See It! Cindy McCain Wore $300,000 Outfit

06-09-2008 - 02:57

It's a fact of political life that women's clothing is more highly scrutinized than men's. A dark blue or black suit, a white shirt and a red or blue tie and a man is set. It's different for women. And that is probably why Cindy McCain took great care to dress for the role of future first lady on September 1 when she and the current first lady, Laura Bush, appeared together at the opening night of the Republican National Convention. All that fashion planning may have backfired. Vanity Fair priced the outfit Mrs. McCain wore that day--from her über-pricey earrings to her Oscar de la Renta designer dress to her shoes and came up with the mind-blowing figure of $300,000.

Whether you love it or hate it, this is the $300,000 bright yellow-gold outfit Cindy McCain wore on September 1, 2008 at the opening night of the Republican National Convention. Keep clicking for more of convention fashion.

If you recall, opening night of the convention was a subdued affair as the U.S. Gulf Coast was being battered by Hurricane Gustav. But Cindy McCain's look--the popped-up golden collar, the three-carat diamond earrings--are still creating quite a buzz among fashionistas on Internet blogs and gossip sites. The outfit also included a four-strand pearl necklace and a Chanel wristwatch. Gossip blogger Perez Hilton exclaimed, "Her outfit cost as much as a house!"

See photos of John McCain's daughter Meghan, who is 23, blond and very, very pretty.

This is how much each item cost, according to Vanity Fair:
Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000-$25,000
Shoes, Taryn Rose: $475
Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100

Cindy McCain is not only starting to show a little cleavage, but also she has let her hair down--literally.

The strangest part of all: She spent all that money, but the dress was really ugly. "It's just really a bad, bad color," Diana Gruenig, wardrobe consultant and owner of Phoenix Personal Shopper, told the Arizona Republic. She said someone should have advised Mrs. McCain from wearing it. Gruenig said the best outfits for her would be sheath dresses and jackets with clean lines.

Is this the ugliest dress you have ever seen on the red carpet? Click to see the dress that Colin Firth's wife, Livia Giuggioli, wore to the world premiere of "Mamma Mia!" Hey, you might even laugh!