Monroe's legendary dress sells for $4.6m

The dress, worn by the star in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch had been expected to fetch between $1 million and $2 million.

But the sale on Saturday, part of a collection of Hollywood memorabilia held by the actress Debbie Reynolds, saw Monroe's "subway" dress - now cream colored from age - sell for $4.6 million (or $5,520,000, with added fees).

The entire sale, which included other Monroe garbs, was valued at $22.8 million, Nancy Seltzer, a spokeswoman for the auction house Profiles in History, said in an e-mail.

Signed by the US designer William Travilla, the pleated ivory dress contributed in part to Monroe's enduring image as a 20th century sex symbol.

It was the highest value feature of the auction that also saw some 700 pieces go under the hammer.

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