‘Really,
they are so badly dressed...I’ll put them all in
black to teach them good taste’.
(Gabrielle
‘Coco’ Chanel)
1920s-1930s
Prior
to the 1920s, the Little Black
Dress, or ‘LBD’ as it is ubiquitously known, did not exist. The wearing
of
black was reserved purely for mourning. This all changed in 1926 when
Vogue
published a pictured of a black, calf-length sheath dress by Gabrielle
‘Coco’
Chanel. The concept of the Little Black Dress was born. Chanel had
revolutionised fashion. Her vision of an item that was long lasting,
versatile,
affordable and accessible to those of all social classes had been
achieved.
Vogue described the black dress as
‘A
sort of uniform for women of all tastes’.
1940s-1950s During
this
period, the
popularity of the black dress continued to rise. WWII saw more women
than ever
before entering the workforce. The simplicity of the black dress became
a
uniform of sorts. This period also saw the rise of the Femme Fatale –
the black
dress being the trademark look. Into the 50s and the black dress was
revitalised with the introduction of Diors ‘New Look’ collection, a
line of
extravagant black dresses. This marked the end of the period of fabric
scarcity
and the utilitarian wartime dress. Femininity was back!
‘You
can wear black at any time. You can wear black at any
age. You may wear it on almost any occasion. A little black frock is
essential
to a woman’ (Christian Dior)
1960s-1970s
The
beginning of the 60s heralded a definitive fashion moment – Audrey
Hepburn
wearing a Givenchy black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Givenchy’s
timeless
design remains a classic, even today in an ever changing world of
fashion.
Elsewhere, the mod generation was rising – and so were hemlines. The
black
dress experienced a revamp with cut-outs, use of sheer fabric, slit
skirts and
of course the mini-dress. In the 70s, disco fever hit the world and the
black
dress took a back seat as fashions for the most part were loud and
bright. The
decade did see some black dress designs, with Bill Blass bringing back
sleek
and simple silhouettes. There were also plenty of slinky numbers for
the disco
and some lacy and folky feminine styles.
‘One
is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little
Black Dress’ (Karl Lagerfeld)
1980s-1990s The
80s saw a resurgence in popularity of the Little Black
Dress. Casual fabrics and knits became popular, and of course the
Dallas and
Dynasty generation saw power dressing, shoulder pads, and cocktail
dresses,
black being the perfect choice. The black dress was back with a
vengeance. In
the 90s, the black dress continued to be the first choice for
celebrities –
think Liz Hurley in that Versace gown, but the era also saw the
emergence of
grunge culture, which saw the style take a less than glamorous turn
when teamed
with sandals or combat boots. The number of looks this item can take on
is
proof that
‘...the
black dress is the
foundation of the woman’s wardrobe’ (Karen Millen)
‘For
any girl, any woman...it’s
marvellous to have the possibility of one dress for the whole season,
for the
whole year, and be well dressed’