One lucky bidder will be able to twist and shout in the vest of Ferris himself after paying a hefty price.
A vest worn by Matthew Broderick as the titular character in the Chicago-based cult classic, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” sold for $279,400 after it was auctioned off by Sotheby’s New York.
The vest, worn by Ferris as he played hooky and frolicked through some of the city’s most iconic spots — including Wrigley Field and the Art Institute — was put up for auction June 5.
The movie’s notorious musical number features Ferris crashing a downtown parade and performing a riveting version of the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.”
Broderick wore the camel-and-chocolate brown vest throughout the entire film. It was expected to garner bids ranging from $300,000 to $600,000, and it ended up attracting 11 bids, Sotheby’s said in a news release announcing the sale.
Costume designer Marilyn Vance chose the vest carefully, wanting to convey Ferris’ uniqueness, popularity among his peers and willingness to rebel against grown-ups through his wardrobe. Choosing to put Broderick in a vest was one of Vance’s first decisions when creating the film, according to the release.
“The only real expression of color in Bueller’s entire wardrobe, Vance’s sweater vest immediately became the character’s signature piece and emblematic of his most exciting quality — the ability to blend in anywhere, while standing out just enough to get exactly what you want from the world around you,” Sotheby’s said in the release.
But when Vance found the right piece at a Chicago Marshall Field’s, it wasn’t a vest to begin with. She stripped the sleeves off a sweater to reveal what would become an iconic costume.
Vance verified the vest was authentic before the auction.
The vest was given up for auction by Darren Rovell, a sports business reporter and robust collector who founded cllct, a website that covers the world of collecting. The winner also received other memorabilia from the film, including a Chicago Cubs ticket from the Wrigley Field scene.
“I feel this is the perfect moment to pass this legendary vest on to another passionate fan and devoted collector,” Rovell said in a statement this month.
