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Some of Marilyn Monroe’s most famous dresses go under the hammer in Los Angeles

An ensemble worn by Hollywood screen siren Marilyn Monroe in one of her most famous roles has been sold at auction for 280,000 US dollars (£216,000).

The star wore the black silk bandeau top, floral print floor-length skirt and over-sized straw hat in 1954 comedy There’s No Business Like Show Business.

It was one of a number of items once belonging to Monroe that went under the hammer at an auction in Beverly Hills.

Marilyn Monroe
An ensemble worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1954 film There’s No Business Like Show Business has been sold at auction (Julien’s Auctions/PA)

The actress’ floor-length, red silk, long-sleeved sequined dress worn in the 1953 comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes fetched 250,000 US dollars (£193,000).

A bright yellow, floor-length period gown worn by Monroe in the final scene of 1954 drama River Of No Return went for 175,000 US dollars (£135,000).

And a black silk crepe cocktail dress, thought to be the same one she wore for a July 1958 press conference promoting the film Some Like It Hot, was sold for 100,000 US dollars (£77,000).

Marilyn Monroe outfits sold
Marilyn Monroe’s gown and headdress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes fetched £193,000 at auction (Julien’s Auctions/PA)

Monroe was 36 when she died of a drugs overdose in Los Angeles in 1962. She remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars.

Other highlights of the sale, held in Beverly Hills by Julien’s Auctions, include an Italian-style carved wood ornate corner chair used by the star in her final photo shoot in July 1962.

That sold for just over 80,000 US dollars, about £61,000.

Marilyn Monroe outfits sold
This black cocktail dress, thought to have been worn by Marilyn Monroe, has been sold at auction (Julien’s Auctions/PA)

And a brown and olive green striped couch used in the office of Monroe’s psychiatrist, Dr Ralph Greenson, during the time he treated her sold for 11,250 US dollars (£8,700), well over its estimate of 1,000 US dollars (£775).

The collection consisted of 115 of Monroe’s items, with all sold at no reserve.

While some of the winning bids were eye-catching, they fell some way short of the record for an item of Monroe’s clothing.

In 2016 Julien’s Auctions sold the dress Monroe wore while singing Happy Birthday Mr President to John F Kennedy fetched 4.8 million US dollars (£3.7 million).

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