Synthetic shtreimels are available nowadays for much lower prices than those discussed above, and they are not opposed by gedolim (as far as I know).
wehave…:
I don’t think halacha includes a maximum amount one
may spend on one’s wardrobe or any item in it. Generally,
fancy clothing is spoken about in the context of middos.
(Also, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch is not the last word in halocho.)
barlev:
Ah, yes, it’s a shame the heilige zachen had to wait
until so recently for us to take advantage of them.
You would think Moshe Rabbenu… oh, right! 🙂
Actually, does anyone know when Yerushalmim started wearing them?