The phrase “all black everything” is pretty accurate when delving into the modern wardrobe. However, this has not always been the case. In 1926 Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel declared black to be the only appropriate colour and ever since, the world has not been the same. Prior to this, black was worn when working: butlers’ suits, maids’ outfits or at funerals. It was not a colour you saw worn on a day-to-day basis. The acceptance of black began in post war France as designer houses, such as Chanel, began to look for ways to restart their businesses. Chanel decided that black was the only colour that could be standardised and used to create an economically perfect attire. Black was from then used to promote a wardrobe that could be worn by everyone, all day, every day. The simple, flattering colour could easily be applied to a variety of materials and therefore the same design could be transferred from daywear to nightwear . It could be used on cotton to create a pair of day trousers or applied to silk to create an elegant evening dress.
The legendary “little black dress” was launched the same year, an item that every modern girl has in her wardrobe. The LBD cannot be considered a trend as it has never gone out of fashion, ever! It is a timeless piece. Black is considered to be slimming and is (meant to) make your legs look longer! In my opinion, the colour has never gone out of fashion because it is so easy to wear; it goes with so many other colours and is therefore an essential part of every wardrobe.
Historically, Chanel’s influence on the world has been legendary. She was a highly modernising influence and knew of trends before they had even occurred, her instinct to introduce black as a colour of clothes has affected our fashion choices to this day. The influence of this decision has been so influential that it even affected car sales. Rover famously advertised its cars with the slogan “you can order any colour as long as it’s black”. However it has been questioned that if this was Chanel’s influence or because black had a quicker drying time and therefore they could produce more cars over a shorter period of time.
Fast-forward to the present day and it is impossible to miss the presence of black in fashion, interior design and advertising. Black looks expensive: it is luxurious, it is sophisticated and therefore used across the industry to sell sell sell! However, despite all this, in an interview, Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue said that the only outfit she would never wear would be “head to toe black”. You simply have to look at the high street, catwalks and red carpets across the world to see black everywhere. To think that it was once a colour hardly worn to its prominence today makes you wonder why after so many years we can’t move on from this legendary look?
By Becky Stevenson
Image Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2566034/Dolce-Gabbanas-Princes…
http://yummistyle.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/the-iconic-and-timeless-littl…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2768498/North-West-steals-a…