The Little Black Dress

As a Style Guide for Vive La Mode with fashion training in Toronto and New York, as well as her own women’s collection, “Fantine”, Stephanie Wierzbicki is no stranger to fashion.  In this issue, Stephanie offers her insights on a timeless classic – the Little Black Dress.    

Coco Chanel’s early 20th century creation, the Little Black Dress (or the “LBD “), traditionally has a hemline at or above the knee and is preferably sleeveless.  It is regularly referred to as being classic, timeless, and understated.  While the LBD has survived through strong shifts in fashion trends, from the 1926 silhouette to Audrey Hepburn’s iconic sheath in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this slinky gown has shown a new – sexual – side in modern times, becoming a double threat.
 
Present in hotel bars, restaurants, clubs or dinner parties on a Friday or Saturday night, the LBD has become a specific type of sexual armour.  Women wear it to be classic and iconic, but also because the LBD has created a safe, yet still very sexual, canvas where men are able to connect the dots.  No matter what time of the year, when the sun goes down, the LBD comes out.

On a community blog, one user talked about her LBD: “When I feel like anonymous sex, I wear my Black Dress.  Boat neck, backless, long sleeves, and about a size too small.  The hem on the skirt is just below the hip, high and being tight it rides up easily.  I usually wear it with black stockings and a garter belt. Depending on how slutty I feel, underwear is optional.  It’s a great dress for flashing.”
Perhaps our views of the LBD today reveal what we think men will find attractive.  One would like to believe that men have become a little bit more sophisticated than to judge a book by its cover; however, we all move at such a feverish pace that we have no choice but to make a split second visual decision.  First impressions count.  Perhaps the LBD is the perfect first impression then; it captures attention and invites people into our world, but never reveals too much about who we really are or what we are really about.

 For the modern woman whose archetypes include Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) in Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) from Sex in The City, the Little Black Dress is a symbol of her independence.  The single, city girl doesn’t want a relationship with a stable, boring man.  She wants to wander the streets free in couture outfits, always wielding a martini glass in one hand.  She does well on her own, has many friends and admirers and loves to be loved, but never tied down.  She sees life as a limitless adventure and endures heartaches and surprises.  She is constantly searching for that perfect relationship and will go through great lengths to find it; chances are she will be wearing that perfect Little Black Dress when she finally does.
 
There is no hat or handbag that could possibly carry the power of this singular, but diverse, article of clothing.  The LBD should be sexy, fitting the woman’s body just right.  It should carry a woman gracefully through all occasions, from a gallery opening to New Year’s Eve.  In the LBD she signifies her transformation from the full skirts of her youth, the denim of her college years, and alludes to her current aptitude in life and in fashion.

The woman who wears the LBD today is inherently sophisticated not only by choice, but also by necessity. The legacy of the little Black Dress will continue to live on, encouraged by magazines and fashionistas alike with the phrase, “Every woman must have one!”