming back to say...obviously a lot of this will depend on our personal budget. As Louise suggests, if our budget is quite tight or we are building our wardrobe from the ground up, then of course we must reserve our big-ticket purchases to items we truly need. And we will probably avoid obvious trends in that case. But if our essentials are already met and we have more disposable income, it will seem easier to spend more on a trendy item that may or may not see a lot of wear.

Are those silk pants not work appropriate for you, Shannon? I can see myself wearing them a lot in summer for going out and about (not so much at home).

You have all given so much to think about. As you know, I'm not a huge one for analysis and absolutely dread "analysis paralysis" (as Angie puts it) but this is definitely making me think.

Day Vies comment regarding seeing "style as an investment" has really resonated with me. It goes hand in hand with Ingunn's discussion of her husband's dilemma of spending on his trench versus spending on his hobby. What if fashion and style IS our hobby? As long as it's in the budget, my husband doesn't think twice about dropping $700 on a new camera lens for his photography hobby. And I think as women, overall we feel guilty when spending significant amounts on clothing for ourselves - it feels selfish.

Love Shevia's comment "If the HPW is high your purchase may be more than worth it after a short time even if the CPW remains on the high side". I'm really starting to take Happiness Factor seriously when purchasing an item. I have definitely found that items in my closet that have high Happiness Factor get worn much more.

Suz - to answer your question about these silk pants in particular, yes they would be totally work appropriate for me so could get double wear time in both my work capsule and my casual capsule. At work with a nice blouse or tank, blazer and heels and then on weekends with flats or sandals and a semi tucked slouchy tee. If I'm doing the girl math, slouchy tees are on my spring shopping list so if I were to splurge on the trousers, the tees would then be on a lower cost point (I've been eyeing a silk-blend slouchy tee at Melanie Lynn for $89 but would switch to something from The Bay that I also like in the $25 range, for example).

Much to think about. I thank you all for such an interesting conversation

the most interesting comment in this thread is that an expensive item can bring down the cost per wear of the other items in your closet by getting you to wear them. it's the finisher piece for a whole lot of basics or a basic that works with many statement pieces.

as lyn* said a $300 item to last 3 times as long as a $100 item. BUT i don't expect it to and i don't buy the higher priced item with an expectation of longevity or durability. at this price point, what i am buying is the design or the luxurious feel of the fabric or supporting a particular fashion house/tradition/craft or happiness. all of which are not financial reasons.

in fact, many of the items that i buy with this much differential is likely to be more delicate due to the workmanship or the fabric or the embellishments or the design itself. if the item is so memorable, i would wear it only a handful of times, have difficulty remixing it, find it orphaned in my closet AND STILL consider it money well spent.

and yes, one of the most loved and most used and cheapest by cpw, is a dress that i acquired in 1988 that was bought at an outlandish price and tailored for even more money that the poor student's eyes watered. i wore it to every interview starting at grad school and for my next three jobs (which is how many i have had). i've worn it once a conference to every conference until i grew out of it and again when i grew back into it. and now it is more "trendy" than ever.

i also bought lots of stuff that i wore only once, loved every minute of it and consider it (a lot of) money well spent. i also bought a lot of cheap stuff that i wore lots and made me miserable every freaking time.

many of these questions remind me of the angels dancing on heads of pins questions. the answer is ultimately personal and if it helps you figure out the answer by having everyone chime in then great. for me, it's really my relationship with my pocketbook just like buying appliances or furniture or fancy dinners or any depreciating good.

Shannon, that is what I was thinking. I was thinking that with your workplace, these would be extremely versatile pants for you (assuming you like how they look) and would easily earn their keep, just as a pair of jeans would quickly earn their keep for me, given my work at home life. I doubt I would wear the silk pants as much (they might feel too dressy for "at home" days) but even so, if I saw them and loved them I would strongly consider buying them. I like quality in an item that sort of defines my style for a season - if that makes any sense. In my game-changer items, I guess. SO, while I've ordered the Leith pants (through YLF channels, thank you MNSara!) and hope they work for me, I could also see going for the silk version if I love the cheaper ones. So how's that???

It's like "our" leather jacket. Mine was purchased on sale, so was the price of these EF trousers, but it is worth any amount to me, really, for the way it elevates every look and for how fab I feel when I wear it.

In other words, I agree with BJ - it is worth a lot for what it adds to the wardrobe as a whole. BJ says: "it's the finisher piece for a whole lot of basics or a basic that works with many statement pieces," and that just about says it all. "Our" jacket is a piece of that kind -- it swings either way or both - being both an essential AND a statement -- and I think these pants could be similar in that way -- both essential and statement.

Great discussion!

Ummmm, what was the question? Sometimes I like to play the Dollar Cost Averaging game to make my numbers look better. Also, as they say in the construction industry, there are "show dollars", and those the items where you want to spend because it really shows (like fixtures and finishes). It makes sense to me to spend more on a statement piece--like those trousers--to get a lot of bang for your buck. Their CPW might not ever be impressive, but if you can swing it, and want to, they will elevate your style and the rest of your outfit for as long as you *do* have them.

I asked my dad about this - because he's a former banker.

He said I could buy a Burberry trench for $3000, or 10 $300 trenches, but every time I wore that Burberry I'd feel like I'd be worth $3000.

Burberry, here I come... (jk! maybe next year!)