The Cost Per Wear on These Classic Yet Cool Items Just Makes Sense
While I've certainly made questionable fashion purchases this year (my green velvet flares immediately come to mind), my current mindset has been to buy smart. That means scaling back on things I don't need, items I don't instantly love, and pieces that are so fashion-y that they'll likely fade in a few months' time. Here's where my newly adopted cost-per-wear approach comes in: The more you wear it, the less the item theoretically costs over time leading to a bigger value. And a low cost per wear is precisely how I'm hoping my future wardrobe operates.
As I continue to build out my wardrobe for the season ahead, I'm looking for staples that don't require me to think—pieces I can simply slip it on and be confident that it works. Below, I've assembled all of the new clothing staples that fit this category. Classic with a hint of trendy, they're so versatile, they just make sense to add them now. Keep clicking below to see the full list.
My default outfit these days is a pair of tailored trousers and a simple tank top. I love how these feel summery in a light gray shade, yet practical enough to wear with everything.
Styling this vest with the above trousers is entirely optional, but it's truly a shortcut for a classic polished look. On casual days I can see myself wearing it with jeans.
I'm a firm believer in fitted knits—they make an outfit look sophisticated like nothing else can.
I'd usually consider a dress like this more of a superfluous purchase, but the muted color combo and simple silhouette add to its versatility.
It's true: maxi dresses really look incredible on everyone. A one-piece garment is the ultimate five-second outfit.
I'd wear this set til the wheels fall off. A few occasions I'm thinking of right now? Brunch, a garden party, an easy-going summer Friday, a Saturday yachting… the list goes on.
It's the year of the big shirt, so I'm majorly stocking up on the staple. Wear it open and unbuttoned as styled, or buttoned up with trousers, or as a cover-up on the beach.
It may be too warm for leather pants, but leather shorts are another story. It may seem too seasonal, but consider styling them with stockings or tall boots for the cooler season.
Whenever I'm traveling, I love to throw in a classic skirt like this pair down the amount of stuff I take with me. Also, if you wear it more than once within a week, no one's looking.
The glowing reputation of this dress says everything. I can also style it with sneakers or heels, which means it basically pays for itself.
There's really nothing you can't wear these with, and that's exactly what I'm looking for when factoring in cost per wear.
Shop More Timeless Wardrobe Staples
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Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.
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