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PARIS - CLOTHES and personal effects belonging to former French President Francois Mitterrand were auctioned on Tuesday in a sale that underlined the late Socialist leader's taste for fine tailoring and well made shoes.
In a packed salesroom of auctioneers Tajan in central Paris, scores of bidders and spectators watched as the hammer came down on bundles of ties, worn footwear, woollen suits and some of Mitterrand's trademark Homburg hats.
A spokeswoman for the auctioneers said the sale raised 148,900 euros (S314,328), not counting fees, and Mr Mitterrand's widow Danielle intends to donate the sum to her charitable human rights foundation.
As well Mr Mitterrand's extensive wardrobe, the 367 sale lots were made up of a hotchpotch of items like commemorative coins, porcelain pots and gifts from world leaders including Cuban President Fidel Castro.
The former president's wardrobe included suits from designers Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Adriano Cifonelli, and footwear from exclusive shoemakers J.M. Weston.
Mritterrand, nicknamed 'Tonton' (Uncle), served two terms between 1981-95 and is the only Socialist to be elected as French president since the Fifth Republic was created by France's wartime hero Charles de Gaulle in 1958.
Invariably well dressed, Mr Mitterrand's cultivated style and bookish tastes earned him affection even from some of his political opponents.
The high attendance at the sale suggested that interest in his character and career remains strong more than a decade after his death.
'We've had De Gaulle and we've had Mitterrand. All the others have been clowns,' said Juliette Roux, who had hoped to buy Mr Mitterrand's cigar box for her husband but was disappointed. -- REUTERS
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