A classic LBD - little black dress

Ananonymoustelephonebidderhas paid ￡467,200 (or about 7,008,000 Yuan) for the black dress made for Audrey Hepburn for her role in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. The dress was sold at a London auction and the proceeds from the sale will go to charity.

The black sleeveless dress was expected to be sold for ￡70,000 (that's about 1,050,000 Yuan) but there weregasps, laughter and applause as the price broke throughbarrier after barrier, before finally coming to rest at ￡410,000 (with the remainder of the sale price made up of buyer's fees).

Thisiconic garmenthas been described as the ultimate little black dress. It's plain and simple butsophisticated. It'sdemureyet very sexy.

Audrey Hepburn was seen as a new kind of star when she burst onto the scene in 1953. Most other stars then were in the Marilyn Monroemould– blonde,curvaceousandovertlysexy. In the film Roman Holiday, Hepburnunveiledher look for the first time. She was tall and slim, with elfin features and looked almostandrogynous. She had big, innocent dark eyes and her attraction was much less obvious than Monroe's. Hepburn started a trend that has been continued by many since then. The model Kate Moss and actress Winona Ryder are two who many think have been influenced by her style.

But what is the lasting appeal of a woman whose final acting role was in 1989? Why was she voted the most beautiful woman of all time in a magazine poll earlier this year? Her granddaughter Claire Goldsmith says "It's about those eyes, those big, brown, warm eyes. Women relate to her because she wasunthreateningand for men she had thatinnocence."

For the founder of the charity that will benefit from the sale of the dress, the attraction is perhaps moredown to earth. The French author, Dominique Lapierre, set up a charity The City of Joy Aid to help poor people in India. After the auction Dominique said "I am absolutelydumbfoundedthat a piece of cloth which belonged to such a magical actress will now enable me to buy bricks and cement to put the mostdestitutechildren in the world into schools."

So it seems this little black dress has turned into a rather largepot of gold.