The Cost-Per-Wear Calculator
The cost-per-wear
calculator.
A $298 cashmere sweater isn't expensive. A $60 one you replace every two seasons is. Run the numbers and see for yourself — cost per wear is the only metric that actually captures the value of quality clothing.
What these numbers
actually mean.
Cost per wear is the only metric that correctly captures the economics of buying quality clothing. The upfront price of a cashmere piece is high. The cost per wear, spread across a decade of regular use, is often lower than the "affordable" alternative you'd replace multiple times in the same period.
The comparison piece defaults in this calculator to a $60 sweater worn 20 times a year for 2 years before it pills out and gets discarded. Adjust the numbers to match your actual habits — the math works across a wide range of assumptions.
Replacing a sweater every two seasons doesn't just cost money — it costs time, decision-making, and environmental impact. A piece you keep for a decade is one you don't have to shop for, return, or dispose of. The total cost of ownership includes everything.
The 10-year assumption in the Quinn column is realistic only if the piece is cared for properly — hand washed, laid flat to dry, stored clean in a sealed bag. Dry cleaning or tumble drying repeatedly will shorten the lifespan significantly.
The cost-per-wear argument only holds for Grade A cashmere with proper construction. Low-grade fiber pills out and degrades before the lifespan assumptions are reached. The fiber grade is what makes the longevity claim defensible.