Taylor’d with Style The Tangled Threads of Coco Chanel
By JeanAnn Taylor
As an adult, her unstable childhood influenced her determination and resolve to never live without money or a home again.
Sketch Interpretation by JeanAnn Taylor
A
s a “girly girl,” I can’t say I love the boxy fashions of Coco Chanel. But, I can say that I love her fearless spirit. This lady made her life what she wanted it to be. She was at once classy and controversial. She is an icon who turned the fashion world upside-down. Her mannish fashions with simple lines were avant-garde in the early 1900s. She was an ambitious and opinionated fashion designer who changed the world of fashion forever. Her relationships with men were sometimes simply friendships, and oftentimes much more complicated. Her life has been written about many times over in books, online posts, and magazine articles. Deciphering the complex story of Chanel turned out to be quite a task. From humble beginnings, passionate affairs, and a relationship with the Nazis, here is as accurate an account of her life as I could write. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in France in August of 1883. Her parents were unmarried until after her first birthday. Her mother worked as a laundrywoman and her father sold haberdashery goods on the street market. They lived in various places with no stable home life. When she was 12, her mother died and her father dropped her off at an orphanage. While living in this convent, she learned to sew—which turned out to be a rewarding skill. 10 | 50+ Living | October 2020
Coco’s career began as a seamstress during the day and cabaret singer at night. The name, “Coco,” is said to have come from a song she sang, Qui qua vu Coco. It is also rumored that she chose Coco for it’s nickname of cocotte, meaning, kept woman. Either way, the name felt right to her and she used it for the rest of her life. Coco embraced her personal style, and enjoyed standing out in a crowd. To this end, she made her own hats and clothes. As they were often very different from the fashions of the day, she gleaned much attention. In 1906, as a cabaret singer, Coco met many men. Among these was a French textile heir, Etienne Balsan. As fabric and hat-making were two of her passions, Coco was immediately infatuated with a man who could offer her all the money and fabric she could wish for—so she became his mistress. To keep her content, Balsan set her up with a small millinery shop. This set-up was all fine and good until the day when Coco met a very wealthy Englishman, Boy Capel, (1908). Capel took her everywhere and Coco quickly realized how the wealthy truly lived. In 1913, Capel gave her a boutique where she began designing and selling women’s garments that were in stark contrast to the current restrictive fashionable clothes. Coco was intrigued by the comfort and simplicity of menswear, and she took much inspiration from Capel’s clothing. She also insisted on perfect workmanship and the use of high quality material. She began sewing dresses from jersey fabric, which at the time was only used for men’s underwear. Her simple designs were comfortable and practical, yet remained elegant. They were also scandalous. She designed tight skirts without corsets or petticoats, and even—pants for women. By 1922, her success led her to open The House of Chanel. Unfortunately, although they appeared to be in love, Capel could not stay faithful and their relationship
