[At Law]

Good Evening,

As a result of moving to another city, I had temporarily put 90 percent of my clothing and shoes in storage.

The storage facility flooded and damaged everything I owned ( In essence).

I happen to be a lawyer, however, I retained another lawyer to represent me with my claim.

I am going to have a pocket full of cash, however, basically no clothing / shoes. Akin to a house fire.

We will eventually settle, however, I will have to start new with everything.

Where does one begin?

 

[poppies]

By making a trip to O'Connell's. They're even having a sale!

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm sorry that happened to you.

A similar thing happened to me when we were moving / renovating and I stored a good amount (~60%-70%) of my clothes in the basement of a building that had a fire. The clothes were ruined and insurance, eventually, sent me a decent check.

The difference for me was that I was also transitioning from working in an office to working at home for myself. So, while I lost a lot of really nice suits, sport coats, dress trousers, shirts and overcoats, the truth was, going forward, owing to my new work situation and the general shift to biz casual, I didn't really need to replace most of them. I still miss some key pieces, but it is what it is.

The silver lining is you can now replace the old clothes with exactly what you want at this time. I'd go slowly and, especially for biz clothes, buy less and buy better quality. I found throughout my life, that the 80%/20% rule applies to clothes - you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time and the rest get little use.

Hence, I've tried to be very selective in replacing my clothes - holding out for getting just what I want and buying the best quality I can. This way, I have fewer clothes, but better quality ones that I use more often. Good luck, I hope this helps a bit.

 

[eagle2250]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, At Law, but I do hope your claim is promptly and adequately settled and that you might possibly enjoy your quest to rebuild your sartorial windmill!

Take care and may you have a better day.

 

[Patrick06790]

I have a fantasy of walking into O'Connell's with a bulging bank account and saying "OK, let's start from scratch."

I didn't have a flood in the story, however. More like a publisher gave me an enormous advance. However...

I would proceed very deliberately. Here's a chance to have a manageable wardrobe of things that a) fit and b) were not purchased impulsively.

I think the first thing I'd do is get on the phone with David Mercer and get a whole mess of white and blue shirts...

 

[cellochris]

The silver lining is you can now replace the old clothes with exactly what you want at this time. I'd go slowly and, especially for biz clothes, buy less and buy better quality. I found throughout my life, that the 80%/20% rule applies to clothes - you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time and the rest get little use.

Hence, I've tried to be very selective in replacing my clothes - holding out for getting just what I want and buying the best quality I can. This way, I have fewer clothes, but better quality ones that I use more often. Good luck, I hope this helps a bit.

I would proceed very deliberately. Here's a chance to have a manageable wardrobe of things that a) fit and b) were not purchased impulsively.

OP that stinks, but I agree with FF and Patrick, you have a real opportunity here. Purchase your core rotation (shirts/suits/jackets/pants) at the best quality and fit you can and fill in the rest at your leisure. The transition might be stressful but once you're back on your feet, I think you'll feel better.

Good luck,

-Chris

 

[Troones]

I found throughout my life, that the 80%/20% rule applies to clothes - you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time and the rest get little use.

Very very true in my experience. If I had to start all over, I would never do the quantity over quality for ties. I have a pile of cheap ties that I liked, until I invested in quality. I can't bring myself to wear the lesser quality ones now so I should pass them on.

Good advice to go slowly, be discerning and rebuild with exactly what you want, and more importantly, will have ample opportunities to use.

 

[August West]

"In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity" My father used to say this to me quite a bit. Certainly not his original quote (Einstein?) but it sums up what has already been said in this thread.
Best of luck to you At Law.

 

[Troones]

"In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity" My father used to say this to me quite a bit. Certainly not his original quote (Einstein?) but it sums up what has already been said in this thread.
Best of luck to you At Law.

I motivate a group of insurance sales advisors for a living, and by a huge coincidence I used that quote for opening our last meeting. It was Einstein. And very applicable in the OP's situation.

 

[At Law]

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. That means the world to me.
I luckily held my suits out of storage, however, I couldn't get all of my shoes and casual clothing before the loss.

As I think about it, all of your words ring true.

I am going to take my time and build my wardrobe up with a lot less and a lot more quality. I had so many clothes and shoes that were exactly the same.

It is now time to buy high quality items and try not to duplicate. It will take time, however, it actually may be quite enjoyable.

Thank you again, gentlemen, for the kind words and support.

Tom

 

[Mr. B. Scott Robinson]

I think the urge to build an entire wardrobe at once, and at one location, is best resisted.

If I found myself in the same position, I would look to spread my windfall around, benefiting those vendors who have treated me well in the past. I also would like some variety of cut, quality, and fabric. I would also look to purchase a few very high quality cornerstone items, shoes, blazers, waistcoats and slowly build from there.

This is a real opportunity to slowly build an amazing collection. Or one can go to O’Connells and drop the bundle in one go. No judgement there!

Happy shopping!

Cheers,

BSR

 

[New Old Stock]

At Law, sorry to hear about your clothes. I think the advice to take your time is generally the best course of action. But if I can play devils advocate for a minute. Assuming you know your sizes, cuts, & what you like to wear - I say go nuts :devil:. The holiday shopping season already started & it favors the big spenders / bulk buyers. Unlike most of us you actually have a valid excuse. Good luck either way & have fun!

 

[WatchmanJimG]

I have a fantasy of walking into O'Connell's with a bulging bank account and saying "OK, let's start from scratch."

I harbored this very same fantasy for 5 or 6 years until late 2004, when private practice finally gave me the ability to take a good whack at O'Connell's. With the exception of shirts inevitably wearing out and one suit that never fit quite to my liking (even before my "slight" weight gain through my 40s), pretty much every piece remains in my collection in great condition. This past summer I decided to expand my horizons further with two visits in person and several phone or online orders. Now my closets are peppered with reddish-orange O'Connell's clothing bags. If they were still doing business with Samuelsohn it would be very difficult for me to shop anywhere else . . .

 

[ran23]

when I lost 90 pounds and started over, yes, I wanted to buy it all. 3 suits and a handful of jackets later, my doctor told me I lost 1 1/2" and some jackets were now too long. 65 here, and you may not have that problem. I say, get the minimum now, that still allows you a lot of leeway.