When did wearing black become fashionable? While a little black dress is a classic now, the shade was not always considered chic. For most of the 19th century, black clothing was reserved Southron Creations: The Victorian Little Black Dress: Mourning or Not? Amazon.com: Womens 18th Century Gothic Ball Gown Victorian Baroque Queen Dress Medieval Renaissance Historical Period Dresses Black : Sports & Outdoors Rate the Dress: All Black Aestheticism The Dreamstress Woman of Madrid, Spain, 19th century. She wears the traditional black mantilla veil and basquina dress over a white petticoat and carries a fan. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Georges Jacques Gatine after