The most expensive black dress sold at auction in our records is a velvet evening gown Princess Diana wore in 1985, which brought $1.143 million at Julien’s Auctions in December 2023. Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s sits second at about $923,000, sold in 2006. This top 10 ranks verified auction results for black and dark gowns as of October 2026, and a pending sale could rearrange it in December.
| Rank | Dress | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Azagury velvet evening dress, 1985 | $1,143,000 | December 2023 | Julien’s Auctions |
| 2 | Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy dress, Breakfast at Tiffany’s | About $923,000 (£467,200) | December 2006 | Christie’s London |
| 3 | Walker black velvet evening gown | $571,500 | June 2024 | Julien’s Auctions |
| 4 | Walker black and jade dress, 1991 | $571,500 | September 2023 | Julien’s Auctions |
| 5 | Walker black-and-ivory dress | $508,000 | September 2023 | Julien’s Auctions |
| 6 | Walker striped-hem velvet dress, 1985 | $325,000 | 2024 | Julien’s Auctions |
| 7 | Stambolian off-the-shoulder black dress | About $64,000 (earlier sale) | Date not stated | Auction |
| 8 | Bob Mackie black illusion gown | $28,125 (reported) | 2011 | Auction |
| 9 | Rita Hayworth’s Gilda dress | $30,000 to $50,000 estimate | Withdrawn 2009 | Not sold |
| 10 | Stambolian dress, pending resale | Estimate $150,000 up to $300,000 | December 9, 2026 | Sotheby’s New York, pending |
Entries 9 and 10 are included because buyers and readers ask about them, not because they have sold at those figures. Ranks 1 to 8 are results.
1. Jacques Azagury velvet evening dress: $1,143,000
Diana wore this 1985 velvet gown, with a celestial pattern, in Florence. It closed at roughly 11 times its pre-sale estimate at Julien’s Auctions in Hollywood. The reported total of $1,143,000 made it the record for any dress of hers.
The source describes the velvet in black and blue. We use the total with premium.
2. Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy dress: about $923,000
The Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the best-known little black dress on screen. Christie’s London sold it in December 2006 for £467,200, about $923,000, with proceeds going to a children’s charity. One source gives a lower $807,000, which we think reflects a different exchange rate.
Our figure is the sterling price converted at the sale-date rate reported by auction coverage.
3. Walker black velvet evening gown: $571,500
A formal black velvet gown by the designer Catherine Walker sold at Julien’s in June 2024 for $571,500.
The figure is the reported total with premium.
4. Walker black and jade dress: $571,500
A 1991 black dress with jade detailing fetched the identical total at Julien’s in September 2023.
The tie with rank 3 is real, so we rank it by sale date.
5. Walker black-and-ivory dress: $508,000
This one sold in the same September 2023 sale and rounds out the half-million group.
It rests on a single roundup of the sales.
6. Walker striped-hem velvet dress: $325,000
A 1985 velvet dress with a striped hem sold in 2024 at Julien’s for $325,000.
The month was not stated in the roundup we used.
7. Stambolian off-the-shoulder black dress: about $64,000
Christina Stambolian designed this off-the-shoulder black dress in 1991. Diana wore it on June 29, 1994. A couple bought it at auction for about $64,000 and kept it ever since. Sotheby’s offers it again on December 9, 2026, the first public sale in almost 30 years.
We list the earlier price here, and the pending sale appears as rank 10.
8. Bob Mackie black nude-illusion gown: $28,125
A black satin gown with a nude-illusion panel, beading and feathers, worn by Cher on television, sold at auction in 2011 for $28,125 according to our earlier edition. We could not re-verify the venue.
It is the cheapest ranked sale and is shown as reported.
9. Rita Hayworth’s Gilda dress: $30,000 to $50,000 estimate
The strapless black satin dress from the 1946 film Gilda was listed in an April 2009 estate sale with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000 but was withdrawn before bidding. It later reappeared in an online auction with a $30,000 starting bid. We found no confirmed final price.
It is here because it is the most famous black dress in film, not because of a sale.
10. Stambolian dress, pending resale: estimate up to $300,000
Sotheby’s expects between $150,000 and $300,000 on December 9, 2026 in New York. Even at the top of that range it would sit below rank 6.
No price exists yet, so this entry will change after the sale.
Beyond auctions: the diamond dress
A published list credits a designer-made black dress set with 55 diamonds at about $3.5 million, called the most expensive little black dress. We found no sale or buyer for it, so we leave it out of the ranking.
What changed since 2014
- Diana’s gowns went from rarities to a market. The 2023 record is more than ten times the old revenge-dress price in our earlier list.
- Julien’s Auctions now supplies most of the top results.
- Hepburn’s 2006 price is still second, almost twenty years on.
What drives these prices
- The wearer. Five of the top six dresses belonged to one person.
- A moment on camera. Hepburn’s dress lives in the most famous opening scene in fashion.
- Documented provenance. A fitting record and a photograph are worth more than the silk.
- Estimates are low on purpose. The Azagury dress closed at about eleven times its estimate.
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What is the most expensive black dress ever sold?
A 1985 Jacques Azagury velvet gown worn by Princess Diana, at $1,143,000 at Julien’s Auctions in December 2023.
How much did Audrey Hepburn’s black dress sell for?
£467,200, about $923,000, at Christie’s London in December 2006.
Is the revenge dress for sale?
Sotheby’s is offering it in New York on December 9, 2026, with an estimate between $150,000 and $300,000.
Did Rita Hayworth’s Gilda dress sell?
Not as far as we can confirm. It was withdrawn from a 2009 sale and later listed online with a $30,000 starting bid.
How much does a designer little black dress cost new?
Prices vary widely by house, and we have not surveyed retail prices for this article.
Who set the record for a dress sold at auction?
Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday, Mr. President dress, bought by Ripley’s for $4.81 million in 2016. It is not black.
How we put this list together
We ranked dresses by verified auction price, using auction results and disclosed sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change over time.
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Last updated: October 2026.
