"Chanel may have believed she was equal to any man, but she never confused the two sexes. Parity was important, but femininity was an imperative." - Janet Wallach, "Chanel - Her Style and Her Life"
It was in Deauville that Chanel developed her elite following. She sold her hats to the rich, and created wonderful accessories as well. One day, when the weather was cold and raw, she asked to borrow a sweater from Boy Capel. Rather than wearing it like a man as a pull-over, she cut the sweater up the front, finished the raw edges with a ribbon and added a feminine collar and bow. Women on the streets were raving and wanting to buy this sweater from her. They put in orders without asking the price. She sold ten before she made any. "My fortune was founded on that old jersey just because I was so cold in Dauville." She loved the practicality of the jersey knit. It flowed beautifully on the feminine body, and it was lighter and easier to work with than the heavy embroideries, taffetas and woolens that were so popular. But she wanted a jersey that was lighter still, and went in search of the perfect textile. She found it at the Rodier mill. The jersey she chose had just been developed for men's underwear, but had failed to sell to the underwear manufacturers, so Chanel bought the beige yardage at a great low price and went to work. Her timing could not have been better for developing a new style. World War had broken out, the men were called to duty, and the women volunteered their time as nurses and with the Red Cross. Women needed practical clothes for working and traveling on bicycles and busses. Gone were the corseted gowns, embroidered frocks and the tight, straight, ankle length skirts. Chanel produced a look featuring shorter, fuller skirts allowing the legs to move freely for a fast paced world, and a smart hip length jacket that was belted at the waist to show the feminine form. She added a tailored men's style button down blouse with a large collar that flounced over the jacket collar and topped the look with her signature sparse hat. Simple. Clean. Practical. Yet, she still charged nearly $2000 for her outfits at her shops. She opened a new couture shop in Biarritz near the Spanish border of France, again concentrating on rich, international vacationers as she did in Dauville. She gained worldwide press being featured in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. By 1919, she had made enough money to repay Capel and move into her own apartment as well as move her shop a couple doors down, but with her own capital. She was selling her fashions internationally and enjoying her financial independence. In December, 1919, Boy Capel paid Coco a visit in Paris before Christmas. After saying good-bye, he headed towards Cannes to meet up with his new wife, but a tire blew and his car crashed, killing the millionaire. Chanel was absolutely devastated.
This color coordinated collection of fashion fabrics was first featured in our Vogue Fabrics By Mail Early Spring 2011 catalog of swatches. Subscribe to receive home delivery of these catalogs every other month.
It was in Deauville that Chanel developed her elite following. She sold her hats to the rich, and created wonderful accessories as well. One day, when the weather was cold and raw, she asked to borrow a sweater from Boy Capel. Rather than wearing it like a man as a pull-over, she cut the sweater up the front, finished the raw edges with a ribbon and added a feminine collar and bow. Women on the streets were raving and wanting to buy this sweater from her. They put in orders without asking the price. She sold ten before she made any. "My fortune was founded on that old jersey just because I was so cold in Dauville." She loved the practicality of the jersey knit. It flowed beautifully on the feminine body, and it was lighter and easier to work with than the heavy embroideries, taffetas and woolens that were so popular. But she wanted a jersey that was lighter still, and went in search of the perfect textile. She found it at the Rodier mill. The jersey she chose had just been developed for men's underwear, but had failed to sell to the underwear manufacturers, so Chanel bought the beige yardage at a great low price and went to work. Her timing could not have been better for developing a new style. World War had broken out, the men were called to duty, and the women volunteered their time as nurses and with the Red Cross. Women needed practical clothes for working and traveling on bicycles and busses. Gone were the corseted gowns, embroidered frocks and the tight, straight, ankle length skirts. Chanel produced a look featuring shorter, fuller skirts allowing the legs to move freely for a fast paced world, and a smart hip length jacket that was belted at the waist to show the feminine form. She added a tailored men's style button down blouse with a large collar that flounced over the jacket collar and topped the look with her signature sparse hat. Simple. Clean. Practical. Yet, she still charged nearly $2000 for her outfits at her shops. She opened a new couture shop in Biarritz near the Spanish border of France, again concentrating on rich, international vacationers as she did in Dauville. She gained worldwide press being featured in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. By 1919, she had made enough money to repay Capel and move into her own apartment as well as move her shop a couple doors down, but with her own capital. She was selling her fashions internationally and enjoying her financial independence. In December, 1919, Boy Capel paid Coco a visit in Paris before Christmas. After saying good-bye, he headed towards Cannes to meet up with his new wife, but a tire blew and his car crashed, killing the millionaire. Chanel was absolutely devastated.
This color coordinated collection of fashion fabrics was first featured in our Vogue Fabrics By Mail Early Spring 2011 catalog of swatches. Subscribe to receive home delivery of these catalogs every other month.
