Chanel Handknit Ivory Wool Cardigan Sweater Winter Collection, 1999
View Similar Items
Chanel Handknit Ivory Wool Cardigan Sweater Winter Collection, 1999
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.
- Romeo Gigli cropped sweaterBy Romeo GigliLocated in Austin, TXRomeo Gigli cropped sweater buttons down front long sleeve 50% mohair, 50% other Condition: Excellent Sz M / LCategory
1990s Unknown Cardigans
$1,100 - Krizia Long Open Wool CardiganBy KRIZIA POI, KriziaLocated in Milano, ITGorgeous and elegant vintage wool cardigan designed in the 1990s by Krizia, made in Italy. The cardigan is very simple, but impactful. It is enti...Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
$175 Sale Price20% Off - Claude Montana Fitted Off-White Jacquard Sweater Italy Size SmallBy Claude MontanaLocated in Palm Springs, CAA very sexy sweater by French Design legend, Claude Montana. made in Italy, labeled size 40, this is a slim body skimming shillouette that would fit a modern US sizes2-6 depending on...Category
1990s Pullovers
- Beaded Sweater TopLocated in Alford, MA1950s-'60s cropped ivory sweater covered in ABA sequins and studded throughout in a turquoise bead and pearl motif; turquoise beaded edging is further ad...Category
1960s Sweaters
$250 Sale Price23% Off - White Sequin CardiganLocated in Alford, MAA white knit cardigan adorned allover with iridescent white sequins. Hook and eye closures, lined in white, shallow slits on sides. Size M.Category
Mid-20th Century American Cardigans
- Crystal-Beaded CardiganLocated in Alford, MAOne of the most incredible pieces of craftsmanship we've seen, this cardigan in a fine brownish plum knit incorporates a vertical zigzag pattern of small crystal beads...Category
1940s American Cardigans
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.