29 Most Expensive Costumes in Film and Television History

Worn By: Audrey Hepburn
Year: 1965
Value: $4.5 million*

It’s no secret that Audrey Hepburn managed to carve herself a stellar career as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Hepburn starred in many hits over the course of her life, but her turn as Eliza Dolittle in 1965’s My Fair Lady was especially memorable. 

Audrey Hepburn - My Fair Lady: “Ascot” Dress @MyFairLadyMovie / @Hermine Fayet / Facebook.com

The dress that Eliza wore to Ascot was enough to turn heads on and off the screen. The eye-catching ensemble went up for auction with Profiles in History back in 2011. Amazingly, the winning bid was $4.5 million. That’s an amount you don’t see on sites like eBay! 

Worn By: Judy Garland
Year: 1940
Value: $1.5 million*

Judy Garland had an undeniably tragic life, but she also brought a lot of joy to movie lovers. In her first starring role, she donned this blue gingham dress and became Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Little did Garland know then that the movie would still be enjoyed several decades later. 

Judy Garland - The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy’s Dress @tamerahutton / @fashionvu / Pinterest.com

Dorothy’s dress has been replicated thousands of times, but the original dress has always been a source of fascination for many. Despite being sweat-stained and less than perfect, it sold for $1.5 million at a New York auction in 2015. Needless to say, the news was shared far and wide on social media sites like Facebook.

Worn By: Christopher Reeve
Year: 1978
Value: $193,750*

There have been many actors that have donned the Superman cape over the years, but Christopher Reeve will always hold a special place in the canon. To many, Reeve is the “original” Man of Steel. 

Christopher Reeve - Superman I & II: Superman’s Cape @pennyriblet / @elsoldemexico / Pinterest.com

As a result, the cape the actor wore in the first two Superman movies fetched a very impressive price at auction in 2019 when it went under the hammer. Sony stars like Henry Cavill can only hope that their costumes will be worth $193,750 after a few years, but let’s face it – it’s unlikely. 

Worn By: Steve McQueen
Year: 1971
Value: $336,000*

When it comes to iconic actors, Steve McQueen will always be remembered as the King of Cool. He had more charm in his little finger than some actors have in their whole bodies. That’s what makes his costumes all the more valuable. 

Steve McQueen - Le Mans: Racing Suit @luxuryworld1124 / @ledniowskijr / Pinterest.com

For the 1971 movie Le Mans, McQueen donned an all-white racing suit. The very same suit went up for auction in 2017, selling for an extraordinary $336,000. It came with the Ball helmet as well as Nomex fire-retardant underwear. This was no mere movie prop, but a fully-working racing suit.

Worn By: Julia Roberts
Year: 1990
Value: $15,000*

There are so many memorable parts about 1990’s Pretty Woman that it’s impossible to list them all. However, Julia Roberts’ character Vivian undergoes one heck of a transformation. When Richard Gere’s high-flying businessman meets Viv, she’s wearing knee-high leather boots. 

Julia Roberts - Pretty Woman: Leather Boots @ozcat22 / @theguardian / Pinterest.com

Roberts wears the boots on the movie poster too, which makes them doubly iconic. In 2020, the boots went under the hammer and were sold for a very cool $15,000. Vivian would have been ecstatic with that amount of money in her purse, but would she have parted with her favorite kicks?  

Worn By: Marilyn Monroe
Year: 1955
Value: $4.6 million*

Marilyn Monroe was never out of the headlines when she was alive, and she’s still very much a part of public consciousness today. That being said, it’s impossible to look back on her movie looks and not be completely fascinated. 

Marilyn Monroe - The Seven Year Itch: Subway Dress @simonechamberlin / @liveauctioneers / Pinterest.com

Perhaps one of Marilyn’s most infamous looks was the white dress she wore in The Seven Year Itch. In the movie, Marilyn’s character stands on a subway grate, causing the dress to blow up. The ivory gown went on sale in 2011 and absolutely smashed targets, making $4.6 million. 

Worn By: John Travolta 
Year: 1978
Value: $10,000*

He may be well into his sixties now, but back in 1978, John Travolta was at the hip-swinging peak of his fame. He starred in Grease and Saturday Night Fever in a very short space of time, making him a force to be reckoned with. 

John Travolta - Saturday Night Fever: White Suit @MrBushman1 / Twitter.com | @dailymirror / Pinterest.com

Everyone knows the white suit that his character wears while busting moves on the dance floor in the CBS Paramount movie. The suit was actually bought in a charity auction just a year after the movie’s release. The winning bidder paid $2,000, which is around $10,000 with inflation. 

Worn By: Dave Prowse
Year: 1980
Value: $1 million*

It’s almost unfathomable to think that George Lucas really struggled to get Star Wars made. He presented the idea so many times to so many different people that it seemed doomed. When it finally came to fruition under his own steam, he was the one laughing. 

Dave Prowse - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Darth Vader Suit @waynebrooker / @Ruffone10 / Pinterest.com

The right Star Wars memorabilia can go for a ton of money. In 2019, a Darth Vader suit worn by actor Dave Prowse was entered into an auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles, with an estimated price of $500,000-$1 million. For reasons unknown, the piece of Disney history was withdrawn before it went under the hammer. 

Worn By: Bruce Lee
Year: 1972
Value: $77,000*

Bruce Lee is one of many bright young things that was taken far too early. The martial arts whizz and actor starred in numerous movies over the course of his career, but 1972’s Game of Death was particularly important. It was the last project Lee worked on before his passing the following year. 

Bruce Lee - Game of Death: Fur Coat ©AFP | @ShadowWarriorDragon1971 / Pinterest.com

A fur-lined blue coat worn by the star in the movie was sold in 2011 in Hong Kong for $77,000. It just goes to show that anything touched by an actor no longer with us can become incredibly valuable, no matter how well-known it is. 

Worn By: Gene Wilder
Year: 1971
Value: $73,800*

In the history of cinema, there have been more family movies than you can shake a stick at, but few have left a lasting impression. 1971’s Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory brought Roald Dahl’s story to life in the best possible way, thanks in part to the efforts of Gene Wilder. 

Gene Wilder - Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory: Purple Coat @gabbychambers / Pinterest.com / ©ebay.com

Wilder’s portrayal of the sharp-minded eccentric Wonka was exceptional and further aided by an impeccable costume. The wonderful purple coat was sold to a private bidder in 2012 for the handsome price of $73,800. Incredibly, Paramount Pictures only made $1.5 million for the movie. 

Worn By: Charlie Chaplin
Year: 1936
Value: $350,000*

Even if you aren’t a Charlie Chaplin fan, there’s no denying that he was a true great that changed the face of cinema. Chaplin’s silhouette with his top hat and cane will never be lost to the sands of time. 

Charlie Chaplin - Modern Times: Cane @pihauctions / Pinterest.com | ©Waltramp / Wikimedia.org

Chaplin starred in 1936’s Modern Times and, of course, had a cane with him at all times. The prop hit the market in 2013 and took more than some thought it would, selling for a final price of $350,000. Considering it’s just a simple stick, that’s an incredible amount of money. 

Worn By: Dick Van Dyke
Year: 1964
Value: $56,000*

1964’s Mary Poppins had some incredible costumes in it, worn by both Julie Andrews and her leading man, Dick Van Dyke. Many different items have come up over the years, but in 2014 it was the turn of Burt’s striped jacket from the “Jolly Holiday” scene. 

Dick Van Dyke - Mary Poppins: Striped Jacket @mum4305 / @pickmarg / Pinterest.com

The colorful jacket was part of the Profiles in History sale. Estimated to fetch a price of $60,000, experts weren’t all that far off. The winning bidder took home this piece of cinematic history for the cool sum of $56,000. Let’s hope they got a little sweetener to help the medicine go down. 

Worn By: Harrison Ford
Year: 1981
Value: $524,000*

Movie characters don’t come much cooler than Indiana Jones. Come to think of it, Harrison Ford isn’t so bad himself. In 1981, Ford donned this fedora hat to star as the action-seeking archaeologist. When it came up for sale in 2018, one die-hard fan just had to have it. 

Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones: Fedora ©Reddit.com | @dailymirror / Pinterest.com

Prop Store London sold the signed hat and was only too pleased to settle on a winning bid of $524,000. That’s an awful lot of money, but who knows – maybe it comes with some of Indy’s treasure-finding knowledge and has paid for itself ten times over. 

Worn By: Elizabeth Taylor
Year: 1963
Value: $59,750*

Elizabeth Taylor just exuded glitz and glam throughout her life. She was well-known for her lavish purchases and expensive taste, but her on-screen costumes weren’t to be sniffed at, either. Taylor had some incredible looks in 1963’s Cleopatra. 

Elizabeth Taylor - Cleopatra: Cape @moviedetail @_archives_ / Twitter.com

The gold cape she wore to play the Queen of the Nile went up for sale at Heritage Auctions in 2012, much to the surprise of many who thought it lost. It turns out that it was bought by a couture fashion worker many years ago. The sale proved to be fruitful, making the owner $59,750.