Marilyn Monroe’s white satin kimono is going up for auction on Tuesday, courtesy of the Dallas Auction Gallery’s sale. The garment was gifted to the iconic actress by her husband Joe DiMaggio.
Related Articles
The satin kimono features a Cherry Blossom pattern on an off-white fabric. DiMaggio gifted the garment to Monroe during the couple’s relationship. Once it came into Monroe’s possession, the “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” star held onto it for years before giving it to her hairdresser, Sydney Guilaroff.
Monroe gifted the kimono to Guilaroff sometime in the 1950s. A certified letter from Guilaroff accompanies the kimono. The auction will begin on Tuesday. Monroe’s kimono is priced at a starting bid of $1,200, though the garment’s estimated worth is between $2,500 and $3,000.
You May Also Like
Along with Monroe, Guilaroff styled looks for such Golden Age Hollywood stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Greta Garbo, Lena Horne, Debbie Reynolds, Ann-Margret, Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Hedy Lamarr, Liza Minnelli, Ginger Rogers and Nancy Reagan, among others.
Monroe and DiMaggio met in 1952, roughly one year after the former Yankees star retired from professional baseball. At the time, Monroe was still a burgeoning actress with such credits as “All About Eve” and “Don’t Bother to Knock” to her name.
The couple married in January 1954, but their marriage was marred by reported jealousy on DiMaggio’s part and alleged abuse. By October 1954, Monroe filed for divorce from DiMaggio citing “mental cruelty” in the filing. The couple was married for nine months.
Monroe went on to marry playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. They divorced in 1961. DiMaggio and Monroe eventually reconnected and became friends. Following her death at the age of 36 in 1962, DiMaggio helped Monroe’s half-sister Berniece Baker Miracle and business manager Inez Melson arrange the actress’ funeral. Red roses from DiMaggio were delivered to Monroe’s resting place for roughly 20 years. The former baseball player never remarried.