Why The New Black is The New Black

The catchphrase "X is the new black" is often used to indicate popularity, versatility or timelessness but where does the phrase stem from? Who coined the phrase and when?

The origin of the phrase goes back to fashion editor Diana Vreeland in 1962 who used the phrase "Pink is the navy blue of India" meaning that the color pink seemed to be the foundation of the attire there, much like navy blue was the base color of most ensembles in New York City. The phrase is commonly misattributed to Gloria Vanderbilt.

In the late 1970s, the phrase "X is the new neutral" was widely used. By the early 1980s this had changed to "X is the new black". Later in the 1980s, the phrase was reappropriated to indicate that other colors were temporarily displacing black's position in fashion or industrial design as a versatile staple that complemented all other aspects and was generally unobjectionable.

The wonderful photo below shows editor Carmel Snow and fashion editor Diana Vreeland (in black of course) reviewing magazine layouts in HARPER'S BAZAAR office, New York in December 1952.