The History of the LBD

The perennial Little Black Dress: much more than just a wardrobe staple; a go-to, a saviour, a constant, a classic, a blank canvas, a best friend. Whatever the occasion, the LBD can remove the headache all too often associated with “dressing appropriately”. Little Black Dresses have been treasured throughout the decades, testament to how important this piece was, and is, to all women regardless of their shape, size and style.

1930s

Josephine Baker

The roaring 30s put cocktail dressing firmly on the style agenda, and no one mirrored the Gatsby-esque trend better than performer, Josephine Baker. A muse to both Hemmingway and Picasso, Baker’s outrageous Flapper style was as legendary as her stage performances. A lover of decadent embellishment, peacock feathers made for apt detailing when it came to her take on the LBD.

1940s

Wallis Simpson- The Duchess of Windsor

With a love life as high profile as hers, it was important for Wallis to always look her best. So what did she reach for time and time again to achieve that meticulously tailored and well-heeled, royal image? A classic, chic LBD, of course. Due to their razor-sharp tailoring and subtle, yet striking, details Wallis favoured the sculptural creations of Elsa Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli understood that, for Wallis, attention to detail was oh-so important, and this was at the heart of all her formal finery.

(Image: Flickr, Elena Lu)

1950s

Marilyn Monroe

The original blonde bombshell, Marilyn was no stranger to the seductive power of the LBD. Low-cut or backless, above or below the knee, Marilyn’s LBD preference always oozed 100 mega watts of pure sex appeal. Pictured here with her third and final husband, Arthur Millar, she provides a masterclass in demure, yet sultry, LBD dressing. The sheer, black chiffon panel at the midriff nods towards old world glamour and is undeniably “Marilyn”.

1960s

Audrey Hepburn

Arguably the most iconic LBD ambassador, the ever-elegant, Audrey Hepburn, set the bar high when it came to Little Black Dress sophistication. A long-time muse of Hubert Givenchy, Hepburn cut a legendary figure as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, wearing this strikingly chic, long, black sheath creation, designed by Givenchy himself. So admired was this show-stopping piece that it sold for £467,200 at Christies in 2006; seven times more than the £70,000 pre-sale estimate, making it the highest price ever paid for a dress from a film.

(Image: Picasaweb, Vsevolod Ivanov)

1970s

Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Cultured, sleek and classy, Jackie Kennedy Onassis continued to inspire women the world over throughout the 70’s with her immaculate wardrobe choices. Here, whilst dining at the fashionable La Cote Basque, she wore a longer length, demure, elaborately designed LBD, and single-handedly defined chic, glamorous dressing for the in-her-40’s woman. Jackie was seen wearing this particular dress on several different occasions (she didn’t believe in wearing a dress only once), thus demonstrating the useful versatility of the LBD.

1980s

The Robert Palmer Girls

If LBD dressing in the 70s was characterised by demure, uptown bohemia, then the 1980s can be credited with giving birth to never-before-seen, full-on sexiness. This powerful, new mood was embodied by the seductively aloof, guitar playing girls in Robert Palmer’s iconic Addicted to Love video. Tight, short and leaving very little to the imagination, the skimpy, body-con LBDs of the 80s drew attention to the body beautiful like never before. Parisian designer, Hervé Léger, trail blazed this legendary look, and his succinct, sultry dresses were seen on many beautiful, A-list women the world over.

1990s

Elizabeth Hurley

Revealing evening wear continued to be a popular trend throughout the 90s, and this was no more evident than when Elizabeth Hurley wore her utterly incredible safety pin LBD.

Designed by the late Gianni Versace, and worn to the 1994 British premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral, That Dress transformed Liz from just Hugh Grant’s Girlfriend into a global household name in her own right, overnight. So powerful was its provocation, the safety pin LBD was voted the greatest red carpet gown of all time in 2008*.

2000

Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton concluded her 2011 royal appointments in style by wowing onlookers at the Night of Heroes Military Awards with this exquisite, floor length, strapless LBD. This choice of black tie dress further belies the young princess’ love for the late British designer, Alexander McQueen. Tight, corset-style boning and flowing yards of sumptuous black velvet ensured that Kate had never looked more radiantly beautiful. Her love of the classic LBD and simple, yet chic, accessorising can be credited with ushering in a new and demure female formal dress code.