The change of seasons is upon us - and maybe the urge to buy some new clothes is too (although the perspectives of working in leisurewear at home all day are still quite high for the foreseeable future..) Given the crisis ,on one hand it may seem like a good idea to move the economy , but on the other, finances may be tough and so there may be a tendency to choose something that is cheaper . But is it really cheaper on the long term ? Let me introduce you to a concept that I found well explained on this french article about the ‘prix d’achat versus the prix d’usage’ translated as the ‘price of purchase vs the price of use’ : Let’s say you buy a new jumper for € 10. You use it 5 times : each use will cost you € 2. A jumper that costs that little likely will not make it into next year wardrobe, as a few uses and a wash may ruin it. It is likely to get out of shape.
Now. Let’s say you choose instead the € 100 jumper . It is a bit pricey but it is made of real wool (note that here I am assuming that expensive is also better quality) . If you get 50 uses of it it will cost the same as the cheap jumper (€ 2 / use). And likely , it may be in your wardrobe for a very long time. I can think of some pieces that have been in my life since I was a teen (and okay maybe 15-16 years later are losing some quality, but only due to over use) and can even think of family pieces that belonged to my mother when she was my age or even from a great-aunt . Maybe they are out of fashion but vintage is always in fashion ;) I think their price of use is now very close to 0 . I can also think of some fast fashion mistakes I did in my early 20s when I was at university: shoes with heel that broke on the first night out , t-shirts that became baggy after the first wash , dresses that ripped and jumpers that smelled really bad... we are all humans , but now I will steer clear of certain shops and fast fashion in general . Likely you also already know that fast fashion is terrible , I wrote some posts before about it , about the importance of choosing quality , about the impacts on the environment and shouldn’t we forget the impacts upon people working in the industry (open for thoughts for a specific post on ethical considerations) While I recommend to firstly look into your wardrobe and into those hidden boxes and secondly search into charity shops (bargains there don’t count in this price discussion..) , I would also suggest to think about usage and consider the real price you will pay for a piece. Perhaps by doing some simple maths in the shop we will make the right decision ... Even if our future is so uncertain- thinking long term is still recommended..
2 Comments
11/3/2020 05:01:39 pm
Good points about the cost of cheaper clothes, quality aren't always in everyone price bracket but you can always look at second hand as an alternative.
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11/9/2020 02:37:22 pm
Oooh, I love this: price of purchase vs the price of use. Since my 30's, I've been rethinking my wardrobe. I've adopted more of a capsule wardrobe and just re-wear the same things, and maybe a 1 or 2 more 'trendy options" to keep my look current.
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