"Of all the come-hither colors, black is the most chameleon in its sex appeal. It can be all things to all women and men. It can be demure as in the ubiquitous little black dress that clings with subtle suggestiveness to otherwise unsuspected curves. It can hit the height of drama in black satin. Black is romantic in lace, voluptuous in velvet, and black fishnet tights as every fancy dresser will confirm are terribly tarty," says London-based designer Mary Quant in her book Color by Quant.
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel is most often credited for the little black dress. An illustration of the original little black dress in her design appeared in the May 1926 issue of American Vogue. It was compared to standardized black cars of Ford. There may have been other black dresses before this but Chanel’s creation defined the rest. Richard Martine, curator of the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, thinks that it is because of her philosophy in life and style. Chanel told Harper’s Bazaar that, "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance." She wanted to liberate women. She dressed as she pleased. She did not follow convention. She not only designed for the modern woman but was also a modern woman herself. Her priority was comfort and practicality. This is the reason why black appealed to her. Slowly, women were gaining equal ground with men. She catered only to the women of leisure – to a select few. Even at that time her designs were highly expensive. The masses could only afford to wear copies of her designs. Everyone wanted the little black dress.
The black dress probably came out of the tradition of mourning wear, which can be traced to early Christian convents. It reached its peak during the reign of England’s Queen Victoria when she mourned for more than 40 years to pay homage to her husband who died young. Wearing black not only showed respect but proper mourning also indicated the family’s wealth and social status. Until the end of the 19th century, a widow was expected to be in black for more than two years. Who could forget the scene in Gone with the Wind when Scarlett O’Hara shocked the South? Still clad in widow’s clothes, she danced with Rhett Butler. And one of the most remembered images of style icon Jacqueline Kennedy was the time the whole nation mourned with her during the death of her husband, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Clutching her children’s little hands, a young grieving widow stood proud in her little black dress.
Black has a dual meaning. On one hand, it suggests humility as shown in nun’s habits and maid’s uniforms. On the other hand, it is covered in mystery and magic. Black suggests an air of experience. The black dress belongs to the more mature woman – one who has experienced life. It separates the women from the girls. This is the reason it is so appealing to the young. It is considered sexy and grown-up. It would remain popular for decades.
Karl Lagerfeld associates heiress to Singer sewing machine fortune, Daisy Fellows, with the little black dress in the Thirties. Another woman during that time who found her black dresses in Schiaparelli and Mainbocher was Wallis Simpson. Both were never considered beautiful but both reinvented themselves. Their inimitable style gave them beauty. Then the Fifties and the Sixties experienced a surge of creativity and prosperity. Designers from Christian Dior to Hubert de Givenchy, Cristobal Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, Andre Courreges, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, Mary Quant and Paco Rabanne created their versions of the black dress. Robyn Healy writes in Balenciaga: Masterpieces of Fashion Design that, "The most sophisticated day dresses in Paris are the little black dresses, fitting the figure like a wet glove, unrelieved by any soothing touches, immaculately plain from the neck to hem. Most of the big houses show something of that sort, but the best of the school are at the new Spanish house, Balenciaga. Here the black is so black that it hits you like a blow. Thick Spanish black almost velvety, a night without stars, which make ordinary black seems almost grey."
Atrend like the classic black dress is further established through film, music and literature. Cartoon character Betty Boop was a curvaceous jazz babe in the Thirties. Her costume staple was short, strapless and black. She was the symbol of the modern woman – daring and assertive with an innocent charm. She was the first female star who could do anything – from drama to musical and comedy. Steamier versions of the basic black dress emerged on the figures of Rita Hayworth in Gilda, Ava Gardner in The Killers and Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8. Ginger Rogers danced with Fred Astaire in a black satin dress by Bernard Newman in Roberta. Doris Day in Teacher’s Pet, Jayne Mansfield in The Girl Can’t Help It, Shirley McLaine in Sweet Charity, Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point, Faye Dunaway in Chinatown, Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal and Jamie Lee Curits in True Lies all graced the screen in the little black dress. But, perhaps the most notable of all was the enduring image of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The film opens with the actress strolling down Fifth Avenue in New York at dawn in a column of black silk with above-the-elbow gloves, heaps of pearls and large black sunglasses. Thanks to Givenchy, the little black dress has sealed its place as the symbol of chic and style.
Alittle black dress does wonders. Most of the time, we remember a personality through what she wore to an event. Marilyn grabbed attention regardless of what she was wearing. But in 1954, the troops were "at ease" when she danced onstage in a black sequined spaghetti strapped dress while providing entertainment to American men stationed in Korea. Do you remember relatively unknown Elizabeth Hurley wearing a black dress by Gianni Versace in 1994? She was only known then as Hugh Grant’s girlfriend. After her discovery in that next-to-nothing dress put together with safety pins, she landed a major contract with Estee Lauder, produced and acted in the movies. And who could forget Lady Diana Spencer’s first public appearance with Prince Charles where she wore a strapless, low-cut evening dress designed by Britain’s Elizabeth and David Emanuel? Not only did it reveal too much but it was also in black, a color reserved only for mourning. Years later, she made a rebellious statement of a different kind with a short, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress worn to an event following the announcement of her pending divorce.
Today, we buy clothes because it makes us feel good. Whether a dress or a suit, a great cut is essential. A black dress allows the woman to define herself and set her apart from the others. In the 1959 film, Some Like It Hot, Jack Lemmon puts on a little black dress with a string of pearls in order to pass for a female musician. It is a clear definition of a woman’s femininity and sexuality. It can make a woman sexy, comfortable, conservative, sophisticated and elegant with just a change in cut and accessories. The color is also flattering and at the same time forgiving (hiding those extra pounds). Every woman in a little black dress makes her own statement. The little black dress is definitely here to stay.