TOKYO, July 4, 2007 (AFP) - For people who are swimming in money, now there's an 80,000 dollar bathing suit made of pure gold.

Swimsuit and a dress made of pure gold thread, by jewelry maker Ginza Tanaka, during an unveiling in Tokyo July 4, 2007 Photo : Toru Hanai/Reuters

A Tokyo jewellery store Wednesday, July 4th unveiled the swimsuit along with a dress and matching shawl all made of thread spun with 24-carat gold at a workshop in Japan's ancient capital Kyoto.

The method used to make the outfits dates back more than 1,300 years.

The price tag for a handwoven dress weighing 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) is as good as gold at 30 million yen (245,000 dollars), store Ginza Tanaka said.

The swimsuit, which has an open back and plunging neckline, weighs 500 grams and is on sale for 10 million yen (81,700 dollars), it added.

"The dress and swimsuit can be worn normally like any other clothes but should be treated as jewellery and so shouldn't be washed in the washing machine," a spokeswoman for the store said.

For the more discreet, a tapestry is also available to decorate the living room for 50 million yen (408,000 dollars).