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An amazing coincidence happened to me today. I have a friend who broke her wrist in several places last Thurs. night. She has a huge thick cast on her arm from fingers to elbow. She complained that she wasn’t able to get any shirts or jackets on over her wrist, and was afraid she was going to have to “cut off arms” of clothes she owns to be able to wear anything. Since she’s in her late 50s and lives alone and is unable to drive, I leaped to the rescue.
When my elderly mother was convalescing in a nursing home last year, she needed clothes that she could get in and out of easily and needed a change of clothes for each day, so she asked me to go to Walmart or the like and get her some inexpensive simple clothes, especially pants with elastic waists, easy to pull on. So I decided to do the same for my friend. Without her knowing it, I went to Walmart (they have a great selection/variety of basic clothes, especially knits) and bought her long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirt and pants, a zip hooded jacket, a velour zip jacket, a v-neck sweater – and a cardigan sweater that I was just amazed to find. Almost an A-line profile, it was SO nice and seemed to be of extraordinary quality for a Big Box store: the quality and weight of the knit was particularly pleasing, the style modern and handsome with a wide band at the neck, large buttons down the front, wide-banded cuffs. They had it in white, but didn’t have the right size; I found a suitable size in the only other color, black, and decided to buy it for her. Even if she reimbursed me for all the clothes, I was going to make this one a gift for her – it was that special.
OK, so I show up at her house with a new wardrobe for her while she convalesces. She was exceedingly pleased with the cheerful colors I had selected and the variety of basics she would need – and at such affordable prices (except for the cardigan no item cost more than $13, I paid $77.50 for 9 items). But when I showed her the black sweater, she said “Wow, that looks so much like the sweater I just bought at Talbots, and paid a LOT more for.” Since I showed her all of these items while we were outdoors at my car, she said “When we get indoors, I’ll show you.”
Indoors later I was cutting the sleeves of all the (unfortunate) shirts and jackets so she could get them on over her encased and immobile arm, when she brought out the cardigan from Talbots. OMG, it was almost IDENTICAL. I mean, the similarity between the texture and weight of the fabric, the large buttons, even the detail on the sleeves and the wide band at the neck was shocking – everything was identical, except that the Walmart version had an extra button in the front placket and a button on each cuff. (Can you believe it? MORE detail on the Walmart version than the Talbots.) She showed me the price tag. She had paid $118 at Talbots. The tag on the Walmart match was $16. :wow:
But friends, what were the chances?! 99% identical sweaters, bought unbeknownst to the other, in the same color, both bought because they were very attractive, interesting for their unusual style, fabric, and high-quality. And this timing – all by chance! Amazing. It gave me goosebumps. I still can’t get over it. :yoiks:
:applause:
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