Coco Chanel once said: “Dress shabbily, and they remember the dress; dress impeccably, and they remember the woman.” There are dresses, and then there are dresses. Some dresses go down in history because they are timelessly elegant, while other dresses go down in history because they’re a bit…odd. Nonetheless, these dresses have earned the title of “iconic” and will be remembered forever. Let’s get started with a list of five of the most iconic dresses.
Audrey Hepburn’s black Givenchy dress. Okay, first of all, if you haven’t seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you must immediately pop a bottle of your favorite champagne and watch this film ASAP. We can practically hear strings playing ‘Moon River’ just by looking at this picture, and if you don’t long to eat a croissant in front of Tiffany’s some early morning in New York City, then we are just different people. Though simple it may be, this timeless look will remain the epitome of the little black dress for the rest of forever.
Angelina Jolie’s Versace gown. When Jolie hit the Oscars red carpet in this dress, that noise everyone heard was jaws hitting the floor. What made this dress so iconic, you ask? Why that ultra-high slit, of course. When asked about the dress, (though she’s no stranger to a high slit dress or skirt), Jolie stated that she had the choice to wear a dress that was either funky or comfortable, and she opted for the comfortable one. (source marieclaire.com.au) It’s safe to say she made the right choice.
Keira Knightley’s green silk dress in Atonement is more than iconic. We’ll spare you details so we don’t ruin anything, but if you love major plot twists, try this one on for size. We can’t put our finger on just why this dress is so unforgettable. Still, it seems to be a lot of different elements that contribute to its greatness: the shade of green, the straps, the texture, the back, perhaps the scene itself, or maybe just a combination of everything. Replicas have sold for thousands of dollars, and if that’s not iconic, then we don’t know what is.
Twiggy’s trapeze dress. Twiggy herself was iconic, so as you can imagine, anything she wore was iconic by association, which brings us to the trapeze dress. Fans often saw twiggy in one of her many mini dresses in various colors, complete with exaggerated collars. This look was pretty daring for the time, considering women were fighting for shorter hemline acceptance and burning their bras, so it’s easy to see how Twiggy’s look has gone on to help define an entire revolution.
Lady Gaga’s meat dress. Okay, there isn’t much explanation as to why this dress is considered, um, iconic. Putting aside for the moment the animal welfare stress this caused – while the outfit that was made entirely out of meat was horrifying, it was 2010, and Lady Gaga had just hit the charts in a big way. And while at first glance, a meat dress was a guaranteed way to ensure all eyes are on the one in said meat dress, Gaga claimed to have specific reasons for wearing it. Shortly after the VMA’s, Gaga appeared on Ellen with an explanation as to why she chose to accept one of her eight awards that night in a dress made of meat: “It’s certainly no disrespect to anyone vegan or vegetarian,” Gaga told DeGeneres, who herself is vegan, in a post-show interview. “As you know, I’m the most judgment-free human being on the Earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening, it’s [saying], ‘If we don’t stand up for what we believe in, if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as many rights as the meat on our bones.” (source billboard.com)
