If you have any interest in women’s fashion at all, you may very well have an example of the Little Black Dress in your wardrobe. This iconic piece of fashion was first designed by Coco Chanel, and is arguably considered her crowning achievement. Ever since its introduction in the early twentieth century, the Little Black Dress has seen countless revisions by designers looking to introduce their own spin, and it is this continued support of the piece that makes it such a legendary icon of fashion. In this article, we take a look at the history of the Little Black Dress to help demonstrate its incredible staying power.
The origins of the Little Black Dress
Whether you’re in the market for a look for a fancy occasion or a casual dresses for a women’s casual get together, there’s no doubt that you can rely on the little black dress to make you look good for the occasion. The simplicity and elegance of the cut is designed to emphasise a woman’s natural beauty while offering a sophistication all its own. Although Coco Chanel was the first to bring the Little Black Dress into renown with her design, black garments for women have had a special place throughout history. For much of the last few centuries, black has been tied to death – black dresses were reserved for women in mourning, and it was not uncommon for some women to wear black for the rest of their lives to demonstrate their ongoing sadness. Black also had a very utilitarian set of uses – black was often the colour of choice for the working classes, as it helped people such as maids, housekeepers, and cleaning women – people involved in very messy trades – to hide any dirt and unsightly stains that cropped up during the working day. So with these rather sombre uses of black, how did the Little Black Dress transform something so sad into something so sophisticated?
The first Little Black Dress
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opened the very first Chanel Boutique in Paris in 1918, and by 1926 she was revered among high class circles in Paris. She designed many articles that were unheard of at the time, such as pants for women and similar menswear-inspired items. It was in October of 1926 that the worlds first Little Black Dress was revealed on the cover of Vogue magazine. Vogue, in a show of impressive foresight, described Chanel’s design as a revolutionary garment, proclaiming that the look was a “uniform for all women of taste.” One of the interesting things that lead to the Little Black Dress becoming huge was the fact that it was introduced just as The Great Depression reared its ugly head. Although women of high society had much of their wealth dry up, they still needed something elegant (yet more affordable than they were likely sed to) and a black, stylish dress was just that. This same trend continued into the second world war, where fabrics that were even slightly luxurious where nowhere to be found – black fabric was an obvious exception, however.
The continuation of the little black dress fame
The Little Black dress has remained in the minds of the public for a few reasons, but it is perhaps the film industry that has had the most impact on this item of clothing – Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an excellent example of this. To this day, sophistication and class is found best in a Little Black Dress – if you don’t have one in your wardrobe, what are you waiting for?