No lady’s wardrobe is quite complete without the little black dress that has been around forever.

A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often with a short skirt. Since Chanel introduced the “little black dress” in 1926, it has become the epitome of chic. Her first LBD was a slash-necked, short silk dress with only diagonal pin-tucks as decoration. Chanel believed fashion should be functional as well as chic. Radically simple, her LBD was designed not to show stains and to fit every woman. It was meant as the fashion ideal: a perfectly simple, yet sexy object. The most famous visual of this style is Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys.

The “little black dress” is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a “rule of fashion” that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening.

Anyone with a little black dress will not need telling why they are so wonderful but a reminder is always good when you feel like you have nothing to wear. Little black dresses are brilliant because…

- They come in a variety of shapes and designs. Long, short, pencil skirt, flared skirt, long sleeved, halter neck, tube, spaghetti straps – the list is endless.

- Black is very very slimming. It is flattering whether you are a perfect size 6, a perfect size 20.

- Whatever the occasion it never looks out of place (as long as the sleeves and length are appropriate).

- You can go from work to a cocktail party without changing (what an emotional roller-coaster of a day that would be).

- You can dress it down with thick black tights, flat shoes, a cardigan or a blazer.

- You can dress it up with a flash of color in your make-up, with extravagant jewelery, beautiful shoes or a super belt.

- You can wear the same dress for a week and look different every day with the wonder of accessories.

- You can have ten completely different black dresses in your wardrobe without feeling guilty.

- You can look great in a little black dress whether it cost $20 or $2,000.

- You know it will never go out of fashion so it is a long term investment.

- It can be elegant, chic, sexy, formal, relaxed, reserved, you can stand out or blend into the background.