Little black dress, or in short LBD is truly a classic and a must in every wardrobe. You can own all sorts of extravagant outfits or you can own just a couple of shirts and pants, but without a LBD your closet is incomplete. You can wear the LBD with some nice jewelry for a night out or with a leather jacket when you are in rock and roll mood. The key behind success of the LBD are two words: simplicity and diversity. Hope you’ll enjoy today’s post made by Stela and Ivna as much as I did!

Kisses, Dina AKA Miss Dee

Hello everybody! Today, we have a special treat for you – THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS! Yes, it’s time to showcase one of the ultimate garments of all time! Are you ready 🙂 ?

The little back dress, or LBD for short, is a marvel all by herself. Why? Well, with just one model and five little black dresses, we can have five completely different women. Incredible how one single article of clothing can be so versatile, yet always so elegant and sophisticated!

THE RETRO LOOK:

THE LBD: Tassels are the quintessential 1920s fashion detail, and this tasseled but strapless LBD is a great throwback to the wild decade of the 20th century.
ACCESSORIES: Elegant strappy sandals and some nice earrings round up this retro look
WHERE TO GO: Old restaurants, bars and generally anything with a vintage feeling

THE ROMANTIC LOOK:

THE LBD: A simple LBD with elegant draping on the front. Breezy and sensual at the same time.
THE ACCESSORIES: The look is rounded with a red lip, red pumps and a red leather bag with an interesting buckle.
THE PLACE: It’s perfect for a lounge bar date – or any date, for that matter. It’s just the right amount of romantic without looking too frilly.

THE WILD CHILD LOOK:

THE LBD: Hop for a ride! A true wild child biker chick is so many things rolled into one: sexy, edgy, a bit of dangerous but undeniably feminine – just like this strapless, sleek LBD
THE ACCESSORIES: A leather jacket thrown over the LBD, black pumps and a layered necklace
THE PLACE: On the seat of a motorbike for sure, but this look is so versatile you can take it almost anywhere.

THE ELEGANT LOOK:

THE LBD: An elegant, beaded LBD with a layer of georgette
THE ACCESSORIES: Black satin opera gloves are an accessory that signifies elegance and complete the outfit perfectly. Add golden pumps for some more glamour and here we go!
THE PLACE: Theater outing, a fancy dinner party, or a white tie event? Choose!

THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY LOOK:

The LBD: Oh, this dress is so much fun, fun, fun! What do add except – save the future!
THE ACCESSORIES: Ballet flats and an adorable heart shaped bag complete the look.
THE PLACE: Amusement park, anyone?

The little black dress goes waaay back! Prior to the invention of synthetic textile die, black was one of the most difficult colors to achieve on clothing, and especially difficult to maintain in pristine condition. Thus, wearing black was not a sign of being impossibly chic, but rather very rich!

Stylish? Maybe, but rich for sure! A 17th century portrait by Rembrandt.

Let’s fast forward to the 19th century. LBD was a wardrobe staple back then, as it was very flattering to the figure, and the hourglass was very much prized in those ages.
However, the dresses could hardly be called “little” – they were in tune with the “huge” fashion of most of the century. Hoop came into play in the 1860s (think Gone with the wind), and a hoop skirted black dress is simply a magnificent sight! The end od the century went for a tighter (and to us, a more recognizable) look. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Empress Eugenie of France was widely considered the most glamorous and chic woman in Europe. Black and gold is a stunning combo.

Another chic empress, Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi

Scandalous painting by John Singer Sargent, Madame X, features one incredible LBD!

Actress Camille Clifford was a typical Gibson girl with a perfect hourglass figure, and there is no better way to show it than wear a very tight LBD.

Then came the early 20th century, and everything changed! It was during the 1920s that the LBD came into its own, with the help of giants of the fashion industry who were her biggest champions – Coco Chanel and Molyneux. Coco was especially instrumental in the development of the LBD. The papers of the time called the LBD Coco’s bread and butter, the backbone of most of her collections. As Coco’s fame rose, so did the fame of LBD, and it hasn’t stopped since.

The LBD went from strength to strength from then on, adapting to the trends of the decade, but still maintaining her own brand of charm and mystique. Much could be written on how every decade changes its look, but we will be brief.

There are some LBD we all know – Audrey Hepburn’s LBD from the opening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, for instance, is widely recognized, as is the 1990s LBD of Lady Diana and so on. So, we chose some lesser known, but still effective historical LBDs:

Silent movie star Colleen Moore in a late 1920s LBD

The always perfectly groomed and coiffed Joan Crawford, accessorizing her 1930s LBD with a dog. What can we say, Joan sure is Queen Bee!

Paula Prestiss in a late 1950s LBD

A mini little black dress on Jane Birkin, 1960s

1960s LBD: Jean Seberg in Bonjour, Tristesse. Perfection!!!

Sparkly 1970s LBD for a true diva, Diana Ross!

The kitsch and the extravagance of the 1980s in the LBD, worn by Madonna.

Drew Barrymore shows us how it was done in the 1990s. The dark lip and the flowers complete the look.

Little black dress is much like an illusion – it can make you be anything you want,
if you just style it properly. The options are endless, and every woman would benefit from having not just one, but several LBDs. It’s generally a safe choice for almost any even, but it never becomes boring or uninspired when done correctly. We’ll show you some interesting little black dress combos today!

One of our favorite fashion icons, Blair Waldorf, in a LBD, with a red headband, red lipstick and the red soled shoes, Louboutins! Love the Bibi pumps! Perfect for a brunch.

One of our all time favorite LBD, again on Blair Waldorf. Dark, passionate and dangerous ballerina! And of course, we LOVE tulle!! Anybody wearing the dress would be a centerpiece of a party. 

For those ready to experiment with the LBD, there is always Carrie Bradshaw to take inspiration from. Must have details: the golden boots and the big flower. 

Simple and very effective day wear on Annie Walker from Covert Affairs. Notice the black trench coat 🙂

 Ending on a true rock and roll note, a perfect song for the black dress.

That’s it for now! See you next time!!!

IVNA and STELA