Here’s the backstory on this piece of fashion history.
Sweater weather isn’t quite here yet, but that didn’t stop a deep-pocketed bidder from paying a very pretty penny for piece of knitwear that’s fit for a princess.
Princess Diana’s iconic black sheep sweater was just auctioned off Sotheby’s, shattering expectations with the closing price. Originally expected to fetch between $50,000 and $80,000, the sweater went for a staggering $1,143,000, breaking records in the process.
The infamous black sheep jumper is now the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction — and perhaps even more impressive, it has now also become the priciest piece of Princess Diana’s wardrobe. That honor previously belonged to a dress designed by Victor Edelstein, which sold for $604,800 in January 2023.
For those uninitiated with the intricacies of Diana’s high-profile life, it might seem surprising that a sweater brought in such a higher sum than a sumptuous ball gown. But the sweater is much more than an article of clothing; it’s an instantly recognizable symbol of not only the woman who became known as the People’s Princess, but also the complicated family dynamics that ultimately led to her infamous divorce.
Here’s what you need to know about the backstory of this sartorial treasure — and how you can get one (that hasn’t been worn by royalty) for yourself.
What is the history of Princess Diana’s black sheep sweater?
Diana first wore the black sheep sweater during the summer of 1981, when she attended one of her husband’s polo matches. (He was Prince Charles back then, but as we all know, he has since ascended to the throne and become King Charles III following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.) That day, Diana paired the sweater with jeans and red shoes to match.
The sweater was made by the knitwear company Warm and Wonderful, created by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. In a 2020 interview with The New Yorker, the designers said they still have no idea how Diana came to own the sweater, though the leading theory is that she may have gotten it as a gift from someone who served in her wedding. But the Warm and Wonderful staff was oblivious to the fact that their work had made its way to the royal closet — until they saw a photo of the princess wearing it in a newspaper.
We do know that after she wore the sweater, it got damaged; Diana reached out to the company that made it and requested a repair. Instead, Warm and Wonderful knitted an entirely new version for her and sent that back to the palace.
Diana’s signature style turned heads during her life and has taken on an even bigger cultural footprint after her death. Her iconic looks have been repurposed by fashion lovers of all kinds, including the daughter-in-law she never got to meet, Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton. But considering what we know about just how image-conscious Diana was, royal observers have been keen to parse through the meaning of what she chose to wear. (Remember that iconic “revenge dress”?)
To our knowledge, Diana never spoke directly about the motivation for wearing the sheep sweater, so it’s possibly she simply liked the look of it, which was very much in keeping with her style at the time: plenty of puffy sleeves, ribbons and bows, and a generally frilly vibe.
But fashion commentators have also remarked on the way it plays into the larger narrative of Diana’s life, which was filled with conflict between herself and the complicated clan she married into. “Diana was frequently seen as a black sheep in the royal family, and the sweater bolstered that narrative,” wrote Woman’s World. And as fans of The Crown know, the piece featured prominently in the royal drama’s fourth season, when it was worn by actress Emma Corrin in her portrayal of Diana.
Why was the sweater being sold now?
The story about how the sweater made its way to Sotheby’s is fascinating in itself. Osborne, one of the original designers, unexpectedly came across the piece while searching through her personal storage.
“I was in the attic in February searching for a pattern, and I just happen to notice this old wine box in a corner — and there was a red sheep jumper wrapped in a cotton bedspread,” she told People. “It was well preserved, and I had a kind of Groundhog Day moment and thought, ‘Could this be the one?’ I looked at the cuff which had obviously been sewn back on, and I called [Sally Muir] and said, ‘I think I’ve found the actual real Diana jumper!'”
To be sure, the duo compared the sweater in the box with images of the one Diana wore — and because each individual sweater was slightly different, they were able to confirm that it was the same. It seems that when Diana had sent it back for a fix, the old version went into the box Osborne later discovered, while the company proceeded with knitting her a new version.
The sale of the sweater drummed up significant interest from the general public, and the team at Sotheby’s said they were thrilled to bring the piece to market.
“This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana’s grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion,” said Cynthia Houlton, Sotheby’s global head of fashion and accessories. “It’s an honor to offer this historic sweater in our inaugural Fashion Icons auction, placing it in dialogue with other memorable and culturally important items of clothing.”
Where else is the black sheep sweater for sale?
Don’t have the kind of out-of-this-world income that would’ve allowed you to even consider participating in an auction like this? Join the club. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rock the style just like the legendary princess did.
Though Warm and Wonderful discontinued its original design in 1994, the New York City-based clothing brand Rowing Blazers created a beautiful replica. When it first launched in the fall of 2020, it sold out immediately — but it’s currently in stock for much less than you’d pay for the original at Sotheby’s. And as an added bonus, Osborne told The New Yorker that Rowing Blazer’s version is actually “slightly improved” from what she had designed: “The original had long strands that you could get your jewelry caught in,” she said.
