Even if you're not made of money, your clothes can be

Even as many shoppers are finding their wallets sadly empty, the fashion world seems to have freshly rediscovered the wonders of money.

Although consumers seem less likely to spend cash at the store, couture houses are making it clear that they can always wear it on their backs.

The grande-dame of financial fashion is probably Lizzy Gardiner. When she was designing the clothes for "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," one of her ideas was to make a dress out of discarded American Express cards. The credit company, unfortunately, wasn't interested in connecting itself with an edgy film about Australian drag queens.

However, when Gardiner's designs were nominated for an Oscar, Amex decided that a credit-card-clad Oscar winner might be the perfect showcase for their company. They sent Gardiner 300 invalid cards, all printed with her name.