Department of Dubious Auction Records

I supposed this could be a continuing series. The latest entrant in far-fetched categories for auction records is the "world record for a dress made for a film"---the "iconic Givenchy gown made for Andrey Hepburn in the 1961 film, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,'" selling yesterday for $887,680 at Christie's, London.

If we create sufficiently narrow categories (Abstract Expressionist with a blue daub in the upper righthand corner), we could have new auction records every day. The funniest one I remember, from my very early days covering auctions in the 1970s, was the "world record for a chastity belt." (Who knows? That record may still stand.)

Speaking of which, do we yet have a new auction record for a bra---namely, Madonna's conical bra from the 1990 "Blonde Ambition Tour"? For a while, that Jean-Paul Gaultier design seemed to be featured in every other exhibition mounted by the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute. Another example of this iconic undergarment (worn as an outer garment) was to be offered at the four-part sale of the Dick Clark Collection of Rock & Roll, held yesterday and today in New York by Guernsey's auction house.

This seems to be my day to write about bras. Maybe I should glance up at my masthead, to remind myself of what this blog is supposed to be about.

Maybe I'm just bummed because you and Tyler are now ogling the 12 ficus trees "trimmed to...resemble a woman's breast" at Art Basel Miami Beach. And I'm not.