Coco Chanel Hats

Coco Chanel's most famous design is arguably either the 2.55 Flap Bag or the little black dress. In 1926, Chanel introduced her first little black dress, reclaiming a color that had once been reserved for mourning and working-class women. At the time, Vogue referred to it as Chanel's Ford, a reference to the Henry Ford Co. automobiles that were reshaping the automobile industry. Similarly, the little black dress was a landmark in fashion design. The earliest designs for the 2.55 Flap Bag date back to the 1920s, when Chanel began dabbling in designs for a woman's handbag that included a shoulder strap. In 1955, she finally introduced the bag, which gained fame as the first-ever shoulder bag (or one of the earliest) and it remains iconic to this day. Shop a diverse assortment of Chanel apparel, bags and accessories on 1stDibs.

Coco Chanel used many bags over the course of her life, but there is little information about which specific bags she carried. There are accounts that the acclaimed designer sported her iconic 2.55 Flap Bag, which was the first bag to ever feature a shoulder strap when it debuted in 1955. Some say that she used the hidden zipper compartment in the quilted shoulder bag to hide love letters from an admirer. On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of Chanel bags.

Coco Chanel made the quilted purse known as the 2.55 to solve a problem. The handbags that were available during the early 20th century were often hard to carry because they only had handles. Chanel added a chain strap to the 2.55, giving women the freedom to sling it over their shoulders for easy carrying. As to why the 2.55 featured diamond quilting, she was enamored with the pattern, which she first encountered on saddle cloths, groom's jackets and horse blankets at a friend's stables, and introduced it to her designs in the 1920s. By the time the 2.55 debuted in 1955, diamond quilting had become synonymous with the French fashion house. On 1stDibs, explore a wide variety of Chanel bags.

The first Coco Chanel fashion shows were reportedly held on rue Cambon in Paris.

The first Chanel shop was established in 1910 in the French capital at 31 rue Cambon by the young milliner Gabrielle Chanel, 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. The ground floor housed the boutique, while the area upstairs was utilized for a salon for couture fittings as well as a space for models to show off Chanel's present collections.

Find vintage Chanel handbags, clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

Coco Chanel first made the little black dress popular in 1926. That year, Vogue magazine referred to the dress as Chanel’s Model T as a way to describe how the approachable design was something the average woman could wear, just as Ford’s Model T automobile made it possible for more everyday people to own a car. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Chanel dresses.