Shirt, ca. 1935–37
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (French, 1883–1971)
Wool
Gift of Mrs. Michael Blankfort, in memory of her mother, Mrs. William Constable Breed, 1976 (1976.29.7)
In this example, Chanel uses striped jersey to create a dramatic and jaunty sports shirt. She purposefully designed the garment on the bias to create interest with diagonal lines, angles, and intersections. The tie at the neck refers to a sailor's dress, just one of the working-class examples of men's wear from which she drew inspiration. This shirt continues the boyish "Garçonne" look Chanel championed in the 1920s. The pairing of this particular fabric with the cut of the blouse creates a signature Chanel sportswear look.
metmuseum.org
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Theater suit, 1938
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (French, 1883–1971)
Silk
Gift of Diana Vreeland, 1954 (C.I.54.16.1a,b)
This suit made of ruby red silk velvet was inspired by a costume worn to a masquerade party in 1938. Called 'Watteau" and modeled after the dress of the male figure in a painting by Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684–1721), the suit represents a successful melding of contemporary and historical styles. The suit was intended to be worn with a flared floor-length skirt; the original owner, Diana Vreeland (1906–1989), shortened the skirt when the garment was in her personal wardrobe. Chanel herself wore a version of this suit executed in black velvet.
metmuseum.org
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Evening Dress and Bolero
1937
Black cotton lace with black silk grosgrain ribbon ties and black rayon underslip
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Yann Weymouth, 1981
Image by Karl Lagerfeld for the exhibition catalogue Chanel
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Evening dress
1927-28
Blue silk net with radiating pattern of graduated blue paillettes
Courtesy of the Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Wesson Seyburn
Image by Karl Lagerfeld for the exhibition catalogue Chanel
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Evening Dress
1925
Black silk chiffon
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Gytha M. Rupp, 1994
Image by Karl Lagerfeld for the exhibition catalogue Chanel
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Evening dress (front)
Ca. 1937
Peach silk lace and tulle with matching silk crêpe de chine underslip
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Isabel Shults Fund, 2004
Image by Karl Lagerfeld for the exhibition catalogue Chanel
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Day Suit, fall–winter 1956
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (French, 1883–1971)
Black ribbed wool by Garrigue, with blouse in ivory dot-embroidered silk satin
Worn by Jacqueline Kennedy at a tour for officials of the American National Theater, the White House, March 12, 1963
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Cocktail ensemble, ca. 1964
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (French, 1883–1971)
Black silk and synthetic pile; ivory polyester blend damask with black nylon jersey
Gift of Mrs. Murray Graham, 1973 (1973.297.2a,b)
Chanel promoted jersey fabrics in 1916, as the first of many innovations for outdoor recreation and chic sportability. Her most famous introduction, which characteristically borrowed several of its constructive components from menswear tailoring traditions, was the famed "Chanel Suit." Early forms of this ensemble were promoted in her 1920s collections, with the suit jacket as a wool jersey cardigan, paired with a silk or sheer cotton blouse and a kick-pleated jersey skirt. The blouse almost always matched the jacket lining, as demonstrated in the 1960s design here. More formal incarnations of the Chanel Suit were produced in silk or linen for the cocktail hour.
Though Chanel clothing was absent from couture during World War II, the fashion house reemerged in the 1950s with its famous namesake at the helm. Postwar Chanel clothing crushed skeptics and critics with a reinterpretation of the suit, constructed from heavy wool bouclés, doublecloths, and tweeds. These textiles, manufactured by textile designers like Malhia, Burg-Linton, and Bucol, gave the suit the boxy shape and luxurious appeal that became synonymous with 1960s Chanel collections.
This suit employs a black silk and synthetic clipped pile for the jacket and skirt, with an understated ivory damask for the blouse. The black bow became a signature detail for Chanel couture before mid-century, but only with its insertion into cocktail-formal versions of the postwar Chanel Suit was the necktie truly celebrated. The luxurious textiles of the suit, paired with the designer's signature gold weight chain, made the ensemble an obvious choice for the cocktail hour. With evening-appropriate materials, the suit played on notions of day-into-evening dress that were present in the cocktail garb of 1930s café society.
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Evening dress (front)
Ca. 1937
Peach silk lace and tulle with matching silk crêpe de chine underslip
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Isabel Shults Fund, 2004
Image by Karl Lagerfeld for the exhibition catalogue Chanel
Chanel couture silk lace/tulle dress, c.1937. Label: "Chanel" with couture number on the back. Featured in the Chanel exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Deco evening cape attributed to Chanel, c.1930 $2,600
Between the World Wars, an eclectic design style developed, later known as "Art Deco," from a 1925 art exposition held in Paris ("Arts Decoratifs"). Deco art often uses simple geometric forms combined with bold graphic color schemes. In a major exhibition celebrating Art Deco at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Deco was described as "the most glamorous and popular style of the twentieth century." This superb piece is an excellent example of the Deco style.
The cape is the epitome of glamorous Deco chic—the design is the best of the best. The Art Deco aesthetic drew on its immediate predecessors (Art Nouveau,Suprematism and Futurism) for inspiration. In the cape's design, we see the Deco's affinity for geometric shapes (the golden triangles), broken only by the play of texture from the black sequins.
The cape is fashioned from a two-tone ground of cotton tulle; the écru tulle body of the cape is overlaid with bronzed-gold matchstick sequins. The black tulle godet inserts are covered with black sequins. The bronze sequins have developed a rich mellow patina over time.
I love the scalloped hem! The neckline is finished with a mandarin collar and closes with decorative buttons. There is no label.
The condition is excellent and wearable. The size is approximately 6-8. The cape measures 30" long.
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
I especially like all the art deco pieces, I'm a bit of a deco fanatic
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
__________________
And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Thanks for posting those pics
Also loving the items in #31 and #35.
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