Coco Chanel constructed her designs in able to provide clothes that simplified choice, offered women comfort and understated elegance which liberated the female body.
Chanel described the idea behind the iconic jacket and how it "enables women to move with ease, to not feel like they’re in a costume. I’m not changing the attitude of mannerism. This time, it’s very different because the human body is always on the move."
Because of the way they are constructed, Chanel jackets can be easily sized up or down two sizes. Below the lining, at every seam there, is a bit of extra fabric which can be taken out to create more space if needed. The same goes for sizing the jacket down.
The same fabric of the jacket is very often utilised for other details; edging a pocket, adding a fake cuff, trimming a button or lining the suit.
The jackets are typically made of tweed which Chanel discovered through wearing the jackets of the Duke of Westminster. Originally the tweed was made of pure wool, but nowadays it can be mixed with a variety of materials like silk, cashmere or alpaca. As she was drawn to the sophistication of the fabric, Chanel enlisted a Scottish factory to produce her tweed since the late 1920s.
Each jacket is an assembly of 18 separate pieces that are threaded by hand in order to stay true to the spirit of haute couture.
