Colin Firth’s shirt from Delight And Prejudice sells for greater than double public sale estimate | UK Information

Arguably essentially the most well-known white shirt in historical past – worn by Colin Firth as Mr Darcy within the 1995 TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Delight And Prejudice – has offered at public sale for £25,000.

In an iconic scene, the aristocratic Mr Darcy emerges from a lake soaking moist within the shirt after a swim, earlier than he unexpectedly bumps into his blushing love curiosity, Elizabeth Bennet (performed by Jennifer Ehle).

The white linen garment went underneath the hammer in London on Tuesday as a part of the Lights, Digicam, Motion sale of creations by BAFTA and Academy Award-winning costumier, Cosprop.

It was listed alongside the boots, moleskin breeches and velvet waistcoat worn by Firth, now 63, within the scene, as soon as voted because the UK’s most memorable tv second.

The costume was amongst 69 designs worn by actors together with Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, listed by Kelly Taylor Auctions.

Firth’s costume was anticipated to fetch between £7,000 and £10,000.

Nevertheless, the outfit greater than doubled the estimate – racking up a formidable profitable bid totalling £25,000 – on Tuesday night.

‘Moist shirt second’ was unscripted

The so-called “moist shirt second” outdoors Mr Darcy’s nation residence, Pemberley – filmed partly at Nationwide Belief property, Lyme Park in Cheshire – was by no means scripted, costume designer Dinah Collin revealed.

The difference of the 1813 novel induced a sensation amongst viewers and catapulted Firth to intercourse image standing in a single day, she stated.

Collin defined: “It happened in discussions between myself and the late Christopher Prins [former head of menswear at Cosprop].

“Within the scene, Mr Darcy is spied rising from a lake having taken a cooling swim on a sizzling summer time’s day.

“As a result of on-screen male nudity was not permitted (making an allowance for the BBC watershed and US broadcasts) – the concept of the ‘moist shirt’ was born.

“Our method spherical this was for Colin Firth to be filmed three-quarter size carrying simply the Irish linen shirt (copied from an vintage authentic) which clung to the physique.

“The scene induced one thing of a sensation on the time and remodeled Colin Firth from a revered classical actor to one thing of a intercourse image in a single day!”

A permanent legacy

The scene was later re-imagined in Netflix interval drama, Bridgerton, in a scene that includes actor Jonathan Bailey.

Firth even made gentle of his personal efficiency with additional romantic moist encounters in Love Truly and Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Motive.

A 6ft life-sized cake designed in his picture was unveiled outdoors “Pemberley” in 2020 to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of the interval drama.

Different gadgets on the public sale this week included a Fifties Christian Dior taffeta ball robe worn by Madonna within the 1996 musical, Evita, which is anticipated to fetch as much as £60,000.

Learn extra:
Sales space featured in remaining Sopranos scene sells for £65,000
Extraordinarily uncommon Star Wars determine fetches £21,000 at public sale

Proceeds from the public sale will go to the Vibrant Basis, an arts training charity based by Academy Award-winning costume designer and Cosprop founder, John Vibrant, who donated gadgets from his costume home.

Vibrant stated: “My life’s work has been dedicated to costume design for movie, TV and theatre, and I really feel extremely lucky to have been capable of pursue this path.

“It’s my firmly held perception that the humanities and creativity can form happier and more healthy youngsters, and allow younger folks to succeed in their full potential.”