Why chanel is always a good idea
A CHANEL bag is a solid investment. The price goes up every year, for both pre-owned-with love and new bags, and since the interest on savings accounts is not exactly booming, we prefer wearing our vacation money on our arms.
Bag with a number: 2.55
The very first model that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel designed herself in February 1955 (thus the name 2.55) is recognisable by the rectangular twist-lock, sometimes referred to as the ‘mademoiselle lock’. Coco wanted her hands free so designed this bag for herself. Until then most women carried handbags, which proved a little problematic when trying to drink champagne and light cigarettes. Also one of the reasons that this original model has the typical chain strap, which was inspired by the nuns’ key chains – where Coco grew up – hanging from their belts. Fifty years later, in February 2005, a new edition of the bag was brought out and named the ‘re-issue 2.55′. It is still the most wanted bag for CHANEL lovers and hardly available anywhere. Unless you don’t mind waiting patiently on a waiting list. Or go for a vintage model.
Uncle Karl
At the beginning of the eighties, Karl Lagerfeld designed a slightly less modest, but no less beautiful variant with a lock embellished with two crossed C’s and gave the bag a new name: The Classic. Thankfully he did not change much on the design. The hand stitched quilting, also called mattelassé shows Coco’s inspiration taken from the jackets of stable boys during horse races. The famous zipper pocket in the front flap is still there too, often rumoured to have contained her secret love letters all folded up. Kind of a pity that we don’t receive love letters anymore these days, because what can you possibly do with a WhatsApp…
Size Matters
The classic is available in 5 sizes (mini, small, medium, jumbo and maxi), available in butter-soft lambskin, patent leather and in a treated calfskin: the caviar-variant. On top of that, several variations are brought out with each new collection (almost six per year!), think famous CHANEL tweed or even plastic. Yes really. It used to be the bag of chic ladies and celebs until our friends form SATC created an absolute hype in the 90s making it a must-have for every fashionista. Whatever type you choose, or whatever colour – canary yellow, fire engine red or transparent plastic – the timeless design makes it the missing link for every stylish lass.
Looking for a vintage designer bag? Check out Designer Vintage.
