The 11 Best Little Black Dresses to Wear On Rotation

From Princess Di to Audrey Hepburn, it's a forever classic.

graphic of black dresses
(Image credit: Future)

The ubiquitous little black dress might be "little," but it's mighty. From Princess Diana setting the world ablaze in her revenge dress to Aubrey Hepburn eating croissants and browsing Tiffany's in a sleeveless satin gown, the style possesses an everlasting elegance. And its infallible staying power—that timeless appeal that makes you reach for the best little black dresses decade after decade—is precisely why the silhouette is experiencing a newfound reverence in 2023.

“While there’s certainly an ethos of over-the-top dressing at play online, consumers are opting for classics in real life,” Kendall Becker, fashion and beauty trends editor at Trendalytics, tells Marie Claire over email. “We saw the resurgence of the white button-down and essential tank top (á la Prada, Tibi, and Christian Dior) on the runways last season, and looking forward, it’s all about the return of the little black dress,” says the expert from the data-driven retail platform, substantiating her claim by sharing that Google searches for “black dresses” are at a 129,000 weekly average, a seven-percent increase from last year. After the past few years of flashy, “please look at me; I’m tired of only being perceived via Zoom” dressing, we’re circling back around to cherish our uncontroversial, forever staples.

That’s not to say that you can’t flex your individuality with a black dress, though. “In particular, the little black dress is the perfect vehicle for showcasing personal style,” says Becker. “Even while all dressing for the same after-hours occasion, one wearer might opt for a sophisticated tuxedo mini; another may try a black down with of-the-moment cutouts; and someone else chooses a simple dark silhouette punctuated with hardware. In short," she describes, "you can never go wrong with a little black dress that embodies your taste—you’ll always stand out and stay in style."

Ahead, find an edit of little black dresses that will hopefully hold the same staying power in your wardrobe and reflect your personal taste. Some of the options on this list are perfect for dressed-up date nights, while others work for an office party or are polished options to wear to work on an everyday basis. Keep scrolling to shop all of our favorite little noir-colored numbers.

The Best Black Dresses

Meet the Expert

Kendall Becker wears black sunglasses, gold earrings, gold large chain necklaces, a white pearls necklace, a white cropped t-shirt, a white latte oversized blazer jacket, gold rings, high waist brown large wide legs suit pants, gold rings, outside PatBo , during New York Fashion Week, on February 12, 2022 in New York City.
Kendall Becker

Experienced in luxury editorial, trend forecasting, and strategic consulting, Kendall is currently the Fashion & Beauty Trends Editor at Trendalytics as well as a freelance writer for Refinery29, The Zoe Report, LuisaViaRoma, WhoWhatWear, and Coveteur. Prior, she was the Assistant Fashion Director for Women’s RTW at Bloomingdale’s and contributed to global trend forecasting agencies. Plus, she’s a fashion media personality and expert that’s been featured in ABC, Cheddar News, Harper’s BAZAAR, GQ, Bustle, Sourcing Journal, Brides, and Vice.

Emma Childs
Fashion Features Editor

Emma Childs is the Fashion Features Editor at Marie Claire, who writes trend reports, long-form reported features, and style guides. She previously wrote for TZR, Editorialist, Elite Daily, and Mission Magazine and studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University. When she's not writing fashion deep-dives, you'll find her stalking eBay for designer vintage and perusing HBO Max (in her heart, it'll always be *HBO* MX).