Little Black Dress

The Evolution of the Little Black Dress. See how the L.B.D went from a frock to a wardrobe essential and how it revolutionised fashion. The LBD (Little Black Dress) is a fashion must-have owing to its fibre/fabric content and the ability to suit all body shapes. The essay will address the following questions: What is the origin of the Little Black Dress, how did it become such an iconic expression known by women and men worldwide, what type of fabric and content is found in the little black dress, which enables it to suit all shapes and sizes, and why is this dress a must have.

This fashion icon has a remarkable history, dating back to the 1900s. Fashion historians ascribe the origin of our contemporary version, “The Little Black Dress”

Chanel designed the Black Dress in 1926 so during a time in between World War I and World War II. Which contrasted greatly with other designs that included garments of full embroidery. She let her materials and colour fabric fight the societal influences placed on women at the time. Originally, to make the dress she used the resources of the following: jersey, chiffon, lace, tulle, wool, crepe, satin, velvet for night, polychrome sequin embellishment or a variety of weightless silk. (Amy De La Haye, 2013) Chanel's creation of the long sleeves, slash-necked, straight silhouette, calf-length silk dress with only diagonal pin-tucks as decoration. (See Appendix 3) Has humanized women's wear, and set in stone true, feminine style and showed that women no longer had to create the impression of great wealth. Therefore, her dress is an everlasting symbol of empowerment and courage. To go out and beyond the trends and fashion at the time and instead create a comfortable, stylish, adaptable and classy style. Which has now been significantly adapted many times to please ongoing generations of stylish women

Firstly, the black dress is such an essential staple of any woman’s wardrobe- as women can dress it up or down effortlessly depending on the occasion and keep it for years. If done right, the dress can be worn as it is with accessorises added. Like shoes, jewellery, or layers like a shrug, black suit or denim jacket. (AJ Corner, 2017) The famous Christian Dior said in 1954, "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 dress is an essential to a woman's wardrobe" (MacDonell Smith, 2003, p. 14). Dior was correct, you can create such diverse looks using just one black dress and a few classic staples to build around it. But, there is one main reason why the LBD has closet MVP status (Most Valuable Possession) —its possibilities for reinvention are limitless, and can go through any occasion and yet you can keep it in your wardrobe season after season. (Anne Martin, 2017) This dress is so popular: because it is versatile and can traverse the social etiquette of cocktail parties, office wear, school graduations, racing carnivals, date-nights, weddings and funerals. (Liz Gessner, 2012) Vogue wrote this following statement. “For any girl, any woman with little money, it’s marvellous to have the possibility of having one dress for the whole season, for the whole year, and be well dressed.” – Vogue (Linda Ames, 2017) This dress was made