Indian man bought one of the world's most expensive shirts Made Of Gold

Datta Phuge

An Indian man has bought one of the world's most expensive shirts, made with more than 3kg of gold and worth $250,000. His is an extreme case of an Indian obsession with the precious metal.

Datta Phuge's nickname is "the gold man", and it's easy to see why.
His knuckles, neck, and wrists are weighed down by the precious metal - signet rings, chunky bracelets, and a medallion that even an Olympic champion might envy.
And on top of that, draped resplendently around him, glittering in the light, is a shirt of gold.
Weighing a staggering 3.3kg (about 7lb), it cost him a cool quarter of a million dollars (£162,000).
It's an extravagant fashion statement, to say the least, but for Phuge it's an important one.
"Some people ask me why I'm wearing so much gold but it was my dream. People have different aspirations. Some elite people want to own an Audi or Mercedes, and have big cars. I chose gold," he explains.

Rajini Vaidyanathan went to meet Datta Phuge - and try on his shirt

He has cars too, of course - five of them.
Given its impractical nature, the shirt only gets an outing on special occasions, like parties and important functions.
It elicits a mixture of reactions, Phuge says. Some people are impressed. Others are sniffy about what they regard as the excessive bling.

Either way, to ensure the shirt stays on his back, Phuge has a security guard with him wherever he travels.

"The challenge was to make this as comfortable as wearing a normal shirt," says Tejpal Rankar, of Rankar Jewellers, a 133-year-old business in Pune, a few hours' drive from Mumbai.
"Once we decided to make the shirt we researched designs and patterns. We didn't want it to be like wearing a sheet of gold."
To that end Rankar and his team of craftsmen decided to make a gold cloth based on an Italian weave, using a special machine.
They drew inspiration from old images of Indian kings wearing suits of armour. To prevent it scratching, they stitched a velvet lining inside.

Making Of the  Gold Shirt

The finished shirt is - as this writer can testify - heavy to wear and a little clunky. It can't be washed so care needs to be taken not to let it get dirty, or indeed too sweaty. The latter is unavoidable in an Indian summer.
Phuge says wearing it makes him feel good. For him it is the ultimate manifestation of achievement and gives him a status he has craved since he was young.

"When I was at college, people would say you were from a rich family if you had gold. So from the age of 20, I started wearing gold. Back then in smaller quantities, like 10 or 15g."

Actually, he wasn't from a rich family, he was from a humble background.
He made his big break as a property speculator, then became a money lender in the town of Pimpri Chinchwad, outside Pune.
Every six to eight months, when his company turns in a profit, he buys something else made of gold. Next on his list is a mobile phone made entirely from gold, and perhaps a pair of gold shoes.
Some press reports have suggested Phuge only bought the shirt to woo women but he is happily married to Seema, a government worker, who also has a penchant for the precious metal.
"She owns 500kg of gold, I've bought her necklaces and bags made from it," he says proudly.
But Phuge is also keenly aware of gold's value as an investment.
"If the need arises, I can sell the shirt and have the money," he says.