The Little Black Dress

In Search of the Perfect Little Black Dress

The dress above looks dark brown but it’s actually black in my pencil sketch. The woman in this drawing looks frustrated and forlorn in her search for the “perfect black dress.” But I love what she is wearing as we see a subtle glimpse of her silhouette in a bodycon-style dress. A bodycon dress gently traces feminine curves and does not fit snug like a glove. It’s a well-tailored garment that looks classy and elegant regardless of age and body shape. According to this article, how to wear a bodycon dress for over 40s, “anyone of any age can rock a bodycon dress if they want to.” This article shares tips on how to pull off this chic style with confidence.

The little black dress (LBD) is defined as an evening or cocktail dress and is typically short (not maxi length) with a simple cut.

Did you know that the origins of the LBD can be traced back to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel and Jean Patou. French fashion is timeless and versatile, and holds appeal to the widest market due to its neutral colors. As you know, I did a post on this very subject in The French Dressed Woman.

This link delves into the history of the LBD and its global allure wardrobeshop.com history of the little black dress. “More than just a dress, the concept of the ‘Little Black Dress’ inspires confidence in women everywhere and will surely live on for centuries to come.”

Since I do not currently have a lot of little black dresses in my wardrobe, I am re-posting some black dresses I have previously worn here:

And here:

“Femme Fatales” frequently wore black dresses to symbolize their “mysterious allure.”

Here are some ideas for the perfect little black dress that caught my eye:

Weargirls.com black off-the-shoulder sasha fishtail wiggle dress:

Uniqistic.com elegant v-neck little black dress:

Unique-vintage.com black keyhole mesh detail wiggle dress:

Unique-vintage.com 1960s style black wiggle dress:

Macys.com Karen Kane three quarter sleeve faux wrap dress:

 

This is the dress I was going to wear to a wedding a few months ago, but it was a little snug (okay, tight). It seems to fit a little better now and the shawl adds an elegant cover for my shoulders. I will try to show you the dress in better lighting in a future post with my Canon camera. The brand is Betsey Johnson and can be seen here in navy. While I love this dress, I am in search of a long-sleeve or three-quarter sleeve black dress similar to the faux wrap dress above.

I hope everyone has a good week and stay tuned for more on the little black dress…Mabel’s first snowstorm.