Shopping for clothes and picking the right ones can be tricky. Sometimes you’ll make great choices, and other times, you’ll end up with items that barely see the light of day. Naturally, you’d want to reduce those fashion missteps, and I’ve got a few tips to help you out.
How Can You Gauge Your Buying Success?
1. The Happy Factor
Start by considering how happy your wardrobe makes you. If you feel good in your clothes and always have something you like to wear, you’re on the right track. You could even note down how happy certain outfits make you feel.
2. Compliments Count
Some people measure their success by the compliments they receive. While getting compliments is nice, it’s more important that you feel good in your clothes. That being said, compliments can still give you that extra boost of confidence.
3. Calculate Cost Per Wear
Another method is to calculate the cost per wear of your clothes. This helps you see if your pricier items are giving you good value. Here’s how you do it:
Write down the cost of an item and divide it by the number of times you’ve worn it. If you wear an expensive item often, it ends up having a low cost per wear, making it a great investment. On the flip side, if you buy something cheap but never wear it, it’s not worth the money.
You might find it handy to keep track of your clothes and their usage in a spreadsheet, adding columns for your happiness and the compliments you receive. Over time, this will show you which items are worthwhile investments.
Alternatively, consider using an app to manage your wardrobe and calculate the cost per wear. I’m testing one called Stylitics right now. It lets you plan and share outfits, see what you’ve worn throughout the month, and it automatically calculates cost per wear when you enter the prices of your items. This app even suggests pieces you haven’t worn recently and lets you see what your friends are wearing.
Remember, setting it up can be time-consuming because you need to update it daily, but it becomes quite straightforward after that. I like that you can use Stylitics on your phone, iPad, or computer, and decide whether to keep your closet public or private. Another simpler app is Closet +, though I haven’t used it myself. For more app recommendations, check out my previous article on clothing manager apps.
Finding Out What ‘Success’ Is
While calculating cost per wear helps, it doesn’t provide all the answers. Sometimes, a special dress for an occasion may have a high cost per wear but is worth it for the special moments it brings. Conversely, a rarely used leather handbag might indicate you should reconsider similar purchases in the future. Yet, an expensive handbag that you use daily can be a good investment.
Here’s my personal take:
– Timeless shoes are worth spending extra on because they last long.
– I need special event dresses, though I accept they’ll have a higher cost per wear. I just avoid buying too many.
– Trendy items shouldn’t be too expensive since they have a short shelf life, but unique artistic pieces can be more enduring.
– I can spend more on versatile silk tops since I wear them often in Singapore’s heat.
– Suits and jackets don’t need to be costly as I rarely wear them.
What about you? How do you measure the success of your clothing purchases? Do you track cost per wear? What items do you feel are worth spending money on?