1930s Chanel Adaptation Dress and Jacket Ensemble

In the days before Chanel made ready-to-wear clothing, it was common practice for Mme. Coco to authorize American department stores and high end boutiques to make reproductions of her designs for women in the U.S.  Buyers and designers for these stores would attend the Paris couture shows, then purchase the designs they wanted to reproduce here in America.  Hence, the Chanel Adaptation label.

In 1934, Chanel was showing many garments with fly-away sleeves and capelets in her couture line.

Now available for purchase at Couture Allure is this rare Chanel Adaptation label dress and jacket that I have dated to 1934.  Even though adaptation garments are not original couture, they are still of the highest quality and were made specifically for well-to-do clients by the American stores that offered them.  Remember, in 1934, America was struggling through the Great Depression, and the women that could afford to purchase garments like this were few and far between.

This ensemble is made of dusky pink rayon crepe and is in an even harder-to-find larger size with a 42" bust and 32" waist.

All of the pulled thread work and faggoting stitches are done by hand and the sleeves of both pieces are adorned with the tiniest pintucks I've ever seen.  The ensemble was well taken care of and stored properly for decades until it came to me.  I hope you'll go check out the many photos of this rare set on my website.  It's a joy to behold!

Coco Chanel's Personal Wardrobe Auction in 1978

On December 2, 1978, Christie's in London auctioned the personal wardrobe of Coco Chanel which had been bequeathed to Lilian Grumbach (center above) upon Chanel's death in 1971.  At the time, auctioning of "used clothing" or "personal wardrobes" was not the norm, in fact far from it.  There was a lot of speculation prior to the auction about who would want to buy the "out-of-date" clothing and jewelry from an auction house that normally specialized in fine art and antiques.  The House of Chanel itself was floundering in the late 70s and would not become a sensation again until 1983, when Karl Lagerfeld was hired.

Lilian Grumbach was press representative and closest personal associate to Chanel during the last 14 years of her life.  She was also heir to Chanel's personal effects.  The auction consisted of about 40 suits and dresses, either worn personally by Chanel herself or designed by her and kept as part of her personal collection.  There were also 44 pieces of jewelry and 36 other accessories (presumably handbags and such.) 

The auction was attended by museums, department stores, private collectors and women who were wise enough to realize the value of a piece of couture designed by Chanel.  A beige tweed suit with bright pink silk braid brought the highest price of the evening, about $4,800 (about $17,200 today.)  The total proceeds for the evening were $138,000 (about $494,000 today.)

Think about that.  Less than $500,000 for 120 items owned and designed by Coco Chanel herself.  If the same auction were held today, I am sure there would have been single items that sold for that price.  What a difference 35 years makes!

This link will take you to a French news report about the auction on Youtube.  In it, you can see some of the clothing and jewelry that was auctioned being worn by models.  You'll also see some of the bidders.  Enjoy!

Orange was a Hot Color in the 1930s

I listed this gorgeous 1930s burnt orange velvet bias cut velvet dress for sale on my website yesterday.  The color is so striking and unusual compared to most 1930s velvet dresses I find in black, navy and burgundy, that it piqued my curiosity.  That sent me on another research adventure.

Color fashion photography was not common at this time, so we have to rely on artist's renderings to see clothing in color.  But some fabric manufacturers did go to the expense of having color photographs done of fabric swatches so women could see the fabrics and colors that would be popular that year.  These are both from the fall of 1935.

And here are the fabrics that Mme. Chanel was using for her fall line in 1935. 

Here are velvets from 1934.  Notice the stand-out color in each?  Orange.  Orange shows up in fabric swatches from about 1934 through 1939.  This tells me the velvet dress I showed you above was the height of fashion in the mid-to-late 1930s.

Below are some artist renderings of orange used in fashion in the 1930s.

Dress by Jodelle, 1935.

Suit by Madeleine de Rauch, 1938

Black hat with orange bird of paradise feather by Chanel, 1935.

Evening gowns by Vionnet, 1935.

Chanel Dress, 1957

Chanel Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 1957.

Weekend Eye Candy: Chanel Suit, 1965

Stunning Chanel evening suit from 1965.  White silk cloque is used to great effect here.  Note how the asymmetric closure of the white satin blouse lines up with the wrap front of the skirt.  My favorite thing, though, is the huge pearl cross which gives this all white ensemble just the edge it needs.

Chanel Couture, 1932

Chanel worked a lot with velvet for her Fall, 1932 couture line.  Here are just a few examples.  Which is your favorite?

Above: Bias cut red velvet evening gown with matching gloves and scarf.

 Cherry red velvet evening coat trimmed in black fox fur.

 Ribbed red velvet coat lined in printed jersey.  Same jersey used for the dress.

 Black velvet evening gown adorned with black tulle.

Plaid velvet bias cut suit, trimmed in fur.

Chanel 1993 - 94

I've started to add magazines from the 80s and 90s to my collection, as fashions from those decades are now considered vintage.  I was browsing through the magazine rack at a thrift store the other day and came across one from October of 1993 and I promptly brought it home to share with you. I thought you might enjoy a look at a few pieces from Chanel for Fall 1993 and Spring 1994.

The micro-mini skirt was back in a big way in the fall of 1993.  Karl Lagerfeld and Yves St. Laurent led the way by featuring the new super short length on their runways.  Here is one example from Chanel Haute Couture, worn with black opaque tights.  I can't tell if those are socks or boot tops in the same tweed.

Love this.  Simply love this.  Chanel Haute Couture wool tweed bra top, guantlets and full length skirt, all embroidered in gold.  The wide belt makes it just right.

Another view of the same ensemble gives you a better view of the embroidery on the skirt.

For Resort 1994, Lagerfeld went to the ankle with the hem on this silk dress covered with Chanel graffiti.

And in a preview of Spring 1994 Haute Couture, a micro mini tweed dress worn with a jacket of the same length.  The flared godets at the jacket hem match the slight flare of the jacket sleeve.  The ensemble is worn with black opaque tights.

Friday Fur - Chanel, 1934

Leave it to Coco.  Here she takes a simple brown wool coat and turns it into a face framing beauty with a huge sable fur collar and matching trim at the sleeve cuffs.  Even the little hat is sable.  Photo from 1934.  By the way, if you've been looking for a sable hat, we've got one for sale at Couture Allure.  Check it out!

Paris Coats and Suits - 1933

Chanel camel striped velvet suit worn with a hat and blouse in sky blue linen embroidered with black.

 Lucien Lelong red angora/wool coat with silver fox collar.

 Marcel Rochas pink with black check wool suit.

 Bernard et Cie navy wool crepe coat with white embroidered scarf.

Martial et Armand suit in beige, yellow and brown crepe.

Which is your favorite?

Vintage Couture Evening Gowns - 1934

Want to see some couture evening gowns from 1934?  I thought so.  Which is your favorite?

Maggy Rouff purple and gold silk gown worn with a large purple velvet scarf.

Chanel gold lamé evening gown.  The bodice is embroidered with gold metallic threads.

Callot Soeurs silk faille gown in dove gray with pink pleated frills at the back.

Jacques Heim black silk satin mermaid hem gown worn with a white fox fur stole.

Marcel Rochas black silk stripe gown with ruffles down the sides.  The gown is adorned with a bird made of black feathers that has a diamante beak.

Vintage Chanel

Do you notice a difference in Chanel from 1979 to 1983?

1979

1983

Do you know what the difference is?

1979

1983

The difference is Karl Lagerfeld. He was hired as the head designer at Chanel in 1983 and brought the floundering company out of the doldrums. His fresh designs appealed to a new crop of younger women while still paying homage to the spirit of Coco.

Weekend Eye Candy - Chanel, 1987

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, 1987. Black satin and white organza combine in a dress compared to piano keys.

Photo by Beate Hansen.

Weekend Eye Candy - Chanel 1933

Chanel, 1933 - A pink silk tulle jacket with voluminous sleeves worn over a black velvet gown with deep back decolletage.

Weekend Eye Candy - Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld 1986

Karl Lagerfeld uses embroidery to "quilt" the sequins on this suit from the Chanel Fall/Winter 1986-87 line. Gold beads and sequins form the decorative binding on the jacket. From the collection of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute in New York.

Chanel Nonsense and Miscellaneous Stuff

Today's post is a mish-mosh of various stuff with no central theme.

Topic #1 - I was flipping through the latest issue of Vogue magazine yesterday and came across this ad for Chanel.

I realize that since 1982, when Karl Lagerfeld became the designer at Chanel, the average age of the Chanel customer has dropped. But has it dropped so much that Chanel's target customer is a teenager who hangs out on MySpace? Really? How does she pay for a $2700 cocoon bag?

24-year-old pop singer Lily Allen is the model. Quite frankly, I had no idea who she was until I saw her name on the Chanel website and then Googled her. And I'll wager that Chanel's best customers - the ones who actually shop in Chanel stores and spend thousands of dollars on clothing and accessories - have absolutely no interest in her or her music.

As a woman over the age of 50, I find this ad campaign derogatory and a real turn off. Come on, Karl. We women of the Baby Boomer generation are the ones with money to spend, and we're not interested in wearing tiaras in our hair. Why aren't you designing for us? Better yet, why aren't you marketing to us? Your ad makes me realize you don't care about me as a potential customer. I can deal with that. I'll be happy to take my money elsewhere.

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Topic #2 - Speaking of women over 50, have you heard about the new site www.faboverfifty.com? You will. Geri Brin, former editor and publisher at Fairchild Publications, will be launching the site in January of 2010. And while you're waiting, enjoy Geri's Fab Over Fifty Blog. I do, on a daily basis.

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Topic #3 - We're fast approaching the end of a decade. My friend and colleague Jonathan Walford of the Fashion History Museum in Canada has posted a retrospective look at fashion from 2000 - 2009 that is a fascinating read. Go see it here. And thanks, Jonathan, for the work that went into that post!

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Topic #4 - I am headed out on a week-long buying trip tomorrow. Although I won't be around to comment or read your blogs, I have prepared a week's worth of new posts for you here. Heaven forbid you should have Couture Allure Blog withdrawal! See you next week, friends!

Chanel Dress - 1964

Chanel fashions were rarely featured in the pages of Vogue in the 1960s, despite the fact that ads for Chanel perfumes are found in every issue, and despite the fact that editor in chief Diana Vreeland wore Chanel frequently. I don't know why that is, but here is a rare exception from 1964. Click on the photo to enlarge so you can see the details. Coco Chanel herself was the designer of this dress. In fact, she was the designer for the company right up to the time of her death in 1971. Black silk is quilted in a plaid pattern, then cut on the bias. The dress wraps in the front and the edges are all adorned with black silk chiffon ruffles. A large peacock brooch sits at the waist. Trés feminine, no?

Weekend Eye Candy - Lagerfeld for Chanel

1983 - From Karl Lagerfeld's first collection for Chanel. The designer pays homage to Chanel's legacy by designing a simple black evening gown with embroidery that mimics Coco's piles of jewelry. The necklaces, bracelets, and belt are all embroidered directly onto the dress.