Coco Chanel’s 2.55 Bag Turns 70: All About The Revolutionary Handbag That Rewrote Fashion History | Fashion

Coco Chanel’s gorgeous 2.55 bag

Ever struggled with a bag that may look cute but is an absolute nightmare when you are out and about? Well, Coco Chanel certainly did. And, lucky for us, she even decided to do something about it. Back in 1955, when the beauty standards were through the roof, Coco Chanel introduced a handbag that would quietly rewrite fashion rules. Here’s all you need to know about it.

Called the 2.55, the new handbag that Coco Chanel had introduced was a sleek, quilted shoulder bag with an unexpected twist. The bag had straps! Now fashion girlies right now may not look twice at straps, but at a time when women were gripping and tucking their bags awkwardly under their arms, this was a big power move.

A brief history of Coco Chanel’s most iconic handbag

This wasn’t just any other design update. This was Coco saying, “Why shouldn’t women have both elegance and freedom?” She wanted something practical, so she went ahead and made something a lot more practical. Of course, in true Coco fashion, she didn’t just stop at functionality.

The bag came with thoughtful little compartments—a spot for lipstick, a mirror, even a secret pocket rumoured to hide love letters. Even the design held personal stories. The signature diamond quilting? That came from her love of horses and the padded jackets worn in the riding world. The rectangular silhouette and the original clasp—known as the Mademoiselle Lock—nodded to her independent spirit and marital status.

So, while Chanel strap bags may look like any other bags to you at the moment, back then they held a strong feminist undercurrent that was practically unheard of in an era like that.

Fast forward to the 1970s, Karl Lagerfeld took the reins at Chanel and added his own flair. He got rid of the classic clasp with the now-iconic interlocking CCs. Then, in 2005, on the bag’s 50th anniversary, he brought back the OG version, calling it the 2.55 Reissue—a love letter to Chanel’s original vision.

Over the years, the iconic bag has made its way into the arms of everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Kate Moss. It’s been crafted in everything under the sun, evolving with time but never losing its charm.

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