Madonna Tours Impoverished Malawi School In $2800 Chanel Sweatsuit (PHOTOS)

Madonna arrived in Malawi Sunday morning on her Gulfstream V in her bid to adopt a toddler girl named Mercy.

After arriving she toured an impoverished school but refused to talk to reporters. She was, in the words of the AP, "dressed casually" in a black velour tracksuit and white fedora. But that casual look costs about $2,800.

A look at the photos shows her dressed-down attire is a Chanel tracksuit, tone-on-tone labels blazing from her shoulder and the stripes down her leg. Huffington Post placed a call to the 57th Street store in New York Monday with a casual inquiry, and a helpful saleswoman priced a similar ensemble at $2,800.

A zip front jacket is $1,600 and the pants about $1,200. A cheaper alternative to the one Madonna wore in Malawi is the $1,200 pullover jacket. Currently the store is stocking the velour in gray. They also have the tracksuit in cashmere for several hundred dollars more. Chanel clothing is not available online.

Madonna appears to have recycled the white fedora from 2006.

SCROLL FOR PHOTOS:

Madonna as she toured the school:

Madonna's fedora:

Madonna's plane lands in Malawi Sunday morning:

Comments

[XCITIZEN]

I think this is a completely valid story. There you have it. Flying in to adopt a starving child in a $2800 sweatsuit.

I don't think anyone could have stated the irony more succinctly. Madonna goes shopping.

[AngelFace43]

Exactly. She sees it, she wants it, she gets it.

[Deschanel]

Madonna hasn't bought designer clothes since 1986. She gets tons of stuff FREE, people, and she's famously cheap, she HATES to spend money. Believe it or not, she's not someone who spends casually on frippery, she's got a good financial head on her shoulders.

Seriously, when are we going to build a stake to burn her at, for the crime of wanting to rescue a child from the desperate poverty of an orphanage in Malawi?

And where does Save The Children have the authority to tell her that she cannot until she solves Malawi's endemic poverty first? And the world press gives this daft idea credence? And of course, a hundred relatives crawling out of the woodwork for a payday, suddenly very interested in the welfare of young Mercy.

Then why is she in an orphanage?!!! Sorry, Madonna's just trying to do something good, for Mercy as well as the community she comes from- she's building a school with her own money- and yet the spite is unrelenting, unfounded and deeply unfair.

[ywcachieve]

Well said!

[myklwain]

What did they expect her to wear, wal-mart? Rock on Madonna!

[Steamboater]

This isn't about someone's high-priced clothes etc but a narcicisst who hasn't got the good sense to adopt one of the until numbers of children, black and white etc, in our own country. So we get Madonna 'on tour' abroad ready to adopt a child who already has relatives and takes off to live happily ever after. Well, fairy tales have been horror stories anyway.

[Madonnas World]

i feel sorry for the person who wrote this article. To be so blinded by the facts that Madonna is yes, wealthy and that she is donating millions of dollars and set up a charity to build a school for girls. instead, you call chanel to find out about the price of her clothes? Why not give a call to raising malawi and donating some money instead? You really dont help anyone when all you do is do the blame game. its time to wake up.

[XCITIZEN]

And your name is Madonnas World? Really?

[davidwayneosedach]

Anything for the over-the-hill crooner to get publicity. Anything!

[Perla]

I've never been a big Madonna fan, but it seems to me you are going out of your way to find something to gripe about. She wore clothes from her closet and hardly looked glam. Seems to me she is trying to make a positive difference there. I wonder what all the gripers have done lately.

[rhondadavis28]

why is this anyone's business

[ywcachieve]

it's not

[CaroleK1970]

whomever wrote and submitted this story ought to be dismissed. really pathetic

[NoComment9]

Wow, it's amazing how obtuse people can be. It's not just Americans hating privilege griping about this post here. It's the Ugly American image that Madonna is displaying. To go to such an impoverished place and be clothed in luxury SWEATS is very insensitive to the people - it's a huge display of conspicuous consumption. It would probably be weird enough if she were on a diplomatic mission and dressed in a fine suit displaying some sense of formality and respect but to be wearing sweat clothes of one of the most expensive brands in the world shows a certain tone-deafness to be sure. For all their screwiness, you certainly don't see the British royals making the same mistake when they visit Africa.

Take a lesson from Michelle Obama, drop the let them eat cake mindset, and wear J Crew next time.

.

[tikikris]

well said

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

you took the words right out of my mouth. then you put them in a much better order then I could have.. well put NoComment.­.

[boomer59]

I can't believe that Huffpo went to all the trouble to place a dollar value on her clothes! Huffpo you are the tacky ones making a story out of a non-story. I'm disappointed that you went to so much trouble just to publish a hack job on her. I'd expect this from a typical tabloid rag, not Huffpo! You have embarrassed yourselves! I'm no Madonna groupie or anything but I found this article extremely distasteful! Your publication can, and should, do better!

[markstl3828]

I agree with boomer59. Yes she is not one of my favorite people. But she is going down there to save a child from poverty. I would not want her for my mother, but the alternative for this little girl.....y­ou get my drift. Let it go ! Go report on your annointed one..

[faretheewell]

I have to confess to profound ignorance on such issues. However, I can understand some dresses being well over $2,000. But I'm really hard pressed to figure out what a sweat suit would have to include to be worth that much. Can someone help me here?

[AngieMom57]

Power and privileged has it's price even for what we pay $10.00 for at Ross; this woman got fat on a Macrobiotic Diet? Go figure...

Meatless Monday!

[silencer]

SO... she actually wears her clothes out and about.... how is this a story?
Are you suggesting that she should bought new walmart clothes to wear instead of what she already has? Perhaps you are suggesting she should be impoverished? Are you suggesting that she is rubbing her wealth into their faces, or that she doesn't give to charity?

When you are doing a slam piece Katherine, it helps if you have a clear point.

[mphalen]

Actually, it looks just like one I saw at WalMart last year. Except for the chanel logo, you probably couldn't tell the difference. And chances are it was produced at the same sweatshop.

[ywcachieve]

They thinks she should shop at Sears, JCPenney, Marshall's, Macy's, K Mart, ....Bwahah­ahahahahah­a

[highd]

I am kind of sick over the comments here. First this is exactly why other countries hates American's it not the money it's the smug use of the money and not understanding our need to be at the front of the line. Why is this adoption being fast tracked when there are couple all over the world wading through paper work, red tape and dealing with what that wait does to a family.

Also my god this woman can't go a second with out needing something more. The need for instant gratification American's have is crazy. She just got divorced, just found a new boy toy and now she is getting a new kid. Regardless of how generous she is or what she has, perhaps she should figure out herself, before adding a new child to this mix. I mean a bit of self reflection could do her and her failing love life a bit of good.

I am not really upset at her clothes, I am just upset that this just sheds more light on how out of touch we American are, it makes us look cheap.

[puffthedragon]

good points

[gisellestwocents]

If you had the insight and the parental compassion that Madonna does, you would understand that her pursuit of this second adoption is in the best interests of the emotional development of her adopted son and will, of course, be a blessing in the life of the newly adopted child. I applaud her. This has nothing to do with her divorce. From my understanding, this adoption has been in process for quite some time and it's a good thing. However much some ill-informed, unenlightened people disagree.

[XCITIZEN]

Oh Pul-leez! That was too much...

[cinesimon]

In other words: you know nothing of the case.

[cyguy]

What? As has been pointed out, she applied for adoption of Mercy over 2 years ago. Her then husband did not want to adopt 2 children. She did. They got divorced because of it. Perhaps it isn't her need for something new. Perhaps she has a need to help out as much as she can. Whatever her motives, I don't give a d*mn since she is doing more good than I could in 10 lifetimes. Who are you to question her motives?

No, other countries hate America because we would actually care what kind of sweatsuit she wore rather than what she is doing to help those kids. And throw in hating England too because their press is just as bad.

[Truye]

Actually, using the "she doesn't need something new" might not be the best defense for Madonna. Not necessarily about the child, but everything else in her life, her constant changes of religion, style, music, a new name, she does seem like someone who feels the need to constantly be changing and finding that new thing that works for her.

[cyguy]

Wow. Is this really a story? She is building childrens schools so they can get an education, provide food and medicine to them and this is what the press picks up? Her sweatsuit??? Are you kidding me?

This is why the press is not taken seriously. You go Madonna! Ignore them.

[MaryscottOConnor]

Why on earth would you post a story like this? Personally, I think it's obscene that ANY item of clothing could cost $2800 -- but then, I'm not filthy rich. If I were, I bet my standards of obscenity would alter greatly.

This is a stupid, stupid non-story.

[PhilipB]

Madonna earned her money with hard work. This is mean spirited post.