Classic Coco Chanel
If you’re looking for elegance and sophistication, look no further than the one and only Gabrielle Coco Chanel. Her timeless, feminine take on the male suit and the first designer to put a name to a fragrance, is one that is not to be forgotten. From an abandoned child living in an orphanage, to a world-renowned fashion designer that the people just can’t get enough of. Chanel’s designs have since been imitated yet the originals still remain a classic even today.
Her rule-breaking past of switching up the norms of what was seen as being socially acceptable when dressing feminine changed the nation and not only were her designs revolutionary to the fashion industry, she was too. Her underlying feministic values came before the time that feminism became so big and before everyone was on board with female equality. so her designs meant that women were actually able to move with no restriction and breathe easily when wearing the Chanel brand. This was all thanks to her straight-lined designs made for the comfort of the woman’s body and not the subject of the male eye like the corsets that accentuated the hips and bust before the 1920’s. Her adaptations of menswear that were designed specifically for the female body meant women were now able to wear trousers, suits, tweed and jersey material without anyone batting an eyelash or looking down on them. They could feel relaxed all whilst still looking beautifully feminine.
The simplistic designs were said to have come from when she fashioned an old jersey, during a cold day in Deauville, into a dress. Chanel’s upcycled jersey was complimented by everyone so she offered to make one for them.
It was 1910 in Paris. Coco Chanel opened her first store on Rue Cambon, designing and selling her very own hats. Her passion for designing hats grew strong so it wasn’t long before she opened another boutique in 1913, selling not only hats, but clothes too. Her clientele grew and grew from the wives of rich men living in France, to women worldwide. She also designed her signature Chanel flap bag which allowed women to wear it on their should for more freedom.
Since she sadly passed away in 1971, her company has continuously grown into one of the biggest fashion houses and still to this day remains a timeless classic. What makes Coco Chanel so different to the rest is the fact that she completely changed how women were dressing, sending fashion for the female in a completely different direction and blurring the lines between what was actually classed as masculine and what feminine. She will be forever thanked by women all over the world for the comfortable designs that allow womenswear to be as it is today.
