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Quick answer: Five dress shapes built modern fashion history. Coco Chanel's little black dress (1926) made simple elegance a daily uniform. Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dress (1974) turned one piece of jersey into office-to-evening ease. The slip dress carried 1990s minimalism from the runway to the street. The cocktail dress, named by Christian Dior in the late 1940s, defined the early evening. And the A-line silhouette, labelled by Dior in 1955 and sharpened by Yves Saint Laurent's Trapeze line in 1958, gave women a shape that skims rather than clings. Each style still shapes what we sell today. Explore the full history below, or shop the dress collection now.

Why these five dresses still matter

Most fashion doesn't last a season. A handful of dresses have lasted a century. They survived because each one solved a real problem for the woman wearing it: a black dress smart enough for any room, a wrap that ties on in seconds, a slip that feels like nothing at all, a cocktail dress built for one specific hour of the evening, and an A-line cut that flatters almost any body without a single dart of effort.

This guide is the starting point. It traces where each style came from, who is credited with it, and how it earned its place in a woman's wardrobe. From here, follow the links through to our full deep-dive guides on each dress, or jump straight to the pieces we carry now.

The little black dress

In October 1926, American Vogue printed a sketch of a plain, calf-length black dress designed by Coco Chanel. The magazine called it "Chanel's Ford," comparing it to the Model T: simple, well-made, and within reach for women of very different means. That comparison mattered. Before Chanel, plain black clothing was linked to mourning or to household staff, not to high fashion. Her design helped strip black of that association and turn it into a symbol of quiet, confident style.

A century later, the little black dress is still the easiest "yes" in a woman's closet. It moves from a desk to a dinner without a second outfit change. Our full history covers how the shape evolved decade by decade in the little black dress guide, and you can shop the style now in our black dresses collection.

The wrap dress

Diane von Furstenberg introduced her wrap dress in 1974: a fitted, long-sleeved silk jersey piece that crossed at the front and tied at the waist. Wrap-front garments existed long before her, with roots in earlier Asian wrap-closure clothing, but von Furstenberg's version became a genuine phenomenon. She has said the idea crystallized after seeing Julie Nixon Eisenhower wear a matching wrap blouse and skirt in printed jersey on television. Von Furstenberg's dress sold for around $80 at launch, and within its first year, her company was producing an estimated 25,000 dresses a week.

What made it last wasn't novelty. It was function. One dress worked for the office and for dinner after, no changing required, at the exact moment more women were building careers and rewriting their own rules. Read the full arc of the style, from 1974 to now, in our wrap dress guide.

The slip dress

The slip dress took its name, and its shape, from an underslip: a bias-cut dress on thin straps, designed to skim rather than shape the body. It became one of the defining looks of 1990s minimalism, worn as outerwear rather than hidden underneath something else. Calvin Klein is widely credited with putting the slip dress on the map as daywear and eveningwear, showing it prominently through the early-to-mid 1990s, with Kate Moss's 1993 sheer version becoming an instantly recognizable moment. In 1996, John Galliano chose a lace-trimmed slip dress as part of his debut collection for Dior, a piece later worn by Diana, Princess of Wales.

The slip dress proved that quiet, unfussy clothing could be just as powerful as anything embellished. Our slip dress history guide follows the style from lingerie roots to red carpet staple.

The cocktail dress

The cocktail dress is an American invention, born in the 1920s for a very specific window of the day: the early evening, roughly six to eight o'clock, when the newly social "modern woman" of the Prohibition era gathered for cocktail hour. It called for a short, elegant dress in silk or satin, dressier than daywear but not as formal as a ball gown. Christian Dior gave the style its name in the late 1940s, a marketing move that let magazines and department stores promote a whole category of "cocktail" fashion.

The 1950s are widely considered the cocktail dress's golden age. Dior's 1947 "Bar" suit, part of his New Look collection, set the template that shaped cocktail dressing for the decade that followed: a fitted bodice, a cinched waist, and a full, calf-length skirt. Trace the style's full evolution in our cocktail dress history guide.

The A-line silhouette

Christian Dior coined the term "A-line" for his spring 1955 collection, describing a shape that narrowed at the shoulders and flared gradually toward the hem, tracing the letter it was named for. The silhouette most of us picture today, however, owes just as much to Yves Saint Laurent. After taking over the house of Dior following Dior's death in October 1957, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent presented his Trapeze line in spring 1958: dresses that flared dramatically from a fitted shoulder, refining Dior's original idea into the shape that defines "A-line" now.

The appeal is practical as much as historical. An A-line skims the waist and hip without clinging, which is why it remains one of the most flattering, wear-anywhere cuts on the market. Read the complete story in our A-line silhouette history guide.

A fashion history timeline

Key takeaways

• The little black dress traces back to Coco Chanel's 1926 design, first shown in American Vogue.
• The wrap dress was created by Diane von Furstenberg in 1974 and built for one busy, changing decade of women's lives.
• The slip dress moved from underwear to outerwear during the minimalist 1990s, championed by Calvin Klein.
• Christian Dior named the "cocktail" dress in the late 1940s; the 1950s became its golden age.
• The A-line silhouette began with Dior in 1955 and was refined by Yves Saint Laurent's 1958 Trapeze line.
• Every one of these five styles endures because it solved a real problem, not because it chased a trend.

The thread that connects them

Look closely and a pattern appears. Each of these five dresses removed friction from a woman's day. Chanel's black dress removed the need to overthink evening wear. Von Furstenberg's wrap removed the need to change clothes between meetings and dinner. The slip dress removed structure altogether. Dior's cocktail dress gave a name, and a set of rules, to a specific hour of the evening. And the A-line gave almost any figure an easy, flattering shape.

That's the real definition of a classic: not that it never changes, but that it keeps solving the same problem for a new generation. It's why we still carry all five shapes today, and why they sit at the center of our dress collection alongside each new season's new arrivals.

Related guides

• History of the Dress: the full century-long story, from corseted silhouettes to the styles we wear today.
• The Little Black Dress Guide: how Chanel's original design became the most reliable dress in the world.
• The Wrap Dress: 50 Years Guide: how one silk jersey design became a wardrobe permanent fixture.
• Slip Dress History: from underslip to 1990s runway icon to modern-day staple.
• Cocktail Dress History: the code, the eras, and the dress built for one hour of the evening.
• A-Line Silhouette History: how Dior and Saint Laurent shaped the most flattering cut in fashion.

Shop the collections

• Dresses: our full range, spanning every silhouette in this guide.
• Black Dresses: the modern edit of Chanel's original idea.
• New Arrivals: the newest pieces built on these enduring shapes.

Frequently asked questions

Who invented the little black dress?

Coco Chanel is credited with the little black dress. American Vogue published her calf-length, simply cut black dress in October 1926 and called it "Chanel's Ford," comparing its accessibility to the Model T.

When did Diane von Furstenberg create the wrap dress?

Diane von Furstenberg introduced her wrap dress in 1974. It sold for about $80 at launch, and demand grew so quickly that her company was producing roughly 25,000 dresses a week within the first year.

What defines a slip dress?

A slip dress is a bias-cut dress on thin straps, styled to resemble an underslip. It rose to prominence in the 1990s as part of the minimalist "underwear as outerwear" movement.

Who popularized the slip dress in the 1990s?

Calvin Klein is widely credited with popularizing the slip dress as outerwear through his early-to-mid 1990s collections and campaigns. Kate Moss's sheer 1993 version and John Galliano's 1996 Dior debut, worn by Princess Diana, further cemented the style.

Why is it called a cocktail dress?

The style takes its name from cocktail hour, the early evening window it was designed for. Christian Dior formalized the term "cocktail dress" in the late 1940s, though the short, dressy style itself dates back to 1920s America.

What decade is considered the golden age of the cocktail dress?

The 1950s are generally seen as the cocktail dress's golden age, shaped heavily by the fitted-bodice, full-skirt template set by Christian Dior's 1947 "Bar" suit.

What is an A-line silhouette?

An A-line silhouette narrows at the shoulders and flares gradually toward the hem, forming the shape of the letter A. Christian Dior coined the term for his spring 1955 collection.

Did Christian Dior create the A-line silhouette alone?

Dior introduced the "A-line" name and concept in 1955, but Yves Saint Laurent refined it into the shape now associated with the term through his 1958 Trapeze line, presented after he took over the house of Dior.

What is the difference between a wrap dress and a slip dress?

A wrap dress crosses and ties at the waist for a fitted, structured shape, while a slip dress hangs loosely on thin straps in a bias cut. One shapes the body; the other skims past it.

Is the little black dress still relevant today?

Yes. The little black dress remains one of the most worn styles in modern wardrobes because it moves easily between daytime, work, and evening settings without needing a second outfit.

What fabric is a classic wrap dress made from?

Diane von Furstenberg's original 1974 wrap dress was made from silk jersey, a soft, fluid knit that holds its shape while still moving with the body.

Why do these five dress styles matter to shoppers today?

Each style solved a real, practical problem for the women who wore it first, from ease of dressing to comfort to flattering fit. That practicality is why all five are still core parts of a well-built wardrobe.

Where can I shop these classic dress styles now?

You can shop the full range in our dress collection, the modern take on the little black dress in black dresses, or the newest pieces built on these silhouettes in new arrivals.

Vilmere Editorial Team.