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The first 'LBD' by Coco Chanel showcased in American Vogue, October 1926.[/caption]
From playful party dresses to elegant evening gowns, every girl needs at least one Little Black Dress in her wardrobe. The classic, timeless elegance of the LBD dates back to the 1920's and is attributed to designers such as Coco Chanel and Jean Patou who aimed to create long lasting and versatile designs which were available to a wide market of women, crafted from good quality, affordable fabrics. The Little Black Dress was simple, elegant and more importantly accessible to women of all social classes. In 1926 Coco Chanel published a picture of a short, black design in American Vogue who labelled it "Chanel's Ford" and they were right ; like the vintage Model T, the LBD became a reliable classic. The Little Black Dress has been a staple item in the world of fashion and entertainment ever since with classic designs being showcased by the likes of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, Betty Boop and Wallis Simpson. Over recent years the LBD has been given new lease of life by designers such as Victoria Beckham taking the classic design and adding a modern twist like a prominent zip or an asymmetrical hemline. Whatever your plans over the coming year, by investing in a stylish LBD hand crafted from our gorgeous range of fabrics you can be sure you will always have a go to outfit suitable for all occasions.
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Jennifer Aniston in a classic LBD with a modern twist.[/caption]
Actress, Jennifer Aniston is famous for her classic style and is regularly seen gracing red carpets all over Hollywood in a range of stunning LBD designs. For the premiere of We're The Millers in August 2013, Jennifer stunned in a simple black mini dress brought right up to date with some fierce structuring around her shoulders and an eye catching leather waistband. This is a simple but show stopping look which is relatively easy to emulate. Our Black Cotton Spandex is the ideal fabric to copy this design. Its composition of 97% cotton and 3% spandex give this fabric a slight stretch making it the ideal fabric for elegant items that are easy to wear and comfortable.
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Princess Diana stuns in a figure hugging LBD.[/caption]
In 1994, just as her former husband was about to hit the headlines following a tell all documentary about their life together, Princess Diana managed to knock Charles off the front pages by appearing at a charity event at the Serpentine Gallery looking breathtaking in a woman's most powerful weapon; a short, figure hugging, ruched mini dress by Christina Stambolian. Diana strode into the gallery with a grace and elegance that is almost impossible to match and what could have been a disastrous day for Diana became one of her greatest triumphs. The figure hugging design was accessorised with a pearl choker, black heels and scarlet nails. For those occasions when you want to look a million dollars and steal the show just like Diana, our Soire Satin Fabrics are perfect. This superior quality fabric is popular in all aspects of Dressmaking due to its gorgeous crinkled finish and beautiful drape. Similar to a lightweight chenille, this is the perfect fabric for many dressmaking projects but particularly for elegant evening wear.
Marilyn Monroe was of course one of the biggest fashion icons in history and is still admired and emulated today. Ms.Monroe could wear anything and is responsible for some of the most iconic outfits in fashion history but even when wearing just a plain black dress, Marilyn was simply magnificent. One of the most enduring images of the enigmatic Monroe is the promotional shot from the 1950 film noir, The Asphalt Jungle, where Marilyn is seen reclining in a black off the shoulder cocktail dress. Universally flattering and appropriate for almost any occasion, this look can be recreated using a number of fabrics. We would suggest using a jersey fabric such as Bamboo Jersey. Bamboo Jersey is a beautifully soft jersey fabric with added weight giving extra stability for increased confidence and is perfect for showcasing your curves. Bamboo Jersey is a particularly popular dressmaking fabric as it feels so wonderful to wear against your skin and gives the wearer extra warmth, making this the ideal fabric for dresses to wear on a night out. Alternatively, Viscose Jersey is a beautifully soft fabric with added stretch resulting in a garment which is particularly comfortable to wear.
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Style icon Marilyn Monroe in Asphalt Jungle in a figure hugging LBD.[/caption]
A black dress is really the first, and sometimes only choice, when a woman wants to really make a lasting impression. The choice of suitable fabrics is endless so you can really let your imagination go wild. For elegant evening wear choose satin fabrics such as elegant Duchess Satin, a top of the range heavy matte fabric which is ideal for dresses, skirts and bridesmaid gowns. For a more high end design such as prom dresses our satin fabrics are ideal to be used alongside our dress net and chiffon fabrics. To make the most of your figure don't forget our range of high quality body stocking fabric and dress linings designed to compliment our beautiful dressmaking fabrics.
As always, don't forget to upload pictures of your creations to our Facebook page.
Until next time!
Calico Laine
The first 'LBD' by Coco Chanel showcased in American Vogue, October 1926.[/caption]
From playful party dresses to elegant evening gowns, every girl needs at least one Little Black Dress in her wardrobe. The classic, timeless elegance of the LBD dates back to the 1920's and is attributed to designers such as Coco Chanel and Jean Patou who aimed to create long lasting and versatile designs which were available to a wide market of women, crafted from good quality, affordable fabrics. The Little Black Dress was simple, elegant and more importantly accessible to women of all social classes. In 1926 Coco Chanel published a picture of a short, black design in American Vogue who labelled it "Chanel's Ford" and they were right ; like the vintage Model T, the LBD became a reliable classic. The Little Black Dress has been a staple item in the world of fashion and entertainment ever since with classic designs being showcased by the likes of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, Betty Boop and Wallis Simpson. Over recent years the LBD has been given new lease of life by designers such as Victoria Beckham taking the classic design and adding a modern twist like a prominent zip or an asymmetrical hemline. Whatever your plans over the coming year, by investing in a stylish LBD hand crafted from our gorgeous range of fabrics you can be sure you will always have a go to outfit suitable for all occasions.
[caption id="attachment_6100" align="alignright" width="118"] Jennifer Aniston in a classic LBD with a modern twist.[/caption]
Actress, Jennifer Aniston is famous for her classic style and is regularly seen gracing red carpets all over Hollywood in a range of stunning LBD designs. For the premiere of We're The Millers in August 2013, Jennifer stunned in a simple black mini dress brought right up to date with some fierce structuring around her shoulders and an eye catching leather waistband. This is a simple but show stopping look which is relatively easy to emulate. Our Black Cotton Spandex is the ideal fabric to copy this design. Its composition of 97% cotton and 3% spandex give this fabric a slight stretch making it the ideal fabric for elegant items that are easy to wear and comfortable.
[caption id="attachment_6101" align="alignleft" width="144"] Princess Diana stuns in a figure hugging LBD.[/caption]
In 1994, just as her former husband was about to hit the headlines following a tell all documentary about their life together, Princess Diana managed to knock Charles off the front pages by appearing at a charity event at the Serpentine Gallery looking breathtaking in a woman's most powerful weapon; a short, figure hugging, ruched mini dress by Christina Stambolian. Diana strode into the gallery with a grace and elegance that is almost impossible to match and what could have been a disastrous day for Diana became one of her greatest triumphs. The figure hugging design was accessorised with a pearl choker, black heels and scarlet nails. For those occasions when you want to look a million dollars and steal the show just like Diana, our Soire Satin Fabrics are perfect. This superior quality fabric is popular in all aspects of Dressmaking due to its gorgeous crinkled finish and beautiful drape. Similar to a lightweight chenille, this is the perfect fabric for many dressmaking projects but particularly for elegant evening wear.
Marilyn Monroe was of course one of the biggest fashion icons in history and is still admired and emulated today. Ms.Monroe could wear anything and is responsible for some of the most iconic outfits in fashion history but even when wearing just a plain black dress, Marilyn was simply magnificent. One of the most enduring images of the enigmatic Monroe is the promotional shot from the 1950 film noir, The Asphalt Jungle, where Marilyn is seen reclining in a black off the shoulder cocktail dress. Universally flattering and appropriate for almost any occasion, this look can be recreated using a number of fabrics. We would suggest using a jersey fabric such as Bamboo Jersey. Bamboo Jersey is a beautifully soft jersey fabric with added weight giving extra stability for increased confidence and is perfect for showcasing your curves. Bamboo Jersey is a particularly popular dressmaking fabric as it feels so wonderful to wear against your skin and gives the wearer extra warmth, making this the ideal fabric for dresses to wear on a night out. Alternatively, Viscose Jersey is a beautifully soft fabric with added stretch resulting in a garment which is particularly comfortable to wear.
[caption id="attachment_6102" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Style icon Marilyn Monroe in Asphalt Jungle in a figure hugging LBD.[/caption]
A black dress is really the first, and sometimes only choice, when a woman wants to really make a lasting impression. The choice of suitable fabrics is endless so you can really let your imagination go wild. For elegant evening wear choose satin fabrics such as elegant Duchess Satin, a top of the range heavy matte fabric which is ideal for dresses, skirts and bridesmaid gowns. For a more high end design such as prom dresses our satin fabrics are ideal to be used alongside our dress net and chiffon fabrics. To make the most of your figure don't forget our range of high quality body stocking fabric and dress linings designed to compliment our beautiful dressmaking fabrics.
As always, don't forget to upload pictures of your creations to our Facebook page.
Until next time!
Calico Laine