How to be a smarter shopper with “Cost per wear” fashion math’s

It’s that time of year when brands and retailers start drip-feeding us with information regarding their new season autumn/winter collections, whetting the appetite for our impending purchases. Seasonal weather changes are often a signal from the fashion gods to start investing in a new wardrobe and whether knitwear, overcoats or even a chunky pair of socks are your thing you should start to consider "cost per wear" math's on your fashion purchases.

I mean lets not beat around the bush. Upgrading your wardrobe every single season is expensive yet that doesn’t stop us wanting the new seasons must have threads. New fashionable clothing makes us feel self-assured which is why we tend to buy clothing based on events, a special occasion such as a first date, wedding or even an interview when you need a significant confidence boost. “Cost per wear” fashion math’s is something many of us already calculate when considering purchases and it is a great way to calculate actual cost of buying certain items of clothing. 

Take for example my favourite camel 100% cashmere overcoat, tailored to last, classic in style, handmade by Hawkins & Shepherd at £1,600 (*currently on sale at £800 for pre-aw17) is a true investment piece. I've had the coat for 24 months and have worn it 144 times costing £5.50 per wear. The quality of the product is so high and the style is a classic that will always be on trend and with an estimated 10 year lifespan of the garment - the cost per wear ends up at around £1.

Did you know that the average Brit spends an average of £1,042 per year on clothes (myself a lot more than that!) It's a lot of money, so you need to get the most out of your fashion purchases and one of the brands that I get maximum "cost per wear" return is from Reiss.

If you have been following my blog for a long time you’ll realise that I love Reiss, it’s a brand that I’ve brought since my mid-twenties and remain to do so. Reiss have a small selection of their AW17 new collection in-store right now, which is a perfect opportunity to see first hand if I can buy a timeless outfit which will give maximum "cost per wear" return. I’ve got loads of dinner events coming up over the forthcoming season so I needed to shop for a fashionable, sartorial outfit that was comfortable yet sophisticated and this is what I brought. A navy double-breasted blazer for £250, an Oxford pink striped button-down shirt for £90, a pair of slim mélange soft grey trousers for £115 and a pair of navy suede tassel loafers for £175 – totalling £630. IF I wear 1 item in this outfit 3 times per week for 52 weeks of the year my cost per wear would be around £4. However it is realistic that I'll have some of these clothes for much longer than a year and I'll wear it more, so the costs will come down per wear. Personally I always try to aim for £1-£3 per wear, although I do have a couple of t-shirts that would come in around 2p per wear!

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Photography by Toni Tran