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One Not-So-Good Suit Deserves Another

By Robyn Hagan Cain on April 18, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Everyone knows that a lawyer needs a good suit for court, but is the wrong suit cause for a suit?

Manhattan attorney Robert Ginsberg is suing Brooks Brothers for $7,646.51, claiming that a New York City store gave him the wrong suit, The New York Daily News reports. Ginsberg, who purchased “a stylish new, tailored brownish-gray tailored suit” in December, received “a used gray jacket and the wrong size pants” in January.

The situation sounds like a simple mix-up within the store's alterations department, but Ginsberg says that store personnel refused to help when he discovered the mistake and tried to return the suit in March.

"They dragged on with an absurd discussion where they admitted that sometimes people pick up something altered for someone else, but they said they always bring it back. I said, 'Why would anyone bring back my perfectly good suit when they didn't have to?"

If you're a Brooks Brothers shopper, you may be wondering how Ginsberg's new threads were worth so much. They weren't.

After spending what seems like forever on the Brooks Brothers website -- I take research very seriously -- I've concluded that the most expensive suit the store offers (at least online) costs $1,198. If you upgrade to the Thom Browne-designed Black Fleece collection, the max price jumps to $1,600 for this natty number.

Ginsberg's purchase was a relative steal at $646.51. The extra $7,000 he's demanding includes $2,000 for the 90 minutes he spent arguing about the return -- that's $22 per minute! -- and $5,000 in punitive damages.

David Rees, the store manager, told the Daily News that he had not heard about the mixup, and offered to help Ginsberg if he contacted the store. "Ultimately we want our clients happy," Rees said.

It seems unlikely that Robert Ginsburg will actually get an extra $7,000 for his trouble. Maybe the store will make up for the hassle by tossing in this jaunty pink striped linen suit?

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