An expensive jacket can look remarkably cheap when its price is divided by hundreds of imagined outings. Cost per wear is useful only when the wear count is believable. Otherwise it becomes a way to justify a purchase you already want.
The basic calculation is simple: divide the cost by the number of times the item is worn. In a fictional example, a 60-unit jacket worn 30 times costs two units per wear. A 120-unit jacket worn ten times costs twelve. The calculation describes those assumptions; it does not predict your future habits.
Start with a real week
Ask where the item fits into the activities you actually do. Does it work with clothes you already own? Is it comfortable enough for the journey, weather and setting? A garment reserved for a rare imagined occasion may have fewer opportunities than its versatility suggests in a shop.
Look at similar items you already use. Their wear pattern can be a more realistic starting point than a promise to dress differently after buying something new.
Include costs you can identify
Alterations, specialist cleaning and repairs can affect the total. Keep these visible rather than pretending the purchase price is the only expense. Do not invent a precise resale value years in advance to make the calculation attractive.
The number also leaves things out. An outfit needed for an infrequent formal requirement may still be useful despite a high cost per wear. Conversely, a low calculated figure does not make a purchase affordable if it strains this month’s budget.
Use the calculation as one question among several: will I wear it, can I care for it, and do I need it now? Sometimes the best result is recognising that a suitable jacket is already in the cupboard. No optimistic denominator is needed for that decision.