Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ 1960 Election Night Coat to Be Auctioned by Sotheby’s

Next month, Sotheby’s will auction off Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ violet wool coat, worn on the night of John F. Kennedy’s election to the Presidency on Nov. 8, 1960.

This is part of Sotheby’s inaugural Handbags & Fashion exhibition at its new global headquarters in the Breuer building in New York. For the first time, fashion and accessories will be featured in this space.

The violet wool coat is estimated to bring in between $6,000 and $8,000 and will be offered in the Handbags & Fashion auction, which will have opening bidding until Dec. 15.

This maternity coat was immortalized on the cover of Life magazine’s special issue introducing the-then newly elected president and first lady. The coat was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy as she joined Sen. Kennedy in Hyannis Port on election night — eight months pregnant with her second child, John F. Kennedy Jr.

Crafted in vivid violet wool, the coat was distinguished from the muted tones of traditional political wardrobes. The piece is being offered by a family with deep, long-standing ties to the Kennedy family. Shared among a close circle of Kennedy’s friends, many of whom were expectant mothers, the coat was passed from one to another as an emblem of friendship, femininity and shared experience.

“Few garments so gracefully capture the spirit of a turning point in American history. This coat reflects Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ singular ability to communicate optimism and modernity through style alone, carrying within its seams the quiet power of a woman whose influence far transcended fashion. Now making its auction debut, it emerges as a rare artifact in which beauty, symbolism and history converge with remarkable clarity — offering collectors an extraordinary opportunity to engage with a piece of enduring cultural resonance,” said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion.

Among the other standout pieces in the auction is an Alexander McQueen green velvet and bugle beaded evening gown from the “In Memory of Elizabeth Howe, Salem 1692” Collection. Reflecting McQueen’s deep engagement with personal history — and the legacy of the Salem witch trials, during which his ancestor Howe was condemned. The gown is cut in dark green velvet with a long, structured and restrained silhouette. It is from the fall 2007 collection and is estimated to sell for between $7,000 and $12,000.

Other highlights include an Yves Saint Laurent jumpsuit (estimated from $1,000 to $5,000), a 1993 Dior haute couture by Gianfranco Ferré fur coat (estimated from $5,000 to $7,000), and a Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld blue and gold tweed jacket, from pre-fall 2019 (estimated from $3,000 to $5,000).

Handbag highlights include a 1990s Hermès vintage Sterling Silver Mini Kelly (estimated from $80,000 to $150,000), a 2023 Limited Edition Black Box Midas Kelly 25 Sellier with 18-karat yellow gold hardware (estimated from $110,000 to $140,000), and a 2024 Limited Edition black Chevre Chamkila Bouclerie Moderne Casaque Birkin 20 Sellier palladium hardware (estimated from $40,000 to $60,000).

The sale will be on view at Sotheby’s New York from Dec. 5 to 8.