Coco Chanel - Little Black Dress Liberation

A Lesson in Simple Elegance and Versatility

French couture designer, Coco Chanel, is credited with creating the very first Little Black Dress. Ever since Chanel debuted her hallmark style, generations of women have been indoctrinated with the edict that a wardrobe is never truly complete without the Little Black Dress. Before the 1920s, black dresses were typically worn by the working class. Maids, and housekeepers often wore black dresses as uniforms because the dark color would not show dirt or stains. Historically, black dresses were associated with mourning or poverty, and carried generally negative connotations. However, the Roaring Twenties was a time when people took pleasure in rejecting social norms, and Chanel’s expressive styles were as groundbreaking and revolutionary as they were phenomenal and fashion-forward. By 1926, Chanel had gained great successful among high class and elite circles in Paris. The October 1926 cover of Vogue featuring her design would forever change the way that women would dress. The iconic garment, a long-sleeved crêpe de Chine dress with a relaxed silhouette and dropped waist was the prototype for the very first Little Black Dress. The magazine described the elegant garment as "Chanel’s Ford," referring to the wildly popular Model T, as Henry Ford said of his car, it was “available in any color… so long as it’s black.” Additionally, Chanel’s Little Black Dress was introduced during the early years of The Great Depression. Almost overnight, wealthy women sought the look that was elegant, yet simple and also affordable and the LBD insinuated that this understated yet luxurious item was accessible to women of all social strata. This extraordinary creation also allowed women to dress up without looking too flashy or taking resources away from the second World War effort. The influence of Hollywood perpetuated the LBD’s popularity even further as the new Technicolor filming methods often relied on using black dresses, because colored ones could appear distorted on camera and additionally symbolized actresses’ mysterious allure.

Coco Chanel’s Little Black Dress marked a time of momentous liberation in which women were free from the restrictive, traditional clothing of the prior century, as it was accepted into mainstream fashion. The simplicity and elegance of the little black dress made it a chic and timeless staple for many women around the world. I believe the LBD gave women a profound sense of glamour, self-expression, and freedom in breaking away from their traditional “display rules” of the 19th century. The significance of the color, and more revealing style broke the current social norms and evoked liberation as the iconic garment was a large contribution to the flapper era that pushed economic, political, and sexual freedom for women. This wonderful vogue is personal to me as I see the LBD as the origin of the more modern symbol of a dangerous woman and how the classic garment gave rise to a mysterious and sophisticated expression in women.