What $75,062 will buy you at Neiman Marcus

When we heard that the RNC racked up a $150,000 department store tab for Gov. Sarah Palin, it was hard to immediately put that in perspective. The most either of us has ever spent at one time on clothes or other personal items is under $1,000. But thanks to the beauty of online shopping, we're now very clear on what you can get for that kind of cash.  We just got done going on his and hers online shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus' website, where we each managed, after an undisclosed number of hours, to spend $75,062*, the precise amount that Palin et al. spent there.

Here's a screenshot of Maria's shopping cart, which contains 63 items.

Here's a screenshot of David's shopping cart, which contains 212 items.

Hers

We decided to see what that kind of cash could buy for Sarah Palin herself, sticking to the Republican vice presidential nominee's own sassy-conservative style. And, of couse, we stuck to American designers. Also, we steered away from prints, which seem to have become Michelle Obama's signature. Palin favors sober (but occasionally texture-y) solids.

In the pricey "Fine Apparel" category, it turns out Neiman Marcus is big on Euro designers like Armani and Escada, and they're full up on drapey, filmy and asymmetric dresses, so it was tough finding sober campaign-ready suits. (Thank heavens for their deep St. John inventory.) After scrolling through many screens of enticing but un-vice-presidential options, we found 13 appropriate jackets and 10 skirt-and-shirt combos or dresses to go under them, enough for two weeks of campaigning between trips to the cleaners.

Footwear-wise, we jettisoned the America-first principle, since she probably won't get asked whose shoes she's wearing. We got her four pairs of Manolos, a pair of Prada boots, winter white Marc Jacobs boots, and a big fuzzy Australian apres-ski-style pair.

At this point fatigue set in. We began to suspect that spending $75,000 at Neiman Marcus would mean shopping for more people than just one suit-wearing woman. Still, if we were going to jack up our total by buying things Palin could wear during the campaign, we decided to go with accessories -- a shortcut, essentially, with a few $8,000 necklaces and 10 pairs of $3,100 earrings. (Also, couldn't resist a $995 diamond Hello Kitty watch for Piper.)

His

Boy oh boy. Oh boy. You really have to WORK to spend that kind of cash -- especially if you're a guy. David walked away with the 11 most expensive Armani and Dolce & Gabana suits in the store,  7 pairs of Prada shoes, 4 primo leather jackets, 7 pairs of Seven jeans, 35 pairs of designer sunglasses, 100 gorgeous ties, plus a bunch of shirts, underwear, watches, rings, bracelets, two iPod speaker docks and something called a Hercules Fleur-de-Lis Dog Tag ($920). In an attempt to get the editors to actually pay for this motherlode, David insisted this would be about 10 years worth of clothes for him, and that he would work for free until St. Patrick's day.  No one was swayed.

(David wasn't trying for much verisimilitude.  Mostly he just wanted to go Brewster's Millions on this whole thing.) 

*virtual dollars

-- Maria Russo & David Sarno

Comments

[Shawn]

What a cute article! And a fun game. If I didn't have more respect for the hard-working programmers and others who work to keep our nations' online shopping flowing, I'd say we ALL go play on the Neiman Marcus site to rack up a 75K shopping cart.

Or better yet, 75K at walmart.com? Only on clothes and personal items. No flat-screen TVs, snow tires or pontoon boats.

[Swannie]

Do you think those six million dollar fake greek columns were purchased at Nieman Marcus , did you happen to check which department carried the fake greek six milloin dollar columns?? , I wanted to do some shopping for a local messianic demagogue .
get back to me on that would you ??

[Steve]

Palin is such a loser, please go back to Alaska..... Please

[fred]

Does she get to keep the clothes? If so, is it considered taxable income?

[Ster]

Call me when you find out what the DNC has spent on Obama, Michelle and Biden's wardrobe.

Until then, take your pervasive bias and shove it up your fashinably concious hole.

That is all.

[gerom]

LOL

You forgot the kids, she bought them some stuff as well... free money
you can't blame the girl, she know the campaign is losing anyway, so she must get the most out of it before it's over .. Wall Mart hockey mom, our average neighbor, right?

for people like me, $1000 buy me lottttts of thing, i can't imagine what 150K would buy in term of one season clothes, not my entire life clothes....

If Joe the plumber wearing Versace then mccain-palin are truly populists

[John Roberts]

This is clothes and her image. What about the millions the bankers are walking away with?

[CM]

What? No moose hunting attire? I would have thought one of you would have picked up that toney blaze orange Dolce & Gabbana vest I've had my eyes on...

[Anna Knapp]

I think Joe the Plumber's pipe just sprung a big leak. This is not a good showing for Joe the Plumber's middle class budget McCain says he understands and knows how to fix. At "Needless Markups". Give me a break. My, my, do as I say, not as I do. If they are this careless with money in front of our faces, what will they be like once they are elected. With 7 houses and who knows how many cars and a wife who just had a $4.2 million income in 2007, yeah, sure he understands. Do American need more proof that we will have more of the same Bush spending if they are elected. Obama is a must.

[Charlie Miller]

I'm sure McCain/Palin is just doing this for the Jo the Shopper vote.
(Hmmm, which income group is shopping like THAT these days?).

Then again, how much was Cindy McCain's outfit that she got just for the RNC convention?

[Paul Stewart]

How can you win on this kind of stupid tactic. She spent more on clothes in two months than I have spent in a 53 year life time. Indeed, I have spent no more than $25,000, maybe $45,000 adjusted for inflation. And I dress well on the job every day. Seriously. And to compare her to Clinton or Edwards is ridiculous - we are talking about $150,000 in two months for crying out loud. That's enough to buy Joe the Plumber his business. Now that would have been a great thing for the campaign to do. And it is about 5 to 10 years of Joe Six Pack's salary. I am sure she relates to the Joe Six Packs. This woman is not middle class in her thinking. Sarah talks a good slang, but in her elite and exclusive heart of hearts, she is a lover of only pure gold ....

[MJ]

What I'd like to know is how much each of the presidential candidates and vp candidates (including Sen. Clinton) has spent on him/herself in direct comparison.

As much as I enjoy poking fun at Gov. Palin, perhaps a more objective view on the matter is required to make this finding relevant to the campaign.

[Charlie Miller]

I'm sure McCain/Palin is just doing this for the Jo the Shopper vote.
(Hmmm, which income group is shopping like THAT these days?).

Then again, how much was Cindy McCain's outfit that she got just for the RNC convention?

[Timothy H Anderson]

Joe the plumber would look good in this stuff but I suspect he can't afford it at this time.
If we elect McCain he still won't be able to afford it. He will just have to eat Moose meat like the rest of us.

[drunette keller]

I have never spent that kind of money on clothes, but I have never stood before the pulblic like Sarah has. The clothes she wore in Alask were just not suitable for our climate. She did have to have some, and nice ones at that..You claim it was from taxpayers money--well that is a WHOLE LOT better than all the FOREIGN money that Obama is spending and no one is saying a word over that $63 million dollars. The wardrobe will be given to charity when the capaign is over. Wouldn,t you just love to see the joy on some poor persons face when they receive something so beautiful and special. I know I would., and to think they are doing just what Obama says to do--they are "spreading the wealth around"
Oh if America could wake up and see the serious trouble we are in and focus on that instead of petty things. All the blogs coming out from gripers who care nothing of the fact that we have lived in a FREE America since 9/11,

[Ex-Republican]

On the 12th day 'til elections,
the GOP sent to me,

12 Pundits punting,
11 Pretty pantsuits,
10 Decked-out Dudes
9 Lady's earrings,
8 Maids helping,
7 Swimming trunks,
6 Saks sacks
5 Golden rings,
4 Armani suits,
3 French men,
2 Turtle necks,
and a dear Trig in a nappy...

[Robert]

Do you think B. Hussein Obama is wearing men's wearhouse? "f'ing world is falling apart and this is what is being discussed. Fools.

[k j l]

Sarah to Joe the Plumber:

"Let them eat cake"

[Tim]

Lipstick, a pit-bull muzzle and investing the balance in Lehman Brothers would have been money better spent and more effective for the campaign

[volunteer]

I am beginning to believe that you are in the tank for Obama with crap like "When we heard that the RNC racked up a $150,000 department store tab for Gov. Sarah Palin"

Are you getting desparate or do you plan to investigate Biden's and Obama"s expenses on clothes

Give the readers some credit

[Robert Smith]

So the woman that looks like a cult mother, like some of the ones famous here in Texas, honestly needs to PAY for all of these clothes? Oh wait she didn't pay for it so that works out just fine. Is there any doubt as to why the Obama - Biden ticket is so far in the lead at this point? Heck even if Obama happens upon a Kennedy event at least the man picked a competent number two.

[Who Cares]

As long as Gov. Palin looked good for the event, who cares? Let them spend the big bucks on wardrobes, heck, maybe she might experience a wardrobe malfunction.

[conerned]

How much money has obama spent on his suits? Why hasn't that information been disclosed? Oh... I forgot he made so much money last year (on book sales) - right?

[David]

Oh, the spin.

The bill wasn't just for her, it was for all her kids' clothes too. Every other newsworthy reporter wrote that. Why the horribly blatant bias?

[Ben]

She yet to get to Washington. When she gets there, then we will know the difference between today and tomorrow.