The Morbid Reason Why Gwyneth Paltrow's Auction Items Aren't Going For Nearly As High As Marilyn Monroe's Naked Dress

If you ever wanted to own a piece of Gwyneth Paltrow’s wardrobe (or stationery, glasses, etc.), you may be in luck. The actress is auctioning off more than 300 items, and the best part is that interested parties won’t have to fork over several mortgage payments to get them. So why is the Oscar winner’s clothing going for hundreds of dollars when past auctions have raked in seven figures for items like Marilyn Monroe’s so-called “Naked Dress”? There’s a pretty morbid reason.

Julien’s, the famous Los Angeles auction house, is currently hosting an auction that features hundreds of pieces that Gwyneth Paltrow is ready to part ways with — from designer dresses (at least the ones she didn’t save for daughter Apple) to coffee tables, lamps, books, jewelry and more. While people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on many of the items, Julien’s co-founder Martin Nolan explained why nothing’s going to garner the same $4.8 million that Marilyn Monroe’s famous Jean Louis gown did in 2016. Frankly, he told The Guardian:

Sadly it’s because Marilyn Monroe has long since passed away, so dresses worn by the icon are at a premium — especially pieces like the Naked Dress, which she wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy back in 1962, just months before her death at age 36.

It was Ripley’s Believe It or Not! that purchased the gown 10 years ago at a Julien's auction, and then made the controversial decision to loan it to Kim Kardashian for the Met Gala in 2022. The SKIMS boss got backlash for having to drop a lot of weight quickly to fit into the dress, and many believe she damaged the piece.

Gwyneth Paltrow, meanwhile, hopefully has many years ahead of her to collect gorgeous dresses like the white Giorgio Armani Privé gown that she had to be sewn into for this year’s Oscars ceremony. Maybe someday far into the future, someone will be shelling out six or seven figures for that one.

For now, there are some event dresses that are slightly more budget friendly. Her Julien’s auction includes the Atelier Versace gown that she wore to the 2010 CMAs, which is going for $7,680 as of this writing and a gray Gianni Versace two-piece that she wore to the White House in 1999, available currently for a bid of $600.

You can also find more casual pieces, like a Dolce & Gabbana T-shirt reading “Material Girl” for $800, and who could pass up an autographed birth announcement of “one of the original nepo babies”? The document features the actress’ name, “Gwyneth Kate,” her date of birth and the name of her parents — Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner — along with Gwyneth’s signature. It’s racked up a handful of bids already, currently valued at $150.

The Shakespeare in Love star may not be making as much as some actresses’ items, like Marilyn Monroe and Olivia Newton-John, but given that’s because Gwyneth Paltrow is still alive, I’m sure fans are just fine with that.