What is a good cost per wear?
Under $1 per wear is strong for daily items; under $5 acceptable for seasonal pieces; occasion wear is exempt but should be rented or borrowed when possible.
Compute it as price divided by realistic wears. A $200 coat worn 60 days a year for 5 years hits $0.67 - excellent. A $150 pair of jeans at 3 wears a week for 3 years hits $0.32 - the reason denim rewards investment. A $300 occasion dress worn twice is $150 per wear, which is why formalwear is the category to rent. When shopping, the question is not 'can I afford this' but 'what wear count is realistic' - an honest answer to that changes what 'expensive' means. The mental trick that works: before buying, name the specific ten occasions you will wear the item. If you cannot list them, the wear count is aspirational and the true cost per wear is the price.