Fashion That Never Sleeps

Posted on November 17, 2019 by

Unknown-2.jpeg One of my favorite things to wear I never get tired of, is a little black dress most people associate with Audrey Hepburn.

But the person who deserves the credit is the designer, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, who in 1926, through her groundbreaking fashion sense,images-1.jpeg freed women from the captivity of heavy, layered fabric.

Her creation revolutionized fashion…calve-length, simple and straight, Vogue Magazine calling it, Chanel’s Ford, like the Model T.  images-3.jpeg

All I know is, whenever you wear one, heads still turn…women, men, even the occasional octogenarian will nod in approval.

Simplicity is the keynote to true elegance…C.C.

Hail Coco!   images.jpeg

Brings me to the little black flat that in 1921 started as a mere ballet slipper designed by an Italian named, Salvatore Capezio, who began making them for dancers.

The clothing designer, Claire McCardell, featured his long-soled ballet Unknown-2.jpeg shoes in her 1941 collection changing footwear forever, every major department store from popular demand, ordering them.

Imagine going from heels to flats for the first time, as if you never took off your bedroom slippers, something we’ve always taken for granted.

images-1.jpeg

And I’ll end with the Big Kahuna of classics, the gabardine trench coat, worn by British and French soldiers during World War I, sired in 1912, by Thomas Burberry…

warmer, comfier and lighter than any of its predecessors, protecting them from the wind and rain.

Way before Bogie made it famous in Casablanca,  images.jpeg every major military man from Churchill to Eisenhower wore one as part of his uniform. 220px-WWITrenchcoat.jpeg

Nothing is still quite as chic as one tossed over a suit, or tights and a blazer, braying with its sartorial history, Unknown-2.jpegimages-3.jpeg

Kinda makes ya hope for rain, now doesn’t it?

SB

About Susannah Bianchi

I'm just a girl who likes to write slightly on slant. I've had a career in fashion, dabbled in film and to be honest, I don't like talking about myself. Now my posts are another matter so I will let them speak for themselves. My eBooks, A New York Diary, Model Behavior: Friends For Life and Notes From A Working Cat can be found on Amazon.com. Thanks.
This entry was posted in Beauty, Culture, Fashion, grace, History, war, Women and men, writing and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

63 Responses to Fashion That Never Sleeps

  1. Gavin & Wyatt says:
    November 17, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    Hoping for rain?… we have it in southeast Alaska.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. kindredspirit23 says:
    November 17, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    I, personally, think that it looks better on the women.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Dale says:
    November 17, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    I could not agree with you more on all three fashion mentions.
    Elegance, simplified; never to go out of style. Ever.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. John W. Howell says:
    November 17, 2019 at 5:33 pm

    I bought my first Burberry in 1977 and I still wear it. I don’t have a little black dress or flats, however. I enjoyed the story, Susannah.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. skinnyuz2b says:
    November 18, 2019 at 6:04 am

    Susannah, I love a simple little dress, black or otherwise. I’ve always been a dress girl. The flattest shoes I own are one pair of sneakers. Otherwise the lowest heels are at least a couple of inches.
    My senior students last week were talkng about an interviewing contest. One girl asked, “Do I really HAVE to wear a dress?”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. aFrankAngle says:
    November 18, 2019 at 7:29 am

    Unquestionable the head-turning power of simple elegance. Audrey Hepburn is also the classic example. Well done, Susannah!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. Sorryless says:
    November 18, 2019 at 10:05 am

    The little black dress is a favorite memory of mine. The sisters indigo, navy and red allowed for erstwhile dalliances into the spectrum. But Coco will always prevail for its simplicity, which is seductively intoxicating. It’s cutting to the chase, in sexy.

    As for shoes, my ex wife was a shoe collector who could have started up a stateside sister group to Imelda Marcos. I still have this nightmare where unopened shoe boxes are chasing me . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  8. Nereah says:
    November 24, 2019 at 11:48 am

    Timeless fashion is everything

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. Pingback: Fashion That Never Sleeps — athingirldotcom | By the Mighty Mumford

  10. ruchitha24 says:
    December 6, 2019 at 12:03 pm

    Fashion photography is not something I have ever had an interest in doing, but looking at it is different.implicity is the keynote to true elegance. One of my favorite things to wear I never get tired of, is a little black dress most people associate.The style you wear is a reflection of who you are.Fashion That Never Sleeps ..

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Susannah Bianchi says:
      December 6, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      I couldn’t agree more. Not everyone has style. They wear labels to show off their preening finances. Takes so little to have personal style, and if you borrow a little from Audrey, that’s okay too. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  12. theauthordailymemphis says:
    January 3, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    This is indeed fashion that never sleeps for sure! You gave me a lot of information on CoCo Chanel in whom I need to study more.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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