A Small Black Dress that Changed the World
World War I took away not only millions of lives and national boundaries, but also the length of women’s skirts. The former was a tragedy, but the latter was the apparent blessing. Women follow the fashion in any occasions. And which war was able to destroy the fashion trends? At that time Coco Chanel catches the right moment, and in 1926 creates his wonderful masterpiece: a small black dress, which changed the whole stereotype of fashion with its long skirts and dresses.
A small black dress met all the requirements of the dressing code, which could have been invented in the distant 1926: it needed a little quantity of material (during those difficult times the textile industry was also suffering), it could be used (and still can) as an evening dress and work clothes, it suited with almost any hairstyle and any length of hair, it did not require extra costs and could be sewn from almost any material, both expensive and cheap. So it was the perfect invention of that time.
A small black dress created a commotion. Of course, it is a collection of many merits and a minimum defects. American magazine Vogue, which predicted the appearance of a dress-uniform of great simplicity, modern, elegant and comfortable, gave «La Ford» nickname to this small black dress, comparing it with the most popular model of car. The comparison was more than truth: both Ford and small black dress embodies the same things: modernity, elegance and convenience.
The first small black dress from Coco Chanel still had some conservative notes of early twentieth century and a need for accessories. It was sewn from a black crepe-de-chine (China silk) and crossed diagonally from top to bottom of the decorative embroidery. The necessary attribute for the dress were long sleeves of Coco Chanel’s favorite classic length – until the middle of the knee. According to Coco Chanel, knees were always spoiling the impression of the female figure, so they had to be hidden.
A small black dress instantly won its place in everyone’s wardrobe all over the world. It was worn by princesses and maids. Coco Chanel recommended wearing pearls with a small black dress.
A small black dress did not simply become a popular model in a specific time, it has remained popular till now. Coco Chanel marked that every woman should have in her wardrobe a small black dress. Having such a dress in her wardrobe a woman will be dressed well and in accordance with the latest trends of fashion.
Of course, a modern small black dress differs from the classical model by Coco Chanel. It is not a necessary element to wear sleeves, the decorative embroidery has vanished, and the models of skirts are different, from the broad and lush, to narrow, following all the curves of body. A small black dress got décolleté, shoulder straps and belts. But despite any changes, the main idea will stay the same: modernity, elegance and convenience.
A small black dress is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Its attractiveness lies mainly in that the dress itself is located on the second stage. When a woman is dressed in a small black dress, people will not enjoy the art of the designer, but they will enjoy the woman herself, who becomes the picture and the dress is just a frame. And as a «frame» is no longer distracting a glance of connoisseur, all attention is given to the «painting».
There are several disadvantages with a small black dress. The feet should be beautiful; in case they are not then it is not right to wear this dress. If there are some problems with the figure (f.e. extra weight), then you’d better forget about it. If there is a problem with a skin, the black dress will only underline its defects.
We can say that a small black dress has spurred the development of areas of knowledge and industry. For a small black dress, women were ready to sit on a diet (there is a “Small Black Dress Diet” diet, especially for those who want to wear small black dress). The necessity to have a good skin for wearing this dress has caused a boom in the cosmetics and perfumery industry. The Length of dress and the associated requirement to have beautiful legs immediately stimulated epilating (depilation) (just imagine hairy legs combined with a small black dress and you will see who will get rich after Coco Chanel’s invention). We can continue the list, but this article it is enough.
A small black dress affects all areas of life, from the contents of the refrigerator to the car. The tendency of a small black dress does not finish his victorious march to peace. It continues to evolve and change our lives.
