Amazing Facts About the Little Black Dress

There is a reason why every woman has at least one black dress in her closet. It will never go out of fashion; it is always relevant and even has some fascinating history behind it. The LBD, or little black dress, debuted in the fashion world in the designs of Jean Patou and Coco Chanel. Gabrielle Chanel published a picture of a short, straight, calf-length black dress in American Vogue in 1926, and the rest is history.

Chanel’s Ford

Vogue called the little black dress Chanel’s Ford. The dress caused a stir in the fashion world as, before Chanel, black clothing was associated with mourning or the servants or clergy. Funnily enough, black is a must-have color for any clothes. Not long after it was first designed, the dress enjoyed popularity through the Great Depression, although it was lengthened to a certain extent.

The Business Dress

When technicolor films came out, filmmakers relied on the little back dress because other colors botched the coloring process and looked distorted on screen. During WWII, the rationing of textiles led to the popularity of the style. It became a uniform or businesswear for civilian women entering the workforce. It was smart, it was sophisticated, and it was now what every woman wanted.

Hollywood Women

Fallen women and Hollywood Femme Fatales were portrayed in black halter-style dresses in contrast to the more conservative dresses of other Hollywood stars or housewives. The cartoon character Betty Boop, created by animator Max Fleischer, was one of the first celebrities to popularize the little black dress.

Then And Now

During the 1980s, the popularity of casual fabrics, particularly knits, for businesswear and dresses brought the little black dress back into vogue. In the 1990s, the grunge culture saw the dress worn with combat boots and sandals, but it remained simple in cut and fabric. And today? Today, the dress can come in any shape, size, or form; as long as it is black and little, anything will work.