Cost per Wear
When considering buying a piece of clothing, think about how many times you’ll wear it.
For example, if a jacket costs $50, but you’ll wear it 100 times over its lifetime, your cost per wear is $50 / 100 wears = $0.50 per wear.
On the other hand, if a t-shirt costs $10, but you’ll only wear it twice before retiring it, your cost per wear is $10 / 2 wears = $5 per wear.
Even though the jacket is 5 times as expensive in terms of total cost, the t-shirt costs 10 times more per wear.
When shopping for clothes, estimate the cost per wear, and if the cost per wear feels right to you, buy it!
Note: Cost per wear can help you decide to buy something more expensive that will be worthwhile, and/or it can help you decide not to buy something less expensive that won’t be.
Variation: Cost Per Use
Cost per wear can be adapted into cost per use and applied to any purchase that has multiple uses (e.g., a mattress, workout equipment, a membership or subscription).
Source
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good (2019) by Elizabeth L. Cline