Men hoping to absorb some of Prince’s legendary mojo take note: According to The Associated Press, a jacket worn by the Artist in his 1984 movie Purple Rain is going up for auction. Unfortunately, though, it’s not the purple jacket Prince wears on the Purple Rain movie poster and album cover—it’s the black-and-white blazer with leather sleeves he wears when he takes Apollonia for a ride on his motorcycle (see above).
The jacket is being sold by California-based auction house Profiles In History, whose president, Joe Maddalena, says the jacket is an extremely rare find, as Prince was as protective of his wardrobe as he was of his recordings. “Prince memorabilia in general, it just really doesn’t exist,” Maddalena says. “This is the first time ever for something like this, and it might be the only time because the rest of the costumes may be in [Prince’s personal] wardrobe.” (The auction house acquired the jacket from a woman whose sister, a makeup artist, received it as a personal gift from Prince on the set of Purple Rain.) And while Profiles In History can’t go on record as saying that a jacket Prince wore in Purple Rain will endow its wearer with supernatural sexual prowess, it’s safe to assume that saying, “oh, this? I bought it from Prince” is a good way to impress any potential date.
Maddalena also says the jacket is expected to sell for more than the initial asking price of $6,000-$8,000. (You think?) He doesn’t mention the size of the jacket, but Prince stood a diminutive 5’2” (without heels), so we’re guessing it’s probably a small. Care instructions include dipping the jacket into the purifying waters of Lake Minnetonka, followed by drying it with the wind from the beating wings of a dozen white doves atop a bed of rose petals.