Coco Chanel-Biography

           The social and technological changes that World War I created gave shape to her designs.  In the later months of 1914, society women and their families took refuge in Deauville to avoid the war zones in the rest of France. Life in the resort town changed terribly. Many hotels were turned into hospitals for helping the wounded soldiers. Most of the women including the high society ones started working in the hospitals as nurses.  However, the fashion of Belle Époque was not suitable for practical work. Chanel realized the need for new designs, and she opened up a work room to design suitable clothes: pullover tops, cardigans, and sailor-type jacket.  Besides, the expansion of cities and towns, busier social lives, and public transportation made people more mobile and many women started driving cars.  In 1916, she introduced jersey suits made out of jersey, which was the material for men’s suits.  She eliminated the waistline and shortened the height of the skirts.  For the first time in women’s fashion, women showed their ankles in the streets.  She said “I make fashion women can live in, breathe in, feel comfortable in and look younger in.” She simplified the fashion without losing its elegance.  She wanted women to be comfortable and chic at the same time.  She based her designs on looking good in comfortable clothes.

           By the 1920s her fashion expanded, and she created a new fashion style, which was called the little boy look.  Her fashion house became popular with new dresses and sweaters.  She tried to spread out the casual look by introducing the tricot sailor frock, the pullover sweater, jersey used in soft, clinging dresses, gypsy skirts, ornate silk blouses, and shawls.  In 1925, she introduced cardigan jackets, and in 1926 she introduced the little black dress, which is still fashionable in modern times.  Her creation of different and liberal designs defied previous fashion trends.  She wanted to make women feel comfortable in their clothes.  She said “I must tell you something significant.  Fashion is always of the time in which you live.  It is not something standing alone.  The problem of fashion in 1925 was different.  Women were just beginning to go to work in offices.  To the woman going to work, I said to take off the bone corset, because women cannot work while they are imprisoned in a corset."  She wanted to save the women from uncomfortable clothes. It was also an allegory for the changing functions of women in society.  Why shouldn’t women have been in comfortable clothes like men?  In other words, why would women not be in equal conditions with the men?  Her answers to these questions were her designs.  Her belief in the liberation of women was reflected in her designs especially in her little boy look with the jersey suit and cardigan jacket.  She not only supported her belief by her designs, but also set a good example for women by using her innovations herself.  Equality between men and women was a modern idea then, and it was not an easy concept to digest.  Her fresh designs and ideas promoted the new notion of emancipation of women.

           Her designs and ideas were in contrast to the past.  In the beginning of the 19th century only high class women could enjoy the fashion.  Hand craftsmanship was famous but expensive which reduced the use of fashion to the high class people.  Besides, high class people decided what fashion was because it was a way to show people their status.  For all these reasons, the fashion based on drawer, flannel petticoat, corset, corset cover, tight bodice and long skirt fitted closely to the waist and the hips that covered the legs; were pretentious, uncomfortable and expensive according to Chanel. By 1908, new fashion styles started to appear with women working and having careers.  With World War I, women started to work in offices and do the jobs men used to do.  High class fashion style completely disappeared.  Being affected by the events going on and observing them, it did not take Chanel long to create a new style.

           Chanel created her style considering the necessity of women and situation of the society at the time.  She said, “A fashion that does not reach the streets is not a fashion.” She rejected the idea that only high class people could be fashionable.  She wanted her dresses to go out on the streets.  She even let people copy her designs.  Her designs were simple, easy to copy and cheap to produce due to the standard fabric that was used.  Despite its simplicity, her style was extraordinary and modern because it allowed for the liberation women.

           Chanel was associated with the modern movement, which was developed by famous artists such as Picasso and Cocteau.  Breaking the old formulas and inventing a way to express the self were the basic concepts of the modern movement, which Chanel fitted in with her rejection of the previous fashion style.  With her comfortable clothes, she got rid of the discomfort that the previous fashion style brought.  With her modern style, she created a way to express herself.  Her mannish clothes did not only give women comfort, but also an opportunity for the declaration of emancipation of women through fashion which was not in the picture before.

           Despite her success, in 1939 right before World War II, she took refuge in Switzerland to avoid investigation and possible accusations.  She had to close down her Paris shop.  She thought that there was no time for fashion.  With the fall of Paris and the increasing popularity of the Italian designer Shiaparelli, she decided to take a break.  She stayed in Switzerland for fifteen years.  In 1954, she came back to Paris and became popular again with her pea jackets and bell bottom pants for women.  

           Sometimes intentionally by designing comfortable trousers for women and combining them with ties, and sometimes accidentally by cutting her hair because she thought short hair would go good with the modern look; Chanel became a fashion idol, and she still is.  She was an extraordinary woman who introduced new and fresh ideas to society such as the liberation of women.  Her talent of making both chic and comfortable clothes at the same time was her main achievement for women.  Her creativity and determination for modernism made Paris take a huge step forward, which was followed by other people in her absence during World War II.  Her contributions as a designer for making women and men figures equal to each other has had an important impact on the French culture and thinking.  As Princess Martha Bibesco says, “Chanel was a woman who governs without parliament, for much longer than a minister.”  Her talent of seeing the necessity and her courage for defiance made her one of the most important historical figures in French history.