HuffingtonPost.com has a slideshow of all the goodies that $150,000 of the Republican National Committee’s money bought for Sarah Palin and her family at high-end department stores.
And everyone’s all in a tizzy over her $75,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree, but that is honestly not my beef. She had to look the part and frankly needed the help. Plus, if she were taking fashion cues from Cindy McCain, well, the RNC would need to pony up a lot more than $150,000.
No, my beef is the photo at right. That would be Piper Palin, her 7 year old daughter, carrying a $790 Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Montorgueil PM.
Maybe she’s carrying her mom’s bag, although I haven’t seen any photos of Sarah Palin with an armload of LV. It’s also suspiciously Piper-sized.
It takes balls to use campaign money to buy your first grader a handbag that costs as much as the average American’s rent while talking about hard decisions at the kitchen table.
Almost makes John Edwards look like he frequents the Hair Cuttery, no?
UPDATE: A few eagle-eyed readers posted some evidence that the bag is a counterfeit. Click here for more details.
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They didn’t spend *my* money, so I don’t give a sh*t.
I predict that Piper will be our first female President. The girl is a STAR.
Every girl needs a good bag, regardless of how young or how rural. Yesterday, I bought my daughter a nice Versace bag. She’s four but since we live in the lower 48, we start them earlier down here.
As far as Sarah Palin’s shopping spree, I have no beef with that. You are right, she did need a little “tweaking” with her look. Her new highlights look a little more quality. Hell, if you are applying for the job, you have to look the part.
Well, as you admit, you don’t know who that belongs to. That’s the alpha and omega of this post.
I think it’s funny that Huffingtonpost.com is bringing this up since most of their supporters probably shop at the same place.
Could be a knock-off, or a gift from a very rich relative. Either way, I’m Canadian, so it’s not my money.
It’s a fake. Real LV’s are manufactured such that the LV is never distorted or cut-off by the leather. Plus, compare it to the real thing linked on eLuxury… totally different bag.
The RNC says they’re going to “donate” all the clothes to charity….yeah, they’re going to rip that bag right out of Piper’s hands! Don’t these kids go to school?
Could also be photoshopped, but a quick search found this comment:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132×7555583
“Huffington Post has a slideshow up of Palin’s new $150,000 wardrobe. One of the photos shows Piper carrying her mom’s Louie Vuitton handbag. It is an older bag since the leather is aged, so it is something that Palin has owned from before she was put on the ticket. The bag is a fake. It is a bit off from the authentic version and it has little brass feet on the bottom, which the real Louie Vuitton bag doesn’t have.
Why is this important? Because it appears that Palin purchased an illegal counterfeit handbag that was most likely made by a child in an underdeveloped country. I have a HUGE problem with counterfeit designer goods. I am not going to feel a whole lot of pity for Louie Vuitton, but on principle no company should get ripped off. I think it says something about her character. These products are illegal to produce and they are made in sweatshops, often by children. The real Louie Vuitton bags are made in France, Spain or the United States by adults who work in “up to code” workshops and are trained in handmade leather goods.
Some may not think it is a big deal, but again I think it says something about this woman.”
Thatgengirl has it right. It’s worse if it’s fake because it was probably made in China by someone Piper’s age.
So if it’s real, she’s a reckless spendthrift and if it’s fake, she’s responsible for the misery of some poor little kid in China? Poor Piper can’t win, huh?
No matter how you slice it, it’s pretty bad.
Piper can you spare a dime?
This is all pretty lame. Do we not have better things to get our knickers in a knot over?
Wonder how many of these HuffPo hypocrites buy fakes themselves in Chinatown or at “bag parties?” Wasn’t there an episode of “Sex and the City” all about buying fakes? Ever check the factories where all of your stuff was made, authentic or fake? Thought so.
The Tanning Bed Media is looking for any dumb little thing to smear on Palin and her family while it whistles past the assortment of crooks, radicals, and nuts associated with the O-man.
Piper in ’36!
Unlike Michele Obama sitting in a luxury suite eating Iranian Caviar and driking $500 bottles of wine the other day. But then theat doean’t matter since Barak broke his campaign promise to stay with public finanacing and not “sell out” like the other politicians have done in the past. Unlike McCain who is sticking to Public Campaign funds and it shows with Barak buying half hour commercials and saturating the networks.
Wait, do I smell hypocrisy?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/roomservice.asp
Hypocrisy that wasn’t quite fact checked before it was reported. Michelle Obama was in Fort Wayne, Indiana when she was reported to be have “Iranian caviar” (nice touch, cause, you know Obama will just give them the plans to all our nuclear weapons programs).
Jenn, I agree, it is kind of lame to get our knickers in a knot over a 7 year old with a real or faux Louis Vuitton bag. My kid can’t play with or carry my expensive bags because I wouldn’t want her to wreck them. Sarah doesn’t mind. Cool.
I was against slave labor in China. But I like cheap shoes so not anymore. Besides, that’s what keeps the unemployment numbers so low in that “workers paradise”. Leave it to Americans to mess with some other country’s economy.
Too bad its a $10 fake:
http://i33.tinypic.com/15s56o2.jpg
Real thing has:
1. pleats on the sides,
2. no brass feet
3. 3/4 length zipper
4. No piping on the sides
5. No brown stripe in the tan side stripe
Pastafarian –
You cheap bastard…..are we related?
#1-the bag in photo is fake
#2-hello photoshop!
At least it’s not a $300,000 god awful looking mustard yellow looking thing.
Piper Palin is actually kind of awesome. There’s a shot of her flipping off a little boy at the Lakers Game where her mom used her as a shield against the boos. Piper ’24
Piper Palin flashed a peace sign, not the bird.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/piper.asp
Queen Bee’s comment:
“Yesterday, I bought my daughter a nice Versace bag. She’s four but since we live in the lower 48, we start them earlier down here.”
is far more disturbing than the rest of this story.
Fake bag, real bag, it doesn’t matter. It is the vanity on a child that boggles the mind. I have to wonder…start them early on WHAT?
Whether is a designer bag or fake, what the HELL are you teaching your kids?; what stupidity. Just like with her pregnant teenager, we can see she’s one hell of a hands-on-mom. Poor levi…FREE LEVI!
Least i know what my donation to obama paid for—you mccain donors have alot to be proud of with your palin pick. she’s out of her league with her degree in journalism pieced together from six colleges…..
if one doesnt know what is inherently wrong with teaching your children to want STUPID logo’ed crap (or wanting your children to sport STUPID logo’ed designer crap), you’re going to have a tough, tough time as the economy and the world are changing quickly.
duh.
Oh Blue, I apologize. My sarcasm didn’t come across well on the page. Actual conversation, as heard at Northgate yesterday as I went to take my one fancy purse in for repair,
Daughter: Mommy, you need a new purse
Me: Oh, mommy doesn’t need a new purse. Mommy may want a new purse.
As with any 4 year old, this conversation lasted quite a while and was circular in nature.
I won’t horrify anyone with the conversation we had while I was trying on bras. It involved her shouting, “Mommy, you have big boobs.” Indeed.
Hmm, a focus on Sarah Palin’s clothes? I must have missed the articles about the cost of the suits worn by Obama, Biden or McCain. Nice to see sexism is alive and well in America. This isn’t even a focus on her clothes but her daughter’s. This is issues politics? Riiight.
Queen Bee, I got the joke and I thought it was very funny.
I’d be more concerned that she eat Mcdonalds but, then again they are both fake..
Well thanks for weighing in Gina. At least now I know which direction the high school juniors are leaning. C’mon now. You don’t have even ONE Che t-shirt hangin’ around? That’s a logo. Isn’t it?
And if Palin had spent that money at Walmart, I’m sure The Huffington Post would have some sardonic commentary about that as well.
“Hmm, a focus on Sarah Palin’s clothes? I must have missed the articles about the cost of the suits worn by Obama, Biden or McCain”
I think it’s focus on *how* the clothes were paid for. Chances are, it’s safe to say the McCains, Obamas and the Bidens purchase their clothing with their own money, not campaign/(party)National Committee funds. It’s also normal to expect that their suits are not cheap: a quality suit that wears well and can withstand the traveling these candidates do comes at a price (ask any well-traveled businessman what he can expect to spend on a good suit). We may marvel at how pricey Cindy McCain’s clothes and jewelry are (and even a staunch Obama-Biden supporter such as myself thinks that Cindy has a closet that makes me wanna go to her house and play dress-up all day), but we don’t make a huge PR issue of it because she paid for the clothes with her own money.
There’s nothing wrong with candidates and their families wanting to “dress/look the part” during an election, and doing so with expensive outfits. There is, however, something wrong with using campaign funding to fund a pricey wardrobe and claiming that somehow, those clothes will get donated to charity- which I find hard to believe. Keep in mind this also comes on the heels of the story breaking that Palin had the state of Alaska pay for the travel of her daughters to events that *technically* the girls were not invited to.
At least Cindy McCain can rock out a $3000 dress and admit it’s part of her personal wardrobe, we can be sure she paid for with her own money and not the campaign’s, and she doesn’t do it under the guise of “I’ll donate it…eventually”.
oops – flew right over my head Queen Bee – Sorry.
Ani, the same people complaining about how the RNC got Palin clothes would be the same people complaining that she’s doesn’t look Presidential (even though she’s the Veep nominee) if she didn’t have these clothes. (She couldn’t do anything to please these people. She could piss the cure for cancer and they would complain she doesn’t drink enough water.)
Can you look good in less expensive clothes? Of course. Does she or the RNC have time to go bargain hunting? No. She gets plucked from obscurity put on a national stage and the party leaders probably said “get her a wardrobe”. What’s wrong with the clothes she had before? I don’t know. But I’m sure if she were wearing those we would know exactly what’s wrong with them.
This isn’t an issue. I mean if we want to say this takes her out of the race for campaigning for middle America, we can start talking about the millions the Obamas have made, the mansion Biden lives in, the money McCain married into, the Kennedy’s would get booted out of politics altogether followed by the Govenator and I’m sure 1/3 of Congress.
The RNC spending donated money on Govenor Palin is an internal issue for Republicans to figure out and resolve. It says nothing about what’s to become of the economy, nothing about Iraq and Afghanistan, nothing about immigration, nothing about healthcare, nothing about social security and I can go on and on.
Seeing as how Congress wants to hand out another stimulus check (funded by what money no one knows) you could say the RNC is doing their part to keep the economy afloat. Issues politics, what’s the issue here?
I think its funnier, if you look at video of PALIN MCCAIN in Green, Ohio….Piper is FREEZING…no jacket…shivering, and mommy dearest doesn’t notice. She is on stage, with mom, 49 degrees out in a short sleeve cottony dress. Why is she not in school ? No mother of the year here !
that looks like a terribly fake LV to be honest. the coloring is off. i doubt very greatly that its real. its probably form china town and cost around 45.
That is not a real LV bag – look closely – there aren’t any LVs on it. Its one of those designer knockoffs with stars and hearts on it…
I didn’t vote for Sarah Palin, but I feel compelled to defend some of her parenting choices. As for having Piper out of school, when I run for VP in 4 years, I will bring my now four year old, who will be 8 year old daughter along. Piper is getting a front row view of democracy in action which could count as experiental learning. I’d also be very surprised if she doesn’t have a tutor and was doing her homework on the road. How many 7 year olds can say they have been on the vp campaign trail? That’s pretty valuable stuff she can’t learn sitting in a row. After the campaign is over, her life will resume some normalcy regardless of where she will be living.
As for the coat, my four year old really hates wearing one. As a parent, I can do my best to pester her into wearing it but she takes it off at the first opportunity. Sometimes, you have to let a kid made a decision, not wear the coat, be cold, decide they want a coat and you have it there for them. Plus, Piper is from Alaska. I’ve lived in Ohio and only visited Alaska but Alaska, to hear my husband (Go West Anchorage High!) tell it, is much freakin colder. While I am bundled up, he might be wearing a shirt and a pair of jeans. His body is more used to the cold than mine is. Now, take him to someplace tropical and the sweat begins to pour (yes, yuck) and he becomes really uncomfortable pretty quickly.
Are we sure this is a back alley knock off? I know they have knock off bags and Fred Meyer (a Pacific Northwest chain that is in Alaska) that look similar to many brands.
Well, as you admit, you don’t know who that belongs to.
But we ARE aware of all internet traditions, Mr. Gerald Did-I-Mention-I-Worked-At-Penthouse Vanderleun.
Deceiver,
You blew this one. That’s not an LV bag, it is probably an older bag, she’s possibly carrying it for her mother. Whether it was produced by child-labor or not is speculation. It probably was made in a poorer country, but, if you are wearing clothes at all right now, chances are they were too.
I must say, for all the exposing of hypocrisy that you do on this site, this one was a big, unresearched disappointment.
Yeah I worked at Penthouse too. That’s what they call it now right?
Yeah, I just pored through the entire sequence on AP’s site. It’s impossible to tell whose bag it is, but it also really appears to be fake LV.
Holy Halston Batgirl! This is great on so many levels. We know about this shot of Piper Palin (Piper Palin picked a peck of platinum-priced purses) So the little darling has an LV in one hand, and a Micky Dees super-sized soft-drink in the other! But wait, there’s more! Rumor has it, it’s a fake! Even BETTER! Now, the “first romper” is sporting counterfeit goods from China! Way to go Canal Street rockin’ hockey-mom shopper! Hey New Yorkers, couldn’t ya just see Sarah cruisin’ those cheesy fake bag stalls on Canal Street haulin’ those tell-tale black plastic bags with the designer loot? It just gets better and better!
McMom, you have it wrong. Piper’s not being criminalized here: She’s 7. No one blames her. Sarah Palin is the one in the spotlight. As for whether or not she can win in this situation, unless she bought a real bag with her own money, then no, she can’t win. Spending the RNC’s money on duds for 2 months that would take 7 years to save up for, if you made minimum wage..and that’s not counting the costs of living. The problem people have with it is that its hypocritical to spend the RNC money on campaign clothes, and its hypocritical to say you care about the middle class while strutting in valentino and spending $22,000 (of RNC money) on a stylist (for 2 weeks only!)
How much did the DNC spend on the Greek temple for Obama’s big speech?
$140,000. And they can’t even pretend to be able to donate those to anyone.
Sorry. The $140,000 was just for the columns. I’m not sure how much the whole thing was.
Apples to apples would be to compare the total costs of the DNC and the RNC. The DNC in Denver cost $61-million, and the RNC in St. Paul was $58-million:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/10/16/rnc_money/
No, apples to apples would be to compare Palin’s wardrobe budget to Biden’s claim that if Obama’s elected, we’re going to get attacked. That’s what this subterfuge is all about. But as long as they’ve brought up this wardrobe distraction, it’s fair to compare the DNC’s priorities with the RNC’s. Helping your VP candidate and her family look their best for a couple of months = bad? Making your presidential candidate look like Mussolini meets Sigfried & Roy with an unlimited budget, for one speech = good? Not by me.
I’ve heard people slamming Palin or whoever bought the stuff for getting the clothes etc. at places like Saks, and Neiman Marcus as if those are exclusive stores. I’m not so sure they card you at the door at those places.
Ooooh, fun. The moderators are jousting. Anyone have popcorn?
Just sharing information.
That is so fake. You can tell a real LV when you see it, if you own one yourself. It’s not even a good fake one.