My friends knowing me as a feminist and a smart girl, are surprised when I say that one of my all time heroes is Gabrielle Coco Chanel. The one word “Chanel” pools images of gigantic dresses and avant garde designs. For many, the focus is now on Chanel as a status symbol. If you’re model thin, young, and beautiful Chanel is the brand for you.
I hate it. The image of Chanel has become a pennon for basic bees.
The Legacy: Wearability and Luxury
1. Chanel is a Tomboy Brand
Coco Chanel’s revolution stemmed from the shift away from corsets and high maintenance hats. At a time when moving around in your own clothes was a challenge, Chanel created more masculine designs with her suits and boaters. It was the beginning of a new era for women. Fashion was now comfortable.
Why I love Chanel, beyond any of the other haute couture houses, is that the essence of Chanel. Her tomboy attitude and disregard for society’s conventions are still surviving in Karl Lagerfeld’s designs. If you doubt it, smell the Coco Mademoiselle fragrance or watch the adverts. Better yet, actually look at the collections and compare them to Dior. They’re more than flowers and dresses.
2. High Fashion For All
What is rather obvious is that Chanel is a luxury brand. When you wear a Chanel it requires a certain flare and class. So easily forgotten is the idea that anyone can and should wear Chanel. It was never meant as a brand to glut your uncontrollable spending habits. Coco herself talked about how a good wardrobe only needs three suits and the rest of the time you should mix and match them.
Yes, they are not something that you can invest in easily, but you shouldn’t feel the need to buy the whole collection. When you learn the value of working your tush off, buy one purse and whatever else is in your means. The great thing about Chanel is that they appreciate in value. They last several generations so your children and grandchildren can appreciate them too. If all else fails sell them for a higher price once they hit “vintage.”
3. Uniquely You
Before her business came to fruition, Coco personalized her fashion by cutting men’s shirts and sewing them on as an part of a dress. She combined her lightweight hats with riding pants – and actually went riding. Owning a Chanel doesn’t mean you drown in the brand. It only meets its purpose when you splash some of your tastes and styles into the outfit.
This way the brand can enhance your beauty, not distract from it. Anything is acceptable to combine with a Chanel. Just don’t be shabby. Coco left us a great quote, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Need I say more?
Our Chanel
I love Chanel because it is for people who are living enriched lives. It’s not really for people rich with money. It’s meant to be liberating from social confinements and shackles. That’s why I love Chanel. This is Coco’s legacy.