one is never over- or underdressed with a little black dress ~ karl lagerfeld
aahhh…the little black dress…both mysterious and chic, understated and provocative…its color is the foundation for its success…once symbolic of mourning, black slims the body, frames the face…and hides imperfect tailoring…
the little black dress is easily the quickest way to look sophisticated and endlessly elegant…
inspired by the utilitarian uniforms of maids and shopgirls, coco chanel introduced the black dress in the 1920’s…at the time, vogue magazine likened its inventions to that of the model t… rechristened the “cocktail dress” in the 1950’s, and it was immortalized in the 1961 movie “breakfast at tiffany’s” by audrey hepburn, who accessorized it with sunglasses…and pearls…and how can we forget the long luxurious gloves…les sigh…
nina garcia states in her book “the little black book of style”…fashion legend has it that coco chanel created the first little black dress…it represents all that chanel stood for: comfort, practicality, and self-assured sexiness…but fashion legends always try to be associated with coco chanel…in fact, the LBD (little black dress) was not the brainchild of the brilliant french designer…it was simply born out of practicality…years before chanel debuted her LBD, the garment had found its way into women’s closets…as women grew busier, they needed stylish items that were also versatile, comfortable, and practical…the little black dress emerged as a product of necessity…but, yes, it was chanel who perpetuated the legend in 1926, when she debuted her famous “ford” design, which to this day remains an item that is elegant, seductive, flattering, and practical”
if you would like to know more of the history of the little black dress…malie of the vintage shopping guide wrote a great post…
when i think of the little black dress…this comes to mind…
the embodiment of sophistication, simplicity, versatility, and timelessness, the well-fitting black dress is one of the few pieces you will never give away…
