The star wore the black silk bandeau top, floral print floor-length skirt and over-sized straw hat in 1954 comedy There's No Business Like Show Business.

It was one of a number of items once belonging to Monroe that went under the hammer at an auction in Beverly Hills.

The actress' floor-length, red silk, long-sleeved sequined dress worn in the 1953 comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes fetched $U250,000 ($A360,000).

A bright yellow, floor-length period gown worn by Monroe in the final scene of 1954 drama River Of No Return went for $US175,000 ($A253,000).

And a black silk crepe cocktail dress, thought to be the same one she wore for a July 1958 press conference promoting the film Some Like It Hot, was sold for $US100,000 ($A145,000).

Monroe was 36 when she died of a drugs overdose in Los Angeles in 1962. She remains one of Hollywood's most enduring stars.

Other highlights of the sale, held in Beverly Hills by Julien's Auctions, include an Italian-style carved wood ornate corner chair used by the star in her final photo shoot in July 1962.

That sold for just over $US80,000 ($A116,000).

And a brown and olive green striped couch used in the office of Monroe's psychiatrist, Dr Ralph Greenson, during the time he treated her sold for $US11,250 ($A16,300), well over its estimate of $US1000.

The collection consisted of 115 of Monroe's items, with all sold at no reserve.

While some of the winning bids were eye-catching, they fell some way short of the record for an item of Monroe's clothing.

In 2016 Julien's Auctions sold the dress Monroe wore while singing Happy Birthday Mr President to John F Kennedy fetched $US4.8 million ($A7 million).

Australian Associated Press