Coco Chanel popularized the little black dress in the 1920s.
The defining moment came in 1926, when American Vogue published a picture of a simple, calf-length black Chanel dress. Vogue compared its straightforward design to the mass-produced Ford automobile, suggesting that the style could become a practical fashion uniform rather than an exclusive novelty.
Chanel’s approach helped change black’s place in women’s clothing. Although black had long signified wealth, formality, service, or mourning in different settings, her streamlined dresses presented it as modern, elegant, versatile, and potentially accessible. The style could work for daytime or evening depending on fabric and accessories.
The decade is sometimes confused because the little black dress became even more widespread during the 1930s, when the Great Depression increased demand for economical clothing. Chanel did not invent every earlier black dress, but her 1920s designs and publicity decisively popularized the modern LBD.