CONSPICIOUS CONSUMPTION

"Menswear has a special edge this fall, thanks to the season's most extravagant fashion essential, which goes beyond the classic coat. Now men can strut around town in a peacoat made entirely of crocodile skin. Created by Véronique Nichanian, a leading clothing designer at Hermès, this piece of fashion was inspired by 16th-century European navies. Available in navy blue. $150,000." (Newsweek, 6 September) RD