Colin Firth's Iconic 'Pride and Prejudice' Wet Shirt Is Up for Auction
It is a truth universally acknowledged that any period movie lover would be thrilled to own Mr. Darcy’s iconic “wet shirt” from Pride and Prejudice — and now one lucky bidder can.
Colin Firth’s white linen shirt from the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries is officially up for auction. The costume, which also includes a pair of tan breeches, a striped waistcoat, a gray tailcoat and black and brown riding boots, is one of many TV and film ensembles that will be up for bid at U.K. auction house Kerry Taylor Auctions for the Lights Camera Auction – Live Cosprop Sale in aid of The Bright Foundation on Tuesday, March 5.
Firth, 63, portrayed Mr. Darcy in the Pride and Prejudice miniseries alongside Jennifer Ehle as Jane Austen heroine Elizabeth Bennet. The scene in which his character sports the memorable costume sees Mr. Darcy take a dip in a lake before running into Elizabeth while soaking wet. The costume’s bidding estimate lies between $7,600 to $10,800 U.S. dollars.
In a statement shared via Kerry Taylor Auctions’ website, the costume’s designer, Dinah Collin, recalled that the “wet shirt moment” was unscripted and was created due to “male nudity” not being permitted on television at the time.
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“Our way [around] this was for Colin Firth to be filmed 3/4 length wearing just the Irish linen shirt (copied from an antique original) which clung to the body,” Collin continued. “The scene caused something of a sensation at the time and transformed Colin Firth from a respected classical actor to something of a sex symbol overnight!”
Firth would go on to play another version of Mr. Darcy, Mark Darcy, in 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and the Jane Austen-inspired comedy’s two sequels. Pride and Prejudice did not mark the only time Firth has been submerged on screen, as he once again jumped into a lake in 2003’s Love Actually and fought Hugh Grant in a fountain in 2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
His wet shirt scene has also influenced other period dramas. Bridgerton season 2 paid homage to the moment by having Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Bridgerton angrily rip off his coat to expose his wet white blouse after accidentally falling into a lake.
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“There are some images that have been burned into my brain for a very long time,” Bridgerton executive producer Chris Van Dusen told Entertainment Weekly in March 2022. “And those naturally came out onto the page when I was writing the show. I’ve definitely talked about my love for that 1995 BBC adaptation with Colin Firth emerging from the lake in his white shirt. That scene of Anthony going in relates to that. It’s an Easter egg for fans of the genre.”
He went on to note that the shirt was tested thoroughly “to make sure it was just the right amount of see through and clingy enough,” adding, “We worked really hard to make that moment magical and memorable.”
Several other iconic costumes are up for bid at the U.K. auction, including Drew Barrymore’s 1998 Ever After masquerade ball dress, one of Cate Blanchett’s Queen Elizabeth gowns from 1998’s Elizabeth, looks from both the 1996 and 2020 adaptations of Emma, Robert Downey Jr.’s outfit from 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and many pieces from Downton Abbey. Proceeds from the auction will benefit The Bright Foundation, a charity that provides access to the arts for children and young people facing disadvantage.
