<P> A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short . Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel and Jean Patou intended to be long - lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral colour . Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the "LBD". </P> <P> 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 or a formal event such as a wedding or a ball . Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated . </P>

Who pioneered the little black dress or lbd back in 1926