The True Value Of Clothing
December 12, 2007 | Filed under Money
Here’s an interesting thought – the true value of an item of clothing is measured by how much wear you get out of it. Divide the original cost of the item by the number of times you wear it, and the result is indicative of whether you got a bargain or not. Obviously, the lower the resulting number, the greater the bargain.
My theory is that if you (as the average teenager/twenty-something with a part-time job earning a maximum of $200AUD a week) manage to keep the total sum of your daily outfit under $5AUD, you’re doing well. To illustrate my theory, today I’m wearing:
- Esprit stovepipe jeans, purchased for the equivalent of $35AUD in China last year. Worn approximately two/three times a week for the past year = $0.27AUD per wear
- Witchery tank top, purchased for $2AUD at a trash ‘n’ treasure market about a month ago. Worn about ten times thus far = $0.20AUD per wear
- Coral-coloured cheesecloth shirt, purchased for $4.89AUD from Target on the bargain racks last week. Worn twice thus far (it’s formal enough for work) = $2.45AUD per wear
- Keds, purchased for $9AUD from Myer two months ago. Worn about three times a week since (they’re light and breezy for summer!) = $0.37AUD per wear
All up, my outfit today has cost me approximately $3.67AUD. This obviously isn’t taking into account undergarments ($1.50AUD pair of panties at approximately 30 times – $0.05AUD, $20AUD bra at approximately 20 times = $1AUD), but even with that in mind, I’m still scraping under the $5AUD outfit threshold. This total can only keep depreciating – the more I wear the top, jeans, etc, the less it’s going to cost me over time.
All types of clothing can be judged using this method (accessories are an entirely different matter) – from cheap dollar cast-offs at the second-hand store to $500AUD Manolo Blahniks. It just means that you only have to wear the cast-off once to make the budget, but the Manolos have to worn at least 250 times.
Obviously, if the sum total of your outfit costs more than half of what you earn in a day, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Either you have to start wearing what you already own more (stop buying new items!), or you have to find some other way of raising your income level, and thus, raising the amount that your outfit should cost.
10 Responses to The True Value Of Clothing
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Let’s have a look… *analyses self*
Hoody – stolen from my Aunty – £0.
Shoes – bought from D2 – £12.50 – worn every single day until they fall apart. Currently about 6 months and going strong.
Trousers – bought from Dorothy Perkins – £15 – worn every single week day until they fall apart. Again, currently about 6 months and going strong.
How’s that working out?
Rachael on December 12, 2007 #
Not gonna bother calculating… :P I have this little system of making sure all my clothes are in regular circulation, so I’m positively sure everything in my wardrobe’s been worn (or will be worn) at least ten times. If not by me, then by my mom or younger sister. They just love raiding my closet. -_-;;
Except for this one awful jacket. I had no idea what I was thinking when I bought it! Wasn’t expensive, but still! Donating it along with some other clothes I’ve grown out of, so I guess I’m still getting my money’s worth?
Aravis on December 12, 2007 #
I buy clothes but only ever have 10 outfits that I really like. So I circulate them and neglect to where anything else. It tends to be the things that other people buy for me that won’t fit that rule. :P
Amber on December 13, 2007 #
This is a depressing thought to me. That means we spend $35 per week just by getting dressed in the morning. And I work a minimum wage job part-time, so I don’t make much more than that.
Brittney on December 13, 2007 #
Well, I win.
T-Shirt: $0, Sam gave it to me as a present.
Pants: $0, Christmas present from last year.
Bra: $0, my uncle fixes seconds for Bendon.
Undies: 50c, bought them in a pack of four for $2! :)
Nellie on December 13, 2007 #
Well, my shirt and my pants were both secondhand purchases under $4 apiece that I’ve had for about 12 months and 10 months respectively, so my non-underwear clothing is at $.02 and $.05 or so.
My new Docs that I got to replace the boots I just wore to pieces are going to take a long time to wear out, though, and I’m not going to feel bad about replacing my old, worn out boots (18 months of almost daily wear until they had holes in the soles, $20 originally, means I got them down to $.05/use) with a new pair that will last a decade or two. Sure, they bring my clothing total up to about $17 for today, but next week it’ll be $8 because I wear them every freaking day and I love them. In a month I’ll have them down under $5 even for as much as they cost.
So, not a bad system even if the immediate situation can be ridiculously skewed by a single purchase.
Jack on December 13, 2007 #
Pffft with that calculation I’d have to shoot myself when I go out on a date (meaning I’d wear new underwear, new(er) clothes and shoes). But since my savings keep going up, up, up and I shop about once a month, I think I’m fine. Just spent $60 on a new dress though. :P
Rilla on December 13, 2007 #
I’m like Ambie – I have clothes (I don’t know how they get in my closet, though :P) but I only wear a portion of them regularly.
If I spent $5 on clothes everyday, I’d be bankrupt. It’s a good thing I’m still young enough for my parents to buy them for me!
Kaylee on December 13, 2007 #
Well, I don’t bother to calculate anything, actually. I have lots of new clothes that haven’t been worn yet. I guess it’s about 15 pair of jeans that I haven’t worn once.
I like buying nice clothes when they’re on sale, but I don’t struggle that much for it. If I wear them enough to justify their price, it’s fine, if not, it’s fine too, cause money is not something I’ll take to my grave, but nice clothes may be :)
Regina on December 14, 2007 #
“Divide the original cost of the item by the number of times you wear it”
Do you mean the number of times it’s been worn since it has been purchased? Or the number of times it’s worn a week? or what? I’m sort of confused….:S
Reply: Since it’s been purchased. So, say you bought a top four weeks ago for $40, and have worn it four times since – you’d be coming in at $10.
Annie on January 13, 2008 #