# The most you've ever spent on a SINGLE article of clothing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935 "2002-03-30T16:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/21 "2002-03-30T21:24:01Z")
Arpund a hundred and twenty for a black leather coat. I got it at an outlet mall. Very lucy find – the original price was closer to $300. Plus, it actually -fits- me, and fits me well. When you’re short, it’s pretty hard to find stuff that fits snug and looks right. 120 bucks for a chance to look real badass was pretty worth it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/22 "2002-03-30T22:34:14Z")
IIRC my mom spent $300-400 for my debutante dress. That was 10,000 years ago when that was a whole lot of money. 🙂 I didn’t want to be a debutante, but got roped into doing it by my best friend’s mother who convinced my mom that her daughter really should have me along for the ride. [sigh] I haven’t worn that dress since. Biggest waste of money I can recall for an item of clothing. I’ve since bought evening dresses for around $20 that I’ve worn more, gotten more compliments on, and had more pleasure out of. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/23 "2002-03-30T22:59:02Z")
About $500 for a Hein Gericke motorcycle jacket. Worth every penny even though I was poor scooter trash at the time. The leather is much thicker, smoother and softer than any cheap jacket, and all the stitching has held up through years of hard use. Oh, the stories that jacket could tell… ---
**Author:** ![heptapod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/24 "2002-03-30T23:45:45Z")
The most I’ve spent on a single item of clothing was 110 bucks for my steel tipped herman munster boots back in June. The most expensive thing I have is my leather trenchcoat that’s 350 bucks but I received that as a present and didn’t pay for it. I just wish I knew where some folks get fifteen dollar shirts and thirty dollar pants. Are you able to not buy clothes from a Big and Tall store because I think that’s why I’m probably paying a bit more? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/25 "2002-03-31T00:01:19Z")
> [@](#): > > The most I’ve ever paid for a single article of clothing is $45. It’s a vintage tan leather coat with a leopard print collar. And it shows, Mr. Weasel. 😃 The most I ever paid for an article of clothing was a hunnerd bucks for my trench coat… and baby, 'twas worth it. Now I just need to get a matching hat (London Fog, here I come). ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/26 "2002-03-31T00:03:11Z")
Since we’re not counting suits, my answer would be $450 for a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo dress shoes, and this was on a separate shopping trip than the time I dropped $1,200 in a single day - _at a single store_ - buying 6 shirts, 12 ties, 2 belts, 10 pairs of socks, and a new pair of shoes. Somewhere along the line I turned into a t-shirt and jeans guy, so I don’t do that sort of thing anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/27 "2002-03-31T00:14:08Z")
I _do_ do that sort of thing still. Single largest ticket price: $1,000 for a pair of pants. It was definitely a splurge, but they fit me perfectly, I feel great in them and I’ve had them for at least three years and still wear them all the time. I’m a clotheshorse, and it’s about quality, not quantity for me. A lot of my clothing is designer label, but bought at discount ([bluefly.com](http://bluefly.com) is mecca), supplemented heavily by great thrift-store finds and The Gap and others of it’s ilk for tshirts and khakis. Most of my things I wear for at least five years and I prune my wardrobe and donate to Goodwill every six months. I need to go lie down now. I feel shallow. And broke. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/28 "2002-03-31T00:45:46Z")
My first car didn’t cost as much as that wedding dress. I hate buying clothing. 79.95 for a Carhart coat. It turned 6 this winter that wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/29 "2002-03-31T01:08:19Z")
I’ve bought a couple pair of Birkenstocks that ran me over $100. I also own a couple pair of Doc Martens that cost $120, but those were both gifts. I am a very frugal person, in general, but I have rather odd feet. They’re long (size 9-10, US), very narrow, and completely flat. Poorly made shoes absolutely kill. I also have a tendency to wear them out really quickly. (Remember those white canvas Keds that were so trendy for a while in the early 90s? I could wear out a pair of those in a month.) So it’s all about the quality. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/30 "2002-03-31T01:29:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Single largest ticket price: $1,000 for a pair of pants. ::passes out from shock:: I usually am not surprised by discretionary spending, but… ::passes out again:: For me, probably $160 for a pair of Burton snowboard pants. They are waterproof and comfy and have zip vents on the side for warm days, and extra reinforcement on the butt and knees (snowboarder’s landing spots). Vastly superior to my previous Walmart-snowpants-sprayed-with-waterproofing-stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/31 "2002-03-31T02:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > \*\*:: passes out from shock:: I usually am not surprised by discretionary spending, but… :: passes out again:: \*\* Yeah, but you’ve seen me, girl. I look goooooooooooood. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/32 "2002-03-31T02:27:25Z")
Most expensive - wool coat, $230 ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/33 "2002-03-31T02:36:58Z")
My wedding dress wasn’t the most expensive item of clothing I’ve ever bought (it only cost A$130 all up). I bought a sexy sheath last year in Australia for my brother’s wedding. My husband was speechless when he saw me in it (there’s a first time for everything). Its stunning, and the best thing is I have many many chances to wear it. I can’t remember the exact cost, but it was about A$250. Worth every cent! ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/34 "2002-03-31T03:20:52Z")
Roughly $300 on a kilt. Kilts are DAMN expensive, and the British-to-American exchange is horrific… ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/35 "2002-03-31T03:56:06Z")
$1,000 pants? :shakes head: With my luck, I’d trip and rip a hole in 'em in the first week. My best is roughly $300 for a leather jacket. It’s nice and pretty darn warm. ---
**Author:** ![igotit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@igotit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igotit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/36 "2002-03-31T04:19:13Z")
My wedding dress that was $2975.00, way back in 1992. I still have it, and it cost $500.00 to box it up and preserve it. That is the only thing I have left from that whole marriage ordeal. ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/37 "2002-03-31T04:44:58Z")
$1000 for one pair of pants? Good lord in heaven have mercy! What are they made out of **Nymysys**? Gold? 😃 I don’t mean to make you feel self-conscious. I wish I had $1K to spend on a pair of pants. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/38 "2002-03-31T05:06:52Z")
I’m a huge hockey fan, so I collect and wear a lot of jerseys. Now if you pick your spots, you can get them pretty cheap. I greatly benefitted from the bankruptcies of Pro Player and Starter–I got a bunch of their jerseys pretty cheap at Value City over the years. Newer jerseys that I just wanted to have I’d spend up to $75 on. But being that my true love in hockey is the San Jose Sharks, I decided of course that one, I had to have all 5 jerseys they ever wore, and at least one of them should be the authentic jersey with the fight strap, numbers, etc. However, I did kinda save myself _some_ money. I got the jersey for $88 on eBay. It retails for up to $200. I also bought from eBay the Tenth Anniversary patch that they wore last year, for less than $10. I’ve seen places ask up to $20 for it. Finally, I decided I wanted my name and number put on the back (I play hockey and wanted something really nice to wear on the ice). That of course ran me another $75. For some strange reason, it costs extra if you get a non-player’s name on a jersey, $4. So yeah, the grand total is in the neighborhood of $175, but I consider it a bargain since that’s less than what just the jersey itself should cost. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/39 "2002-03-31T07:37:40Z")
$80 for a pair of Timberlands. Hiked up to the South Rim at Big Bend National Park with them with nary a blister, so it was worth every penny. I usually buy $4 t-shirts and $10 shorts, so that was a major purchase for me. Oh, and it was a tax-free clothes shopping weekend, so it was $80 flat. ---
**Author:** ![akitaking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@akitaking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akitaking)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935/40 "2002-03-31T07:40:18Z")
$1000 for a full-length leather coat–but my girlfriend actually got it for me. Imagine the headache I suffered when I scratched the shoulder on a piece of metal getting on the subway just weeks later! Suits don’t count, but I must say that a well-made, perfectly-fitting suit is well worth the money for _some people_. I know others just aren’t that interested in clothes, but I feel that a lot of the crowd automatically say it’s a waste of money without ever having tried a _perfect_ garment. My 8-year-old navy blazer is aging now, but $350 was a fair price–I may not find an equal to replace it. I’ve never owned a better article of clothing at any price, and for such a staple of men’s clothing, it is a blazer that stood out. Finally, $180 to $250 for Regal shoes have always been a good deal. Roughly 10 years and I have yet to retire a single pair. With simple, regular care, many still look practically new! Other brands have not done as well. Recently I’ve only bought casual clothes in the $20-$40 range since my expensive clothes have a long life and look good to the end. By cost-averaging I regard them as wise purchases. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-youve-ever-spent-on-a-single-article-of-clothing/100935.md?page=3)