The most expensive dresses ever made and what makes them very pricy

By David Omondi

Given the opportunity and resources, many people would prefer to wear the world’s top luxury brands because of the prestige and comfort that’s associated with these brands. The luxury fashion market is doing so well that it’s responsible for creating the current richest man in the world (as at December 2022)– the chairman and CEO of LVMH brand, Bernard Arnault.

The price of an outfit always denotes it’s worth in terms of quality and the brand behind it. That’s why many people take pride in showing off their designer wear whenever they put them on. The media also does not waste the chance to inform on the value of clothing items and accessories put on by famous people in the society.

Here are the 10 most expensive attires ever made.

9. Chartreuse Dior Dress – $ 2 million

8. Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscars Dress – $4 million

7. The Seven Year Itch Subway Dress – $4.6 million

6. Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday, Mr. President Dress – $4.8 million

4. Queen Letizia’s Royal Wedding Dress – $10.7 million

3. Martin Katz and Renee Strauss Wedding Dress – $12 million

2. Hany El Behairy Wedding Dress – $15 million

1. The Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur – $30 million

What makes these attires so expensive?

There are several factors that made the dresses listed above so expensive.

1.      The designer or brand that made the dress. The world’s top designers have a reputation for nothing but the very best in terms of quality and design. Their client list comprises the affluent members of the society who can afford their starting prices.

2.      The materials used in the making of the dress. Silk, satin, gold thread, diamonds and pearls are some of the materials lavishly used in the making of these clothes. Take the example of the Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur which was made with more than 750 diamonds. 

3.      The labour cost involved. Most of these dresses are hand-made by a team of highly skilled who painstakingly craft the patterns and textures, flow and fit. Some of these dresses took hundreds of hours to put together.

4.      The person wearing the attire. Most of these attires are made for or worn by the world’s top personalities from royalties, to A-list actors and musicians, and some of the world’s richest personalities. Take for example, the Chartreuse Dior Dress which is valued at $2 million because that’s the amount actress Nicole Kidman was paid to wear it at the 69^th Academy Awards ceremony in 1997.

5.      The occasion or event where the attire was worn (historical significance). Most of these attires are associated with a historical event where a famous person wore them. Whether it was at an award ceremony, wedding, party or runway. Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday, Mr. President Dress worth $4.8 million is the dress she wore when performing for President John F. Kennedy at his birthday party.

6.       The rarity of the attire. These dresses are usually commissioned one-of-a-kind designs that you’ll never find in mass production and that makes them unique and in high demand for those who can afford them.

The most expensive attire ever made that didn’t make the list

Believe it or not, you posses the most expensive attire ever made in the world. In fact, you wear it everyday but perhaps you have never put the real value to it.

The most expensive attire ever made, The Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur at a cost of USD 30 million (approx. Ksh3.2 billion) does not come close to the attire you wear every day. I believe by now you have guessed it right exactly what I’m talking about.

Your body is the first physical attire that you have and it is priceless. Your body is not a mannequin for the clothes you wear, your body is the first and most important attire you possess. In fact, the blouse or shirt, skirt or trouser or any other type of clothe you put on, are simply accessories to your body.

To illustrate this truth better and vividly, have you ever seen a well dressed up patient in their hospital bed? Have you ever seen a patient who insisted on wearing their designer clothes in the hospital ward?

The answer is no. Why? Because a patient in the hospital bed has a sick body that needs to be taken care of until recovery of health.

Think about this. Does the cost of attire that is put on a dead person’s body before burial matter? Does it add any value to the dead person if they wear a million-dollar attire?

The designer behind our bodies is God and His reputation cannot be matched by anyone else. The body is an intricate work of art and scientific engineering that’s a marvel. The thought and labour that God puts into the design of each person is immense and beyond comprehension.

It is for aesthetics, function, identity and fit for accomplishing purpose. At the same time, each individual comes custom built with unique features, personality and abilities. Which designer can do over seven billion custom designs and counting?

As you plan to increase the number and value of the items in your wardrobe, have a plan to take care of the most important attire you possess, your body.

Eat healthy, exercise, have enough rest, keep it safe and use it in the right ways as the designer and manufacturer intended.

The Designer has designated the body of man to be His dwelling place (temple), keep it holy and pure, fit for the Master’s use for therein lies the source of great fulfillment, peace and joy that no designer outfit can ever give you.