The little black dress

Clements and Church have added a custom dress to our product offer for AW24. It’s our take on the little black dress. This tailored item can be created in a fabric to match – to add a fourth piece to a business wardrobe- with the option of both a modest neckline and sleeves- at any length. Or imagined in tonal or corresponding cloth- picking out a check, pinstripe or dogtooth design that makes the dress the hero of the look- to be worn with a plain block colour blazer or blouson. Our reworking of this classic is a nod to the its origins- from the Chanel designs of the 1920s. A fitted shift, sleeveless and knee length with square neckline in a black wool Boucle by English mill Abraham Moon. The texture of the fabric adds interest to this simple shape- seen here worn as a two piece with matching cropped box jacket.

In 1926 Coco Chanel created a simple black dress – it was photographed for American Vogue. It was calf-length, straight and decorated only by a few diagonal lines. Vogue called it “Chanel’s Ford”. Like the Model T, the little black dress was simple and accessible for women of all social classes. It was seen to be radical,  using black; a colour traditionally associated with mourning for a day dress. The Little Black Dress is Probably one of the most useful and versatile items of clothing in the capsule wardrobe.