The Republican Party has spent $150,000 in upmarket designer stores on dressing Sarah Palin for the part of vice-president.

During September, more than $75,000 was spent in a single shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, and another $9,500 at Macy's in the same city - scene of the Republican party convention where John McCain introduced Ms Palin as his running mate. Another $5,000 was spent at Atelier, a classy men's boutique, suggesting that Ms Palin's husband Todd, jocularly known in Alaska as the First Dude, may also have come in for some sprucing up.

Later in the month $50,000 was spent in forays into Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and St Louis, on a procession of neat little waisted jackets, pencil skirts, killer boots and patent heels that have enabled Ms Palin to appear in at least one, and sometimes two or three, new outfits a day.

The party also spent nearly $5,000 on hair and makeup.

How America's presidents rated

The Times has ranked all 42 US presidents - was Bush Jr. bottom? Did JFK beat Abraham Lincoln?

Related Links

• How to power dress for today

• Dati brings new glamour to chic streets

Multimedia

• Pictures: Sarah Palin fashion

• Pictures: Women In Politics

The figures have emerged from the Republicans' monthly financial disclosure report for September, listed under a new heading of "campaign accessories".

Since Ms Palin was unveiled as Mr McCain's choice for Vice President on August 29, the Governor of Alaska - a former beauty queen contestant - seems not to have been photographed in the same outfit twice.

Red has emerged as a key colour, worn at upbeat moments in such guises as a red leather jacket with a clinging short black skirt, and a tight red suit with a ribbon under the bust.

In the days around October 10, however, when the Troopergate scandal resurfaced to tarnish Ms Palin's image, she was photographed in much more serious outfits, each a tailored ensemble in sombre, sensible black and grey.

Mrs Palin has had a few fashion howlers, such as her foray into peach satin on August 30, a fussy and unflattering white tie-fronted jacket on October 6, and a hideous shiny brown jacket on October 15. She has also several times repeated the fashion faux pas of teaming white tops with black skirts, making her look like a waitress.

Mainly, however, she has stuck with a tried and tested formula of short tailored suits, with skirt levels always above the knee.

News photographers have responded with a huge volume of generally flattering pictures, some of which look more like catwalk images than political portraiture.

There were reports earlier this month that she had been working with a team of stylists and a voice coach on refining her image. What did not emerge until today was the scale of the outlay, believed to be unprecedented in the annals of American presidential campaigning.

Male candidates have in the past come in for severe ribbing over much smaller sums, such as Democratic contender John Edwards's $400 haircuts and Mr McCain's $500 Ferragamo shoes.

The Republican Party has tried to play down the extraordinary sum it has spent on packaging Ms Palin.

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said Tracey Schmitt, a party spokeswoman.

"It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

Maria Comella, another spokeswoman, declined to say whether it was necessary to spend $5,000 a day on clothes for Ms Palin.

"The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent," said Ms Comella, in a statement to the US political website Politico which first noticed the coyly named entry in the Republicans' accounts.

The Republicans have declined to say whether the shopping sprees have continued into October. Disclosure of their campaign accounts for this month is not expected until after the presidential election is over.

Times Recommends

• 'New York has lost its edge'
• Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too
• More than 17,000 new underwater species found