Invest in a timeless Chanel-style jacket
The iconic Chanel jacket is a look we all love – and it’s a look that is now reinterpreted right across the high street. Small wonder as this jacket is so easy to wear. Elegant, practical and so versatile, it can be worn for almost any occasion – to the office, dinner, or a wedding. It is a wardrobe staple that can be adapted to suit any women’s personality and taste and works equally well with jeans or a cocktail dress.
The original jacket, designed by Coco Chanel, was inspired by menswear -Chanel was a big advocate of comfortable clothes for women.
Tweed is synonymous with the Chanel jacket. She was drawn to the sophistication of the fabric and in 1924 she enlisted a Scottish factory to produce her iconic tweeds.
Later she moved production of the fabric to France and began experimenting with incorporating different texture wools and silks.
The traditional Chanel jacket is styled to work as a smart alternative to a cardigan. Straight and fluid, it is unstructured and comfortable, and works from season to season, year to year, making it a good wardrobe investment. The jacket is re-designed for every collection at Chanel and quickly the high street bring out their versions.
You will find these jackets in so many exciting tweed and boucle fabrics and making a decision can be hard. And then there is the detail – frayed edges or no fray, buttons or hooks, pockets and beading or appliqué to really make a statement.
If you are looking for a jacket to wear with jeans or for a relaxed Sunday lunch choose a multi-colour tweed with frayed edges to keep it casual.
Jo came to see me to have an outfit made for her daughter’s wedding. At one of her fittings, she talked about how she had always wanted a Chanel style jacket to smarten up her jeans when walking her dog in a well-dressed part of London. I already knew from making her mother of the bride outfit that she loved purple, so I sourced a textured tweed that reflected all her favourite colours – black, purple, teal, a touch of off-white and a fine metallic thread to lift it. She opted for frayed edges and patch pockets, with a button fastening for her Chanel look.
I would advise choosing pearl beading or appliqué instead of frayed edges if you have been invited to a smart wedding. After the event accessorise with retro jewellery or strings of pearls for a chic but classic look. Boots and a pussy-bow blouse will take your jacket into Autumn.
If a bolder look is what you are after, go for a black textured tweed perhaps with a hint of metallic thread woven through it. No fraying, a plaited or grosgrain braid edging and patch pockets with chunky metal buttons will compliment biker boots and leather trousers or work over a black silk cocktail dress and heels.
Mother of the Groom Wendy had a different take on the Chanel jacket, which I made in an eau de nil textured silk with a wool fringe to finish the edges. As she was petite, I shaped the jacket at the waist and paired it with a lace dress for her son’s summer wedding. Wendy felt very special and received a lot of compliments.
Budget allowing, it is worth investing in a couture jacket made especially for you – it will be part of your wardrobe for ever.
I love creating Chanel-style jackets for my clients as there are so many options to make every jacket unique to it’s wearer. Some items never go out of fashion and this is timeless…
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