1930: Little Black Dress (LBD)
The little black dress was first seen in May 1926 issue of Vogue magazine when Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel drew the design of the dress for the said issue. First, it was called “Chanel’s Ford” because it is compared to the affordable black Ford automobile.
“Chanel’s Ford” rocked the fashion world in both positive and negative ways. Chanel made a bold effort in her design by choosing black as the color of the dress. Some people had a bad impression about it because black clothing was linked to clergy, servants, or death. However, most of the women were allured by its simplicity and its cost. Accessorized with pearl necklace or worn with high-heels, everyone can pull it off with flying colors.
The popularity of little black dresses became uncontrollable. After its first appearance in Vogue magazine, celebrities also succumbed to LBD phenomenal trend. A little black dress made by Givenchy was worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tifffany’s. It was also used by Max Fleischer as the outfit of the infamous Betty Boop cartoon character. Since then, little black dresses are worn by middle-class to elite women in every dinner, cocktail party and night out.
To cope up with this fashion demand, almost every well-known designer included a little black dress in their collection by the end of the 20th century.
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