The little black dress is so very enduring because of its ability to look great on everyone at a variety of social functions. The little black dress is a symbol of chic and sophisticated simplicity. It is the women’s wardrobe staple that always manages to capture the spirit of the times. To view the full article: http://www.damnireallywannakissyou.com/can-never-go-wrong-little-black-dress/

2. You Can Never Go Wrong with a
little Black Dress
The little black dress is so very enduring because of its ability to look great on
everyone at a variety of social functions. The little black dress is a symbol of
chic and sophisticated simplicity. It is the women’s wardrobe staple that
always manages to capture the spirit of the times.
The little black dress, that Christmas party staple, is a bit of an enigma. It is
both one of the blandest elements of a woman’s wardrobe – as the default
option when stuck for what to wear for an occasion – and a
stubbornly timeless, persistently revisited icon. Essentially a simple black
cocktail dress, the garment goes by the affectionate nickname of LBD,
which has its own entry in the dictionary.
Katya Foreman examines the enduring appeal of the Little Black Dress here.

3. Driving force
Vogue’s editors in 1926 dubbed
Coco Chanel’s original Little Black
Dress ‘the Ford’ because it
mirrored the democratic ideals of
the Model T car. (Chanel/Courtesy
Vogue Paris).

4. Hot Coco
Hot Coco Chanel threw away
conventions and her influence
endures today – trousers for
women, branded perfumes and a
fashion for suntans are among her
other inventions. (Alamy).

5. X-rated
The revealing dress in John Singer
Sargent’s portrait of the socialite
Virginie Gautreau (often known as
the Portrait of Madame X)
scandalized the Paris Salon in
1884. (Wikimedia).

6. Early adopter
Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of
Windsor, was a fan of the LBD from
the outset. Her style tips included
the advice that a woman could
“never be too rich or too thin”.
(Rex Features).

7. Thread and breakfast
Hubert Givenchy’s dress worn by
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at
Tiffany’s is perhaps the most
famous LBD of all time. (Rex
Features).

8. Belle epoque
Catherine Deneuve’s Yves SaintLaurent-designed outfit in Buñuel’s
Belle de Jour is a 1960s LBD classic.
(Allied Artist Pictures).

9. Pin-up girl
The Versace dress worn by
Elizabeth Hurley to the premiere of
Four Weddings and a Funeral
caused a storm in the press and
made Hurley a household name.
(Rex Features).

10. Enduring appeal
Fashion editor André Leon Talley
has been fascinated by the LBD for
years. Seen here in 1974, he
recently curated an exhibition on
the subject. (Bill Cunningham/Skira
Rizzoli).

11. Back to black
The exhibition was shown in Paris
at the Mona Bismarck American
Center for Art & Culture this year.
It featured around 50 classic
dresses from the fashion canon.
(Adam Kuehl/SCAD).

12. Grand prix
British designer Giles Deacon’s
2013 LBD for French retailer
Monoprix raises the hem and adds
a classic touch with an oversize
bow at the neckline. (Monoprix).