Every woman needs one dress that makes them feel unstoppable, untouchable and ultimately drop dead gorgeous with only one item of clothing. Your LBD might not be black but it will have the same feeling and emotional attachment. It can be whatever colour you want it to be but it will be the one outfit that makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.
How Did The LBD Come To Life
The history behind the LBD is pretty special. The concept was thought up by one of the biggest designers in the world, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. As women we have a lot to thank Chanel for, she revolutionised the way we see fashion. Chanel eliminated the need for women to wear a painful corset on a daily basis which ultimately changed the shape of women’s clothing. In creating the Little Black Dress, Chanel wanted the dress itself to be comfortable, she made this dress look boyish and baggy, something women never had before. Making women feel better about themselves during the trying time of World War 1, she had a way of making this simple dress compliment a woman’s body. This reinvented the colour black, it no longer represented grief and mourning. Style, elegance, freedom and now we love the colour black mostly because it’s slimming!
“comfort was key to it’s success”
Chanel kept the design very simple, the goal was to make one item of clothing comfortable enough to wear all day long and eliminate the need for multiple outfit changes in any one day. In her most famous design, comfort was key to it’s success. The dress was so simple that it would be worn dressed down during the day with a scarf but dressed up in the evening with a set of pearls.
In 1926 the Little Black Dress was likened to the Ford car by the American Vogue. The dress and the car both only came in the colour black, therefore for a period of time the dress was renamed The Ford Dress. Both were luxurious and affordable!
Thank you Chanel!
Gabrielle Chanel also created affordable designs out of a woolen material, known as jersey. At the time this was commonly used solely for men’s underwear but she made it available for women. Contributing to the list of things Chanel revolutionised is something we take for granted… hemlines. Chanel liberated our hemlines to sitting above the knee! She realised women’s place in society was changing rapidly we were becoming more independent and drew her inspiration from it, designing the classic Chanel Suit for the working woman!
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous” – Gabrielle Chanel”
So ladies, find your dress. Some of you may be lucky enough to already have a dress like this in your wardrobe. When your out shopping for a dress for your next big occasion, make sure you feel:
Comfortable
Gorgeous
Elegant
Coco wouldn’t want you to feel anything less!
