Seldom has there been a clothing item so general, so popular, so stylish, and classic, as the little black dress. Advice you’ll find in practically every girl’s magazine and online portal will tell you that little black dress is a must in any girl’s wardrobe. But where does this ‘rule’ come from? When did the little black dress make history? When did women decide to swap the long, heavy dresses that weighted a ton for something as short and flattery as LBD?
Thank you Coco Chanel
Back in 1926 Coco Chanel made history without even knowing she would, and so it happened that Vogue magazine featured innovative new piece labeled as ‘a sort of uniform for all women of taste’. Flattering to all sizes, immensely convenient, and more than handsome, little black dress worn with long strings of faux pearls (Coco Chanel’s favorite) made women of all generations look like models. It was a historical moment and a new step in the chic area.
Wallis Simpson, you rock
She stated: “When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place”, and boy was she right! Little black dress was her signature look, and women all over Britain either loved her or envied her, but there was no doubt that her style was impeccable. She looked like a movie star who stepped down from silver screen, and not once was she wrong when she decided to wear it.
Audrey Hepburn’s rule of fashion
While she was filming Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey declared that owing a little black dress in your wardrobe was an unspoken rule of fashion for any woman who considers herself to be stylish and fashionable. No wardrobe is ever complete without one such dress in it, stated Audrey, and fashion designers and stylists all over the world agree with her.
Dior to the rescue
During fifties, it was a bit tricky for an ordinary woman to buy herself a proper little black dress, so Dior started using synthetic fibers to make his dresses more affordable for all women. In addition, he changed the traditional look of the dress, cutting it off at the shoulders and adding halters to it. You know how this dress looks like-you’ve seen it on all Hollywood femme fatales.
LBD goes grunge
Slick feminine figure in a gentle dress was quickly replaced by grunge version of them-even more feminine and much alike silk lingerie-like dresses which showed off your legs. To contrast this femininity, women would wear these pieces underneath oversized men’s plaid shirts and combat boots. Nevertheless, there were different variations of the LBD, and once Elizabeth Hurley's showed up wearing Versace safety-pin LBD, the world was changed, and women everywhere wanted to look just like her.
Irreplaceable even today
Dressing bossy to amaze had women choose a pair of pants over skirt and a dress, but what goes around comes around, and dress has made a comeback. No matter if it is flowy, tight, short, long, fitted, casual, or formal, little black dress does the trick and keeps making women look feminine, delicate, and altogether wonderful. Come what may with the following season, one thing is for sure-LBD will have its place on the runways and store shelves alike.
A nice pair of stilettos, cute little clutch bag, delicate necklace, and a pretty little bun will make you look like a movie star no matter where you go. In case your wardrobe is missing a LBD, get up and change that straightaway.
Resources:
