Coco Chanel’s Most Notorious Creations and Their Presence in Online Luxury Resale - Written by Josie Howell
Coco Chanel is the most famous female fashion designer in history, if not the most famous fashion designer period. She was known for being scandalous in general, but she was also fearless when it came to her designs and was not scared to break barriers. She was determined to make clothing for women that was enjoyed by women while wearing the clothing and also visually to those who saw the clothing. In simpler terms, her clothing was comfortable, functional, and stylish all at the same time.
Chanel was able to successfully make clothing that was appealing to women, because she was the first woman to make clothing for women all over the world; she created fashion that had never been made or seen before. Some of her creations changed the course of fashion history and helped Chanel become the legend that she is today. These are creations that will probably never go out of fashion and will continuously be worn and enjoyed by future generations.
- The Quilted 2.55 Flap Bag
Worn by many iconic people, the Chanel 2.55 is a cult creation by Coco Chanel herself. It is called the 2.55 bag since it was released on the date of February of 1955. While at the time women had not yet worn cross body bags and were a bit hesitant to take it on, they eventually adopted it into their everyday looks and after that, the rest is history. For those of you who live for your functional and stylish cross-body bags, you can thank Coco Chanel for implementing it into women’s everyday fashion.
- The Boy Bag
Created several years after the debut of the 2.55 bag, the Boy Bag was introduced to the world in 1983. Some may say that the boy bag is a more modern version of the 2.55 bag. While the flap bag is more historically known, the Boy Bag is the most popular and sought-after Chanel bag as of today. Even though it has not been around as long as some of other Chanel creations, it pretty much became an instant Chanel classic. The inspiration for this bag was not only Chanel’s tom-boyish style, but her late lover “Boy Capel” who helped her in her career.
- Chanel No. 5 Perfume
Created in 1922, the classic Chanel No. 5 perfume was Coco Chanel’s first ever perfume and was also the most expensive perfume in the world at the time. It is so popular that even those who aren’t familiar with the Chanel brand or really fashion in general know what the Chanel No 5 Perfume is. It is referenced in multiple movies and television shows, including Gossip Girl, where it was the only scent that Blair Waldorf would wear since no other fragrance lived up to her standards. Back when the perfume was first created, it was famously worn by the infamous Marilyn Monroe, which heightened its popularity that much more. As of 2016, it is still the best-selling perfume in the world.
- The Little Black Dress
The creation of the little black dress in everyday wear was an iconic moment in fashion history. At the time, women only wore black dresses to funerals and when mourning, so it was seen as taboo to wear it for any other occasion. Of course, this did not stop Chanel from creating her iconic little black dress. Being both affordable, cute, and luxurious, vogue magazine claimed this dress to be a “uniform of women with taste,” which solidified the acceptance of black dresses in the fashion world and launched Chanel’s little black dress into the popular classic piece that it is today.
- Two-Toned Shoes
The Two-Toned shoes were first introduced in 1957, and once it had been seen worn by multiple celebrities of the time, they became instantly and exceedingly popular. Like most of Chanel’s popular creations, it became a classic for breaking the rules of fashion. Women at this time wore shoes that matched the color of whatever they were wearing, but since these shoes were two-toned, that didn’t happen, yet somehow it worked anyways. The shoes came in both heels and flats, so they could really be worn with any kind of outfit. Women loved the design and also were able to get great use out of them.
- Faux Pearls
If you have any faux pearls or diamonds, or any faux gemstones at all, you can thank Coco Chanel for making it mainstream and acceptable to wear. Chanel was very well-known for wearing a neck-full of faux pearls. Her reason for normalizing this was so that everyone could accessorize and be more creative with their outfits, including the majority of those who could not afford real gems. Chanel said that if gems were more affordable, then more women could accessorize rather than just wear plain outfits.
- Tweed Jackets
In 1924, the House of Chanel started using tweed in the creations of her jackets. Chanel got this idea from wearing her boyfriend at the time’s jacket that was made from tweed. Chanel was very often influenced by menswear and is known for putting a feminine, tomboy twist on their clothing, and this case was no different. Chanel found that this tweed jacket of her boyfriends was very comfortable and inevitably became inspired by it. Now this classic jacket exudes sophistication by anyone who wears the jacket or really anything similar to it. It is the definition of luxury, chic style that has stood the test of time.
- Yachting Pants
Designing pants and trousers for women was yet another historical creation in fashion. It was also yet another fashion creation by Coco Chanel that was influenced from men’s fashion. Chanel’s fearlessness when it came to fashion was the reason that everyday women felt like they could be fearless as well and it is also a huge reason why fashion is the way that it is today. Her yachting pants especially influence everyday fashion trends. It was without a doubt the beginning of women’s fashion becoming both stylish and comfortable at the same time.
- Breton Top
The Breton top is famous for changing women’s casual wear forever. Coco Chanel was inspired to make the Breton top after sailing the French coast and seeing the stripes on the suites of sailors. She then immediately implemented these striped into her 1917 collection and has made an appearance in women’s fashion ever since. Today, having a basic striped shirt is a staple piece for most people’s wardrobe. It is simple, chic, and goes with a lot of different casual looks.