Carrie's research blog

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Classics of fashion

I have quite a number of ideas to use for my essay so I have decided to research a few of my ideas in some detail and then choose one based on the evidence I have collected.

Levi jeans


Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics Of Fashion: A History in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc

"When a customer complained to Nevada tailor Jacob Davis that his pockets were giving way, Davis introduced metal rivets to strengthen the seams. His new pants proved so popular that he decided to patent the idea. He approached Levi Strauss, a Bavarian bedding, clothing, and underwear wholesaler in San Francisco, then a gold rush town. In 1873 Davis and Strauss began to make tough workman's pants, then called waist overalls." (Worsley, 2002, p.111).

Source: http://stevehollier.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/on-this-day-in-1871-levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-were-granted-the-patent-on-metal-riveted-jeans/

This is the oldest pair of known Levi xx jeans dating from 1880. They were originally sold as working wear for miners and cowboys as the material was very strong and did not wear out easily.

Source: http://www.apparelnews.net/blog/432_weve_come_a_long_way,_baby.html

Women have always worn jeans, but Levi jeans styled specially for women only came in 1934 when lady Levi's went on sale. They were mostly aimed at women working in ranches and were only sold in a few western states.


Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics Of Fashion: A History in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc

It was only after film icons such as James Dean popularized jeans in his movie Rebel Without a Cause that US teenage rebels began to see them as fashionable. Young people began to see jeans as a symbol of rebellion and because of this they were often banned in schools, restaurants and theaters.


Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics Of Fashion: A History in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc

Throughout the 1960s and 70s denim began to become a staple in most women's wardrobes and Levi introduced a number of different styles to appeal to more women. They included a number of fashion fits including full and straight leg and flared jeans.

Source: http://becausecandysaysso.blogspot.com/2010/08/levis-finally-my-perfect-size.html

"The kids of the 1980's wanted their jeans ripped and torn-ironic, as rivets to prevent rips and tears were the original concept behind the 501. Levi's 501s are the oldest, and still the bestselling, jeans by Levi Strauss & Co. They have been in demand for over a century and still remain a classic." (Worsley, 2002, p.111).

Leather Jacket


Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics of Fashion: A History in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc.

The leather jacket is one of those items of clothing that has been around for so long and has undergone so many different style changes. It went from something that rebels wore to stand out and could even be used as an icon in certain street gangs to something that has undergone a fashion makeover. It is worn in today's society by both men and women but I would say that it still remains apart of the youth culture.

Source: https://www.alumni.unh.edu/obits/1940s/fortier.html

"During World War I, German pilots wore leather jackets. Then Americans took them up as industrial work wear. In World War II, both sides wore leathers-SS soldiers, bomber pilots, and submarine crews. In post war America, the police adopted the black leather jacket, as did frustrated ex-soldiers unable to sink back into civilian life. These bikers roamed about on motorbikes and quickly became associated with drinking, brawling and unruly bike racing." (Worsley, 2002, p.107).

Source: http://anonymousaesthetes.blogspot.com/2010/09/marlon-brando-wild-one.html

"When thousands of these outlaws on wheels descended on small Californian towns, Stanley Kramer decided to make a film about it. The Wild One (1954) starred a swaggering Marlon Brando and a black leather clad biker gang. With Brando's endorsement, the leather jacket became the height of rebel cool, and teenage bad boys saved up to buy a square cut "Perfecto" or "Bronx" jacket just like his." (Worsley, 2002, p.107).

Source: http://fuckyeahpunkjackets.tumblr.com/post/2544631221/its-been-a-work-in-progress-for-about-5-months

In the late 1970's, the punk movement came onto the scene helped along by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. The leather jacket was splattered with spikes and studs or daubed with slogans and badges. This further established the leather jacket as a form of rebellion for teens.

Source: http://www.ragnewyork.com/blog/top-5-womens-leather-jacket-picks/

"But by the 1980's, the shock factor of the black leather jacket was diminished. Designers put them on the catwalk, the high street copied, and they hit the mainstream." (Worsley, 2002, p.107)

The Chanel Suit

Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics of fashion: A history in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc.

"The Chanel suit is ageless. A uniform of style, it is absolutely unique, resolutely modern, easy to wear and easy to personalize and recycle. The suit is associated with the woman who created and wore it for the first time in 1913, turning it into what she herself called the 'fashion statement of the century'. After almost ninety years of existence, the Chanel suit continues to be a timeless standard, eternally young." (Bott, 2007, p.12)

Source: Worsley, H (2002) Classics of Fashion: A History in Photographs. The Brown Reference Group plc.

The Chanel suit is indeed ageless and still features on the catwalks today. In my opinion the Chanel suit is one of those iconic garments that will be around for centuries. There isn't many people that have never heard of the Chanel suit and can be argued that it is one of the most famous pieces of clothing in the designer side of fashion. The two previous objects are more high street and the Chanel suit has undergone many changes to keep up with fashion today.

Source: Bott, D (2007) Channel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.

"I was working for a changing society. Until then, fashion catered to useless ladies of leisure whose chambermaids had to help them put on their clothes. I now had a clientele of active women. Active women need to feel comfortable in their dresses, they need to be able to pull up their sleeves. She refused to make pockets so small you couldn't fit your hands in, did away with useless buttons, ensured skirts did not hinder walking and later shortened them." (Bott, 2007, p.22)

The Chanel suit was made from quite different materials that weren't often used for designer clothes. The woven tweed was perhaps her favored method of working although there are some other materials used such as wool, cotton and jersey knit.

Source: Bott, D (2007) Channel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.

"It is fascinating to discover that Coco Chanel never made any sketches. An artist to her very fingertips, she used scissors, pins and a live model to create her clothes, see them progress, feel them come to life, as if modelling clay. Unlike designers who design for ideal, goddess-like women, she created for herself." (Bott, 2007, p.28)

I think that I am going to choose the Chanel suit for my object and subject for my essay. I choose this one as I think that the original concept for the suit is an interesting one and the background on Coco Chanel herself will be more in depth than the other objects.

Monday, 20 February 2012

The history of Coco Chanel

Source: http://www.budgetfashionreport.com/post/2012/01/18/Coco-Chanel.aspx

"She built an empire and today, her empire still has her name on it on over 300 Chanel stores worldwide but who is Coco Chanel? Coco was born in Saumur, France on August 19, 1883. After her mother died when the girl Gabrielle, who later in life will be called Coco, was 12, she was left in a convent by her father. Chanel learned how to sew thanks to the nuns who raised her. Her early years were not glamorous of course considering that she grew up in a convent but Gabrielle would later create timeless designs that will later function as a symbol of luxury and style. Chanel did not care for wearing corsets because she believes that luxury should be comfortable or else it shouldn’t be called luxury in the first place." (Sigrid, 2012).

Source:http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/biographies/coco-chanel-biography

"Chanel decided to celebrate women's freedom and independence, and in defiance of the beauty standards of the time, cut her hair short like a boy's. She became the first woman with short hair. In three years, she found herself at the head of a business with over 300 seamstresses working for her.
She was successful and was able to completely reimburse Arthur Capel. Chanel had promised herself to never depend on someone else and refused all financial attachments. The only thing she needed was a contact list and it was by befriending Misia Sert, Bonnard's and de Vuillard's muse, that she acquired one. " (Tendances de mode, no date)

http://onthisdayinfashion.com/?p=3819

"Sometimes when the big one hits, the first few tremors are barely detectable. On this day in 1923, Mlle. Gabrielle Chanel gathered a small group of journalists in her salon at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris for an afternoon showing of her new line, which included what would become—wait for it—the Chanel suit." (Basye, 2010)

Source:http://www.tendances-de-mode.com/en/2007/05/21/184-coco-chanel-a-lecran

At the beginning of World War II in 1939, Chanel closed her shops stating that 'it was not the time for fashion' and after some time she got involved with a German Military officer, Hans Gunther Von Dincklage. She was not charged as a collaborator but the general public considered this relationship as a betrayal of her country, so Chanel moved to Switzerland in some sort of exile. However, eventually she returned to the fashion scene and after receiving negative reviews from critics but her feminine and easy going designs soon won over the public and critics.

Source:http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029774_2029776_2031804,00.html

"Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at her apartment in the Hotel Ritz. She never married, having once said “I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.” Hundreds crowded together at the Church of the Madeleine to bid farewell to the fashion icon. In tribute, many of the mourners wore Chanel suits."(A&E Television Networks, 2012).

Thursday, 16 February 2012

The Chanel Suit

The Suit

My Primary research

I found some examples of suits and jackets that were inspired by the Chanel suit but obviously i couldn't take any pictures inside the shops so I had to do some sketches to show the style of the suits. This sketch is of a jacket from house of Fraser. This was a red tweed jacket with black buttons.

Here is another example of a Chanel inspired jacket sketch that came from Debenhams. It was a navy tweed jacket with navy fringing detail.

This is an example of a suit inspired by Chanel. This one was from John Lewis and it was a cream tweed with with black fringing detail.

Secondary Research

It can be argued that the Chanel suit changed a lot of women and societies views on what was considered stylish and feminine. Before the time Coco Chanel came onto the scene, women were still wearing restricting corsets and placed an emphasis on unrealistic curves of the female form. The Chanel suit got rid of all the extravagant and unnecessary elements of female fashion. The suit was designed for real women who led busy lives and still wanted to look stylish.