What this calculator works out
This calculator subtracts any resale value from the purchase price and divides by the number of times worn, giving a cost per wear.
It is the clearest available answer to whether an expensive item was expensive. Price and cost are different things, and cost per wear is where the difference shows.
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Before you estimate
- Be honest about wears. Occasion clothing is worn far less often than intended, and the estimate is usually optimistic.
- Include resale value only if you would realistically sell it. Most clothing is not sold, and entering a hopeful figure understates the cost.
- Include the cost of care where it is significant — dry cleaning on a coat worn weekly adds up.
- For an item you already own, use actual wears to date rather than a projection.
A campaign popularised asking whether you will wear an item at least thirty times before buying it. As a test it is crude, and as a prompt it is effective: thirty wears is roughly weekly for seven months, which most occasion clothing never reaches and most everyday clothing passes easily.
How this calculator works
Net cost divided by wears:
Cost per wear = (purchase price − resale value) ÷ times wornSubtracting resale value first gives the cost actually borne. For items that hold value — good coats, boots, tailoring — this changes the figure substantially, and it is one reason quality can be cheaper than it looks.
Worked example: a £120 item
Using the default figures — £120 purchase price, worn 40 times, £20 resale value:
- Net cost: £100
- Cost per wear: £2.50
Now compare a £40 item worn three times, which is a realistic figure for an occasion purchase: £13.33 per wear, more than five times as much. The cheaper item is the expensive one. This is the calculation that makes the case for buying fewer, better things — provided the wears actually happen, which is the assumption the whole thing rests on.
Common mistakes
- Estimating wears optimistically. Occasion clothing is the worst offender.
- Including resale value you will not realise. Most clothing is never sold.
- Ignoring care costs. Dry cleaning can exceed the purchase price over time.
- Using it to justify a purchase after deciding. An estimate made to reach a conclusion will reach it.
- Applying it to items bought for one specific occasion. The answer is known in advance and it is a poor one.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean expensive clothing is better value?
Only if it lasts and gets worn. A well-made coat worn for ten winters is excellent value; the same coat bought and worn twice is not. Price correlates loosely with durability and not at all reliably, so the number of wears matters far more than the price paid.
What about renting or borrowing?
For genuine one-off occasions it is usually the better answer, and the calculation shows why — a single wear makes almost any purchase price expensive. Rental services and borrowing avoid both the cost and the wardrobe space.
How does second-hand change the arithmetic?
Substantially, in two ways. The purchase price is lower, and the resale value is often close to what you paid, since most depreciation has already happened. That can bring the net cost close to zero for items that hold their value.
Should I apply this to everything?
It suits durable items where wears are countable — coats, shoes, bags, tailoring. It is less useful for underwear, socks and basics, where the calculation is trivially favourable and the decision is about quality rather than value. It is most useful precisely where the price gives pause.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Figures are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained.
Related tools
References
- MoneyHelper — guidance on spending decisions and budgeting
- GOV.UK — consumer rights and textile waste guidance
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.