🧮 Cost Per Wear Calculator
Turn a price tag into what a garment really costs each time you wear it, and compare a thrifted price against buying new — the clearest way to see why secondhand so often wins on value.
🧮 Cost per wear
| Thrifted | Retail | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15.00 | $80.00 |
| Cost per wear | $0.16 | $0.83 |
Thrifting saves $0.67 on every single wear here — because a thrifted piece worn just as often as a full-price one almost always has the lowest cost per wear in a wardrobe.
These are planning estimates — actual wears depend on your habits and how long the garment lasts.
Buy less, wear more, spend better
The sticker price is only half the story. A $200 coat worn all winter for five years costs pennies a wear; a $20 impulse buy worn twice is far more expensive in the way that matters. Cost per wear reframes every purchase around use, which is exactly where thrifting shines — low prices and long, hard-worn lives.
Trying to decide between keeping a find and reselling it? Run it through the Thrift Flip Profit Calculator, and use the Thrift Savings Calculator to see what your whole secondhand wardrobe saved versus retail.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is cost per wear and how is it calculated?
Cost per wear is the price of an item divided by the total number of times you wear it: cost per wear = price ÷ total wears. This tool estimates total wears from a habit — wears per month × months you'll keep the item — so a $15 jacket worn 4 times a month for 24 months is 96 wears, about $0.16 per wear. The lower the number, the better the value.
Why do thrifted items usually win on cost per wear?
Because cost per wear rewards a low price and lots of use. A thrifted piece bought for a fraction of retail but worn just as often as a full-price one lands at a far lower cost per wear — often the lowest of anything in a wardrobe. Buying secondhand is one of the most reliable ways to drive cost per wear down.
Is a lower cost per wear always better?
It's a strong signal of value, but pair it with whether you'll genuinely wear and enjoy the item. A cheap piece you never reach for has an infinite effective cost per wear; a slightly pricier one you live in can be the best buy you make. Use the number to compare honest choices, not to justify clutter.
How accurate are the wear estimates?
They are planning estimates — actual wears depend on your habits, the seasons, and how long a garment lasts before it wears out or falls out of rotation. Be realistic about wears per month and how long you'll really keep something, and the comparison stays useful.