Chanel Haute Couture Suit, Circa 1970
View Similar Items
Chanel Haute Couture Suit, Circa 1970
About the Item
Chanel
In the years following the opening of her modest millinery shop, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel became a pivotal designer of both fashionable casual wear and Paris haute couture as well as an icon and arbiter of 20th-century style with her bob haircut and pearls. Today vintage Chanel handbags, jackets and evening dresses are among the most sought-after clothing and accessories for fashion lovers all over the world.
The first Chanel shop was established in 1910 in Paris on rue Cambon by the young milliner Gabrielle Chanel (1883–1971), who had picked up the nickname “Coco” while working as a club singer. The boutique drew the attention of the Parisian fashion elite who popularized her wide-brimmed Chanel Modes hats. Soon she added a sportswear store in the Normandy resort town of Deauville, where Coco set the tone for her defining sense of style — traditionally masculine garments reimagined for feminine shapes, made from simple jersey fabric.
Effortless and elegant, Chanel's designs promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by complicated layers of fabric and cumbersome corsets. She followed this success with a couture house, opened in 1915 in Biarritz.
But Chanel was not born into a life of glamour. Following the death of her mother, her father left her in an orphanage where she lived until the age of 18. It was there that she learned to sew as well as appreciate the classic pairing of black and white as worn by the nuns.
In 1926, Chanel introduced her first little black dress, reclaiming a color that had once been reserved for mourning and working-class women. That same decade, she debuted her perfume, Chanel No. 5, as well as the Chanel suit with a fitted skirt, inspired by the boxy lines of men’s clothing and employing a sporty tweed.
Chanel closed her fashion operations during World War II, then returned to the industry in 1954 to design for the functional needs of modern women.
Structure and wearability endured in all of Chanel’s clothing and accessories, like the quilted leather 2.55 handbag — a 1955 update of a 1920s-era design — with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. Her collarless jacket reacted against the constricting styles of Christian Dior's New Look, replacing them with a design that was timeless, an instant classic. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes.
After Coco Chanel died in 1971, the brand underwent several changes in leadership, including fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who took over as artistic director in 1983. Over the years, the company has continued to innovate, such as expanding into ready-to-wear fashion in 1978 and, in 2002, establishing a subsidiary company — Paraffection — dedicated to preserving the heritage skills of fashion artisan workshops. The House of Chanel still operates its flagship on rue Cambon in Paris, where it all began.
Browse vintage Chanel bags, evening dresses, shoes, jewelry and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- An André Courrèges Couture jacket and skirt - French late 1960sBy André CourrègesLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1968/1970 France Tailors jacket and skirt Haute Couture by André Courrèges dating from the late 60s. Size A Couture Future. Cream and navy wool...Category
1960s French Skirt Suits
- A Pierre Balmain Ceremonial Satin Evening Dress Bolero and Purse Circa 1950By Pierre BalmainLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1950 France Pierre Balmain Paris evening or ceremony dress with matching bolero and purse from the 1950s. Ivory Duchess satin embroidered with wh...Category
1950s French Twin Sets
- A French Dress and Jacket in Lustrous Printed Satin Silk Circa 1970Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1965-1970 France Dress and bolero in waxed printed silk satin from the 1960s with no label. Long dress with finely pleated skirt at the waist ending in a point on the front. Fitted bustier with small straps and concentric pleated work highlighting the chest. Small matching sleeveless bolero and pointed tails folded over the shoulders. Very beautiful silk satin with waxed rigidity and decor of large bouquets of naturalistic flowers on a silver gray and honeycombed background. Clean dress but with some very rare pin spots...Category
1960s French Evening Dresses
- A Japanese inspiration printed silk evening pyjamas - France Circa 1930Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1930 France Beautiful evening pyjamas, two pieces trousers and bodice in printed silk pongee dating from the 1930s. Beautiful print with Japanese floral decoration in soft co...Category
1930s French Negligees
- A Christian Dior boutique Chiffon blouse and skirt By Marc Bohan Circa 1980By Christian Dior, Marc BohanLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1980 France Romantic blouse and skirt set by Christian Dior Boutique under the direction of Marc Bohan and dating from the 1980s. Translucent s...Category
1980s French Day Dresses
- A Paco Rabanne Couture Set in Yellow knitwear and Papier Fou- Spring Summer 1991By Paco RabanneLocated in Toulon, FRSpring Summer 1991 Collection France Modernist ensemble from Paco Rabanne's Haute Couture show. Composed of a pair of Bermuda shorts, a tunic-dress made of stretchy ribbed knitwear in lemon-yellow and a bolero with quilted fins in iridescent silver foil called Papier Fou. This clever and deliberately avant-garde process corresponded at the time to a sheet of rhodoïd laminated with a reflective silver foil. Metal buckle with yellow synthetic stone cabochon to close the bolero. Light crazy paper patina, clean set, little or no wear. Very good condition of colour and conservation. Exhibited and catalogued at the Villa Rosemaine...Category
1990s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- VERSACE JEANS COUTURE vintage 80s Betty Boop jumpsuit and jacketLocated in Rubiera, REVERSACE JEANS COUTURE vintage 80s Betty Boop cartoon pop art print catsuit jumpsuit and jacket Cotton knit jumpsuit, mandarin collar, back zip 88% cotton 12% elastane Size label not ...Category
1980s Jumpsuits
- Christian Dior by John Galliano Runway 1997 Pink Boucle Fringed blazer dressBy Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL- Christian Dior runway coat dress with mini-skirt in pink wool - Creative Director: John Galliano - Fall-Winter 1997 first Pin-up Collection for Christian Dior - Worn ones so in exc...Category
1990s French Dress and Coat Ensembles
$7,641 Sale Price50% OffFree Shipping - Roberto Cavalli Stud embellished top and silk printed pants set, Resort 2014By Roberto CavalliLocated in Milano, IT- Runway look 29, 31 - Sold by Skof.Archive - Pink, white and yellow print embellished stud top - Crewneck top - Different motif pink, white and yellow printed silk pants - Resort 20...Category
2010s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
$527 Sale Price63% Off - Roberto Cavalli SS03 Beige Leather Heart Two Piece SetBy Roberto Cavalli, CavalliLocated in Scottsdale, AZThis ss03 leather Roberto Cavalli set is a must have for any vintage lover reminiscent of the Y2K era. The jacket features gold hook closures that ...Category
1990s Italian Twin Sets
- Vivienne Westwood pink floral printed maxi skirt and blouse ensemble, ss 2001By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood pink floral printed ensemble. Maxi skirt and draped blouse with asymmetric cut. Spring-Summer 2001Category
Early 2000s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set, ss 1996By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set. Spring-Summer 1996Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
From the Runway to Rihanna, These Chanel Pearl Sunglasses Are the Peak of ’90s Chic
This cheeky accessory is seriously fun.
With a Wink, Karl Lagerfeld Sent This Egg-Carton-Shaped Chanel Bag Down the Runway
For the brand’s 2014–15 ready-to-wear show in Paris, the designer was inspired by a most unexpected place: the supermarket.