Judy Garland's Wizard Of Oz Dress Sells For Record-Breaking Amount

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

When it comes to memorable film costumes, Judy Garland's white and blue gingham-printed pinafore as her role of Dorothy in the Wizard Of Oz film is surely one of the most easily recognised. And at an auction at Bonhams in New York on Monday, an annoymous buyer purchased the outfit for a whopping $1.56 million (£1.33 million).

That's a staggering amount for a gingham dress that was described as being in good condition (bar a sweat stain around the neck area but hey, people love this film, clearly).

The dress was made by Gilbert Adrian, chief costume designer at MGM, the studio that released the film back in 1939, and was sold in conjuction with Turner Movies as part of their Hollywood Memorabilia sale.

Last year, another dress from the hit fantasy film which was reportedly kept as a back-up costume, was sold at the same auction house for $245,000 (£163,000) and the lion costume worn by Bert Lahr in the movie sold for almost $3.1 million (£2.05 milion).

Judy Garland passed away 46 years ago, but will be rememered as much for her acting and costumes as she will for her wit and charm. (Check out her Judy's best quotes, too). If you're wondering what ever became of the ruby red slippers she also wore in the film -and which are, arguably the most iconic red shoes ever - a pair that was worn during filming was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota ten years ago and has yet to be discovered.

The executive director of the museum has since said the shoes were insured for $1 million (£666,000) and could be worth around three times that amount now. In July 2015, The Guardian reported that an annoymous fan is now offering a $1 million reward for anyone who comes forward with the shoes.

For that price, we'll definitely keep our eyes peeled.

The most stylish costumes and outfits in films gain cult status over time. Clothing and memorabilia that has recently reached sky-high prices at auction includes Marilyn Monroe's iconic black cocktail dress from the 1959 film Some Like It Hot which sold for $348,000 (£230,000) far outstripping the estimated sale of around $20,000 (£13,300)

The dress part of a 'Hollywood Legends' auction in Beverly Hills and was sold alongside Audrey Hepburn's straw hat from the 1957 film Funny Face (which, incidentally, went under the hammer for $15,360 or £10,000) and the throne Elizabeth Taylor sat on in 1963's Cleopatra which sold for $7,040 (£4,600).