Clothing · Value
Cost per wear calculator.
Enter what you paid, what it costs to look after, how often you have worn it and how often you expect to. You get the cost per wear today, the projected cost per wear, and how many wears it takes to reach a target like $1. Fill in a second item to compare. It runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent or saved.
Inputs
Result
Enter a price for Item A and press Calculate.
How cost per wear is worked out
Cost per wear spreads what an item costs you across the times you use it. It is a definition rather than a published standard, so there is no outside table or rate behind it. Every number comes from what you enter.
The formulas
- Purchase cost = price × (1 + sales tax % ÷ 100).
- Cost per wear now = (purchase cost + care per wear × wears so far) ÷ wears so far.
- Projected cost per wear = (purchase cost + care per wear × expected total wears) ÷ expected total wears.
- Wears needed for a target = purchase cost ÷ (target − care per wear), rounded up. If the target is at or below the care cost per wear, it can never be reached, and the tool says so.
- Break-even between two items = (purchase cost A − purchase cost B) ÷ (care per wear B − care per wear A), shown only when that number of wears is above zero. At that many wears the two items have cost you the same in total.
Worked example
A $120 coat with no tax or care cost, worn 10 times so far, costs $12.00 per wear today. If you expect to wear it 100 times, the projected cost is $1.20 per wear. To reach $1 per wear you need 120 wears, which is 110 more. Press “Try an example” to see a comparison with a cheaper item that needs more care.
Limits of this tool
- The expected total wears is your own estimate. The projected figure is only as good as that guess.
- Resale value, interest, inflation and the value of the time spent on care are not modelled. To allow for resale, subtract it from the price.
- Cost per wear says nothing about fit, comfort or quality, and a low number does not make an item a good buy if you never wear it.
Sources
None needed for the arithmetic: the method is a division of costs you supply, with no external rate, table or dataset. Sales tax rates differ by place and change, so enter the rate that applied to your purchase, or leave it at zero.
Cite this page: TNAADO Tools, “Cost Per Wear Calculator,” tools.tnaado.ca/calculators/general/cost-per-wear-calculator/.
Cost per wear FAQ
How do I calculate cost per wear?
Add the purchase price (with sales tax if you want the real cost) to any cleaning or repair costs, then divide by the number of times you have worn the item. A $120 coat worn 40 times costs $3.00 per wear. Wear it 120 times and it costs $1.00 per wear.
What is a good cost per wear?
There is no official threshold. It depends on the item and what you are willing to pay for it. Pick your own target, such as $1 or $2, enter it in the calculator, and it tells you how many wears you need to reach it. Everyday items such as jeans or boots can reach a low number far sooner than a formal outfit worn a handful of times.
Should I include tax and dry-cleaning?
Include tax, because it is part of what you paid. Include care if you want the real cost of owning the item: enter the average cleaning, laundering or repair cost for each wear. A dry-cleaned coat that costs $15 to clean each time it is worn gets cost per wear down much more slowly than a washable one, and a target at or below the care cost per wear can never be reached.
How many times do I need to wear something to break even?
Wears needed = purchase cost / (target cost per wear − care cost per wear). For a $100 pair of boots with no care cost and a $1 target, that is 100 wears. With 50 cents of care per wear it is 200 wears, because every wear costs 50 cents before the boots have been paid for.
How do I compare two items?
Fill in Item B as well. The calculator shows each item's projected cost per wear at the expected total wears you gave, says which is lower, and, when one item costs more upfront but less per wear to care for, the wear count at which their total cost is equal. Cost per wear is only one lens: it does not measure fit, comfort or how long an item really lasts.
Are the numbers I type sent or saved anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, nothing is transmitted, and nothing is stored, so refreshing the page clears it.
What this calculates, and what it does not
This tool divides the costs you enter by the wears you enter. It does not know what an item is really worth, how long it will last, or what you should spend. The projection depends on your own estimate of future wears.