count the reasons why...

Recent reaearch shows that luxury brands have raised prices by 60% in a decade to 'increase their appeal'

While many houses blame the ever growing costs of raw materials for that increase others are more open about raising prices to purely increase their appeal

In March this year, Burberry  admitted in March it would increase prices to attract new, wealthier customers after more 'exclusive' products.

But can the fast-rising prices of designer products can also be attributed to the fact that there are more people able to afford to the high costs. More high-net-worth individuals live in North America than anywhere else in the world (3.73million people, up 11.5 percent year-over-year), but the number of wealthy individuals in the Asia-Pacific region increased during the same period, to 3.68million.

 You may be wondering what has caused my reflections on rising costs.

The answer is simple. It's a coat.

This coat to be exact....

Sometimes just one look is all it takes

One look for you to fall totally and uuterly in love.

That's exactly what happened to me in March this year,when onto the Rochas Runwat walked the coat of my dreams.

Since then I have been like a cat on hot coals wondering when it would be for sale, who would sell it and more importantly how much it would cost.

The coat is now available to pre order over at the wonderful Luisa via Roma

But the price. Oh sweet Mother of God, the price! 

I can hardly bring myself to type it out.

€7103

I absolutely cannot get my head round how a printed silk duchesse coat can cost the price as a new car

 If Marco Zanini  who was named Creative Director of the French fashion house in July 2008 would like to explain that to me then I am all ears...

Maybe in their heads the overblown proportions explain the blown up price tag...

Queen Marie