Chanel did not belong to the high society, and she did not want to acquire it's attributes. "I forgot about lace, for I knew nothing rich would become me. I had only my kid-skin coat and my poor little suits. Capel said to me: "Since it means so much to you, I will have an English tailor remake an elegant what you wear all the time..." This is how her famous style was born.
Dresses she made for herself worn without a corset looked almost fluid compared to the heavy fashions of her time. She carried herself impeccably straight, as if meaning to be a living proof of the idea that being fit counted for most.
In her early years she often borrowed clothes of her lovers: white shirts, ties, coats. Later she made it one of the main principles of her designs: adapting the elements of male attire for feminine use.
In the beginning it was not yet known that Chanel could make dresses. She became popular for her creating her little boater (a trim little hat suited to the open air circumstances). The boater was created by Chanel in 1910, and stayed in the height of fashion for half a century. Slowly the word began to circulate, and the society ladies came one by one to Coco for help with their wardrobes.
In 1913 women had neither fashions nor clothing for sports. Coco Chanel designs were an invention of a whole new style for outdoor living. Her boutique in Deauville, France, offered hats, shortly followed by jackets, jumpers and the "sailor blouse". That became the wartime garment of all well-dressed ladies. The role of a woman in society was changing. And Coco Chanel outfits soon became the fashion of the day...
In 1915 Chanel opened another boutique in Biarritz. In the wartime France Biarritz was the place for those who profited and enjoyed le luxe. Located close to the Spanish border, this resort was made famous by royals from all over Europe. This enterprise made her successful beyond all expectations. By 1916 the combined staff of her fashion houses in Paris, Deauville and Biarritz totaled 300.
One of her most famous innovations was her adoption of jersey, the material usually associated with men's undergarments. Her three-quarter-length overcoat made of jersey, free from ornament and loosely fitting, was an instant success.
Chanel was a woman who dared to set the new trends. She said: "I set the fashion for a quarter of a century. Why? Because I knew how to express my own time."
She changed completely the traditional role of couturier... Before her, the clients used to require the exclusivity of fabrics and designs, made especially for their needs. Chanel changed it and by doing it, changed the look of the street. She made high fashion functional and well suitable to working women and housewives.
Chanel put women into slacks, which was possible due to the liberalization of morals and the opportunities of sports. Wearing slacks in 1929 was a freedom that only truly rich women could afford. But the taboo was broken, and eventually the Coco Chanel fashion went down to the streets to become the preference of thousands of women.
Coco Chanel had set a new standard of comfort, luxury, elegance and life of a woman entrepreneur, which remain almost unchanged to this day.
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