Yes, it’s HERE, my Designer Spotlight post for none other than…CHANEL.  I’m really excited!  When I think of pure, classic style, I think of CHANEL.  Established in the early 1900s by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the CHANEL French fashion house specializes in luxury goods to include perfume (ahem…No. 5!), cosmetics, jewelry, shoes, clothing and of course, handbags.  Coco Chanel is credited for the creation of jersey dresses which flattered the figure, her design of the “little black dress” and the successful “Chanel suit” composed of a knee-length skirt, boxy jacket and traditionally worn with a pearl necklace.  Her items were meant to allow for comfort while conveying casual elegance.  Also most famously known for her handbags, the quilted fabric and leather (which has a secret quilting pattern sewn at the back to keep the material strong) decorated with interlocking C’s stands out as a Chanel trademark.  The most famous of the Chanel handbags is the Chanel 2.55, named after its date of creation – February 1955.  Each detail of the bag has been carefully thought out, as everything down to the color of the lining inside the handbag, has a meaning.  Coco Chanel wanted a purse, first and foremost, that could free the hands of the modern woman while attending social functions…which brought about the double-chain shoulder strap attached by leather-threaded chain inserted through eyelets.  This design was inspired by the keys which hung from the same type of chains that her caretakers carried while growing up at the convent.  The back pocket of the handbag should be used to hold money to tip the bellman; the zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap used to store your love letters; and the middle slotted pocket to hold your most essential accessory – lipstick.  Lastly, the lining of the handbag is burgundy, to represent the color of the uniforms at the convent where she grew up.  To me, CHANEL has transcended couture into a lifestyle that represents classic understated elegance.

 DAY

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” – Coco Chanel

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

“A women can be overdressed, but never over elegant.”

“Fashion changes, but style endures.”

“A women who doesn’t wear perfume, has no future.”

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”

“A woman is closest to being naked when she is well-dressed.”

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”

You never need to dress up when styling a CHANEL bag…the bag styles you.

Ironing Out the Details:

Sweatshirt – GAP (old), Similar
Leather Jacket – ZARA
Sleeveless Trench – URBAN OUTFITTERS, Similar dress styles here, here and here; LAST SEEN HERE
Denim – EXPRESS
Belt – URBAN OUTFITTERS
Earrings – CHARMING CHARLIE
Sunglasses – MARC by MARC JACOBS
Heels – GUESS Carrie Pumps
Bag – CHANEL 2.55