Marilyn Monroe and Other Record-Breaking Dresses: The Seven Most Expensive Auction Items Ever Sold

Marilyn monroe is a cinema icon whose charm shows no signs of diminishing even sixty years after his death. It is no coincidence that, museums And collectors they are willing to pay very high prices to get their hands on them memorabilia and objects that belonged to her. However, hers is not the only figure to attract the attention of fans and enthusiasts. As reported by a news of the BBCa couple of weeks ago the legendary brown hat worn by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom It was sold at auction by Prop Store for a record $630,000.

Last March, however, the shirt worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (the one with which she ends up falling into the pond, to be clear, which also ended up inspiring a similar scene in the series Bridgerton) was sold by Kerry Taylor Auctions for twenty thousand pounds.

The shirt worn by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudicesold at auction last February at the Lights Camera Auction at Kerry Taylor Auctions.

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There are clothes that have made history, transforming into memorabilia as precious as they are true works of art. Usually because they belonged to famous people, from the worlds of cinema or music (but not only), who have marked an era, whose image is indelibly imprinted in the collective memory. This is why their value is astronomical and there are those who are willing to do anything to win them. Below, you will find the seven heads auctioned off more expensive ever.

1 – The dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962 at Madison Square Garden: sold for 4.8 million dollars

Marilyn Monroe performing at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1962.

Bettmann

THE’silk dress champagne color studded with 2,500 crystals has gone down in history. Made by Bob Mackiewho at the time worked at the fashion house Louis Mariewas worn by the diva during the celebrations for the birthday of the then President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It was on that occasion that he intoned the now famous Happy Birthday Mr. President. The unforgettable scene caused the value of the dress to skyrocket. So, after an initial sale of Christie’s in 1999, was awarded in November 2016 by Ripley’s Believe It or Nota network of museums that exhibit curiosities and memorabilia.

2 – The jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the video for Thriller in 1982: sold for 1.8 million dollars

Michael Jackson on the set of Thriller with the jacket later sold at auction.

The blouson of skin red and black that brings back the Griffe Marc Laurent Paris and is autographed by the star, has definitely marked the history of music: in 1983, after the release of the video clip of Thrillerbecame a catchphrase, as everyone wanted one like it. So recognizable that even the pop star He continued to wear jackets that reminded him of it whenever, over the years, he happened to play the hit. Then donated by the singer to the costume designers Dennis Tompkins And Michael Bushwas sold in 2011 to Milton Verret, at the auction organized by Julian’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Part of the proceeds went to The Shambala Preservesanctuary where the two tigers owned by live Michael Jackson.

3 – The dress worn by Princess Diana in 1985: sold for 1.143 million dollars

Diana Spencer in Florence in 1985 wearing a dress designed by Jacques Azagury.

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Worn in Italy by the then princess, it had exaggerated shoulders (as was the fashion of the time), a bodice decorated with blue stars and a tulle skirt with a bow: it was made by Jacques Azaguryone of the favorite designers of Lady D. The dress, a symbol of her unforgettable style, was sold at auction last January by Julien’s Auctionalong with other items that were part of Diana’s wardrobe.

4 – The dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in When the wife is on vacation in 1955: sold for $4.6 million

Marylin Monroe wearing the dress of When the wife is on vacation.

Bettmann

Who doesn’t remember the legendary scene in which the white dress of the star is suddenly lifted by the air coming from a grate, while walking through the streets of New York? The costume worn in that shot, part of the actress’s private collection for four decades Debbie Reynolds (which also included items belonging to Charlie Chaplin And Elizabeth Taylor) was sold by Profiles in History to an unknown buyer for a truly insane sum, nearly five million dollars. Reynolds, who had begun collecting clothes and props linked to cinema since the seventies, it seems she was very fond of the garment so much so that she cried when it was sold.

5 – The jersey worn by Michael Jordan at the NBA Finals in 1998: sold for 10 million dollars

Michael Jordan at the NBA Finals wearing the jersey that later sold at auction for $10 million.

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The red and black jersey top worn by the player in his last match with the Chicago Bulls in 1998 (the match most watched of that tournament) was beaten by Sotheby’s in 2021 for an amount never before paid for a sports memorabilia. It must be said, however, that the admiration for Jordan is unparalleled and apparently leads to spending crazy amounts: even the shoes are part of the Dynasty Collection worn by the champion from 1991 to 1998, in fact, they were always sold by the same auction house for eight million dollars last February. There are six specimens Air Jordanmodel that Nike created in 1984 specifically for the athlete and put it on the market the following year, starting a successful collaboration that continued throughout the entire career of the player.

6 – The dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz in 1939: sold for 1.5 million dollars

A scene from The Wizard of Oz of 1939.

The apron dress in gingham cotton with a built-in blouse, worn by the star who in musical directed by Victor Flaming played the role of Dorothy, was sold in 2015 by Bonhams for a first record figure of 1.5 million dollars. The costume actually has a twin, which was also sold during the auction Classic Hollywood: Film and Television in Los Angeles for $1.2 million. The replica was thought to be lost until the 1980s, when it was rediscovered by the Dramatic Arts Department of the Catholic University of America. This second sale was also at the centre of a dispute: the judge in fact blocked the sale after a relative of the priest to whom the dress was given as a gift in 1973 he claimed the property.

7 – The dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady: sold for $4.5 million

Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.

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The dress worn by Eliza Doolittle for his debut at Ascot he was designed by the artist and photographer Cecil Beaton: the film directed by George Cukor nIn 1964 it went down in history, also thanks to its sumptuous stage costumes. It should not be surprising, therefore, that when Profile in History (now Heritage Auctions) put it up for sale in 2011, the dress fetched an extremely high price. Among the most recognizable of the history of cinema, is made of white lace, decorated with ribbons and completed by a large hat with bows, feathers and flowers and a small umbrella with tulle inserts.