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How many times will you wear it?

rabbit

Veteran

When evaluating keep and returns I try to consider how it works with the rest of my wardrobe, where will I wear it (is it for an imaginary life), is it unique to my wardrobe, does it meet a need/fill a hole, how does it work with my style goals, what will the likely cost per wear be, and so on. But the 'I love it!' voice is sometimes hard to hear over.

Another question that occurred to me today is, will I wear it at least 20 times over it's lifetime? I can buy items that are inexpensive and will have a low cost per wear even if worn 10 times, but outside of special event shopping, I've decided I want things that I'll hold onto for a minimum of 20 wears.

From tracking wears for over two years this isn't as easy as it initially looks. My wardrobe isn't minimalist although it's manageable for me, and for some things like non-black tights it might be kind of impossible to get there before they give up the ghost. Tops and skirts usually get there over 2-3 years. Shoes, jeans, coats and bags get there within a few months. I'm not sure if all my dresses will make it --which is why I only have 6. Very high happiness, but somewhat specialized, items might get there over 5-6 years.

I think it might be a good way to evaluate what it might be time to pass on ---if I've had it at least a year and 20 wears still seems like an uncomfortable stretch. Also what I really should return with tags on (like that gauzy pale blue off the shoulder peasant top, I just can't see wearing it 20 times.)

Do you keep a number like this in mind while you shop or evaluate when it's time to retire something? What do you think is a good number you'd like to aim for in terms of minimum wears per item?

Dressing

56 replies

Latest reply was from

Gigi

Veteran

Hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought of pinpointing a desired number of minimum wears. I think that 20 is a good number. Thirty for me is when I am really happy with the wear I got out of the item, so I think that 20 is a good number for the lower end of acceptable/good.

When I shop, I don't so much think in terms of a concrete number of wears as I just think about whether I'd want to wear the item A LOT if it is expensive. By tracking wears, I discovered that a pair of $150 jeans that I really liked just couldn't be worn enough to get the CPW to where I wanted it--at least not in the timeframe I wanted. I ended up consigning them and learning my lesson: jeans need to be no more than around $100, or else I'm just not going to feel like I'm getting my money's worth out of them. So my emphasis is more on whether I think that I'm going to be able to make the item a "favorite" if it's expensive. If not, I think twice.

rachylou

Veteran

20 is a good number. I like that. I usually think more in terms of 'how long have I had this?' and 'how much longer will it last?.' That is, I don't think about how long it will last BEFORE I buy, but I no doubt should.

Sal

Veteran

I haven't really thought about it that way but it is a great idea.

Most of my clothing would easily get there. I would expect day dresses to be worn 8-10 times a season and to have them at least three years (three times a month for three months seems fair and reasonable). And tops, jackets, sweaters, bottoms and shoes to be worn a lot more than that.

Where I would struggle is occasion wear. My new pleated midi dress that I purchased for summer has been worn three times in total which I feel is pretty good for one season, but I doubt I will wear it until November now. Something like that may struggle to get to 20 wears for me. I have come to the conclusion that looking really "spot on" for parties/occasions is important to me, and that I am happy to repeat repeat repeat my everyday gear to have a budget for special dresses. That works for me given I work from home.

I do have one or two items that I still keep but only drag out once a year (or so) but since I own them and like them I plan to keep them. I am being more thoughtful over new pieces now.

If buying new I feel we owe it to ourselves and our planet to wear things as much as we can. I am far from perfect in this area but I do consider this with all purchases.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Great write up thank you for the thought process. For me I wish I could Chang 2 or 3 x a day. I wear a standard uniform at work denim and vest and button ups . So while away from work I try to make up in variety. So when I choose to add something to my wadrob. My first thought is OH PRETTY!

My next thought is will this go with 4-5 items in my wadrobe. What can I let go of to make space for this item. Then I go quickly Dow my checklist mental. Do I love it?can I live without it? do I need it.? What is the probability of me wearing it? How many times during the course of the year?. Is this year round?

Anonymous

What a fabulous post!!!!! I found every single word mesmerizing.

I purposely did not read any of the other comments prior to writing this one. I did not want to be swayed by their thoughts.

As I was reading your post, I was thinking "20 wears" ...... how did she come up with that number? I realize now you are asking if "20 wears" is a good barometer. After some thought, I think yes. Yes, it is a solid number. I agree with you, getting to "20 wears" is not as easy as one would think. Sometimes it does take 2 - 3 years to reach that goal.

I evaluate purchases a bit differently. I mentally calculate what I think the final "cost per wear" will be. If the garment is very expensive, and I come to the conclusion that I will never achieve a reasonable cost per wear, I have to REALLY love it to buy it. AND there are times when love outweighs logic. If I see something in the store and it whispers my name, it comes home with me. Those purchases are never regretted.

But overall, evaluating cost per wear has been a very good buying decision tool. There are caps on various categories because I now realize certain categories never achieve a reasonable cost per wear IF that particular garment exceeds the cap. Certain items have very high caps (e.g., bags, belts, earrings). Other items have very low caps.

While I was reading your post, I was thinking that evaluating cost per wear and times worn was essentially the same thing. We were both setting a goal as part of our decision tool. Now I am not so sure they are the same. Your system seems more elegant. Less about money and more about life.

None of this applies to special occasion wear. I need to have some items in the wardrobe for special occasions. This is non-negotiable. Cost, times worn, cost per wear all fly out the window when making those purchases. It just is.

I'm going to read the others comment's posts and think about this some more.

Toban

Veteran

I have a smallish sized wardrobe that gets heavy frequency wearing. With the exception of special occasion clothing, I ask myself if the new purchase will be worn at least once every two weeks during its prime season(s) in its first year and whether I can create at least three outfits that meet my style persona(s). My size can fluctuate, so I don't take into account the next year, though most continue to be work horses.

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

I don't have a number....but your post has convinced me that I must!

I have a rather large wardrobe for someone who spends 90% of her time at home. (I work from home and usually go out just twice a week - on weekends). Not just that, a sizable part of my wardrobe is dressy clothes (I like dressy). In the last year I have updated enough to have a more realistic dressy:casual ratio...more ideal for my real lifestyle. Yet, I feel I may still be over-buying casuals. And I'm definitely overbuying dressy shoes (that I hardly hardly wear....I'm just not someone who wears heels enough). I need this list too.

What complicates matters is that I wear warm weather clothes 8 months a year, and this year summer came earlier. I can (and do) justify more variety in silhouettes for summer wear because I'm stuck with them for soooooo long. But it's impossible to know how last season's purchases really fared without a list. I'd think 12-15 times a season would be a good number for me....Atleast for everyday wear. If I'm to be honest, most of my nicer tops and dresses are lucky to get 1-2 wear in a whole year!!!

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Truthfully, I would expect more wears from my wardrobe essentials such as white t shirts, denim, simple sweaters and all outerwear.

I would hope to achieve 20 wears from my more statement pieces but I'm unsure if I do. However, these items in my wardrobe (tea length skirts, silk a line skirt, drop stitched sweater) are usually bought on super deep discount.

When it comes to occasion wear I judge these pieces solely on the happiness factor.

Anonymous

I do think about frequency and number of wears when I buy something expensive but more in terms of trendy vs classic as it will likely be around for 2-3 seasons.

Anonymous

I repeat my outfits a lot, and the CPW is low. However, I'm sure my dresses don't get worn that much. Due to my DH's job and other occasions, however, I really need them in my wardrobe. I try to buy timeless styles that don't have to be culled after only a couple of years, and update with accessories.

Joyce B

Veteran

At least 20 wears is a good baseline but then you need to kind of track the wear, not just guestimate and I have not figured out a way to track that is reasonable for me and does not suck out the joy of dressing by converting it into a tedious counting activity.
If the item is expensive, first of all it's got to fit perfectly, it needs to work in a way that it will be worn many more times than regular items and still go the mileage. The number for that one would be at least 80 or until worn out.
Your question about an upfront number of expected wears is a very good gauge to use before adding to what is already in the wardrobe. I will keep it in mind the next time something "needs" to be added.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Hmm, I generally think in terms of years, rather than wears, simply because I buy fewer items and expect them to get a lot of wear. However, a good keep/discard question for me would be, "Are you going to wear this 20 more times? And if so, when will you hit that magic number?" If I groan at the first question, it's probably time to part with the item. The exception to this would be fancy dresses, because it's really hard to find long formal wear that doesn't date easily.

I tend to spend a lot of money of premium denim because I wear it day in, day out. The cost per wear, even at 20 wears, is still far too low for me to justify buying these pieces--I expect at least 100 wears.

Anonymous

I want to add that I pay more for things such as shoes and pants that I know are going to be worn a lot. Those items are bought with the expectation that they'll go the distance, so to speak.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Very interesting and useful thoughts! I have not really adopted any hard and fast numbers, but I have definitely thought along those lines in a more abstract way. Thanks for articulating it so well!

LaPed

Veteran

Hmm, well, I'd never thought of it in terms of specific numbers, but I'm definitely disappointed when something starts to fall apart before 20 wears. Although most core items (jackets, cotton tops, sweaters, jeans and trousers, shoes) I'd expect a lot more than 20. That's purely from a durability standpoint.

From a style/boredom perspective, yeah, I'd say I still try to keep my number-of-wears up around at least 20. I definitely have some garments that aren't there yet, because they are limited in their seasonality, or because they're a difficult colour, or because they're accessories that I bought to pair with something very specific. (I think my accessories probably accumulate wears the slowest, because they're weather-dependent and I have a large assortment, and there are many days when I don't bother throwing on a hat/scarf/etc at all.)

I think when I shop I'm looking for one of three categories: replacement, duplicate, or something entirely new. Duplicates tend to see the least wear, because the whole point is to split wears with another workhorse garment. If I choose right, direct replacements see the most wear, because they're filling very specific wardrobe holes and I already have all the other elements I need to wear them regularly. The Entirely New stuff can go either way -- something like "warm lined pants for walking the dog in winter" is inherently more limited in its purpose than, say, "jeans." The insulated pants will see lots of use for a few months, and then fade into the background for the rest of the year.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't count wears myself, but enjoyed reading your musings, rabbit. Like Janet, I think about this more abstractly.

cheryl

Veteran

I aim for low cost per wear. I have a large wardrobe and like a lot of variety and I don't like to repeat often. Therefore I am a super sale, clearance, thrift shopper who loves hand me downs. I rarely spend more than $20 for anything other than shoes or coats. Variety makes me happy. I do keep things forever so i'm sure most things eventually get 20 wearings but more importantly to me they get low cost per wear.

JAileen

Veteran

I don't count wears, but I do have an idea in my head that I've "gotten my money's worth" out of an item or not. Usually I'll know right away if that will happen, because the item just fits right into my wardrobe.

El Cee

Veteran

I admire your analysis. I think that 20 wears for a regularly utilized wardrobe piece (i.e. -- not a special occasion item) is a reasonable goal. I am more like Angie in that I think about this in the abstract -- more "how will this item work with my existing wardrobe?". I do not track wears or analyze overall CPW's. But I have recently been identifying pieces that are less frequently worn and trying to give them some more wear time.

Anonymous

Gee, I can't say I've ever thought about this , but it's a really good concept for someone like me who tends to buy things with no real plan in mind. If I like it and it fits, I buy it. Now that said, "liking it" is probably the abstract decision process that eliminates those pieces of clothing that won't get worn a lot . I think. I quite like this idea of using a number of wears as a benchmark for deciding on something new. And you know, I'm ashamed to say I bet that at least half of what is in my closet doesn't get worn 20 times (or whatever that number is) before I've moved it on and out. I want to think about this some more, as this is opening up some mental doors into why I change my mind about liking something after I've worn it once or twice, then never wearing it again.

Excellent food for thought on this dreary, cold Sunday morning

kkards

Veteran

another way to think about it is to figure out how much you make per hour and ask yourself if you like the item enough to work X number of hours……

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have just put some items in the donate/consign bag that probably didn't get X number of wears, but they served me for several years, at least a few times a year. Part of me thinks I should try to eke more wear out of them, but why try to hit an arbitrary number when the joy factor has gone out of an item, and I would be forgoing wearing something I really love to wear the thing that I'm no longer loving?

So, I think this benchmark is useful for me while shopping, but not so much for closet editing.

unfrumped

Veteran

Great concepts, and also what toban said.

I am more tuned in to the "number of times" rather than CPW per se though it ends up as the same thing.
Because, I realize I am not repeating as much as I would like. Does that mean I don't like repeating? No, it means I have too many options and so they're all there staring at me.
I like the "once every 2 weeks in season" also as it's quite useful for things like winter sweaters. I love sweaters and I run very cold so I want to wear very warm things in winter, so warm that then they are not really wearable for 6-7 months out of the year. I accumulate too many. I want to have the ones I love to wear in a rotation of about 2 weeks and even twice in one week for neutrals. That cuts down on moth-proof storage needs and "risk" . With cashmere, I feel all of them are "at risk" so if I have say, 20, it's a lot invested relative to the number of times I could wear them.
Also am hoping to keep moving toward more versatility. It's a challenge because skirts vs. pants almost always have different requirements for both tops and toppers--a real HEWI are items that work with both, or at least a capsule of both.

Your 20 wear thing works well when adding something because if one does a good try-on for making outfits, it can reveal whether the item "makes" outfits with items that are in rotation or even brings something into the new season and so boosts the wear of those items. An example might be the perfect footwear that lets me convert a skirt + winter tights to a summer skirt look. Then the skirt goes up in wears.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, also, maybe rethink the 20X thing when you love an item, and it's a trend at a really great price point. Something you know up front won't have a lot of longevity but injects a little current fun into your wardrobe. of course, you don't want that to be the backbone of your wardrobe, but I think the occasional item like that is a great idea, 20 wears or not.

Bonnie

Veteran

This article gave me a lot to think about, so I decided to figure out my numbers. I started with the number 245 which is probably close to the number of days of 70 degree plus weather. I have 12 pair of pants, so I get 20 wears a year. I probably have 4 tops for every pair of pants, so 48 tops divided in 245 days is 5 wears a year. I like some tops much better than others, so they get more wear. What does this mean? Purge less worn tops, buy more pants, something I haven't thought of yet. I guess it's time to try the one in - one out system. As least you've got me thinking about this issue.

shedev

Veteran

I aim to wear a good portion of my stuff out. I've been tracking wears long enough to know that I get between $1 and $2 CPW on most of my items. I do buy a couple higher dollar items per season. I use Mo's 50 wears as my benchmark. If one of these higher dollar items gets that, I'm satisfied no matter what the final CPW is. I don't usually get 50 with tops, but I get it on most jeans, shoes and toppers. Cotton knits have really been letting me down, so I'm trying to buy tops in other materials. Prefer natural fibers but blends are ok. This year, I'm trying to get 10 wears out of as much of my wardrobe as I can.

Keix

Veteran

I have started counting wears because I love having the stats, but I don't know if I'll end up using it as a wardrobe shopping/culling tool. Mostly it has made me realize that, aside from premium jeans which easily earn their place, I've been wearing a ton of gear/lifestyle pieces. But sporty luxe isn't one of my style aspirations. Ultimately I would rather purchase items that I can afford, which make my heart sing.

Anonymous

I have to admit that I never analyze my purchases. If I really love it, I buy it or will agonize that I did not for a very very long time.

But when I look in my closet I see lots of things that have gotten worn many many times. I think this may be true because of the quality of the item and that I only wash in hand wash cycle and hang to dry. I also seem to lean towards more classic looks and that perhaps extends the longevity of the article of clothing.

Sal

Veteran

I have come back to the thread, I don't track wears or cost per wear. I keep a list of purchases, and the cost.

What I like about 20 wears is that is about getting good use from your clothes, and some longevity. I agree with Janet that it is when buying that this is helpful, rather than when editing. We all have items that don't make 20 wears, I certainly do. But I now think why not- is it quality, faddish, a poor fit or colour, or really unsuitable for my life, or I just have too many tops that I can't fit 20 wears in. Hopefully each tells me something for the next purchase.

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