A penny a wear

MATH

I've just been watching This Morning while waiting for my tatas to boil (honest) and the fashion know-all was touting a cardie that "Is so this season that you will wear it to death and by the spring will have cost pennies a wear" - well I think she was being a bit over optimisitic because I wouldn't want to have to wear a purple frilly cardie 3500 times in the next six months! But it got me thinking.

We all have expensive things in our wardrobes that we never wear and also bargain cheapies that have took us through thick and thin (quite literally in sone cases I'm sure!) Here is a prime example:-

I bought a moleskin jacket with it's tags still on at our Church fiar about 4 years ago costing £1. I've worn it every winter since and have easily clocked up 100 wears so it now costs me less than a penny each time I put it on. Does this make it free? I like to think it does. Large swathes of my wardrobe fall into this category but don't think I'm dressed in out-dated rags cos I was a textile designer (in a before kids life) and am a bit of a fashion stud-muffin really!

What a great way to work out if you really NEED or will use something, especially if you are easily tempted in shops. Say you see a top for £12 (you can tell by my pricing structure that I only shop in the most exclusive of boutiques:D) You may like it but do you need it? Do you like it enough to wear it 1200 times in the next say 2 years to make it a viable purchase? Is the quality of fabric and manufacture good enough to tollerate 1200 wears and washes? Mrs MATH thinks I'm completely barmy and miss the point of clothes shopping:rolleyes:

Do any other MSE'rs think like this or is it just me?

whiteguineapig

just you (and my hubby!)

Edinburghlass_2

I work out the cost of my glasses (specs) that way MATH, when it costs £330 for a pair its nice to break it down to a daily cost over a couple of years.

Glad

I bought a cardigan from MarkOne when they only had their Liverpool store 14 yrs ago, it cost £6 and I wear it in the house daily during the winter, I must wear it at least 120 times a year so works out so far at less than 1/3 penny per wear

Marcus_Tandy

I try to get between 3645 and 3655 wears per item - if it lasts longer than 10 years though that's great!

MATH

Hurrah, I'm not mad others think just like me too. I love this site.

I wear specs and contacts so I know exactly what you're saying E-lass.

Glads cardigan from MarkOne proves a point I often spout that posh shops/names do not always mean best or better quality. I've worked in the industry and I do most of my shopping at Primark.

MTandy you're a past master at this obviously. I've a couple of items that are approaching their second decade:eek: strictly for house wear only tho. I wouldn't want to go out in the street looking like Adam Ant anymore;)

Pooky

Well although I can see the logic.....I'm really quite surprised that someone hasn't come along and bundled you into a white coat.

Clothes is not meant to be economical - they is meant to make you look thin and pretty! Duh!!!

Saying that - I've got 2 pairs of trousers and a cardi that I had before I fell pregnant with 1st DD....she's 10 this year and apart from the 3 years that I couldn't fit into anything that didn't resemble a tent (put on 3 stone in 1st pregnancy) I think they've certinally had their monies worth.

Fabrics these day's aren't meant to be washed repeatedly - some things even loose their shape after the 1st wash.....well that's my excuse anyway.

Bargainloverbec

Definitely not mad - I've bought 'bargains' in the past that I've never worn but a coat I splashed out on 6 years ago is still going strong and I've probably got it down to about 8p per wear now.

Incidentally today I am wearing a top I bought in a charity shop about 3 years ago for £1 but had only worn out to dinner once. I've 'downgraded' it to a work top today halving my cost per wear to 50p in one easy step. I reckon over the next few weeks I can get that down to a few pennies!!

My best ever is a hooded cardigan that I wear around the house - got in a sale for £6 years ago - it is now so disgusting that I have banned myself from wearing it in public but I refuse to get rid of it, it is so comfy for doing the housework.

By the way Math, what's wrong with wearing purple frilly cardies?

Savvy_Sue

My DH still has the Parka (brown anorak, fur trimmed hood) that he was wearing at school in the wardrobe. If I tell you our eldest is off to Uni in a couple of weeks ... and we didn't marry straight from school ...

Becles

I'm currently wearing an old Reebok tennis shirt that I used to wear for PE in my last couple of years at school. It must be around 16 years old.

Does it owe me money now? :rotfl:

Kippsy

Actually Math, I don't think your t-shirt prices are too far off! I have bought three t-shirts this summer too keep my wardrobe going and two were £10 each and the other was only about £7.50, bargain!

But I really cannot be bothered to estimate the cost per item per wear... my boyfriend probabaly does tho... bless him