Suit
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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Suit
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Gabrielle Chanel (French, Saumur 1883–1971 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1962
- Culture: French
- Medium: wool, silk, metal
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Jane Holzer, 1977
- Object Number: 2009.300.525a–e
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
ca. 1964
Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1987–88
Multiple artists/makers
spring/summer 2009–10
Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 2012–13
House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
1937
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