The first little black dress was designed in 1920s, Paris, by Chanel and Jean Patou. It quickly became a “uniform for all women of taste,” as Vogue magazine predicted at the time.
Before the 1920s, the color black was only worn in periods of mourning. Women who wore black were considered indecent or sinful. After the first world war, as well as the outbreak of Spanish Influenza, it became common in France to see women wearing black for long periods of time, and the stigma lifted somewhat.
A part of the “anti-corset” generation, Chanel invented much of women’s style as we know it. She once described her work as “nothing more than transform[ing] men’s clothing into women’s jackets, haircuts, ties and cuffs.” She worked hard to create clothes both simple and sophisticated, even if they created scandal.
Women were drawn to the dress by its simplicity, elegance and cost. A few years later, the Great Depression forced many people to economize, which increased the popularity of the little black dress as a cheap way to look smart.
Coco Chanel. Nettie Rosenstein, a New York-based designer, popularized the dress in the United States. Though some claim she invented the dress before Chanel, the evidence is slim. Elsa Schiaparelli, Chanel’s rival, put her own fantastic twist on the LBD, by introducing a wrap-around version.
“Chanel’s Ford,” as the press then called it, had long sleeves. Subsequent decades have removed the sleeves and shortened the hemline. Perhaps the most famous little black dress was worn by Audrey Hepburn for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” not to mention the one worn by Betty Boop. Today, every style guide trumpets the dress as a wardrobe staple for all women.
By Eli Aino
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