Suit

Gabrielle Chanel|House of Chanel

ca. 1962 · wool, silk, metal · Costume Institute

The design of this classic suit represents continuity with work from Gabrielle Chanel's early career in Deauville, where she first began wearing and then making sporty clothes in humble fabrics inspired by menswear and working class garments. While it is made of a woven textile, the appearance of the fabric and the color combination of this suit recalls Chanel's early knitwear. Suits with this silhouette quickly became the signature look from the atelier after Chanel reopened in 1954. The navy and white scheme of this particular suit represents the designer's adherence to the philosophy of a "uniform" for women, simple pieces that can be altered with accessories while always remaining appropriate and stylish.

Artist

Gabrielle Chanel|House of Chanel

Date

ca. 1962

Medium

wool, silk, metal

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Jane Holzer, 1977