The History of the Little Black Dress

By Connie Wang, Designed by Naomi Abel, Refinery29
The little black dress has a much more storied past than just the time spent as your go-to party piece. In fact, LBDs have a place in some pretty major moments in history, dating back over 5,000 years - from a garment reserved only for evil to an item that represented empowerment and enfranchisement.

Take a moment to relive its heritage, ahead - then, revel in a throwback that is both trendy and timeless.

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Photo by: Naomi Abel, R29
1360s - 1660s - If you were part of imperial China during the Ming Dynasty, the color you wore said a whole lot about the social class you were in. Commoners were restricted from wearing bright colors like yellow, red, blue, and white. And black was strictly off-limits. Only the elite royalty could don a black dress.
Photo by: Naomi Abel, R29
1360s - 1660s - If you were part of imperial China during the Ming Dynasty, the color you wore said a whole lot about the social class you were in. Commoners were restricted from wearing bright colors like yellow, red, blue, and white. And black was strictly off-limits. Only the elite royalty could don a black dress.

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