Cost Per Wear: Why The Expensive Skirt Is Often The Cheap One

I was reminded this week of a blog I've meaning to write for a while. A lovely customer found a photo she'd posted on our Facebook page 10 years ago wearing a skirt she'd bought from us. She commented a new photo in the same skirt with it looking good as new!

She said she'd worn it loads and that it still looked new. (It's over on our Facebook if you want to go and find it.)

The maths I like to use

I'll get to the point. I like to think of things on a cost per wear basis:

Price ÷ number of times you wear it = what it actually cost you.

So that skirt. Say it was £60 when she bought it. Even if she's only worn it once every couple of months, over ten years, that's roughly 60 wears. Which makes it £1 per wear, and falling, because she's still wearing it.

Now take a £20 top from somewhere fast and cheap. You wear it four times, the seams go baggy, the print cracks in the wash, and it goes in the bag for the charity shop. That's £5 per wear. The £60 skirt is 5 times cheaper than the £20 top.

Once you start thinking this way it's very hard to stop. That coat that made you wince at the checkout? You've worn it every single day from October to March, four winters running. It owes you nothing.

What actually makes something last

Not everything expensive lasts, and this isn't a plea to just spend more money. It's about knowing what you're paying for. The things that tend to make the difference:

Fabric weight. Hold it up to the light. If you can see straight through a garment that isn't meant to be sheer, it will likely not survive many washes. Heavier fabric drapes better, holds its shape and doesn't pill after a season.

The bits that take strain. Zips, buckles, boning, eyelets, waistband fastenings. Metal hardware over plastic. This is where cheap garments die first, and it's almost always the thing that isn't visible in a product photo.

Seams and finishing. Turn it inside out. Overlocked or bound edges, generous seam allowance, a lining that's properly attached rather than tacked on.

Design that isn't chasing anything. This is where alternative style has a genuine advantage over the high street. A well-cut black skirt, a good pair of boots, a proper classic coat, these don't go out of date because they're not a fad. Alt fashion just isn't about fleeting trends.

How to buy this way

Be honest about your actual life. The most beautiful piece in the world is terrible value if it only works for one occasion a year. Buy for the days you actually have, not the ones you imagine having. (The one caveat I have on this is the joy factor - sometimes the sheer joy of owning a stunning item is worth every penny, but I digress). 

Ask yourself where it sits in your wardrobe. If it works with three things you already own, you'll wear it constantly. If it works with nothing, it'll hang there looking gorgeous and unworn.

And plan for it. Investment pieces don't have to be bought on impulse. Save for the coat. Put it on a wishlist and wait for the sale. There's no rush, and the right thing is worth waiting for.

The part that isn't about money

Cost per wear is a useful tool, but it isn't the only reason I care about this.

A garment you've worn for ten years isn't just a garment any more. It's been to gigs and funerals and first dates. It's the thing you put on when you need to feel like yourself. It has a history, and you're in it.

You don't get that from something that fell apart in a season. You only get it from things made well enough to stick around, and that's what I've always tried to stock. Pieces that last, and that keep bringing you joy for years.

So if you've got something from us that's still going strong years later, please come and post it on our Facebook page. It brings me joy!