Mays Modecollege
The most famous outfit in the world
Goodness gracious, what a party. My inner teacher made a hundred jumps because my fashion lecture from last week (you know, about the wrap dress just shot through to the higher regions of our top 5. What wonderful students you are. Time for the next lesson and I will take you back in time for this. To Dallas on November 22, 1963 to be precise. The day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
What?
A pink suit made of pink bouclé wool with a blue collar and two pockets that are also trimmed with dark blue. It was a double-breasted jacket with gold buttons over which historians have puzzled whether it was from Chanel or not. Exactly such a suit was in Chanel's collection the year before.
The problem was that Jackie could of course laughably afford such a Chanel suit, but it didn't really show patriotism if she let thousands of dollars flow to Paris each year instead of to American designers. Ultimately, Justine Picardie provided the answer in her biography about Coco Chanel. Buttons, fabric, and guidelines, etc. were sent from Chanel to Chez Ninon. That sounds quite French; it was indeed Jackie’s New York ‘tailor’. The classic suit (which was super trendy at the time because it was pink, pink) was completed by Jackie with her signature pillbox hat and a navy blue bag that referred back to her collar.
Why?
The visit to Dallas was important. John had told his wife that they would be overwhelmed by ostentatious, Texan, and especially Republican women. “Think fur coats and ostentatious jewelry all over the place,” he said to his wife. He continued: “You have to look as marvelous as any of them. Show them what good taste really is like.” A task that suited Jackie well. After an evening of ‘this one, not that one’ she found her perfect ensemble.
“The jacket has never been washed.”
How much does it cost?
Although it wasn't a real Chanel, the price of this ensemble was of course at least equal to the real deal. And now you want to know what that costs, such a set. I hope you’re sitting down because it’s not cheap. It depends on whether it’s from the ready-to-wear collection or if it’s a couture piece. Then fabric choice and treatments play a role. But if you have your sights set on such a classic, expect a number with at least four zeros.
Where is it now?
Jackie was a heroine and kept the suit on, bloodied and all, while the new president was being appointed. She only took it off a day later and sent the suit to her mother-in-law who kept it in the attic. With a note attached. ‘Jackie’s suit and bag, worn November 22, 1963’. I also cry when I read that. The suit was eventually given to the national archive in Maryland. There it is kept in a room without windows, where the temperature is controlled between 18 and 20 degrees at a humidity of forty percent. The air is also replaced six times an hour. The suit has never been washed.
On the Wikipedia page of this suit (yes, this outfit has its own Wikipedia page, then you know it has made it as a suit) it states that it is expected to be shown to the public after 2013. Well, dear people, it is now 2017. I would say: create a Jackie museum with this ensemble as a pilgrimage site for fashion people.
Are you hungry fashion students looking for more Jackie? I wrote a piece about why you should see the film with Natalie Portman as the First Lady. Beautiful. The film, that is, not my piece.
