Great subject. I have recently figured out that I use an abstract process (like lisap and Angie) but it's so abstract that it hardly ever includes basics like how many existing items will it go with or do I have a similar one already. All too often it's just "like it want it". I'm learning to be more thoughtful which I think will get better results, but I've got a ways to go before I identify a minimum # of wearing's as a target I have started tracking WIW in a spreadsheet recently and the results are most interesting.

Gigi - yeah, I aim for over 20 in most categories, but I wanted a goal for items that are less worn. Very useful insights from your tracking about CPW and your jeans, I track and consider CPW too, and that gives me ballpark prices to look for, and an idea of how much more than the norm I'd need to wear an extra expensive item to feel it's worth it.

rachylou - I think about that too, although my memory isn't good past a year and I only have tracking for 2+ years now to double check. I also am surprised when I'm hanging onto something and not wearing it very much (so it's not worn out) how one year it will look fine and the next year some element will look slightly off or dated to me, it's like clothing inflation, even just sitting in the closet it 'loses' some value over time, lol.

Sally, Sterling, RoseandJoan - yeah, the special occasion wear is a gray area, and I have some skirts and dress that get worn about 5 times or less a year. I'd hope to wear them for four years (and I think I have with all the dresses I'm thinking of) but it's really hard to tell. I have two that are quite formal and they are in a storage closet and are there just in case, I don't track those because they have already been worn for the events they were bought for.

Ledonna - heh, I'm like you in that I like fun clothes aside from the hoodies and beat up jeans I wear working at home with my hands. Good evaluation questions - need to think more about 'what would I let go' to make space.

Sterling - I based 20 wears on eyeballing the spreadsheet I've kept for the last 2+ years, actually I just totaled up my average wears of all wardrobe items, and it's 26, so that's close too. Some folks with smaller wardrobes might aim for a higher minimum number. I'd imagine the lifetime of more durable items would be longer than 20 wears of course, closer to 50 depending on the item. I'm nodding along to all you wrote about CPW, that's been my main focus over the last years and gives me ballpark prices. But I've realized that because of where/how I shop there is a loophole for very inexpensive items, and I don't want to bring home a lot of stuff just because it will be fun to wear a handful of times. 1-3 items a season, sure, but I'm attracted to a lot of looks and have a eclectic style so I'm trying to put on some more limits.

Toban - that sounds like a good plan, once every two weeks during a three month season is about 7 wears, for a 6 month season about 14 I think. I think it's wise too not to count on wearing something more than the first year, although to hope for it.

Maneera - Good on you for adjusting your buys to match your lifestyle. I'm the same with dresses, it's tough, I'm drawn to shoes too, but have been steering away from dressy heels, but there are so many refined flats and low walkable block or kitten heels now, it's still a lot of temptation.

RoseandJoan and BC - yeah my wardrobe essentials definitely have higher wears, my average wears for pants are over 30 and for bags, belts, and jackets/coats over 50. I'm mainly looking at the categories where I'm tempted by fun things (skirts and tops). I usually buy at a discount too, and I still want to bring home the awesome and exceptional, I just need to be more mindful about it.

Joy - good point about trends/classics. I consider this when figuring out how many wears I'm likely to get out of a white pullover sweater versus a white off the shoulder top for example.

BC - good advice about how to make wise investments in dresses.

Joyce - yeah, once I set up a tracking system, it was very quick to input, but I find it fun. If it wasn't fun for me I don't think I'd do it either . I'm the same way about expensive items like bags and coats, I want to wear it to over 80 (over 100 with leather bags) or until visibly looking worn out.

gradfashionista - I like how you framed the question to decide whether to get rid of something, that's useful. Also yes, it makes sense when buying higher ticket items that you'd aim above the minimum, and set a new higher goal of wears.

Thanks Janet and Angie!- yeah I think I more wanted data in order to have a baseline understanding to work from. You guys have an advanced sense of what works for you, so it's probably more intuitive at this point.

I'll come back later at my next break to respond more, I've enjoyed reading all your musings.

I think 20 sounds like a good ballpark figure to aim for or expect out of most "regular" items. And although I probably never had that number explicitly in mind, I have in fact done a similar intuitive calculation. With tops and non denim bottoms and dresses I often ask myself before heading to the cash, can you imagine wearing this at least 10 times this season? And since I keep these items at minimum for 2 years (unless they fall apart or get shabby) that would get me to at least 20 wears.

On the other hand, some items, as Sterling says, are non negotiable no matter how few wears they will get, and I have a few of those special occasion items that get worn once per year, if that. There is no way in the world they will ever get 20 wears before I get tired of seeing them in my closet or they are too dated.

And then on the other hand, there are the jeans, layering tanks, essential knits, footwear, bags, belts etc. that I wear far, far more than 20 times in their lives -- in some cases more than 200 times! So it all works out in the end.

La Pedestrienne - yeah durability is a separate question and worth considering, this is why I gave up on knit tops. Like you scarves are some of my least worn items, I'm thinking it's an area I just want to downsize and not add to going forward. Good point about which of the three categories you are buying for. Interestingly so far some of my replacements haven't gotten worn as much as the original. Either my style shifts a little, or some design detail is different enough that it doesn't take on the exact same wardrobe role, although it covers a lot of bases.

cheryl - I think our buying patterns (and our price ranges) are very similar, and we both aim for similar CPW . Although I'm comfortable repeating outfits, at least in the same season, I'll repeat a winning outfit a number of times, changing it around a little as more time goes on. My preference is also to let things go if I've met CPW goals for an item but I'm really not wearing something much after a year or more (and I've identified why) and it isn't likely to be part of a high happiness outfit in the future.

JAileen - yes, being able to make numerous outfits as soon as you bring it home to road test is a good indicator.

El Cee - I do that too with little worn items or items that have a short season. I highlight them in my tracking and try to focus on on wearing them. Usually I'll either reincorporate them/rediscover why I like them even if only occasionally, or discover some issue which allows me to be mentally okay with letting them go.

lisap - I think you have a lot of knowledge about clothes and clear and defined tastes and style which helps the process immensely. I also struggle with wondering why I'll be enthusiastic about wearing some things about 10 times and then be over it.

kkhards - yes, this is great, the book 'Your Money or Your Life' started me doing this when I was just out of college. The way I work now makes this harder to figure out, but I could figure out for example if I'm willing to spend 5$ for every time I wear a specialized occasion but higher priced item during it's lifetime for example, as a way of evaluating those buys.

Janet - yeah, that's the contradiction, it doesn't work as well retroactively with clothes bought earlier except to realize you can't face wearing that item X more times. Sometimes though for me it spurs me to take it out and try it again, rather than just passing over it in the closet, which forces the decision point. Either I make peace that our time together is done, or remember that it's actually pretty good if styled differently.

unfrumped - good insight on the sweaters, that's what I find, I like my tops but I have too many to wear in their seasonal window. Also yeah, different silhouettes mean more accompaniments are needed. That's my goal, that a new item helps solve other wear problems. I just bought a black patterned clutch, that suddenly makes my outfits with plain black skirts or pants look more exciting to me. They hadn't gotten worn as much in the last year although they are essentials in a way. Footwear is so good at doing that outfit 'glue'/completer thing as well.

Janet - yes I agree, especially when it's love. I just want to be careful not to buy too many of those (and I run across a lot out shopping because of how and where I shop, and my pretty eclectic tastes).

Bonnie - interesting! So do you only wear pants in warmer weather? But I can see how dividing things into seasons and counting days, plus considering how many of X you have gives a good idea of how much you are going to reasonably wear something in a year. I have two pairs of shorts and I'm thinking about one more, but I need to figure this out...

shedev - good goals, and you buy higher end than I do, so longer term tracking is really useful to see the CPW come down. I keep Mo's 50 wears in the back of my head too, but I'm wondering if you or anyone else who typically wears out clothes has some data for what's a good ballpark for each type of item. I've also sworn off jersey knits.

KL - that's a great insight, if what you are actually wearing doesn't match what you would be happiest wearing, do you need clothes that work like gear but match your style goals?

Lara - yes a classic style, and gentle washing sure help with item longevity. I do the same with washing. I very rarely wash tops in the washing machine unless they are loungewear.

Sally - yeah, I would rather pass something on than hold onto it and not wear it, but I want to learn from it first.

Chris987 - yes, it is interesting, because there is so much you can discover, a little bit at a time when you track. I think even if I stopped doing it, I'd still value what I learned (that I might not otherwise have noticed) from the period of time I did it.

Suz - it's definitely a continum isn't it? And if something makes me happy in my closet, even with few wears, I just want to remember to get it out at least a very few times each year -- like Grandma's china plates. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to have closets full of delicate china plates .

Interesting twist on CPW. When you get a lot of pieces through thrifting and the cost for even one wear is $1 or $2, it is hard to put on the brakes. Taking the cost out of it and focusing on the wears would help. I try to look at the garment in question and ask what exactly would I do with this, which is sort of a vague version the same thing.

I'm retired and I mostly wear hiking clothes in the summer because we go to the mountains - it's a whole different capsule. The capsule of regular clothes (somebody, I forget who called this their out and about clothes) that I mentioned is for eight months and includes mostly moderate weather because I live in the SW. I do have four pair of shorts but I wear them around the house, so I include them in lounge wear.

Shevia - yeah I run into the same problem, which is why I wanted to add an additional dimension to CPW. My thrift stores are more in the 5-10$ range and so is fast fashion on sale. In the past though I've felt less guilt about the thrifted items though if they don't get worn a lot before being donated again. I want to wear fast fashion as though it's slow fashion.

Ah Bonnie, that makes sense. I have lounge/garden/work wear (I get dirty when I work, and it's at home) versus going out wear, versus gear. The lounge/work wear I don't buy new, it's where the super comfortable out and about clothes go to die if they aren't in good shape enough for donation. Also I try to keep only a few items a time, a handful of tees, two pairs of jeans, etc, and they become rags when they are done. Gear I buy to fill a need, and resell or sometimes move to lounge when they are time expired.

Thanks a ton, Rabbit! I just made an entire list of everything in my summer wardrobe. It seems I have ALOT of stuff but it's neatly categorized. It's better than I thought in respect to at home/going out clothes. But I do have 225 pieces of clothing in just my summer wardrobe!!! (Without sleepwear and activewear). I'd be lucky to get 10 wears out of everything this season!

But THANKYOU for making me do this. It's very clear to me I need a shopping hiatus for a while

So interesting! Thank you for posting.
I'm not really attracted to overly "trendy" things for myself, and I tend to keep most things at least 2 or 3 years, and quite a lot more. I have pencil skirts and dresses that are 8 or so years old, but I still see the same styles in the shops now! I often get rid of things when they start to "pill". They are not really worn out but are a bit less polished than I like.

I think 20 is a good number to aim for , though I hope I would get more from at least half of my purchases.

Rabbit -- this was such a great, great post. Thank you for explaining the loophole in our CPW thinking. I hadn't considered that aspect. I don't think I fall prey to buying a lot of inexpensive items to wear a handful of times. Quality and the feel of the fabric against my skin are important decision factors. These two factors skew my decisions toward more durable items.

A word about Special Occasion Items. I don't even bother to include them in my spreadsheet. They tend to be expensive and I wear them maybe once a year. Yet I absolutely need them in my wardrobe. Most of my Special Occasion Items are sheath dresses that reach the knee. I selected this style because it is most comfortable and in my mind "timeless." I try to "update" the dresses with jewelry and shoes.

And El Cee's comment about short seasons. I discovered this category of clothing during the six week challenge that El Cee and I participated in. Prior to the challenge, I HAD NO IDEA that that category of clothing existed in my wardrobe. They are loved, but their season is limited. So in the future I will make it a point to wear them during their limited season. I will have to highlight them in some way so that I can easily remember to wear them.

And to Lucy's comment about pilling. I only recently started buying a lot knits (within the past year). The knits pill. I won't want to wear them after a time. I may or may not get 20 wears out of them. But I am also learning a lesson. I like the idea of knits, but in practice, I have to be very conscious of quality.

This is a good strategy. Although I have never formulated it quite so explicitly (but will from now on!), I usually also bear the CPW in mind when shopping. I am not as strict as you though... as I go for a minimum of 10 wears. But maybe I should raise my expectations.

Questions I ask myself: will it be current next year? Even if it fits great today, will I want to wear it in a year? Will it survive wear and tear and washes? This helps eliminating frivolous, trendy buys.

I shop mostly in terms of holes in my closet, and so I expect the piece to go with more than one outfit, which in itself should raise the CPW. But sometimes, some pieces are needed for an outfit, and not necessarily for others. For example, I have a couple of Talbots flower print skirts; I got one sleeveless white button down, to be worn with the skirts almost exclusively, as it transforms them into summer dresses when I do. For this reason, I refrain from wearing the shirt with other clothes as I want to keep it crisp for the skirts, but it means it will probably not reach a 20-wear target.

This is a very thought provoking thread. I don't count cost per wear. Some of my wardrobe pieces have been around for decades. I might wear them many times during the season (e.g. brown cashmere cardigan) while others get worn once if at all (Pucci shirt).
I tend to buy good quality items and I expect them to perform for a long time. And I mean a long time. Decades. Occasionally I buy a fun piece but not very often. I don't shop very often.
I am retired and spend most of my time doing Yoga and walking my dog. I don't need too many out and about pieces of clothing.

Of course the shocker came when I was asked to teach a course for 10 weeks. After 6 years I had to find something to wear. This was the most stressful part of going back to work!

Depends, but 20 is a good number, thanx for the thoughts provoking post:-).

Great Post!
I too aim for around 20 wears- roughly 6 wears per year over 3 years, and I have been tracking CPW on my StyleBook phone app.

Rabbit, this is a great way of thinking about when to pass things on (or whether you should buy something)! I'm going to keep it in mind now. Thanks for the tip.

I do keep track of wears, but only by year, starting each September (to coincide with the start of school. My whole life has revolved around the school year in some way, sigh). After that I create a new sheet, and I must have got rid of the old ones because I can't find them. I quickly checked my current sheet to see how many things have had 20 or more wears so far since September. The only things that have made it so far are a couple of pairs of jeans, two jackets, two coats, three belts, and two pairs of shoes (short boots, actually). Not one single top is even close. I have too many tops.

Maneera - good on you for being introspective and trying methods to organize your wardrobe. May it be a fun process, even if it is a lot of work

Lucy and Sterling - yes, pills (if I can't remove them, usually I can with thicker knitwear) are the kiss of death for wardrobe items for me.

Sterling - I also don't even include my two special occasion dresses in my spreadsheet. They were bought for specific events so have already earned their keep as it were.

krishnidoux - those are good questions to evaluate trendy items. That makes sense to consider 'saving' something that needs to look particularly crisp for a certain use. It also happens when purging, I found recently when I purged a certain style of tunic top that I had all these non-black leggings that I no longer had anything to wear with, or wanted to wear with anything new. It's a bit of a puzzle as I don't think you can donate leggings, so I might wear them as loungewear.

Style Fan - it sounds like your system works well for you, your activities, and your consistent style. I certainly wouldn't let go of a Pucci blouse even if it got worn very rarely, that's art!

Thanks lyn67 and Lyn D.

Aziraphale - I also have too many tops, they are my weakness. I don't expect to get to 20 wears within one year necessarily, I give it a little longer, so I wouldnt feel bad about that at all -- the categories you mentioned are the places I have heavy wears as well. 20 wears within a year means wearing something about once a week for 6 months - might be more difficult with statement tops. Bummer about your old spreadsheets, as those could give you an idea of wears over the life of a piece.

Thank you; this gives me insight into why I want to keep clothing for so long. A part of me must want to get at least 20 (or maybe 50?) wears out of an item, yet I now have so much that this will take years. And years. And years. It's a relief when something wears out. I finally had to discard my REI hiking pants due to bad rips. I must have worn those babies +150X/yr for +20yr. I got my money's worth, but today's pants, at least at REI doesn't have all the great features of the old ones.

I think you've got a great system, Rabbit! I don't track numbers, but I definitely am asking myself some questions about practicality when buy an item. How many items do I have in this category (splitting wear)? Does this item fit my current lifestyle or a special occasion need? Could I create three outfits using this item and existing items in my closet? Lastly, and my favorite: Will I be excited to choose this item over others in the category hanging in my closet?

Can you tell that I'm getting stuck buying too many tops and not enough bottoms, shoes or toppers?

I like this way of thinking! Thanks!

When shopping I do keep a mental list of wanted wardrobe additions and always think of how it fits into what I have, as well as make sure I can style it in many ways and can be used in different settings. Thinking of how many wears I'll get out of it will further keep me on track (I love shopping and do need to set some restrictions ). But I'll differentiate the number on what kind of item it is, for instance special occasions or regular wear. All this wants me to track CPW again! (For me it's just fun and makes me appreciate what I have in my closet even more. And push me to wear loved pieces more often, instead of saving them for better days.)

Interesting thread, obviously addressing a topic a lot of us have thought about.

I don't track number of wears, but 20 seems like a reasonable number. I do track when things are purchased and figure a lot of them will be kept for about three years (some more, some less). I also try to rotate somewhat evenly through my work and casual items.

I wanted to think about this, which is why I'm so late to this thread.
I do love that you've outlined a number of wears as a benchmark, because it's forced me to think about my own benchmarks.

What I've learned is not only that I want to get at least 20 wears out of something, but that it has to last 2 seasons before wear and boredom set in.

I typically wear sweaters once a week during the winter, so that's 30 wears right there for one winter. But I wouldn't feel good about discarding the sweater after only one winter. I'd think of it as a bit of a failure: Failure to find something I can continue to like, or failure to find something durable enough.

As Janet mentioned it is nice to occasionally sidestep the "wear rules" and buy some cheaper items that you know won't last more than a season, just to amp up your wardrobe.

Great thread. Like others, I think about it more abstractly with similar considerations. I also perceive an interplay between these considerations and buying for your real, not imaginary, lifestyle. For example, when we recognize that we expect a certain level of use, we still buy formal wear, but we will likely be more cognizant of keeping that capsule small and focusing on classic pieces with more longevity.

This post has had me thinking for three days. No I don't really think in terms of how many times I will wear the item. However, if I don't wear something within the first week or two of buying it, I return it. I don't need any more clothes for a pretend life!
This musing has also prompted me to try and wear every t-shirt in my t-shirt drawer before I re-wear. I have been struggling to pair it down (this draw full of shirts) and by forcing myself to wear everything once I think the goodbyes will be easier to say.

I get a lot of wear out of most of my clothes. I wear most of them over many years. Only recently have I added some items that will be clearly dated, such as tops with asymmetrical or handkerchief hems.

In the dressing room I do ask myself if I like what I am trying on as much as what I wore in, and whether I will wear it or do I have something I like more already in my closet.

Since YLF I've increased my use of my less worn items. This winter I realized that instead of wearing my cords, I wore my year round pants all winter, so I moved my cords to a more prominent place in my closet. I not only wore them more frequently, I realized they went with more of my tops than I had thought. New outfits for no more money! Yay!

I have four knee length dresses that hardly get any wear. Reading this article I realized I have only 1 or 2 wears for two of them. Time to schedule a date night.

I'm trying to resist the temptation to duplicate too much so that what I buy gets worn more often. That said, there are certain things like basic pants that are fine to duplicate in my opinion because they get worn so much yet don't get noticed as much.

I am fascinated by this thread, CPW and counting wears. I really wonder how many people do this type of analysis outside of YLF. I'd never heard of someone doing that before coming here.

I am going the other direction! Because I am trying to figure out my style, I am letting myself buy things that are lovely but outside of my comfort zone--because by hanging out with you wonderful people my comfort zone is widening daily. For some of these items I really don't know how many times I will wear them. I do make sure I have something to wear them *with* as that has often been an issue for me before.

BrieN. I think you have a great plan going forward. A lot of forum members did just that as they strove to define their individual styles. I did it as well. After about two years, my style started to take form and I am really happy with my wardrobe today. But that happiness does not prevent me from experimentation. I don't typically wear jeans, but am experimenting with them this year. Good luck to you.