The Guide to the Little Black Dress

In 1926 Vogue called Coco Chanel's simple, black, calf-length dress "Chanel's Ford" because of the traits it shared with the Ford Motor Co.'s Model T — instant-craze status, availability in only one color, mass appeal, and accessibility. With this one wool jersey dress, Chanel yanked black away from its funereal associations — solidified by Queen Victoria's decades-long mourning of Prince Albert — and into the realm of chic. Designer Paul Poiret, unable to come to terms with this shocking new use of the color black, is said to have asked Chanel, "For whom are you in mourning, mademoiselle?" Her famous reply: "For you, monsieur."

Since then, the popularity of the little black dress has waxed and waned, its fortunes pegged to societal and cultural shifts. The LBD soared after the stock market crashed in 1929 and ushered in "poor chic," as ornate, colorful duds were relegated to the back of the closet. As women's roles evolved in the latter half of the 20th century, demand for the versatile little black dress increased — with a little accessory mojo, it was easy to take it from work to cocktail hour to dinner. Today the LBD is as alive as ever, maybe because it never fails to present a stylish backdrop. It's a blank slate that allows every woman to project that day's or evening's choice of persona. Dangerous dame or demure deb? With the LBD, that's up to the woman in the dress.

467,200
British Pounds

The price earned at a Christie's auction in London in December 2006 for the black Givenchy gown Audrey Hepburn wore as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Real-Life Icons and How They Wore It

Black can be as attention-getting as fire-engine red if you know how to work it, as evidenced by history's publicity-seekers. Madame X, John Singer Sargent's 1884 portrait of notorious socialite Virginie Gautreau in a plunging black dress, may have caused more of a scandal than the sitter expected. Gautreau retired from Paris society, and the painting nearly ruined Sargent's career. Princess Diana shed the "Shy Di" moniker when she stepped out with Prince Charles in public for the first time in an eye-popping strapless black gown. She wielded the LBD again years later, donning a stunning black dress the same night Charles admitted adultery on television. Fellow Brit Elizabeth Hurley outshone partner Hugh Grant and earned instant fame at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994 when she showed up in a slinky Versace dress held together by a handful of safety pins.

Trends and Events that Fueled the Rise of the LBD

• Truman Capote's Black and White Ball: In 1966, the socialite writer threw what some called the party of the century. Its strict dress code inspired fashionable guests such as Mia Farrow and Candice Bergen to get creative with their LBDs, and its success launched countless future black-and-white balls.
• Technicolor: Filmmakers came to rely on the little black dress, because many
  colors looked distorted in Technicolor.
• World War II: One little black dress could be worn six different ways - a necessity at a time when everything, including fabric, was rationed.
  

Where to Buy One

Open on Saturdays only, the Little Black Dress Shop (135 Tecumseth St., littleblackdressshop.com) is a fashion-forward Toronto boutique that restocks its LBDs weekly. New York's Intermix (98 Prince St., intermixonline.com) carries Zac Posen, a modern master of the LBD. Didier Ludot in Paris (125 Galerie de Valois, didierludot.com) is the place to find vintage couture, including classic, museum-worthy LBDs. Find more affordable options at White House | Black Market in Washington, D.C. (Union Station, whitehouseblackmarket.com).

He Said, She Said

"You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it on most any occasion. A little black dress is essential to a woman's wardrobe."
— Christian Dior

"When the little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place."
— Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

— Caroline Tiger