That price tag on a $20 sweater might not tell the whole story. New research suggests that when shoppers see a garment’s cost per wear, they reach for the pricier, longer-lasting option more often. The findings could reshape how people buy clothes and how brands market them.
The study was conducted by Dr. Lisa Eckmann from the University of Bath, School of Management and Bath Retail Lab and Lucia Reisch from the Cambridge Judge Business School. It was published in the journal Psychology & Marketing.
In short, the research suggests a small label could nudge shoppers away from disposable fast fashion and toward pieces that last. By turning durability into a single number shown at the point of sale, cost per wear gives a price tag the same kind of unit comparison grocery shoppers already rely on. Here is what the study found and what it could mean for the way clothes are sold.
What the Cost Per Wear Study Found
The researchers ran six online experiments testing how CPW labelling affects buying decisions. Participants were shown a cheaper lower-quality item such as a sweater alongside a pricier higher-quality version.
Showing CPW information made participants more likely to pick the more expensive, higher-quality option, even with a higher upfront price.
The shift was strongest when shoppers could directly compare the CPW of two items, and when buying everyday clothing rather than occasion wear.
Trust mattered. The information was more persuasive when it was certified by an independent third party, and this could outperform a general durability claim made by the brand itself. Providing reference points such as the market average CPW for that product category made the comparison more effective.
“Cost per wear reframes sustainability as smart spending,” Eckmann said in a press release. “Cheap fast fashion suddenly appears more expensive due to its higher cost per wear and quality pieces are viewed as better financial investments – not just greener choices.”
Why Cost Per Wear Matters for Sustainable Fashion
Clothing is a consumable good that wears out, so it can reasonably be evaluated on a unit-price basis. But most shoppers currently don’t know how long a garment will last, and without a prompt in-store or online, many never consider longevity when buying.
The fashion industry is also the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for up to eight percent of global carbon emissions and millions of tons of textile waste, according to the Geneva Environment Network.
“Using cost per wear in shops or online retail spaces could reduce the environmental impact of fashion,” Eckmann wrote in an article published by The Conversation. “And of course the longer that garment remains in use, the less often it needs to be replaced.”
How Cost Per Wear Labels Could Work in Stores
The idea borrows directly from the grocery aisle, where unit pricing lets buyers compare value at a glance. Standardised fabric-durability tests already exist, measuring how many abrasion cycles (rubs against a rough surface) a fabric withstands before showing wear.
These tests, already offered by textile-testing services, could be used to estimate garment longevity and generate CPW labels displayed next to the price.
“Cost per wear could be used much like unit pricing in supermarkets, and could be a low cost, high impact tool for retailers and policymakers to reduce textile waste and the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion,” Eckmann added, per the press release.
Why Fast Fashion Won’t Change Overnight
Don’t expect any immediate changes. For CPW to work without regulation, brands and retailers must choose to display the labels, and high-quality brands likely have more incentive to do so than fast fashion brands.
And while CPW can improve how affordable expensive, high-quality sustainable clothing seems, many consumers still won’t be able to cover the higher upfront cost, even if it makes long-term financial sense.
The study measured stated preferences and intentions online, so future work could test CPW in actual stores to observe real shopping behavior. More research could explore how consumers weigh trade-offs between durability and broader sustainability concerns.
The researchers hope the work sparks more interest in using cost per wear in real-life scenarios among consumers. And when consumers show interest, retailers usually follow.
