The Gucci loafer - a much-imitated shoe, and one beloved of celebrities from Reese Witherspoon to Jennifer Aniston, and Gigi Hadid to Alexa Chung. If you want to get your hands on a pair though, beware, as the price seems to be creeping up.
It has been noted by those in possession of the Gucci Princetown loafer that the price has risen quite noticeably of late - a grimace-inducing £380 last year, they could be purchased for a knee-buckling £430 in early 2017 and then a thigh-slapping £495 as of this week.
Are Gucci loafers becoming more expensive, and does Brexit have anything to do with it?
The fashion industry's resistance to Brexit was well documented last year - with even British-based fashion houses employing seamstresses from different parts of Europe, or importing materials, it is inevitable that the the shock waves will eventually reach us, the consumers - and we'll see prices rise. The pound has remained fairly weak over the past year and according to This is Money that's the 'new normal' and something that's not set to change any time soon. If anything though, the lousy pound has helped boost fashion sales here as tourists pile over to get more for their currency - indeed, last year the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 handbag cost £645 in London, compared with $970 in New York and €760 in Paris.
Of course, the increase in the price of your Gucci loafers may have less to do with Brexit and more to do with shifts within the company itself; following a noticeable dip in sales prior to finding a new creative director, the fashion house saw an impressive jump in revenue last year. Whatever reason for the price increase (which has been broadly noted on other Gucci items like handbags), it's probably a good idea to take the plunge and buy those loafers before another price hike brings you out in a rash.
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