Cpw and wearing out - YouLookFab Forum

Joyce B

It really depends on the quality of the garment and on how much you wear it.
I also like to wear my clothes well, not necessarily wear them out, before I give up on them.

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I am ashamed to say I don't wear my clothes out But my BF has some tees he wears weekly. Some are good as new 4 years (!) later, and others have bit the dust a year in. Crazier yet, the long wearing ones cost $5 from JC Penney's and the others were $25 and $40 respectively. You just never know . . .

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Impossible to say, Anne. Some clothes are more durable than others (tightly woven thicker fabrics) and some people are tougher on their clothes than other people. Shoes in particular show different wear patterns depending on the person wearing them.

I've had tees that wore out --- literally had holes -- after one wear. And tees that might survive the Apocalypse. I've had jeans that wore out within a year of heavy rotation (e.g. once or twice a week wear for 10 months a year)...and jeans that did not wear out after three years or four of similar wear patterns.

11 years ago

Sal

Veteran

Interesting. If I wear something out and it is a favourite item I do feel sad..but know at least I have had good value and it can become a cleaning rag or possibly be recycled in some way. If it is a newish item I feel cross.

I would have to say my main issue is knits losing shape or marks on clothing (black clothes with white patches or pale clothes with stains) rather than holes. I do have a tendency to get holes in my jeans at the knees though although less now my sons are older.

I think clothes should last for at least 40-50 wears before wearing out- that is only a guess though. Knits would be culprits that wear out more quickly, these get downgraded to sleepwear or layering items or dusting rags!

11 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

I think there are clothes that you can wear to the point of them almost falling apart and still look pretty good, like distressed denim or canvas, or RATE leather boots, and clothes that once they lose the shine only work really as lounge wear, like thin knits with pills (the bane of several tops I wore frequently).

Basically clothes last longer overall in my experience if I wear them slightly less frequently, rather than steadily and intensely with frequent washing. Clothes that flow away from the body and sleeveless tops also last longer for me as they never really get sweaty and therefore need less washing.

Leather shoes, wool or cotton or leather jackets last the longest for me, and woven tops and skirts (pants get more abrasion).

By tracking new buys this year, I've learned that I really over-estimate the number of times something is getting worn over time unless I actually take notes. I'm interested to see when the first 'wear out' happens.

11 years ago

anne

Veteran

Thanks everyone and keep them coming!
Definition of what is worn out varies from person to person too.
I should clarify that aim is to wear my clothes out. Doesn't always happen!

11 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

Well... I wear my clothes 'out' but not out, if you know what I mean
I have the feeling that unless you have a VERY minimal closet, if an item is actually worn-out it could be out-of-date also.
I am happy to wear-out my basics, but prefer to move on to the next trend and silhouette before my smart casual pieces actually have to be replaced due to wear and tear.

11 years ago

kerry

Veteran

What Lyn D. said. This fact has made start to re-evaluate how much I should spend on certain items.

11 years ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

Other than athletic shoes, white t-shirts, or underwear, I cannot remember the last item I wore out. I tend to tire of clothes or they date before they wear out.

11 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

If I wore everything every day, I'd give it all a month, no more than two, before it's too shabby to wear to the office.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

My shoes, assuming they're comfortable, I keep until they're worn out, or at least to the point that the thrift store wouldn't be interested in them. Clothes, though, I tend to donate before they get to the point that I would call truly worn out. Either they don't fit anymore or they just aren't my style. I prefer that approach, actually: at least then someone else can get some decent wear out of the garment for a while instead of it being in that category of 'worn but not worn out' that no one at the thrift store will want to buy.

Pre-YLF, I definitely had some things that literally fell apart. DH and I both wear out bare patches on the inner thighs of our jeans, although it's not as bad now that both of us have lost weight. The elastic waistband of pjs or gym wear will eventually give up, especially if you dry in the dryer. Same with any spandex-heavy knit, eventually it will bag. Linen and cotton wovens, in my experience, can last for decades if they are not super thin (those tend to wear through). And wool and silk can last for a very long time too, as long as they are taken care of and bugs don't get to them.

As far as how long I expect things to last, for everyday wear it's probably in the 1-3 year range. Jeans I would hope to last a year or two; knit tops maybe a little less, and shoes 3-5 years depending on how often I wear them.

11 years ago

anne

Veteran

Interesting point Laura; worn vs worn out

11 years ago

Sal

Veteran

I am learning what fabrics do wear out quickly trying not to purchase them, especially if they are for daily use. While I love buying evening wear realistically I am unlikely to go out enough to wear something out...sadly!

Pilled knitwear, black trousers with shiny knees, tissue thin tees with holes, white knitwear that you cannot maintain.....these would be my biggest culprits. It is not always about money spent though.

I think not over purchasing is the key...because I also have items that become dated before wearing out. And while they may appeal to someone else in the thrift shop they may also not! And I still make the odd mistake, things that are current but not for me, I am happy to quickly pass these on so someone else may get wear from them while they are still stylish.

11 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I suppose *worn out* can have varying meanings. I bought a J. Crew deep orange linen shirt a couple of years ago. I can tell it has faded a bit, especially along the front placket and cuffs. It hasn't worn through to shabbiness, but would you/I/others consider it worn out? I am trying to tell myself that the fading is part of its charm, ha, ha, ha.

I try not to wash my clothes too often and to wash them inside out in cold water on the delicate cycle, but some still fade especially at the neckline. I find that fading is the most frequent sign of wear. I don't get those little holes because I always wear an apron whenever I am near a hole inducing kitchen counter. 100% cotton and I guess this 100% linen fades the most.

Oh, and bras stretch out. I have at least a half dozen at any one time, so they last about two or three years (I think).

My water is fairly soft so I don't use the full detergent dose suggested on the packaging, I mostly use the delicate cycle, and I pull stuff out of the dryer while damp if they go in at all. I suppose this contributes to longevity? I think Mo figured that clothes should last through 50 wears? I'm sure mine lasts much longer. I have gear pants that I have worn at least 1400 times, probably more. They haven't even faded. The zipper hasn't broken and the vecro still works.

My experience is that anything above lower end teen store clothing tends to last a very long time if it doesn't have elastic, isn't a thin knit, isn't flannel, and we're not talking about fading.

11 years ago

anne

Veteran

Lots of wisdom and interesting comments! Thanks everyone. I think Donna's last paragraph was the nearest to a generalisation!! It is obviously a very variable thing.

I initially asked the question because in the talk about CPW it seemed a factor to me. If one plans to wear a $100 item 20 times and have a $5 CPW but it only lasts 12 wears then the CPW goes up. And I don't like giving up on clothes when they are still in good condition. That's not to say I don't do it of course! I make mistakes, move on stylistically etc.And it doesn't work for special occasion wear or certain specialised gear.

My aim, however is to in general, only buy enough so that the dated-ness timeout is in sync with the wearing out of the item (and I guess I mean to the point of shabbyness rather than actually falling apart)

So to give an often mentioned (by me example) in my SAHM days I tried to buy just one fashionable sweater each year. It could be worn as much as 3 times a week for 4 months of the year in the first year I bought it.plus some extra wearings on cold days in spring.autumn. I wouldn't wear it just around home.
The next year I would also wear it, so perhaps a bit less, and more likely for at home wear. By the third year I would have no expectation apart from as loungewear. In general, this amount of wearing coincides with the increasing shabbiness of the item, though I confess to still wearing the sweater from winter out 2012 despite, the hem bagging just slightly.

I do think that this approach of mine has some limitations, but given my low budget and low shopping energy it works ok.

11 years ago

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I can't think of a single time that I've worn something out, except for a couple of pairs of shoes. I've often donated after a season or two due to being tired of it, sizing out of it, or being annoyed at fussiness in wearing or washing. My donation pile items almost always look new or barely worn.

11 years ago

Marlene

Veteran

My issue is not so much wearing out as it is wearing out its welcome. i get tired of things and want them out a of the way for something new. i go pretty easy on my clothes so things last a long time and don't really "wear out".

11 years ago

Sal

Veteran

Some gear must have an excellent cost per wear.
I have some black adidas running tights, 5 years old, worn at least once a week (OK I will have missed the odd week so if we say 40 weeks a year, Think they cost about $60 NZD so 30c per wear.

It makes me realise how these items can seem expensive and sometimes not that exciting, but how hard they work. In particular sports bra/running tights/socks....

Whereas the 40th dress, at $440 which has been worn four times (and I think that is doing ok) is $110 per wear. It is now 4 years old, and I have not worn it for a year but will once I get the right occasion.

11 years ago

shedev

Veteran

This is really variable. Those with really refined styles may consider a garment worn out when it is no longer pristine. Rate styles can get away with more. I wear out a fair amount of my clothing. I get at least 50 wears out of a pair of jeans. I get less out of tops. I'm aiming for $3 CPW.

11 years ago

gardenchick

Veteran

Interesting thread!

For better or worse, I have worn out a lot of clothing. Here are the culprits that have caused me to put items in the "goodwill" pile:
Spots, rips, underarm stains...
My pants seem to wear out less frequently.I probably am not as rough on them and have a larger selection so wear them less frequently.

I will say that sometimes an item is getting worn out (eg losing its shape, some faint stains) AND doesn't seem as current AND I'm less excited about wearing it. Sometimes, I just put these items in that goodwill pile...occasionally I'm sorry I did that because I haven't yet found a replacement.

My goal is to have a smallish collection of items that fit well and have a high happiness factor. Some will wear out, so will need to be replaced. Anne, is that different from what you're saying?

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Interesting thread, Anne! I am with you that I would ideally like to wear my clothes enough that they are worn out, at least to me. To me, worn out would include badly faded color and holes at the hem.

I really have never thought about how long it takes for an item to be worn out. I am very skewed in this because pre-YLF, almost the only clothes that I bought were J. Jill, and they seemed to last forever. I remember one linen top I had from there that I wore about twice a week each summer, and it was only when it was in the beginning of its fourth year that it began to fall apart—the fabric was literally disintegrating, creating holes smack-dab in the middle of an expanse of fabric (not even at a seam). But up until the day when it started to fall apart, it still looked crisp and brand-new (except for some yellowing of the white fabric).

Almost my entire closet is a year old or less, so I am just starting to track these things. I like the idea of having some favorites that I wear over and over again, until they are worn out. I'm not super into trends, so most of my items should have pretty decent staying power.

I hadn't thought about calculating a ballpark CPW when buying an item. Some people mentioned that in my recent thread about CPW. I like your method of calculating a cost up front by estimating how many times you will wear the item.

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Part of my quoted 50 wears refers to having a dozen items in a particular category for a half yearly season. For example, cold weather shirts. At bi-weekly wear, the item will be worn 13 times in that year, provided you dress 6 days a week and take a Sunday off in lazy loungewear or gear (as I definitely do). The second part of that numbers post was that if we keep these items roughly 4 years, it equates to 52 wears. These seemed like reasonable averages, thinking on my own closet and wear patterns. Obviously jeans will be more durable, and delicate knits not so much. YMMV of course

11 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

I've been tracing CPW for a few years now and have not noticed a general trend. I guess one could say the trend is, no trend! I have boots that were $100, have been worn 97 times and are still going strong, easily another year, maybe two. And shoes that were not even worn 40 times, and the soles peeled away. I've had pricey sweaters pill beyond the use of a sweater shaver after a few wears and sweaters that I've given away because I just got too tired of them, despite still being in great condition.

11 years ago

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