The little black dress (LBD) was popularizedand effectively invented as a modern fashion stapleby French designer Coco Chanel in 1926. At a time when black was largely associated with mourning, Chanel introduced LBD Little Black Dress SMF Designs and Friends Minimalist Black Dresses for Less: Modern Silhouettes Under $150 We Select Dresses The Evolution of the Little Black Dress Little Black Dress Through History