In the early 1900s, high fashion was very restrictive, with women’s fashion often meaning tight and stiff corsets and restrictive layers of clothing. Coco Chanel changed everything.
Coco Chanel was born Gabrielle Chanel into poverty in 1883. She was raised in an orphanage when her mother passed away and was taught how to sew from the nuns there. Before she became a famous designer, she worked as a seamstress and sang in cabarets, where she got the nickname of “Coco.” She then opened her own hat shop in Paris, where the designs of the hats became popular, allowing her to start designing clothes.Â
Coco Chanel recognized that women needed freedom of movement for working, playing sports or just participating in their day-to-day life. That’s why Coco Chanel decided to borrow from menswear, bringing jersey material into women’s fashion, which created more comfortable and flowing dresses. Until this time, jersey had been mostly used for men’s underwear. Coco Chanel was the first to make jersey popular in women’s fashion.
She also reclaimed black as a color that wasn’t only for mourning. Before 1926, black clothing was reserved almost entirely for the purpose of mourning. Coco Chanel introduced the “Little Black Dress”, transforming black from something that was worn solely for the purpose of mourning to a symbol of minimalist sophistication and something that could be a part of the everyday style of women. This is still significant today because of it’s versatility.
Another innovation that came from Coco Chanel was adding a shoulder strap to handbags so women wouldn’t have to carry them in their hands all day, freeing women’s hands from holding traditional clutches.Â
Chanel was also among the first fashion designers to release her own signature perfume: Chanel No. 5. This iconic perfume was more complex than a lot of other perfumes on the market at the time. It was highly successful and was funded the expansion of her fashion empire.
Coco Chanel’s impact on women’s fashion is inarguable. She changed the luxury industry by giving women the clothing they needed to be comfortable and confident in the modern world. She replaced the uncomfortable garments of the 19th century with functional and modern clothing that freed women’s bodies.
She also showed women all around the world that they could be independent, strong and fashionable at the same time. She started out from nothing, managing to change women’s perception of fashion and lifestyle of the 20th century completely. She is an inspiration to women everywhere, motivating them to find happiness and be confident on their own terms. Through her designs, she also encouraged women to never sacrifice comfort for style.
As Coco Chanel once said, “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
