Essay About Coco Chanel's Influence on the Apparel Industry

Gabrielle Bonheur ‘coco’ Chanel was a famous french fashion designer, businesswoman and founder of one of the worlds most famous fashion brands, Chanel. After world war one, Coco Chanel popularised and normalised sporty, casual chic feminine style. This replaced the popular tight corsets with a simpler, much more comfortable and cheaper option all while maintaining elegance. Chanel extended her range of products beyond couture clothing, by designing jewellery, handbags and creating fragrances. Chanel's signature scent, Chanel No 5 is one of her iconic products along with the Chanel suit and little black dress.

As early as 1915, Harper's Bazaar, an American women's fashion magazine, praised Chanel's designs and said, “The woman who hasn't had at least one Chanel is hopelessly out of fashion…This season the name Chanel is on the lips of every buyer.”. Chanel’s influence was the official knockout of the unrealistic, tight corset figures. The frills, hassle and restraints braved by generations before were now abolished. Her unique design and aesthetic reinvented the fashionable woman in the years after world war I.

Jersey fabric

Chanel’s initial pride was her original use of jersey. Jersey is a soft, stretchy, knit fabric. It was originally made from wool but today it is also made from cotton, synthetic fibre and cotton blends. One side of jersey fabric is smooth with a single rib knit, while the back of the jersey is piled with loops. Jersey is a knit fabric meaning it has more stretch. There are two main types of jersey, depending on the knit style:

Standard Jersey- Sometimes called single knit or plain knit, and is made using one set of needles. It appears piled on one side and smooth on the other.

Double-knit jersey- occasionally called interlock jersey, it is two pieces of single knit jersey that has been knit together to create a smooth surface on both sides.

Jersey was first produced during the medieval time in Jersey, Channel Islands. The fabric was only used for menswear such as underwear and fisherman’s sweatshirts. However, in 1916 Coco Chanel reconstructed the jersey market and introduced the fabric to the women's fashion industry, making comfortable coats and dresses.

Jersey was considered too ‘ordinary’ to be used in couture. Many designers disliked jersey fabric as the knit structure was too difficult to handle in comparison to woven fabrics. Chanel’s wool jersey travelling suit included a cardigan jacket and pleated skirt, styled with a low-belted pullover top. This attire worn with low-heeled shoes, became the casual look in lavish women's wear.

Chanel’s introduction of jersey to fashion worked well for two reasons: Firstly, there was a shortage in traditional couture materials after world war I. Secondly, women began wearing simpler and more practical clothes. Her loose fitting jersey suits and dresses were created with those thoughts in mind. At the time women were working for the war efforts and their jobs involved physical activity, Chanel’s designs were greatly appreciated.

The Chanel Suit

The Chanel Suit  was first introduced in 1923, the suit was designed for comfort and practicality. It consisted of a jacket and skirt in light wool or mohair tweed, and a matching blouse and jacket lining in jersey or silk. Chanel decided not to stiffen the material or use shoulder pads, as it was common in contemporary fashion. She thought to cut the jackets on the straight grain, without adding any bust darts, which allowed for quick and easy movement. The neckline was designed to be free and comfortable and also added functional pockets. For even more comfort the skirt had a grosgrain around the waist to replace a belt.