The Short Dress's Long Story

CEBU, Philippines - The one thing I love about the fact that the ber months have already made its way well into our doorstep is that this means that the holiday season has officially begun and holidays definitely give one the license to socialize and indulge sinfully in the most chic parties this side of the globe.

With the holiday season heavily revolving around parties, you can bet your last peso that we’ll be hitting the malls to deck ourselves in fancy fabrics, the sexiest heels, and a ton of shimmer and sparkle as we begin the mission of making heads turn as we toast la dolce vita in the most awaited season ever.

But before we purposely make our heads turn with the plethora of cocktail dresses to choose from—from designer goods to cheapies—suffice it to say that our favorite evening short dress has a long story that’s well worth sharing. After all, every fashionista needs to know the story behind the dress.

Cocktail parties were a hit during the 1900s, with the fad catching wild fire beginning in the 1920s. It was natural considering that people usually have a certain disregard for the rules. It was in the 1920s when drinking alcohol in public places was widely prohibited. To feed their love for alcohol—even of the cheap kind we now dub as cocktails—people retreated to the safety of their homes and held small, private gatherings with friends and acquaintances that came to be known as cocktail parties. 

The word “cocktail”, although admittedly surrounded with so many stories about its origin, came from the French word, “coquetier”, which means “egg-cup”. It happened somewhere in 1795, in New Orleans when Antoine Amedee Peychaud, a famed apothecary mixed brandy toddies with his own bitters and served them in an egg-cup in social gatherings that he held. The drink eventually took on the name of the cup and in 1920s, when variations of cocktail drinks started to emerge and become even more popular, small social gatherings organized and enjoyed by the elite and the fashionable few started to take on the name of the drink that became the center of the party’s attention.

This paved the beginning of the cocktail dress’ unparalleled popularity in evening gatherings. In its early beginnings in the 1920s, the cocktail dress was simply a fancier version of daytime ultra femme dresses. However, unlike their modern versions, the first cocktail dresses were jewel-tone column dresses that hit the ankles and were accessorized with small, pillbox hats, gloves, pointed heels, and teensy handbags that often matched the shoes.

Come the 1930s, the cocktail dress started to differentiate itself even more from its 1920s version. Suffice it to say that, it was well on its way to establishing its own niche in the world of fashion and evening glam. In fact, it was in the period between the 1930s to the classic glam of the 1940s when the cocktail dress became more versatile as a day-to-evening wear dress. To stretch its lifespan towards the evening, it was decked with faux jewelry, rhinestones, and brooches for an extra glitzy, evening feel. Come evening, hats and gloves were still the accessories of choice, lending an ultra glam air that enabled a full transition into evening soirees.

The 1940s was a very important decade for the cocktail dress as it saw the birth of the all-time favourite LBD (Little Black Dress). This was the decade that elevated black into classic, sophisticated, chic status, a reputation for the color that would last even to this day. Black began to symbolize beauty that was mysterious, minimalist, deep, and rich. It was the color that captured everything “sosyal”. The cloth used for the cocktail dress also started to change in this period. From day-time wool that was simply embellished, women chose fancier fabrics like silk and satin to draw the line between daytime and nighttime fashion once and for all. With cocktail parties becoming more popular than ever, coupled with the classic Hollywood glam that was highly to die-for during this decade, it was in the 1940s when the name “cocktail dress” was officially coined.

Cocktail dresses became more form-fitting and feminine with the use of fabrics like silk organza come the 1950s. With cocktail bars popping up all over the place and people hanging out at chic cocktail lounges to chill over jazz music and a glass of martini, cocktail dresses took a drastic turn from nice to naughtier cuts and silhouettes. Popular cocktail dress trends were sleeveless cuts, plunging necklines, and cinched waists which highlighted the curvy female figure. Hats and gloves were still ubiquitous but more than anything, black screamed fashion forward.

Pastels and muted metallics gave black a rest in the 1960s. Come the 1970s with disco fever hitting fever pitch, cocktail dresses, gave way to bell bottoms, embellished pants, and jumpsuits that nevertheless maintained all the shimmer and glitter of the cocktail dress while going a mile flirtier. This was a short-lived trend however and the 1980s brought back many cocktail dress patrons back to the embellished satin fabrics that were fancier and a tad more formal.

Vintage cocktail dresses eventually made a comeback in the 1990s with the LBD not losing its luster. Today, we see a dizzying array of variations and styles of cocktail dresses that take on a plethora of trends from ethnic to sheer to grunge that frankly speaking, has made the cocktail dress an important subcategory for evening wear, be it for formal or semi formal gatherings.

With more and more fashionistas finding the classic long evening gown not just too expensive but way too formal and fancy for many of today’s nighttime parties, the cocktail dress is a short dress that definitely has a long, long way to go. (THE FREEMAN)