LITTLE BLACK DRESS

I was dressed, ready to go to a funeral home, and my brother asked, "Is that your little black dress, Coco?"

I complimented his knowing about Coco Chanel and the "little black dress" derivation.  I was wearing, pumps and pearls, but not the cloche hat, as described below in an article from The Wise Geek:

In Victorian and Edwardian times, simple black garments were worn only by servants, or people in mourning.  In 1926, amid the raucous Roaring Twenties, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel changed all that when her first "little black dress" was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine.  It was known as the "Ford Dress" in response to Henry Ford's famous quote about being able to buy his automobiles in any color, as long as it was black and the fact that the Model T was accessible to women of all economic and social classes.

Accessorized with pumps, pearls, and a cloche hat--Chanel's design made a bold statement--both because it was black and because it was simple.  Chanel was quoted as saying, "I imposed black; it's still going strong today, for black wipes out everything else around."

Read more:

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-did-the-little-black-dress-become-a-fashion-staple.htm?m

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