A Love of Pretty!
If love were measured in dresses, Paul Brockman would probably be the most loving husband in the world. Over the past 56 years, the German-born contractor from Lomita, California has given his wife, Margot, 55,000 dresses, all of which he picked out himself.
The first ten dresses in Paul Brockman’s impressive collection were free. He got them while working at a seaport in Bremen, Germany, where workers could pick out anything they wanted when the merchandise bales were opened. He gave them all to his then-girlfriend, Margot. After going steady for a while, Paul asked the girl’s parents for her hand in marriage.
He and Margot shared a passion for dancing and went ballroom dancing every week. Paul wanted her to have a different dress every time, so he kept buying her new ones. Margot never liked shopping, so Paul picked out and bought the dresses all by himself. He would buy dresses before work, after work, and even during work, sometimes coming home with up to 30 different ones. He got them during end-of-season department store sales, at yard sales, and pretty much anywhere he saw something he liked. At one point, his obsession with dresses got so out of hand that he stopped caring about their size. The most he spent was $300 on a dress that Margot never even wore. As you can imagine, most of the 55,000 dresses have never been worn.
His wife asked him to quit, telling him she didn’t need all those dresses, but Paul wouldn’t hear of it. Eventually, he started hiding the new dresses from her, but then Margot noticed their garage was getting fuller every day. Soon, they ran out of room, so Paul rented six shipping containers, where he stored the dresses in secret. He didn’t want people knowing he was buying and collecting dresses, and whenever anyone noticed Margot was wearing a different outfit every time, he would lie and tell them that she sewed the dresses herself.
Their daughter, Louise, estimates the 55,000 dresses her father bought in the last half century represent a $1.5 million investment, but he just can’t afford to do it anymore. Paul was a successful contractor back in the day, but at 78, he’s long past retirement. If you’re looking for a vintage ballroom dress, check out the 55,000 dresses website. You’re bound to find something you like!
Adapted from an article on OddityCentral website