expensive

Forbes has the scoop on the most expensive jeans. They cite trends towards custom-fitted denim and lots of added detailing, including embroidery and crystals, as major reasons that prices were driven upwards, but not every pair on their list has these features. The single most expensive pair was 115-year old Vintage Levis sold on eBay for $60,000, followed by the significantly newer Ernest Sewn custom jeans, which cost up to $1,000 per pair.

Other pairs we liked this year included Levis iPod Jeans and Denim for Immortality Jeans, though we also liked the opportunity to make our own from Denim Design Lab.

Using data compiled by the Zagat survey, Forbes has produced two lists naming the year's most expensive restaurants. One list deals with only US restaurants, while the other compares the prices (in US dollars) of places all over the world. For the global list, the final cost was considered to be the price of one main course, one (alcoholic) beverage and tip, while the US list was not limited to a single main course and included options such as prix fixe tasting menus. Both only priced dinner for one person, but due to the difference in standards, there are many prix-fixe only restaurants that didn't make the global list but might be a good deal more expensive, but here are the top three from each list as they stand:

Global

• Aragawa (Tokyo): $368
• Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris): $231
• Gordon Ramsay (London): $183

US

• Masa (New York City): $446
• The French Laundry (Yountville, CA): $254
• Alinea (Chicago): $168

Experts say that homes in London are the most expensive in the world. Property in the most desirable areas of the city average $2,300 per sq. foot, compared to $1,900 in New York City. The reason for the high prices is largely that London is, from a business perspective, a perfect place to live. Its time zone means that businesses have overlapping business hours with companies in the US and the Middle East and the fact that more than 50% of the housing market is owned by foreign buyers reinforces the city's position as an global hub. From all appearances, the trend of rising property prices will continue as the number of Asian buyers, which has grown by 60% in the last five years, is still on the rise, bringing new business and more money into the city.

An aluminum-framed folding chair is more likely to be on the sidelines at the child's soccer game with cheering parents than in a well-appointed garden, but the ReDo Chair by John Paul Plauche is redefining the classic in an upscale way. The limited edition chair has black leather webbing instead of the more traditional and much cheaper plastic or vinyl, yet it is lightweight and folds up in the same way as the original chair because the aluminum frame is that of one of the original chairs. The armrests are finished hardwood. Price: $2,500.

[via ProductDose]

We mentioned that Pasion Azteca was the most expensive tequila back in June, priced at $150,000 per bottle. And June was a long time ago, as the company that put it out, Ley .925, has already outdone themselves to set a world record for the priciest tequila ever made. The new version is a Grand Reserve Pasion Azteca. The tequila is made of 100% Blue Agave, aged for 6 years and is packaged in a platinum bottle. It already sold to a collector for $225,000.

The creator of the tequila, Fernando Altamirano, already has his sights set even higher. He plans to create a million-dollar tequila over the course of the next year, packaged in a bottle made of platinum and encrusted with diamonds.

We have lots of tiny headphones on Luxist because for many things, smaller seems better. This logic does not apply to everything, however, since some things are better when they're bigger, like limos, diamonds and estates. And in this case, headphones are better when they 're bigger, too. The Grado Statement Series GS1000 Headphones have nearly unbeatable sound quality and are certainly at the top of the line for personal headphones. The wooden housing and foam cushioning makes the headphones light and comfortable, but also "creates a "room" for the ears to sit in," which enhances the sounds even further. These signature headphones are also one of the most expensive models on the market today priced at £650 ($1,187).

At Duvet, the dine-in-bed hotspot in New York City, you can sip a $1,500 cocktail called the Duvet Platinum Passion. The drink is a blend of L'ésprit de Courvoisier (roughly $6,000/bottle), Ruinart champagne and a special syrup that uses passionfruit, forest berries, wildflower honey and brown sugar and was created by Duvet's head mixologist, a gentleman named Brendan. The drink is served in a frosted glass, garnished with an orchid. It was introduced over a year ago, on Valentine's Day in 2005, and only 4 have been sold since then.

[via Pocket Change]

Eclipse color-changing wall paint could convert anyone who thinks that paint is not as interesting as 3D wallpaper or wall flats for decorating the home. The paint changes color from dark to light when it is touched or otherwise exposed to heat. It can be applied as a single coat to add dimension to existing colors, such as the purple pictured here, or it can be applied alone, creating a black-to-white effect. The company that makes the paint says that it will "transform your wall info an interactive show piece." You can see a demo of someone pressing their face against the wall - in the event that is the sort of thing you would like to do with your "show piece" - here. 

I haven't painted a room in quite some time, but something tells me that, priced at $349 a gallon, Eclipse is at the high end of the market.

[via Apartment Therapy]

Ultra-premium may be a popular buzz word for marketers, but there is a difference between the truly high-end spirits and the ones that are simply "ok". Pasion Azteca is the real deal. Made by Ley .925, only 66 bottles of the 100% blue agave tequila, aged for six years, will be produced. The tequila will be packaged in handmade gold and platinum bottles with original art (pictured) from Alejandro Gómez Oropeza on the labels. It is being marketed as the most unique and expensive tequila in history - and they're not kidding. Each bottle is $150,000. 

Interested? You'll have to contact the company directly to get your hands on a bottle before they're released on July 21.

[Thanks, Jake]

While not ever one might be stricken with handbag lust, after long runs of popular, fashion forward shows like Sex in the City, it is certainly a well known affliction. Most of us are content to settle for bags in our price range, but for those who have no price range, a five-figure handbag is the ultimate in luxury and style. Forbes' put together a list of the top ten most expensive handbags, all of which seem to be in crocodile. The list includes the $27,700 black crocodile Fendi B bag, the $18,990 YSL Muse bag in white crocodile, $15,000 Zac Posen Alexia in blue croc and the $12,880 chocolate croc Chloe Paddington bag. Set aside your lust and be content with handbag envy: view the full slide show here.