The Black Cocktail Dress and How it Came to Be
Sleek and sexy with accents on all the right curves, the black cocktail dress has a convoluted origin but is no doubt tied to the popularity of cocktail parties which became all the rage in the 1920’s — when alcohol sale and consumption was illegal courtesy of prohibition in the United States.
Not that it mattered, because the cocktail party overcame it’s someone shady beginning and soon established itself as THE place to be. It soon became apparent that the cocktail party had need of its own form of evening attire – some type of evening wear that the rich and neo-rich could slip into. Something that was a little less formal than a tuxedo and formal gown. Something like – the black cocktail dress!
The first black cocktail dresses were made to order for the flapping 1920’s party scene, and in fact the first black cocktail dresses were very similar in design to the waist-less, loose-fitting cut of the then-popular flapper dress As a matter of fact, many women who were instantly attracted to the modern look and feel of the black cocktail dress were flappers. The black cocktail dress was an immediate hit with the younger set due in no small part because the length of black cocktail dresses barely grazed the knee. And like the flapper dress of the times, many black cocktail dresses sported a beaded fringe or fringes, while made of silk fabric or layered chiffon.
As the 1920’s gave way to the early 1930s, cocktail parties became a common social event. The standard design of the tight-waist, knee-length skirted black cocktail dress became accepted attire for older women as well. Silk remained the fabric-of-choice, but the cut of the black cocktail dress evolved into a more refined and sleeker looking dress: black cocktail dresses became more form-fitting and were often decorated with rhinestones and lace. The black cocktail dress soon became an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe, and woe to the woman who showed up at a cocktail party dressed otherwise.
Soon the 1930’s turned a page to the 1940’s which in segued into the 1950’s. All the while the cocktail party became a permanent fixture of our national lexicon. Cocktail parties remained and the black cocktail dress kept pace — although it can be said that women’s cocktail attire took on a somewhat elegant look as the concept of the black cocktail dress borrowed heavily from the design of elegant evening gowns. For a little while at least, the image of having cocktails took on a romantic air.
Not to worry, as the 50s progresses, black cocktail dresses for women evolved into a great many styles: full-length skirts with plunging necklines or curve-hugging designs with embroidered or jewel-studded necklines were the style-of-choice. Furthermore, dress coats and suits in addition to three-piece skirt-suits were popular as well. Naturally accommodated with a matching black bag, shoes and gloves.
With the advent of the 1960’s the standard cocktail dress was not limited just too basic black. Colours became more muted and pastels became increasingly popular. Fabrics such as silver and gold lamé became equally popular. As the sixties progressed, the black cocktail dress narrowed, and for the young, cocktail clothing began to lose its impact as clothing took a 180 degree turn toward new styles and colours. The “cocktail party” was linked more with something your “parents” did. Alcohol consumption at all hours was becoming increasingly more acceptable, time and place seemed less important and cocktail parties began to fade in popularity.
It took nearly 3 decades to pass before cocktail parties became “hip” once again. The 1990s saw a revival of the cocktail tradition, in both music and style. And now in the new millennium, black cocktail dresses remain as popular as ever.