Classy and Fabulous: Chanel
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” That is one statement to live by, especially when coming from the legendary Coco Chanel.
It is undeniable that Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel’s success transformed the fashion world with signature styles of understated elegance. She is quoted as saying “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” However, some aren’t aware that she wasn’t born into a privileged life. She made her fortune through hard work and determination.
She was born on August 19, 1883 in a poorhouse in the Loire Valley, France. Her family name was actually Chasnel, but at her birth, it was misspelled as Chanel in official birth records – and the name stuck. When her mother died of tuberculosis, Chanel was 12 years old with five other siblings. Her father left the children behind in order to work. 
Because of this, Chanel spent seven years in an orphanage of the Roman Catholic monastery of Aubazine, where she was trained to be a seamstress. Vacations from school were spent with her female relatives who taught her to sew with more eccentric details than the nuns at the monastery had demonstrated.
When Chanel turned 18, she left the orphanage and found a job with a local tailor. Later in life, she would relay an elaborate lie about her upbringing, even changing the year of her birth to 1893, not wanting others to know her true age or her history of poverty. Yet, undoubtedly, her humble background is what made her the iconic fashion designer she became.
Of course, with fashion comes love, and with love comes fashion. Although never married, Chanel was known for having many tumultuous romantic affairs throughout her lifetime. While working at the tailor shop, she met her first love, French millionaire Etienne Balsan, and shortly after their meeting, she was living with him and enjoying the many advantages of wealth. In 1913, she opened her first shop, selling raincoats and jackets, but it soon went out of business.
She left Balsan, and later met up with his estranged former best friend, Arthur “Boy” Capel, whom she fell in love with. With Capel’s help, she was able to open her second shop … and her place in fashion history began.
Her love affair with Capel ended, and she went on to have affairs with many other influential men. But Chanel’s strong attitude could never be matched. When asked why she did not marry the Duke of Westminster, she said, “There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel.”
And it is true. “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” Chanel was just that. She went on to design jackets, suits, cardigans, dresses and even purses and perfumes that have remained a legendary staple in the lives of beautiful, fashion-conscious women throughout the world. Chanel set standards other designers can only hope to achieve, she was never afraid to take risks, and throughout her career, she never lost sight of her vision.
She introduced the world to designs that replaced the confinement of corsets, underclothes and padding, and in return gave women a reason to feel confident in a well-designed, casually sophisticated cardigan or intricately crafted LBD. As Christian Dior once said, “With a black pullover and ten rows of pearls, she revolutionized fashion.”
So, when you reach for the garments that will shape your next amazing outfit, remember the words of Coco Chanel, “A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed.” Here’s to Coco Chanel and her contribution to the confidence and beauty of women.
Tags: classy and fabulous, Coco Chanel, fashion history, fashion world, iconic fashion designer, signature styles, understated elegance