In considering the chronological development of fashionable dress and decoration—that is, the attire selected and adopted by the leading members of a society, we can reflect on the fact that in any group of people—whether constituting a small community or a great nation—it is usually those with wealth and power who influence, and even dictate, fashions to other members. This discussion does not concentrate solely on apparel but also covers, as appropriate, certain aspects of hairdressing, jewelry, and the use of cosmetics. In addition, the nature and purposes of dress and some of the specific social, political, economic, geographic, and technological factors influencing changes in fashion are treated. Not treated here are specialized attire, including ecclesiastical dress; military dress; academic, trade, or professional dress; and the national or regional costumes of peasant or indigenous peoples.
Let us look at dress fashion from a Western point of view because they are the ones who dictate the trends in fashion. No lady's wardrobe is quite complete without the little black dress. Obviously black is a favourite colour with the ladies as it has a way of slimming and contouring the human body. Black is timeless, always elegant and sometimes invests the wearer with an air of mystery. We take it so much for granted as the life saver that it is, that we kind of assume it's been around forever. Actually before the 1920s black dress were reserved for mourning periods for widows. In those days there were different stages of what could be worn during mourning including accessories design detail and types of materials.
Nowadays it is considered an essential part of fashion that every lady should own a little black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. When choosing the dress it is important to veer away from current trends but to go for something classic. But where did this trend originate?
It was in 1926 that Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel had a picture in Vogue of a simple, short black dress. It was straight and calf-length and something that could be worn by any woman. At the same time soon after the First World War there were other radical changes happening in fashion. The bouffant style hair was giving way to short bobs, but more radically some women were no longer wearing corset and rummaging in male wardrobes, and they were indeed beginning to dress like boys!
Initially the designers did not seem to take to this change so well but after time they embraced it and lady's wardrobes had a more androgynous style. The full outfit showed a waistless, bustless figure but was dressed up with flamboyant accessories. Coco Chanel was a fashion icon and she helped along the sporty look, the little black dress and the use of jersey knit for ladies clothes.
During the Great Depression the little black dress retained its popularity due to its elegance and affordable price. Hollywood helped this along as many of the dramatic female characters were seen wearing halter neck versions of this fashion staple and the less dramatic ones were wearing the normal version. The style continued to spread during World War 2. The 1950s were conservative so the style became more of a uniform again and also synthetic fibers had become popular during the 40s and 50s. But then arrived the 1960s.
The 1960s brought changes of all sorts and this style was affected also. There was a lot of shortening of skirts, with the younger crowd creating a mini skirt version. Slits and cutouts were fashioned in the bodice area and the use of sheer fabrics was also part of these changes. By the 1970s there were more lacy, feminine versions of this style but at this stage other colors were more favored in fashion. In the 1980s they made a comeback now with shoulder details being popular.
Possibly the most famous visual of this style is Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Her character, Holly Golightly, wore the Chanel ideal with the black dress accessorized with a simple string of pearls. The great singer Edith Piaf performed for her entire career wearing a black sheath dress, and this got her the nickname of the "little black sparrow
