Forever young: Little Black Dress turns 80
When designer Coco Chanel unveiled the first real ‘Little Black Dress’ 80 years ago, it caused quite a stir in the world of women’s fashion.
Now the iconic garment is so ubiquitous it has its own entry in the online Wikipedia encyclopedia.
Fashion’s most timeless of octogenarians today remains as much a style statement as it was in its first daring incarnation in 1926 - a symbol of simple, practical chic
Chanel’s revolution ushered in the one dress that could be worn from dawn till dusk with little adornment apart from well-chosen costume jewelery, yet remain the ultimate in modern elegance.
French Vogue magazine in 1926 dubbed it the “uniform of the modern woman“, while its American counterpart called it “Chanel’s Ford“, a reference to Henry Ford’s mass production of the car making it affordable and therefore accessible to all.
Since then, the LBD has gone on to inspire leading designers and high street stores through the decades, constantly reinvented in shape, cut, fabric and detail, but remaining a wardrobe staple.
While some may put its lasting popularity down to black’s quality of flattering the complexion as well as showing off, or being forgiving on, the figure, others point to its reassuring safety when unsure how to dress for an occasion.
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s artistic director since 1983, has put the LBD’s enduring success down to the fact that “A woman never looks bad in a little black dress.“
Source | Anatomy of a classic
Tags: France, French, Little Black Dress, Coco Chanel, LBD
Fri 29-Dec-06 | Posted in: History, Created in France
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