Chanel Dress Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Maxi Dresses
1990s Sheath Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Shift Dresses
1990s Casual Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Maxi Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Shift Dresses
2010s Shift Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses
2010s Mini Dresses
1980s Mini Dress
21st Century and Contemporary Casual Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Shift Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
1970s Cocktail Dresses
1990s Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Casual Dresses
1990s Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
2010s Casual Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
2010s Sheath Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Casual Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Casual Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
1980s Cocktail Dresses
Early 2000s Casual Dresses
1970s Evening Dresses
Early 2000s Informal Dresses
2010s Casual Dresses
Early 2000s Informal Dresses
2010s Casual Dresses
1990s Casual Dresses
2010s Casual Dresses
2010s Maxi Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
2010s Day Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Princess Cut Dresses
Late 20th Century Informal Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
Early 2000s Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Shift Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Shift Dresses
1990s Informal Dresses
1990s Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Mini Dress
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
2010s Mini Dress
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses and Gowns
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses and Gowns
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
Early 2000s Day Dresses
Late 20th Century Day Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Informal Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
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Chanel Dress Silk For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Chanel Dress Silk?
Chanel Biography and Important Works
The first Chanel shop was opened 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, her 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. Over the next six decades, Coco Chanel would become 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.
However, 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, she 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 introduced in 1955 with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. Chanel's 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 evening dresses, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Clothing for You
From museum-worthy vintage Oscar de la Renta evening dresses, gowns and jackets to audacious T-shirts and trousers from provocative punk designer Vivienne Westwood, one thing is abundantly clear: If the clothing available on 1stDibs could talk, it would certainly make a statement.
For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers — think Galliano and Cavalli — but maybe ‘80s accessories are among your (guilty?) pleasures. Playful, boldly colored coats and outerwear from Moschino and other titans of the era can take a simpler ensemble to the next level, while chic and practical suits from the likes of Christian Dior and Chanel remain classic for haute couture advocates and beyond. By exploring the vast array of vintage collections on these pages, you can transform your closet into a retreat that is as retro as it is royal.
Velvet cocktail dresses and silk evening gowns designed by French-born American couturiere Pauline Trigère — who dressed Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor — have proven timeless since their mid-century debut, while an overcoat by Alexander McQueen is the perfect finishing touch. In fact, an emerald one stays in rotation for Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.
Those seeking modern high-fashion brands are also in luck. Turn your day-to-day into a runway with selections from Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace or complete that fresh look with stunning footwear classics from the likes of Gucci and Christian Louboutin. The future — and glamorous past — of fashion is yours for the wearing.
Build your collection of covetable and iconic vintage garments by shopping on 1stDibs. No matter where you roam, our diverse apparel and accessories will keep you covered in the hottest styles and comfiest black hoodie imaginable.