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The iconic little black dress turns 90

Silke Wünsch eg
September 30, 2016

It's just a dress. But the LBD's iconic absence of color has made it fashionable and versatile for 90 years. Here's a tribute to the little black dress - elegant, provocative, long, short, narrow or wide.

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Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ADAGP Paris 200/Man Ray Trust

Actually, it's way more than just a dress. It's a statement.

Coco Chanel revealed her little black dress in "Vogue" 90 years ago, predicting that is would become "a sort of uniform for all women of taste," which was a revolutionary thing to say in 1926.

Back in the Golden Twenties, countless women were grieving their husbands who had died during the war. That same decade also launched decisive steps of women's liberation. This could be felt in fashion, where skirts became shorter and figures were emphasized.

Coco Chanel freed women from the corset with the little black dress, aka LBD. It would take many years for it to become an essential element in every woman's wardrobe however.

Click through the gallery above to discover some of the LBD's most iconic moments.