Princess Diana's Iconic 'Black Sheep' Jumper Is Going To Auction At Sotheby's

Princess Diana was a fashion icon. She was famous for her extremely versatile and colorful outfits. Her iconic "black sheep" sweater, which she wore over 40 years ago, will soon be up for sale for $80,000 at an auction at Sotheby's.

The red sweater with white sheep all over and just one black sheep was first worn by Diana in 1981. The sweater made headlines at the time and the company leveraged its benefits. However, the brand soon discontinued the design only to bring it back in 2020.

This sweater was discovered in storage after four decades and is set to go up for auction in August.

The Black Sheep's Fascinating Past

Joanna Osborne, who is one of the designers of the brand Warm and Wonderful, found the sweater in her attic when she was searching for a pattern. "I just happen to notice this old wine box in a corner," she told PEOPLE.

Joanna said that the statement piece was well-preserved and she had to look at the cuff to make sure it was hers. The sweater was sewn back on, as the brand had taken back the piece before when Diana had asked for repair.

"We looked at all photographs of her wearing it, and we compared the two and we both felt certain that it was the actual one. We just knew because every jumper is different, so it was easy to see. So we called Sotheby's!" she told the outlet.

The winterwear will be sold for around $80,000 as the broker said that the knit is "meticulously preserved."

Sotheby's recently conducted an auction of another of Princess Diana's items. In January, Kim Kardashian bought the diamond and amethyst Gerrard cross pendant that Diana wore in 1987.

Princess Diana's Iconic Fashion Moments

1980

Diana was spotted with her children on her way from the nursery where she taught, wearing a sweater vest paired with a mid-length skirt that appeared sheer, as reported by Vogue.

1981

Her wedding gown is still the most iconic wedding dress of all time that featured a 25-ft-long train. The dress was custom woven and dyed ivory. 

1984

Princess Diana's iconic white tux was the epitome of power dressing. She wore the black and white tuxedo style suit to the Genesis concert at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. 

1985

The blue velvet dress designed by Victor Edelstein, which was famously dubbed the "Travolta Dress", was worn by Diana for a gala dinner at the White House. She famously danced with actor John Travolta that evening.

People's Princess Is Shaping Their Fashion Choices Even Today

The world saw Diana evolve from a shy 19-year-old to a bride, a mother to finally a strong independent woman. Her style continues to maintain a strong hold on Gen Zers and millennials, who don't really have any first-hand memory of her. 

She was a pioneer in so many ways that it inspired TV, film, and today's fashion, let's turn our attention to some of the Princess Diana styles that are so very in right now.

Semi Casuals/ Elevated Casuals

Her ability to pair a very casual piece of clothing with something a little more tailored was out of this world! 

Trousers

It's been a while since we have moved away from the world of denim and embraced trousers like never before. Diana was rocking wide-leg trousers of all patterns way before it was cool.

Bike-Shorts

No, not a Kardashian original. Long before these tight shorts were trendy, Diana had a closet full of bike shorts in all colors which she would often pair with oversized T-shirts.