Deconstructing the Classic Chanel Jacket
In today's luxury economy, Chanel is identified with a lively, ebullient approach to fashion. This has much to do with its founding: In the early 20th century, Coco Chanel offered women a new way of dressing — one that introduced ease and comfort to feminine elegance. That legacy has endured in various ways, especially in the form of the classic Chanel jacket.
Chanel
BOSS TWEED There are as many panels of lining as there are panels of tweed in a Chanel jacket; all are precisely overstitched.
Originally inspired by a traditional Austrian men's style, the jacket borrowed some masculine flair but was distinctly chic. Its loose shape and slim sleeves were an inherent rejection of anything constricting or uncomfortable. And the achievement is not only in the jacket's external style, but in the construction.
The essential goal of the design was — and remains — the creation of a supple, rather than stiff, garment. When taking measurements, Chanel had her clients cross their arms at the shoulders so that there would be no impediment to movement.
On the inside, no shoulder pads or darts are used. The lining (jersey or silk crepe) is constructed with as many panels as the outside fabric (tweed). A thin brass chain is sewn into the bottom hem of the jacket as a weight that creates the right line. Embellishments have varied over time: buttons, jewels, camellias, and, after its introduction in 1959, the interlocking letter "C" motif. But always present is the braid that trims the jacket to emphasize its line and edges. The current version of this classic, for the fall-winter 2008 season, is made of black tweed with a trim at the edges that, from a distance, resembles fine wire, but is, in fact, small strung black beads.
On sale this fall for $4,710 at select Chanel boutiques (800-550-0005); Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave. at 50th Street, 212-753-4000), and Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Ave., between 57th and 58th streets, 212-753-7300).
