Jennifer Connelly wearing a little black dress in Los Angeles Credit: Michael Wright/WENN.com
As party season approaches, it can be easy to be swayed into statement 'wow' dress territory, but pictures of Jennifer Connelly at ABC Studios in Los Angeles yesterday serve as a reminder that sometimes nothing has as much impact as a simple Little Black Dress. While sequins and jewel colours can be fun- don't get us wrong- 90 years after it was first invented, a perfectly fitted, elegant LBD is still one of the sexiest eveningwear options around.
The 45-year-old actress's dress had a simple fitted silhouette with thick spaghetti straps, a square neckline and the skirt falling just above the knee - a powerful shape that looks like it could have belonged to Cindy Crawford in her 90s supermodel heyday. And proof that you can do body conscious dressing without looking like Kylie Jenner in sculpted Balmain. Connelly kept the rest of the look pared-back and classic with a black box clutch by Louis Vuitton, two-strap stiletto sandals and a glossy Hollywood blowdry and subtle tan- all polished touches which ensure this is a look as timeless as it is ageless.
Princess Diana in Christina Stambolian Credit: Getty
The LBD worn by Connelly, who was arriving at ABC to appear on Jimmy Kimmel to promote her new film American Pastoral, serves as the perfect reminder of the classic style's enduring appeal and legendary status; it is now such an accepted term that it has its very own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. Even so, it can be easy to dismiss this as a safe or boring option, but some of the most impactful looks in fashion history are little black dresses, from the off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian 'revenge' dress worn by Princess Diana on the night Prince Charles confessed to adultery to the era-defining Givenchy LBD worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Coco Chanel is largely credited with making the little black dress famous in 1926 when Vogue photographed one of her black dresses and christened it 'The Ford', referencing the Model T Ford car. An accurate description as the dress went on to be arguably just as revolutionary as Henry Ford's car. The LBD changed the way women dress for both day and formal occasions, as in the words of Karl Lagerfeld: "One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress." Michelle Obama reinforced that ethos when she chose a fitted little black dress to board a plane at the airport.
Michelle Obama at the airport in a Little Black Dress Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
If Connelly's LBD revival has made you think it might be time to give look a spin yourself, there are plenty of ways to make the classic your own. Our definitive guide to the five key styles to invest in now spans versatile pieces which are perfect for layering through to more daring evening options.
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Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/jennifer-connelly-reminds-us-of-the-power-of-the-little-black-dr/
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