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How much would you pay to get your hands on a sweaty suit once worn by John Travolta? Close to R5 million rand, if you're a super fan.
The iconic white suit which the actor wore in the hit 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever has sold for a eye-watering $260 000 (R4,7 million).
The monochromatic three-piece suit recently went under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, where its original selling price was estimated at around £150 000.
But such was its appeal that someone ended up forking out almost double the price.
“This suit is considered to be one of the most iconic costumes in cinema history,” a spokesperson for the auction house said.
“It's one of only two known to exist that was used during production. It has never been exhibited or sold at auction before.”
The single-breasted jacket, waistcoat and trousers is made from 100% polyester and in keeping with the fashion of the time, it sports exaggerated lapels and flared trousers.
READ MORE | WATCH: John Travolta outdances Scrubs stars in a hilarious spoof on his Grease hit Summer Nights
John’s character, a 19-year-old working-class Italian American called Tony Manero, wouldn't have been able to afford an expensive suit, so costume designer Patrizia von Brandenstein bought the outfit for just $100 from a small menswear shop in Brooklyn, New York.
In the film, the actor famously wore it on the dance floor when he and co-star Karen Lynn Gorney boogied to the Bee Gees track More Than A Woman, a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor in 1978.
Martin J Nolan, the director of the auction house, says the suit even came with perspiration marks made by the star.
“The sweat is how you know it’s authentic,” he told The Guardian. “We never wash memorabilia. People want the stains, the DNA, particularly when a suit like this one hasn’t been auctioned before.
“Dancing was his [Tony Manero] escape, his life raft, and this suit embodied that.”
In a nod to the film that propelled him to fame, John wore a white suit jacket that resembled his Saturday Night Fever outfit when he visited Lenny’s Pizza in Brooklyn in 2018. The establishment, which still exists today, became a hit with fans after his character ordered two slices from the eatery and ate them together as he strutted down the street.
Sources: newidea.com.au, foxbusiness.com, dailymail.co.uk
