WASHINGTON — When the Republican Party decided to coordinate expenses with John McCain's presidential campaign, who knew it would be color coordinated.

The Republican National Committee spent about $150,000 on clothing, hair styling, makeup and other "campaign accessories" in September for the McCain campaign after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin joined the ticket as his running mate.

The McCain campaign now says the clothing will go to a "charitable purpose" after the campaign.

The expenses include a whopping $75,062 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis; one for $49,425 from Saks Fifth Avenue; $4,902 at Atelier, a stylish men's store; and even a $92 romper and matching hat with ears for baby Trig at Pacifier, a Minneapolis baby store. The committee also reported spending $4,100 for makeup and hair consulting. The expenses were first reported by Politico.com.

"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 McCain spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.

The average U.S. household spent $1,874 on clothes and services in 2006, the last year for which figures are available from the government's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

One stylist, though, thought $150,000 was not excessive for a woman in such a prominent place.

"Everything is relative," said Gretta Monahan, fashion adviser on "The Rachael Ray Show." "Sarah Palin's goal is to be the vice president of the United States and that's a pretty damned big job. The better your image is, the better people will receive you."

If the $2,500 Valentino jacket that Palin wore at the Republican National Convention seems expensive, consider that Barack Obama wears Hart Schaffner Marx suits that retail for about $1,500. John McCain consistently wears $520 Salvatore Ferragamo loafers.

The 2002 campaign finance law that bears McCain's name specifically barred any funds "donated for the purpose of supporting the activities of a federal or state office holder" from being used for personal expenses, including clothing. A quirk in the law does not specifically mention party committees, however.

The Obama campaign says it has paid for hair and makeup costs associated with interviews or events, but neither it nor the Democratic National Committee has paid for clothing.