DESI FASHION GUIDE: 22K gold shirt edition

SHANE KOKA
VANCOUVER DESI

Move over Mr. T., there is a new king of gold in town, and he’s got everything but the crown. Pictured above is Datta Phuge of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra, India modelling his latest purchase: a nearly 7 lb. shirt made entirely of 22K gold that he commissioned. The price tag for such a unique article of clothing? An estimated $228,000.

Consisting of 140,000 smaller pieces of 22K gold woven onto imported white velvet, fastened by six red Swarovski Crystal, the shirt took a team of 15 goldsmiths/tailors/magic elves almost three weeks of 18-hour days to put together. Creator Shailesh Ranka, a 6th generation jeweler in Pune, hopes that shirt may even enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive shirt in the world.

The Pune Mirror took inventory on what the Indian “Style Gurus” had to say about Phuge’s quarter million dollar chemise:

“Design wise it is basic. But kudos to the designer for thinking out of the box, though I wonder which man would pay to wear it.”

“It is not my style and it has no structure or shape. And looks very busy with the red buttons.”

“I haven’t seen the piece up close… I see it more as a novelty item.”

“As if there is not enough bling on clothes. Would love to see someone wearing it. Maybe, I will be surprised.”

Phuge was not always a wealthy man. In fact he was quite poor as a younger man, but is now a very successful money lender. He told the Pune Mirror:

“The gold shirt has been one of my dreams and I am elated to collect it today. It will be an embellishment to my reputation as the ‘Gold man of Pimpri’… People buy cars and go on holidays abroad. For me, gold is the ultimate passion. That is the reason I have spent a whopping amount of money on the shirt. I am looking at it as an investment which will keep appreciating.”

However unlike your typical RRSP or Savings Bond, this investment was debuted on New Years Eve, adorned with an additional 11 lbs of gold jewellery. This man was unavailable for comment:

Sources: Pune Mirror, LA Times, Vibe UK, Toronto Star, Bornrich

Tags: fashion, gold, India, investments, money