My Esteemed colleague Crunchy Con suggests we should all “Get off Palin’s back about the wardrobe.”
On the pro-side of relentlessly thwacking Republicans until they bleed: they said Obama was elitist; Joe the Plumber; they said Obama was a Britney clone; the John Edwards’ precedent.
On the con side: if the Dems mock McCain for creating frivolous diversions from real problems, they shouldn’t do the same.
But here’s what really got under my skin about it: not the amount, but the particular stores: Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Barneys.

After Beliefnet was sold, and I had a little bit of money for the first time in years, my wife said: get yourself a real suit at Barneys! I resisted. I didn’t see what was wrong with Men’s Warehouse. But I decided to treat myself.
I found the whole experience nauseating. The suits cost roughly four times what they would in other stores. And I really couldn’t tell the difference. I kept asking. “Now, how are these better?” The salesmen would smirk, shake their heads as if to say “if you need to ask….” and say, “Better fabric, better workmanship, better everything.”

I got my suit and it looks fine. I’ll even concede it fits slightly better. But it cost four times my trusty Men’s Warehouse suit – and there’s no way it’s a four times better suit, which means that, being generous, a good 80% of the cost is for snob appeal.
I’m no expert on women’s clothing but from what I’ve heard, it’s the same thing with Saks and Neiman Marcus. There’s a reason Neiman’s is referred to by my women friends as “Needless Markups.” These aren’t just expensive stores; they’re stores whose very image and brand positioning is about elitism. Neiman declares itself as focused on “the unique needs of the luxury market.” Saks has become the “byword for taste and elegance.”
These stores exist to make their customers feel like they’re superior to Joe the Plumber.
By the way, for those of you wanting to pick up a few things from Saks, I’d recommend the Max Kibardin Amanda Lizard d’Orsays shoes for $1,100, the Cartier
Large Ballon Bleu Watch (a steal at $8,375), or the Bottega Veneta Python Extreme Clutch which can be had for $3,950 if you act now.