Coco Chanel & the Little Black Dress

The Little Black Dress – the universal fashion mantra ever since the great Coco unveiled this wonder apparel. Friend of womankind. Forgiving yet flattering. Effortless yet impactful. Multi-occasion appropriate. Functional to fetishist. ‘Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a dress? No, it’s SuperDress!’ One could go on, sing paeans of praise, write a song or a novel about this amazing and iconic wardrobe staple.

     
An evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Thanks to Coco Chanel, who designed the long-lasting, versatile, affordable, available to the market possible,..the  little reliable wardrobe.

Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the "LBD".
The "little black dress" is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.


A sure rung to the best dressed list? The epitome of eternal chic à la Audrey Hepburn, who we all aspire to be, creating clones of each other? Well, no. For those who cannot go beyond the ‘classically beautiful’ visuals of Chanel and Givenchy, there lies the vast, vast world of the LBD. Black is enigmatic, certainly not boring and designers across the world go past safe and stretch their imagination. ‘Have at least one LBD in the wardrobe’ was the intelligent fashionista’s safety net; now even a hundred would not suffice, or cover the mind-boggling variety offered in monochrome!


In 1926 Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel published a picture of a short, simple black dress in Vogue. It was calf-length, straight, and decorated only by a few diagonal lines, simple and accessible for women of all social classes. LBD would become “a sort of uniform for all women of taste.

The generation gap of the 1960s created a dichotomy in the design of the little black dress. The younger "mod" generation preferred, in general, a miniskirt on their versions of the dress and designers catering to the youth culture continued to push the envelope - shortening the skirt even more, creating cutouts or slits in the skirt or bodice of the dress, using sheer fabrics such as netting or tulle. Many other women in the 1960s aspired to simple black sheath dresses similar to that designed by Hubert de Givenchy and worn by actress Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

                    The popularity of casual fabrics, especially knits, for dress and business wear during the 1980s brought the little black dress back into vogue. Coupled with the fitness craze, the new designs incorporated details already popular at the time such as broad shoulders or peplums: later in the decade and into the 1990s, simpler designs in a variety of lengths and fullness were popular. The grunge culture of the 1990s saw the combination of the little black dress with both sandals and combat boots, though the dress itself remained simple in cut and fabric. The new glamour of the late 1990s led to new variations of the dress but, like the 1970s, color has re-emerged as a factor in fashion and formalwear again shows an aversion against black. Starting in the late 2000's the fashion trends of the 1980's returned to favor. That meant the return of body conscious clothing, muted color schemes, and the reemergence of black. All these things have brought the LBD back, and as now it is popular as ever.

                        Ruffa Gutierrez
To be colourful in a solitary hue is the beautifully oxymoronic reality of the modern LBD. For the creator, as well as the wearer, the religion has evolved. We are permanent, ardent devotees. Why? Because it allows.
This is true love, an unbreakable marriage. And what the great Coco envisioned it to be – freedom

Cheryl  Cole