The cocktail dress is one of these rare articles of clothing that must be special enough to make an impression at a variety of events, yet versatile enough to be worn time and time again. It’s no small feat, which is why the most famous and popular form of cocktail dress is a true classic—the little black dress.

Coco Chanel was not the first designer to put her clients in a black dress, but she was the first to finally wrench black from its associations with mourning and reinvent it as the preferred color for festive, carefree occasions. In the mid-1920s, her simple, straight, one-piece calf-length dresses received almost universal acclaim, becoming the uniform of sophisticated swells throughout the decade and into the Great Depression, when it was admired as much for its economy as its style.

After World II, Christian Dior did not neglect the cocktail dress when he unveiled his New Look, although his creations used miles more fabric than Chanel ever would have contemplated. By the 1950s, though, the black cocktail dress seemed almost risqué, a crass instrument of seduction when compared to the innocent circle skirts of teenage girls, to say nothing of the frumpy house dresses worn by their stay-at-home-moms...

Even so, sleeveless cocktail dresses from the 1950s ranged from those basic black numbers favored by film sirens and vixens to only slightly less modest wiggle dresses in metallic brocade. Cotton prints with arms that stopped above the elbow, with peekaboo details around the waist, were also common. At some parties, purple lace dresses (tight at the waist, flared at the hem, and accessorized by multiple strings of pearls) would frequently square off against strapless numbers in baby blue chiffon.

For 1950s girls attending the high-school proms, white cocktail or party dresses were widely embraced, but so were dresses in soft pastels. Although it was probably not self-evident at the time, these muted tones paved the way for the bold reds and blues that would become prom favorites in the 1980s and ’90s.

In the 1960s, though, the little black dress came roaring back thanks to a dress Hubert de Givenchy created for actress Audrey Hepburn, who played Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The form-fitting dress she wore for that film, with its thin straps over bare shoulders and a vent at the hem that exposed Hepburn’s leg to the knee, was so legendary that it sold at auction almost half a century later for just under a million bucks.

Givenchy’s cocktail dress for Hepburn is only one example of a prominent designer’s little black dress kick-starting a young actress’s career. For example, Elizabeth Hurley achieved almost equal notoriety in 1994 when she wore a Gianni Versace variation of the little black dress to a film premiere. That post-Punk creation featured a dangerously plunging sweetheart neckline and was held together by nothing but outsized safety pins.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Interviews & Articles

The Hepburn Dress That Keeps on Giving

I recently had the pleasure of updating our Audrey Hepburn overview, which probably took me longer than most, mainly because every… [more]

Dress Hound Cherie Federau Explains How She Makes Vintage Work for Her

I’ve pretty much always been a little bit fashion-nutty, ever since I was about 16 years old and I discovered Vogue. I started lik… [more]

Good Girls and Bad Boys: How to Achieve That Cool '50s Rockabilly Look

Jayne Mansfield is buried in my hometown. You could drive past the cemetery and see her heart-shaped headstone from the road. We h… [more]

Leading the Charge Against Casual Style, Armed With Antique Clothes and a Bike

Tziporah Salamon is used to being photographed—by everyone from New York City tourists to famous "New York Times" street-fashion p… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

MyVintageVogue

MyVintageVogue

The history of 20th-century women’s fashion largely played out in the pages of magazines such as “Harper’s Ba… [read review or visit site]

Fashion Columbia Study Collection

Fashion Columbia Study Collection

The Fashion Columbia Study Collection (FCSC) is the digital home of the Columbia College Chicago’s fashion archiv… [read review or visit site]

1960s Fashion and Textiles

1960s Fashion and Textiles

Put on your go-go boots and check out this wavy, groovy tribute to 1960s fashion and textiles, courtesy of the Vict… [read review or visit site]

Vintage Fashion Guild

Vintage Fashion Guild

While primarily designed to steer buyers to online vintage clothing shops, this blog is chock full of interesting, … [read review or visit site]

Fashion-Era

Fashion-Era

Bursting at the seams with content, this site contains hundreds of pages of fashion and costume history, including … [read review or visit site]

The Antique Corset Gallery

The Antique Corset Gallery

Take a deep breath, and check out this sparse, simple, and beautifully designed site showcasing 250 years of corset… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Womens Clothing

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 112 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
Vintage 30s 40s Elegant Beaded Cocktail Party Wedding DressVtg Galanos Rare 1950s Early 60s Structured New Look Seashell Cocktail DressVintage Elegant Bergdorf Sequined Ombre Silk Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s Elegant Beaded Cocktail Party Wedding Dress1960s Vintage Designer Emilio Pucci Italy Black Wool Knit Belted Cocktail DressVintage 50s Elegant Vixen Black Silk Cocktail Party DressVintage 70s Dress M Mr Blackwell Sequin Nude Illusion Cocktail Evening Party Vintage 50s 60s Elegant Sequins Beaded Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s 60s Elegant Shelf Bust Halter Beaded Cocktail Party DressVtg 70s Apricot Sheer Beaded Bell Full Skirt Cocktail Party Maxi Dress Xs/sVintage 50s Elegant Grecian Drape Vixen Beaumelle Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s Elegant Emma Domb New Look Cocktail Party Wedding DressOriginal 1950s Velvet And Taffeta Couture Cocktail Dress - Uk 12 / 14Vtg 80s Silk Avant Garde Sequin Beaded Art Deco Trophy Cocktail Party Mini DressVtg 50 60 Watercolor Floral Ruched Sheer Illusion Cocktail Dress + Overcoat S-mVintage 50s Elegant Beaded Black Cocktail Party DressVintage 40s 50s Elegant Beaded Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s M/l Kelly Green Sweetheart Bow Cocktail Wiggle DressVtg 80s Cream Sequin Flapper Drop Waist Silk Cocktail Party Oleg Cassini Dress SVintage Dress Gold Glam Party Prom Cocktail Gown Dress Bombshell 1940s Pinup Vintage 50s Elegant Illusion Wrap Cocktail Party DressVtg 50s Cream Full Sweep Cocktail Wedding Dress Rhinestone Embroidered CrepeVtg 80s Ab Wash Sequin Beaded Silk Trophy Cocktail Party Jacket Laurence Kazar LVintage 60's Party Dance Prom Cocktail Formals Lot Of 4Vintage 1980s Avant Garde Asymmetrical Sequin Trophy Cocktail Party Dress LVintage '60s Blue Silk Cocktail Dress-heavily Beaded/rhinestones-jackie O-38-nr!70s/80s Black Metallic Silk Beaded Sequin Trophy Cocktail Dress Top Jacket CoatVtg 80s Sequin Beaded Honeycomb Scallop Draped Deco Cocktail Party Mini DressVintage 50s Elegant Draped Pumpkin Chiffon Cocktail Party Dress Vintage 50s Elegant New Look Cocktail Party DressAbby Michael Carol Vanderclock Navy Cocktail Dress MVintage 50s Shelf Bust Hourglass Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s 60s Stunning Beaded Draped Vixen Cocktail Party Wedding DressVtg 40s 50s Ceil Chapman Novelty Ribbons Full Sweep Skirt Cocktail Evening DressVtg 70s Nude Kimono Cape Cocktail Party Midi Boho Dress Xs/sVtg 50s Pink Sheer Chiffon Full Skirt Cocktail Prom Party Evening Dress Madmen MGorgeous Vintage Bensons Cocktail Dress Pinup Rockabilly Madmen VlvVtg 80s Petal Pink Scallop Sequin Flapper Silk Cocktail Party Midi Dress S/mVintage 50s Elegant Floral Applique Hourglass Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s 60s Fiery Red Peplum Bow Cocktail Party DressVintage 50s 60s Stunning Lace Cocktail Party Wedding DressVintage 1950s/60s Black Silk Chiffon W/attached Scarf Cocktail Party Dress 6Vintage 50s Elegant Pleated Hourglass Train Black Organza Cocktail Party DressElegant 1950s Copper And Black Brocade Cocktail Dress - Uk 14Fabulous Vintage 1950s Gold Metallic LamVtg 70s Pastel Lavender Kimono Sleeve Floral Sheer Midi Cocktail Dress S/mFabulous Vintage Taffeta Cocktail Party Dress & Bolero JacketMonsoon Vintage Flapper Dress Gold Silver Champagne Sequin Evening Dress Size 16Vtg 80s Black + White Sequin Beaded Stripe Statement Silk Cocktail Party Dress SVtg 80s Sequin Beaded Scallop Drape Lace Wedding Deco Cocktail Party Mini DressVtg 70s Dusty Rose Sheer Cape Cocktail Party Boho Mini Dress Xs/sVtg 50s Atomic Print Full Sweep Cocktail Skirt, Abstract Print GermanyVintage Black Lace Cocktail Dress Saks Fifth Avenue By C. Randall BrooksVintage Marjorie Montgomery Cocktail Party Hand Painted 50s DressVintage 80s Sequin King! Black Silk Dress- Lawrence Kazar Cocktail/formalCherry Blossom Pink Lace Vintage 1960s Cocktail Dress Sz XsVtg 70s Mauve Sleeveless Lace Illusion Wedding Cocktail Party Dress W/ Slip 42"Vtg Floral Lace Drape Blush Grecian Cut-out Disco Cocktail Maxi Dress 70s Xs/sVintage 1960's Green Brocade Lined Cocktail Wiggle Dress Size Medium50s Vtg Cocktail Wedding Party Dress Peach Lace & Taffeta W/ Jacket... 26 Waist