Coveting Chanel
Chanel has long been a coveted brand since the early 1900s and its brand recognition is greater than ever. Perhaps the most coveted and most recognized Chanel item is its Classic flap bag. The iconic bag is recognized as a global and street style status symbol.
Wearing a Chanel bag immediately cannotes a strong sense of fashion and a level of affluence. It is a small wonder that people pay attention to women carrying the bag. Or that women continuously build their collections of these bags adding colors and sizes season after season.
When buying a Chanel bag a person is not only buying a piece of luxury she or he is buying a piece of history.
The original Chanel bag was called the 2.55 because it was introduced in Febuary 1955. It's features were well thought through, or so the legend goes, with many aspects representing a part of Coco's life.
Owning a Chanel bag is not only timeless it's a an investment. They don't decrease in price and value which means you can resell them on the market and get a new one to add to your evolving collection .
The 2.55 handbag bears that particular name simply because it was originally issued in February 1955. Her features have all a piece of tale to tell. From the inside out:
• The Lining – The burgundy color is said to represent the color of the uniforms from the convent in which Coco was raised. • The Inside Zipper Compartment – On the inside of the front flap there is a zipper pocket which is said to be the place that Coco hid her love letters (from her lover at the time). • The Back Pocket – The half moon pocket at the rear of each bag is supposedly where Coco hid money. • The Shoulder Strap – The interwoven metal and leather strap is said to represent the key fobs that the caretakers at Cocos orphanage had dangling from their waist. • The Front Lock – While the Classic flap popular today is similar to the original 2.55, it has one major difference. The front lock was originally a square piece of metal with a simple turnlock. It was called the "Mademoiselle Lock" reflecting Coco's status as a single woman.
In the 1980s, when Karl Lagerfeld took over as Chanel's Creative Director, he modified the turnlock to comprise the famous "CC" logo with a turnlock in the center. This style has become known as the Classic flap or double flap bag.
The original 2.55 bag with the Mademoiselle lock was reissued in February 2005 in commermoration with that style's 50th anniversary. The Reissue 2.55 is similar in style to the Classic but with a bijoux chain and often of leather treated differently than those used with the Classic bags.
Today, the Classic and the Reissue 2.55 are not only fashion icons, but they are also great investment pieces. Timeless in style and outstanding in quality, they can be worn year after year and even passed down or sold in the secondary market. As a result, classic and hot colors are often sold out or waitlisted at Chanel boutiques.
For a complete selection of pristine, authentic Chanel Classics and other Chanel bags, visit Madison Avenue Couture