Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice Darcy Shirt and Other Literary Costumes to Auction

The shirt worn by Colin Firth for his lake swim in the BBC television production of Pride and Prejudice is among a wide range of costumes worn for other literary adaptions going under the hammer today at Kerry Taylor Auctions.

The lots were picked by Bafta & Academy awardwinning costumier and designer John Bright from his famous Cosprop store, with proceeds going to The Bright Foundation, an arts-based education charity based in Hastings, England which provides free access to creative activities, visual and performance arts for children and young people facing disadvantage.

Firth's/Darcy's shirt from the 1995 production was designed by Dinah Collin and comes with the Cosprop label with inked actor's name, and the rest of the 1810s style costume comprising white linen shirt with pleated gathers to sleeve tops, deep collar, buttoned neck opening together with a muslin cravat; buff moleskin fall front breeches with wooden knee buttons; a waistcoat of ribbed velvet printed with vertical stripes in black, olive green and pink; tailcoat of faded grey wool with notched collar; together with a pair of associated boots and a signed photograph of Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. The estimate is £7,000 - £10,000.

Other lots include Nicole Kidman's costume as Isabel Archer for the film The Portrait of a Lady, 1996, designed by Janet Patterson (who received an Oscar nomination for this film), an 1880s style princess-line day dress of white muslin tamboured in black threads with foliate trails, piped and edged in black satin, buttons of wrapped silk cord, striped ribbons to skirt front, pronounced rear bustle, with matching straw bonnet similarly labelled and trimmed with striped ribbons, silk roses and tulle; with flounced cotton petticoat. Estimate £2,000 - £3,000.

Aidan Turner's costume as Ross Poldark for the television series Poldark 2016-2019, based on the novels by Winston Graham was designed by Susannah Buxton, Ros Little and Howard Burden. The 1790's style ensemble features a brown moleskin cutaway frock coat with stand and fall collar, green cotton lining; wabuff moleskin waistcoat, the linen back with lacing; navy moleskin breeches with fall front; white linen shirt with matching stock; a black felt tricorn hat; and a pair of associated black leather boots with brown tops. This costume was worn in series 2, 3 and 4. Estimate: £400 - £600