Chanel is credited with introducing basic black: simple, practical, elegant and slimming. It was said that she devised this style strategy to set herself against her biggest rival of the l920s, Paul Poiret, an extravagant couturier who favored fussy Turkish concoctions in gaudy colors a la a sultan's harem.
At the time, black was only worn when a woman was in mourning. But Chanel understood that a simple black dress was perfect for a period when elegant women took the bus, the metro and taxis. Her practical yet chic style solution rendered her high-maintenance rivals instantly obsolete.
