John Lennon's mohair suit to star in Fame Bureau sale

A mohair suit worn by John Lennon during the early 1960s is to auction at the Fame Bureau.

The lot is expected to make up to £150,000 ($230,283) when it crosses the block in an online sale tonight.

Lennon suit Fame
Brian Epstein arranged for the Beatles to have suits made to clean up their image

It was made by Dougie Millings, a tailor who worked with numerous pop stars, at the behest of the band's manager, Brian Epstein.

Epstein believed that the Beatles would benefit from a makeover.

The suit dates to 1963, right as the band were beginning to go stratospheric, and was recently discovered in Madame Tussauds in London.

It had formerly been used in the band's display at the waxwork museum.

The Fame Bureau's James Wilkinson told the NME: "This suit changed attitudes and was a major cultural change. Before they had this makeover, the Beatles were rockers. They idolised Elvis and wore black leather jackets.

"But Brian Epstein had the foresight to change their appearance to a more wholesome look so they would appeal to a much wider audience, and these suits were a major part of that image.

"The result turned the Beatles into a clean-cut, media-friendly powerhouse. The suits traversed the Atlantic and the style was later imitated by many US musicians."

We have this customs slip signed by John Lennon for sale.

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