Straighten Up Your Closet “Cost per Wear”

By Luke Mayes

Is a $795 custom made sports jacket less expensive than a cheap $200 sports jacket bought off the rack? If you calculate the “Cost per Wear” you will find that the custom made jacket is a far better value. You end up spending a whole lot less and looking a whole bunch better.

Let me tell you a tale of two brothers. The first brother we’ll call Bobby. Bobby’s a bargain hunter. Bobby buys a polyester-wool jacket from a retail store for $200. The jacket’s sleeves are a bit short, the buttons are polyester, the lining is polyester, the collar isn’t balanced, and the garment is full of fusing. Bobby doesn’t mind because it’s only two hundred bucks. He feels pretty good as he walks out of the shop in his new jacket. Bobby catches his reflection in a store window and realizes that the jacket doesn’t look so great. He shrugs it off thinking that he’s got a great bargain and his new jacket will be a good staple garment for his wardrobe. Unfortunately, the jacket is destined to go into Bobby’s wardrobe and remain there for the rest of its sorry life. Why? Because we’re motivated by bargains but not motivated to wear clothes that don’t make us feel good. The “Cost per Wear” stands at $200 per wear for Bobby. In the unlikely event that Bobby forces himself to wear the jacket again, he’ll bump the “Cost per Wear” down to $100 per wear, but that’s where it will stay. Bobby’s wardrobe bursts at the seams with clothes he never wears. These are all “bad value” garments.

Now let’s picture Bobby’s brother, Munny. Munny’s a smart chap who works as an investment banker. He knows all about amortization and return on investment. Munny buys a pure wool custom made jacket for $795 from La Rukico. The jacket’s sleeves are the perfect length, the working buttons on the sleeve are the finest quality, the lining is pure viscose, and the garment is hand made with canvas. Munny doesn’t mind paying $795 because he knows that he’s never regretted paying for quality and value. Walking down the street in his new jacket, Munny catches his reflection in a store window and he realizes that he looks pretty damn good. He smiles with the knowledge that he’s going to continue to look good in this jacket for a very long time. The jacket will become Munny’s lucky jacket because good things happen to Munny whenever he’s feeling good about himself and good about life. He’ll wear the jacket at least twice a week. At the end of the first year of the jacket’s long life, it will have cost Munny $7.64 per wear. At the end of the second year of the jacket’s life, it will have cost Munny $3.82 per wear. After 5 years, the jacket will have cost Munny virtually nothing and in all that time, Munny will have continued to look well dressed, smart, and stylish.

Bobby begrudged his well dressed brother, but when Munny introduced Bobby to the world of custom clothing, Bobby’s life changed forever. Bobby would never compromise on his wardrobe again. Thanks to Munny, Bobby would always look good, feel great, and enjoy his “Cost per Wear” calculations.  

About the Writer –

Luke Mayes is a textile designer, an independent filmmaker (Red Shift director), and a freelance writer. His work has been published in Style, Apparel, Corporate Wardrobe, Cigar Aficionado, For The Groom, Playboy, and GQ.