Top All Time Style Icons
Tuesday 26th April 2011: The little black dress has today been named the top design icon which has best stood the test of time. Dubbed the ‘LBD’, it was invented by designer Coco Chanel in the 1920s, but made famous by actress Audrey Hepburn in the hit romantic comedy Breakfast At Tiffany’s in 1961. Today it is still a wardrobe staple for millions of women round the world(1).
Of 1,000 Brits questioned in the ‘style icons poll’ - which was conducted by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, 64 per cent named the little black dress as the best surviving style icon of the last half a century or more. It has beaten the Coca-Cola glass bottle which takes second place, with 60 per cent of people naming it as one of their top icons which is still loved after 50 years or more.
Coca-Cola's distinctive bottle, called the "contour bottle", was created by bottle designer Earl Dean in 1915, after a design competition to make it stand out from other drinks bottles and could probably even be recognised by someone if they felt it in the dark.
At number three in the list of design icons which are half a century or more old is the E-type Jaguar, which this year celebrates 50 years since it first hit the road. 55 per cent of those questioned named the sporty Jaguar beloved by celebrities when it was launched in 1951.
While the dinner suit and black tie outfit still worn by many men for formal occasions is at number four with 54 per cent of votes, the red public telephone box - now all but seen off by mobile phones - is at number five with half (50 per cent) of the votes.
The Chanel fashion house gets its second listing in the top style icons league with Chanel No 5 perfume landing 47 per cent of votes to earn it sixth place.
Closer to home for many Britons, the London Underground map attracted 42 per cent of votes to reach seventh place. The map was first designed in 1931 by Underground employee Harry Beck who based it on similar ones showing city centre sewers.
In at number eight is the distinctive Wurlitzer juke box, with 39 per cent of the votes. It was first produced by the Wurlitzer organ company in the 1940s when it used a patented record changer to play different vinyl discs.
Getting a third of votes (32 per cent) to land it ninth place, is the Routemaster bus, first introduced by London Transport in 1956. In total, 2,876 Routemasters were built and saw continuous service in London until 2005. Now they operate on just two heritage routes in central London although several hundred can be found operating abroad.
Propping up the list at number 10 is the pin-stripe suit, invented by British tailors Aquascutum in the 1870s, favoured by US gangsters in the 1930s and 40s and still popular today as smart business attire.
Jacky Brown at Sheilas’ Wheels, comments: “The little black dress is a design icon that will never go out of fashion. Every Saturday night, thousands of women vote with their wardrobe and it's a perennial winner. Fortunately, with Sheilas' Wheels Home Insurance women with wardrobes to die for can sleep easy: our cover includes 'new for old' on all clothing included in a home insurance claim. Many insurers deduct wear and tear on clothing claims but your ‘LBD’ is safe with us.”
Top 10 timeless style icons
- Little black dress (64 per cent)
- Coca-Cola bottle (60 per cent)
- E-type Jaguar (55 per cent)
- Dinner suit and black tie (54 per cent)
- Red phone box (50 per cent)
- Chanel No 5 (47 per cent)
- London Underground map (42 per cent)
- Wurlitzer juke box (39 per cent)
- Routemaster bus (32 per cent)
- Pin-stripe suit (31 per cent)
- ends -
Sheilas’ Wheels press contacts:
Asia Yasir, Public Relations Officer: 01737 641305
Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications: 01737 641000
Email: pr@sheilaswheels.com
Website: www.sheilaswheels.com
Notes to Editors:
(1) Sheilas’ Wheels used the independent online research company Online Opinions who surveyed 1,000 people, from across the country aged 18 plus between 1st April – 9th April 2011.
