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Style > Fashion

La Petite Robe Noire

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

The little black dress has been a fashion holy grail since Coco Chanel coined the term around the 1920s. With Paris Fashion week upon us, it is important to note the significance Parisian couture has had on the fashion industry. Beautiful couture brands such as Dior, Mugler, Saint Laurent, etc. have all come from France. These brands have been the powerhouses of the higher fashion world. However, nothing beats the Parisian LBD brought to you by Chanel.

Luxury, elegance, power

The little black dress is a staple to elevated fashion. It can be used in business setting to bring out your girl boss, but it can also be used for elegant date nights. The versatility on the LBD is what make it so iconic. Audrey Hepburn was known to represent Chanel’s black dresses and helped to build the brand’s identity. Brands are still creating new ways to style it; Kendall Jenner recently walked for Off White where she sported la petite robe noire:

Taken from Kendall Jenner’s Instagram

Other celebrities are also posting in their versions of the LBD. The beautiful girls of Ephors did a recent photo shoot in which they are all wearing varying black, geometric dresses. Each different style of the dress provides some context into each person and the character they play. This is a great tip to use when trying to personalize the LBD: use different shapes and textures to personalize the dress to you.

Taken from Zendaya’s Instagram

Mads Lewis, TikToker and influencer, gave another take on the LBD. This dress features some peek-a-boo cut outs with a bunch of bling. Both Jenner and Lewis style their dresses with tall, black boots to complete the monochromatic look.

Taken from Madison Lewis’s Instagram

Chanel’s Spring and Summer 2022 collection featured a few little black dresses of differing styles. The dresses are now featuring mesh, cutouts, sequins, and patterns. The LBD is evolving and here are some ways you can to:

Keep it simple

You can definitely find couture LBD’s, but you can also find affordable options at places like H&M, ASOS, or thrifting. Some of the best, classic dresses can come from thrift stores.

Style with colorful heels

Adding a pop of color can be a creative way to stand out. This breaks up the monotonous dark color and created a personal color story. My personal choice is a red or glitter heel.

add a flamboyant jacket as a statement piece

In the same way a pop of color on your shoes expresses creativity, a funky jacket could express some personality into your LBD outfit. In Mads Lewis’s post, she pairs the dress with a Harley Davidson leather jacket.

style it with some bling

A sparkly necklace or dangly earrings can elevate the dress. This is a strategy I would use for formals, date nights, or special events. Paring your dress with a necklace featuring your birthstone could be a unique way to add some bling and some color.

Wear it with a Beret

What a better way to celebrate Paris fashion week than to sport une petite robe noire et un beret. While this is a little more “twee” than pop culture, it certainly is a great way to celebrate Paris Fashion Week!

Nicole Bell is a fourth-year writing, rhetoric, and technical communication major with a women, gender, and sexuality studies minor. She is always with her cats, Doja Cat and Post Malone, and puppy, Aspen. She daydreams about when she will live in NYC.