The Suit
My Primary research
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.
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"Few creations have had a greater influence on fashion than the Chanel suit. A classic symbol of French elegance, the suit is constructed according to a precise code: strict lines, a fitted cut articulated at exactly the right places to allow ease of movement; braid trimming on the jacket; sleeves fitted precisely at shoulder level; real pockets; an enduring range of colours - beige, navy blue, black, as well as pink, cherry red or pale green; a consistent choice of fabrics - jersey and tweeds or daring combinations, 'fabrics so dazzling as to strike the heartiest Highlander blind'." (Bott, 2007, p.12)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"In keeping with her taste for ease and comfort, Mademoiselle 'sculpted' her clothes on the models themselves. Her 'absolute eye' as Jean Cocteau called it, sought perfection in the construction of her suits, harmony in their proportions, balance in the way they hugged the lines of the body. She strove to create a garment that would fit like a second skin." (Bott, 2007, p.28)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
Coco Chanel was a tomboy of sorts and often wore mens clothes including polo shirts and wide leg trousers as well as their suits. She also wore clothes that she created herself, or rather clothes that she borrowed from men's work clothes or tailoring. She wore jersey tops and sports clothes for ease of movement. This was the basis for her designs and being the first to wear her creations, she only designed clothes that she liked.
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"She was already displaying a rare talent: the ability to take everything that she loved and match it to contemporary taste, making it unique, even desirable. Her way of wearing a garment, of dressing it up by adding accessories such as pearls, chains or flowers became a template for actresses and the fashionable elite who tried to copy her. One thing is sure: Coco Chanel was the first stylist." (Bott, 2007, p.22)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"When Coco Chanel passed away, it was thought that the mythical Chanel style might die out. But in 1983, designer Karl Lagerfeld was appointed Artistic Director of the celebrated fashion house and breathed new life into the brand by conveying his passion for contemporary luxury. Hailed emperor of fashion, this erudite, post modern dandy, creator of illusions of beauty, driven by insatiable curiosity and creativity, declares that he merely obeys his instinct, the spirit of the period and his perpetual desire for change." (Bott, 2007, p.43)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"From Vanessa Paradis to Anna Mouglalis, to Kate Moss or Uma Thurman, today's 'Chanel girls' embrace the Chanel suit with ritualistic reverence, succumbing to its charms, and revelling in it without constraint. The fringed tweed jacket worn over a pair of jeans is the latest version of an enduring style, proof that the signature suit has survived all the upheavals of the past fifty years without losing it's identity." (Bott, 2007, p.43)
Here shows an example of contemporary variations of tweed that are woven, frayed and encrusted with beads. This is one of the ways that Karl Lagerfeld brings new life to the iconic Chanel suit. New, exciting and more colourful fabrics creates a twist on the original and also brings it up to date on the latest fashion.
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"The United states took to her suits as the comfortable uniform for the smart woman, and the suits were copied and mass produced throughout the decade. Coco attributed her new success to being a woman designing for women, and giving them the essentials of fashion - comfort and style." (Worsley, 2002, p.49)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
Karl Lagerfeld has managed to keep some of the old characteristics of the Chanel suit while inventing new and exciting ways to keep it young and fresh. The accessories are still very much a part of the Chanel designs and Lagerfeld is still keeping with the style of Coco Chanel in adding these little touches of femininity. The same styles are used as well as the same level of precision that Coco Chanel prided her designs on.
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"Every one of his collections highlights the house icons in his own personal way. 'Absolute respect would have been fatal to creativity', he has often said. 'I took the Chanel codes, or language, and I mixed them up. Mademoiselle's basic idea was timeless modernity. But my job was primarily to reinvent Chanel. So I played with the codes, manipulated them, sometimes even eliminated them before bringing them back'." (Bott, 2007, p.44)
Source: Bott, D (2007) Chanel: Collections and Creations. Thames & Hudson.
"Flounces, lace, guipure, prints, tulle, knit or transparent fabrics becomes his 'signature card' of the season. Everyone is inspired by his designs, and the Chanel suit a` la Karl Lagerfeld is probably one of the most copied in the world. When the variations begin to stray too far from the original model, the designer simply reverts to the sobriety of the original, to the acclaim and appreciation of all." (Bott, 2007, p. 49)
