History of the little black dress

What does a perfect wardrobe mean? For many women, it is not necessarily made of designer clothes, but of enough clothing pieces for each occasion, from elegant to casual and sport, that are in trend, and most of all, that flatter the figure. One of the first rules of making a perfect wardrobe is acquiring a LBD – Little Black Dress.

The little black dress is perfect for cocktails, reunions, business meetings or parties, perfect in case you often hear yourself saying: ‘I have nothing to wear today.’ It is a dress with a simple tailoring, usually having the length a little under the knees, which is wearable at any moment of the day and at any occasion.

When Coco Chanel launched the little black dress, in 1926, Vogue predicted that it would become a uniform for all women with style. And that was what happened. There is an unwritten code: a little black dress never gets out of fashion, being an indicator of style, elegance and good taste. When Chanel introduced this dress, black was a color that symbolized mourning and was strictly worn in such periods.

The young Coco, at the beginning of her designer career, has revolutionized perception over wearing black clothes, in times at which wearing them besides the mourning periods was proof of indecency. As Chanel said, luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury. So, no matter the price, the little black dress must fulfill its purpose: confer the desired elegance with a minimum of effort.

The dress has become very famous the moment when the style icon Audrey Hepburn wore one created by Hurbert de Givenchy, in the famous movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, accessorized with pearls, a big hat and big sunglasses. This outfit is copied even today, although it is hard to equal Audrey Hepburn’s native sense of style.    

Although in the 60’s young women preferred the short model of the dress, in time it was accentuated the importance of the longer one, suitable especially for the so called femme fatale. Despite the fact that designers opt for a different chromatic palette for the spring-summer season, the little black dress is often found in collections of big fashion houses, confirming the rule of style manuals: any woman should possess a LBD. An image of an evening dress can be seen here:  Sexy Taffeta V-Neck Knee Length Evening Dresses SKU410226.