Chanel 2.55: Quintessential Chanel Handbags
Chanel is known the world over as one of the most important names in haute couture. Parisian fashion houses have produced some fabulous handbags, but Chanel has a certain je ne sais quoi that is undeniable. And no Chanel handbag has captured the world’s imagination as much as the famed Chanel 2.55. In fact, I’m going to have to agree with the fabulous Bagsnob.com when they boldly claimed that the 2.55 is the second-most important bag for stylish women of the world to know about (next to the Hermes Birkin—duh!). For your education, I will now attempt to illuminate the glorious history of these iconic Chanel handbags and attempt to pinpoint what makes them so darn fabulous.
Vintage Chanel 2.55
From Orphanage to Runway: Origins of the 2.55
Quintessential Chanel: The 2.55
Named for the year it was created (1955), the Chanel 2.55 is a true original. Interestingly, a lot of the aesthetic touches that made the 2.55 so unique and groundbreaking in its day weren’t inspired by the upper crust of fashion. In fact, they were inspired by the most glamorous and fabulous milieu of…the orphanage? Many Chanel lovers will be interested to know that many details on the Chanel 2.55 were in fact inspired by the convent orphanage where Coco Chanel grew up, and the nuns she lived with there.
• Chain strap: Modeled after the chains from which the nuns used to dangle their keys from their wastes
• Lining: The brown color of the lining is the same color as the garments worn by the nuns at the orphanage
It’s important to not that the chain strap of the 2.55 was revolutionary when it was introduced. Before this bag, lady socialites had to hold their handbags in their hands, which they often had to juggle with glasses of champagne, theatre programs, and other tools of the socialite trade. Therefore, by introducing the chain strap, women appreciated not only a marvelous aesthetic innovation, but a revolutionarily practical one as well.
2.55 Chanel Handbags: Every Bag Tells a Story
The orphanage wasn’t the only source of inspiration for the 2.55’s unique design. Coco Chanel’s love of horseracing was also worked into the bag, in the form of the famous quilted pattern modeled after the coats worn by jockeys. Other interesting details include the flap compartment on the back of the bag—where Chanel hid extra cash—and the interior pocket, where she supposedly stored secret love notes from a lover at the time. Coco never married said lover, and remained unmarried for the rest of her life. This is also reflected in the 2.55, in the form of the “Mademoiselle Lock,” a diversion from the classic interlocking CC logo that is a tribute to Mademoiselle Chanel’s perpetual bachelorette-hood.
The CC Logo, center piece of Coco Chanel's legacy
Party Like it’s 1955
Since the ’50s, the 2.55 has remained the most iconic of all Chanel handbags. Karl Lagerfeld, who took over Chanel in 1983, reissued the 2.55 in all its original aesthetic glory in 2005. Since then, it’s been released as many reissues and variations, but for me, the classic original design is still the most fabulous. Nothing beats a classic Chanel 2.55. Long live the 2.55!