Vionnet cleverly amalgamated a still lingering desire for femininity with the wish to dress without the restricting comfort of corsetry. ... But it was the androgyny promoted by Chanel that dominated women's fashion in Europe in 1919. The idea that Chanel suddenly brought out a less curvaceous figure in 1919 has already been dealt with, … Continue reading The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: VI – Femininity and Androgyny
Category: mythbusters
The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: V – Outdated Old Masters
The subsequent single-page spread devoted to Madame Lucile's chiffons and to Poiret's plumes seemed to be included simply out of respect for the old masters and appeared fearfully outdated. This part of the Chanel myth breaks down into two ideas: that pre-1919 looks appeared outdated compared to Chanel, and that the top designers of the … Continue reading The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: V – Outdated Old Masters
The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: IV – The Sole Survivors
One other French designer, Madeleine Vionnet, managed to survive the transition through the war years and become part of the revolution in fashion. The unfortunate truth is that Chanel and Vionnet have come through history with somewhat undeserved reputations. They are remembered, and are therefore considered to have been the leading two couturiers - because … Continue reading The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: IV – The Sole Survivors
The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: III – A Slender Pair of Shoulder Straps
The editorial commended Chanel's reliance on an uncluttered natural beauty, with a dress that showed only a slender pair of shoulder straps holding it up. The way that this is written, there is an implication of the slender pair of shoulder straps being part of an innovative uncluttered beauty. However, bared arms and shoulders had … Continue reading The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: III – A Slender Pair of Shoulder Straps
The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: II – Standing Out from the Crowd
In November 1919 pictures of Gabrielle Chanel's chemise [evening] dress had filled the pages of Vogue ... Unfortunately, unless I travel to the library at the Fashion Institute of Technology, there doesn't seem to be any way for me to examine the actual November 1919 issue of Vogue - only its cover is available online. … Continue reading The Myth of Chanel and the 1920s: II – Standing Out from the Crowd
Mimic of Modes 