The Iconic Chanel Jacket

Oh dear, you readers have been conned by me (which I hadn't originally intended or deliberated): The sneaky peek photo above was a snap taken from the CHANEL Collections and Creations book by Danielle Bott which I have read from cover to cover countless of times. It is a photo of Vanessa Paradis in a Chanel suit created in 1960 which was taken for the cover of Marie-Claire magazine in the anniversary issue, October 2004.

I just played it around and decorated her with some Chanel related accessories just for fun.

  

 (Above): A 14 year old vintage peach boucle/tweed Chanel Jacket which hangs perfectly in my wardrobe.

Awhile ago, in the dinosaur years, I wrote about My Jacket Collections. However, I think the Chanel iconic jacket totally deserves a stand alone post. Any Chanel jacket or suit is ageless or should I say actually ages with grace, be it 10, 20, 50 years old: It stays timeless and is "a classic symbol of French elegance" as Danielle Bott described it. I am sure majority of fashionista would agree with her statement.  Every Chanel jacket or suit is made with according to one simple rule that is: A fitted cut that articulates at exact places to allow flexibility and comfort to the wearer without compromising elegance. It was and is still is a work of perfection.                                           

   

                   

                 

This is a well cut double breasted jacket with quadruple pockets, made from boucle/tweed. Coco Chanel was particularly fond of the tweed due to the suppleness of the fabric. Infact, all suit and jackets are characteristically lined with monogram CC silk lining to allow the jacket to glide smoothly along with movement. 

Above- inner beauty of silk monogram lining with the CC initials.

Above- Another signature detail often seen on a Chanel jacket are the woven tweed trimmings outlining the jacket, particularly the hand cuffs and the pockets.

Yet another signature to all Chanel suit and jackets are the gold chains sewn into the hem with the aim of weighing the jacket down and allowing it to hang straight. This is a real sign of fine couture and craftsmanship and it is exactly how Coco Chanel made the iconic apparel beautiful inside out.

 According to Chanel, button were not just merely buttons. They were designed to resemble jewellery serving to decorate the clothings. Often they are designed with some of her favourite symbol icons, namely the double CC, four-leaf clover, star, chains and ears of wheat. 

 Above- Ear of wheat, small chains and the clover leaf buttons. Below- variation of the double CC buttons. 

And of course, not to be forgotten the Lion Head which is one of her favourite symbols as it represents her birth star sign, Leo.

It doesn't just end here. Over the years, her successor, Karl Lagerfeld added a further touch of playfulness to these small accessories, bringing in more House Symbols such as the camellias, bottles of Chanel No.5, Chanel iconic jacket and even Mademoiselle's profile (all shown above).

I truly believe that Coco Chanel was a modern day woman who lived well ahead of the times. She had a modern vision of what women want and would dream of..... If only I could age with the time as gracefully as her creations did. 

Outfit:

Vintage peach boucle/tweed Chanel Jacket

Mixed selection of pearls

Vintage Chanel bag with multi gold chains and Chanel gold camellia

Chanel CC pearl drop earrings

Beige Chanel esque mini dress