SHOPPING LIFE

Browse through any high-end store and you might go into sticker shock. You start up an internal monologue condemning the price: Surely nothing could be worth that.

There’s a reason some items are worth the big bucks; often, the dollars are in the details.

Here are some of the finer points to help explain that lofty cost:

•The $1,930 purse: A high-end bag’s price is based on several factors, says Stacy Kosene, owner of Indianapolis’ French Pharmacie: materials, design and construction. Italian leathers will always be worth more; same goes for exotic hides (crocodile, eel, ostrich or python). The Be&D “Audrey” in metallic python is $1,930.

Details to look for: lining, stitching, hardware. And a high-end purse should include a duster bag; many also come with certificates of authenticity.

•The made-to-measure jacket: Cheap suits for men are available by the armload, and for many people, occasions to wear suits are dwindling year after year. But Bill Cuttino, owner of the Oxford Shop in Indianapolis, can tell you why made-to-measure suits are worth it.

“Basically, there are two things that will determine the price of the garment: how it is made and the fabric,” Cuttino says. “A good suit will have lots of human attention and workmanship.”

A suit that is touched a lot by human hands will have a better fit.

•The designer shoes: You recognize them even before you see the lipstick-red soles: Those Christian Louboutins, by the Parisian designer of the same name, make a statement on any foot. At Saks Fifth Avenue, the much-heralded line starts at $520 for basic pumps and climbs to $1,575 for suede boots.

Like suits and purses, shoes are judged by the materials and the construction. Jennifer Mentzer, who writes a fashion blog, says the shoes are worth every penny.

“They’re a quality shoe and (the designers) care about how women’s feet are shaped,” Mentzer says. “The bonus is, it’s hot. It makes your foot look good and your body look good.”

From wire reports