As the only garment in your wardrobe that’s known by its initials, the little black dress holds a unique position in the world of fashion.
The navy blazer, plain white tee and camel coat are all contenders as closet staples, but until they are known only as the NB, PWT and CC, they can never compete with the LBD.
It was Coco Chanel who first apotheosised the black dress in the 1920s, lauding it as a blank canvas on which a woman’s personality could emanate unimpeded.
Since then it has been reinterpreted by each generation’s hottest designers and style icons, though most memorably by the late Audrey Hepburn. Apart from my own weddings (yes, I’ve had two), I can’t think of a grand event where I wasn’t in an LBD, and whenever I want to make the right impression at work this sartorial symbol of refinement is what I’ll wear.
