According to various sources, Imelda Marcos actually coined the term "Imeldific" herself.

"I was born ostentatious. They will list my name in the dictionary someday. They will use 'Imeldific' to mean ostentatious extravagance," Imelda stated in an Associated Press report in April 1998.

Everyone knows about Imelda's masses of shoes; she stated that they were "a symbol of thanksgiving and love" for her (The Eye, November 1997). Reports estimate that she had 3000 pairs when arrested (see Imelda Marcos), and Imelda has stated that she has at least 3000 pairs more now. It has become commonplace to nickname someone with a lot of shoes 'Imelda'. Campaigns for shoe shops have often evoked Imelda's image or reputation in their quest for sales (eg, "There's a little bit of Imelda in all of us" used in a New York shoe store ad campaign).

Imelda was also a keen customer of expensive jewellery stores across the world. Her excesses also ran to clothes: Beatriz Romualdez Francia's 'Imelda: A Story of the Philippines' cites Imelda as once saying "Never dress down for the poor. They won't respect you for it. They want their First Lady to look like a million dollars." She spent a lot of money on her clothes to suit her philosophy and position accordingly.

'Imeldific' has yet to be added to any official English dictionaries, probably much to the chagrin of Imelda, but is used as slang in parts of the world.

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