Why $350 boots can be a smart choice

I am constantly frustrated by people who only shop at low-budget places like H&M, Suzy Shier, Aeropostale, and the like. Sure, I love the stores too. But my H&M tops have all unravelled, or shrunk, or become so low-quality that I didn't want to wear them anymore.

On the other hand, You see your dream boots in the window of the Holt Renfrew/Nordstrom. They shine like the wings of an angel. They beckon. They call. And to top it all off, they're on 70% off sale for $200! But your stomach tells you that it's not right to spend $200 on boots when your rent is $500 a month. What's a Student Sophisticate to do?


New clothing = money

Price Per Wear Theory

The big buzz around smart fashionistas is Price Per Wear. Price per wear states that the value you get out of an item depends on how often you use it. Do a quick calculation on your iPhone by the shop window:

Price per wear (PPW) = Price / # of times you will wear it

So let's say you buy that awesome, hot ball gown for the grad formal. $200 down the drain. That's expensive, and you'll be wearing it once or twice. So your price per wear will be about $200/2 = $100 per wear! Not the cheapest option.

On the other hand, if you buy that fun, crazy fuschia belt from a thrift store for $5, but you only wear it once, that's only a $5/1 = $5 per wear item! Way better for your conscience, and your wallet.

I wear my mink-brown BCBG boots pretty much every day in the winter, and often in the fall and spring. That's about 100 days per year, conservative estimate. I've also had my boots for 2 years, and I estimate they'll be going strong for a third year, which is 300 days. That's $200/300 days=$0.67 per wear.

The same logic applies to my Aritzia Tahlua Babuton wool pea coat - roughly the same price, and it's definitely going strong for the next two years. I estimate the PPW at $200/(100 days x 4 years) = $0.50 per wear.

I try to aim for PPWs of less than $0.50. If you hit the magic number, pat yourself on the back and pour yourself a glass of red to celebrate your stylish awesomeness. Keep up the good work.

The bottom line
Student Sophisticates do not balk at high prices - we know that quality items will last much longer than those $15 cheap shoes from Chinatown, anyways. We also know that we'll look sexier as we strut down the road, leaving people in our tracks gaping at how awesome we look in our super boots!