Fashion Advice from Coco Chanel

A wise woman once said: “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” These are the words of a legendary designer Coco Chanel. She passed away in 1971, but until now the principles she introduced in life and fashion world in particular are still timely. She frankly believed that simplicity was the beauty. And this means that all those t-shirts, sneakers, leggings and jeans modern women love so much will never be compared to impeccable elegance of Chanel’s undying style.

Here are ten pieces of advice Coco Chanel gave to women throughout her life:
1. “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury”. Both day and eveningwear from Chanel was made comfortable so that movements weren’t hindered. Low heels, sleeveless blouses under jackets, bags on long straps – all these were intended to provide woman with comfort. Coco Chanel never created fashion for fashion. Her clients’ comfort was above all for her.

2. Pants make woman free. Coco Chanel was the first to design and actually wear pants, at the time when women preferred to suffer wearing corsets and long skirts. Coco’s courage was criticized but soon one after one women started to don pants. Now it sounds weird but it was Coco Chanel who we should thank for the opportunity to sit comfortably and move quickly. Coco used to wear shortened pants combined with expensive classic sweaters at day time. For evenings out she created the wide pants that Marlene Dietrich made famous.
3. Perfect skirt should cover knees. Mademoiselle Coco considered women’s knees ugly so she decided it was right to hide those under clothes. Chanel designed a few basic skirts for businessladies. They were mostly straight and tight, and they were incredibly elegant.
4. Worship little black dresses. Coco Chanel introduced LBD in 1926 and this way made a great present for all women in the world. She wanted to create a dress that would be ideal for both day and night, be sexy and versatile, and look differently with different accessories. If before Chanel black was considered the color of mourning, after her it became classic and stylish. She offered ladies her own model of elegance and they accepted it gratefully.

5. Perfect suit should combine both feminine and masculine elements. In the early 1920s image of a tomboy with a bob haircut, boyish silhouette and sparkle in the eyes became very popular. Coco Chanel took her boyfriends’ clothes and easily adapted those for her figure. She experimented with everything from Boy Capel’s sweaters to tweed coats of Duke of Westminster. She had also a weakness for sailor’s striped vests which she teamed up with innumerable beads.
6. Jackets should be soft. In 1925 Coco designed her first soft jacket that fitted the woman’s figure and didn’t hinder movements. It was a brand new approach to jacket-making as modern women’s jackets used to be very rigid and uncomfortable. Chanel offered ladies the delicate silk, high armholes and narrow sleeves. All these made the shape exquisite.

7. The more accessories the better. Coco Chanel loved accessories. She wore tons of them. She could combine bijouterie with expensive jewelry. One could hardly ever see the designer without a string of pearls, beads from rubies, emeralds and semiprecious stones, cameo brooch, beret or a hat she liked to wear nearly on her eyebrows.
8. Stylish shoes can be of two colors. Chanel adored the combination of black and white, so her famous black-and-white sandals came as no surprise. Coco believed that such shoes made woman look sexier and her feet smaller.
9. Bag with a shoulder strap is the best because it leaves hands free. Black quilted purse on a chain strap created by Chanel to complement her businesslady look is until now considered to be one of the classiest and fashionable models of bags.
10. Perfume is as important as clothing. “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future” – thess Coco Chanel’s words are always timely. She also said that woman had to apply perfume wherever she wanted to be kissed. In 1922 Chanel released a fragrance that drove millions of women and men mad. Coco stayed loyal to her principles and used a mannish square bottle for her creation.