Finance
Colin Firth’s iconic ‘wet shirt’ from ‘Pride and Prejudice’ miniseries now up for auction
Hopeless romantics and Jane Austen fans now have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a garment from the BBC’s 1995 “Pride and Prejudice” miniseries.
Not just any garment, but the garment – Colin Firth’s infamous wet shirt from the miniseries’ lake scene.
Kerry Taylor Auctions, a British auction house, is auctioning off the piece of clothing on Tuesday. The proceeds will go to a charity that helps children and young people have access to “creative activities, visual and performance arts,” according to the business.
Other pieces of Mr. Darcy’s outfit are included in the lot, including his waistcoat and breeches.
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According to the auction house’s website, the Regency-inspired piece features “pleated gathers to sleeve tops, deep collar, buttoned neck opening together with a muslin cravat.”
The other pieces that are included are Darcy’s fall front breeches, a velvet waistcoat and a gray wool tailcoat.
To top it off, the winning bidder will take home a signed photograph of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.
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In the infamous lake scene, Mr. Darcy has an awkward encounter with Elizabeth Bennet after swimming in a lake.
“In the scene Mr Darcy is spied emerging from a lake having taken a cooling swim on a hot summer’s day,” designer Dinah Collin explained in a statement on Kerry Taylor Auctions’ website.
According to Collin, producers wanted to avoid nudity and came up with the idea of Darcy wearing a white shirt instead.
“Because on screen male nudity was not permitted… the idea of the ‘wet shirt’ was born. Our way round this was for Colin Firth to be filmed ¾ length wearing just the Irish linen shirt (copied from an antique original) which clung to the body.”
“The scene caused something of a sensation at the time and transformed Colin Firth from a respected classical actor to something of a sex symbol overnight!”
The lot is predicted to fetch anywhere from £7,000 to £10,000. In U.S. dollars, the estimate is $8,800 to $12,600.
Fox Business reached out to Kerry Taylor Auctions for comment.
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