5 items not to overlook when valuing your wardrobe

When it comes to home and contents, wardrobes tend to be routinely overlooked and undervalued. At Chubb, it’s one of the most common areas we have found our clients pass over when taking stock of their possessions, despite often having highly valuable clothing collections.

From bespoke designer pieces to extensive shoe collections, over time it’s easy to forget just how much your wardrobe may be worth. As our policies operate on a new-for-old basis, we encourage our clients to think just how much it would cost to replace items in their wardrobe as if they were new.

The figure can be often eye-opening. As a broad rule of thumb, we tend to expect an overall contents sum insured of $400,000 to have around $80,000 to $100,0000 of cover for clothing. For people with a dedicated interest in clothing, these figures can increase significantly.

Suits can easily be overlooked, especially if they’re kept in storage covers. Tailored suits typically cost between $1,000 and $3,000, and we routinely encounter wardrobes containing 30 or more.

Dresses from some of the world’s leading designers such as Alexander McQueen can cost from $2,000 to upwards of $10,000. Even multiple non-designer items, when combined together, become significant in value. This also applies to clothing types which tend to be higher cost, such as winter jackets and overcoats.

Designer shoes for both men and women have a distinct reputation for carrying large price tags. Heels from Christian Louboutin average approximately $1,000 per pair. 

The average person owns between 10 and 20 pairs of shoes. Often, we see collections that greatly exceed this.

It’s not uncommon for our home appraisers to encounter high-value handbags such as a Gucci handbag or Salvatore Ferragamo tote. Prices for these items can range from $1,000 to well over $10,000.

Designer luggage collections by the likes of Louis Vuitton can add up to more than $10,000 for 2-3 pieces. We frequently see carry-on luggage from Gucci which can be valued at over $2,000 for a single case.