Welcome to our list of The 6 Most Iconic Pieces in Fashion History!
The history of fashion is filled with iconic pieces, but there are some items that changed fashion forever. These items changed the way we dress and live, and their impact on fashion is still seen today. From jackets and dresses to handbags, I’m sure you have at least one of these pieces in your closet.
So, without further ado here are The 6 Most Iconic Pieces in Fashion History:
1. Levi’s 501
Jeans are the most universal pieces of clothing, everyone has a pair, it transcends class, gender and race, and it all started with Levi’s 501. The Jeans were created in 1853 when Levi Strauss founded a wholesale business in San Francisco. At that time, the 501 series were used only by western workers, miners, and cowboys, it was made of canvas which was much more durable than common pants. Years later, the canvas was replaced by Denim which was a sturdy cotton textile that was made to last longer than the canvas. Between the 1950s and 1980s, Levi’s jeans became popular among a wide range of youth subcultures, including greasers, mods, rockers, and hippies.
From the early 1960s through the mid-1970s, Levi Strauss experienced significant growth in its business as the more casual look of the 1960s and 1970s ushered in the “blue jeans craze” and served as a catalyst for the brand. Since then jeans has never gone out of style and it never will.
2. Chanel LBD
Women used to wear black only while morning, it was considered distasteful to wear it in any other occasion. Until the 1920’s when Coco Chanel created the famous Little Black Dress. She said: “These women, I’m bloody well going to dress them in black!” and so she did. In 1926 Vogue published a sketch of the Chanel design, although very conservative by today’s standards, at the time it was scandalous. The design by Coco Chanel was dubbed Chanel’s Ford, referring to the Ford Model T. Like the famous car it was accessible to people of all social classes. But the moment when the LBD truly became a staple was when Audrey Hepburn wore it in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, it skyrocketed in popularity.
Today the little black dress is an essential piece in every wardrobe.
3. Chanel Tweed Jacket
Inspired by the Suffragette Suit, Coco Chanel designed the first truly female suit, in the modern sense. Chanel first introduced the suit in her collection in 1923 but it did not impress her clients or the media. After world war 2 she tried once again in tweed and this time it was a huge success. Unlike the ones who came before, the Chanel suit was glamorous and feminine. An article of clothing previously only worn by men, now had a luxurious and unique version for women. The Chanel suit is a classic and was the inspiration for many clothing items we wear today. It was also during this time that Coco Chanel popularized pants for woman, through her iconic yachting pants.
These pieces began blurring the lines between woman and men’s clothing.
4. Chanel 2.55 Bag
In 1955, Coco Chanel created the famous 2.55 bag, the first shoulder bag ever designed. A quilted bag with a gold chain that allowed woman’s hands to be free, by carrying the bag on your shoulder. The name 2.55 comes from the date of its creation, February of 1955. Its thoughtful design was truly for the modern woman on the go: the space in between the two internal pockets is designed to hold a single lipstick, and the back outside pocket is designed to securely hold money without opening the bag. History tells us that when she was designing this bag Coco Chanel was having an illicit affair with a married man, so she designed the zippered inner pocket so she could hide love leather in there.
This bag is to this date one of the most classic, iconic handbags ever and it served of inspiration for some of the most popular bags today. Is that kind of bag that will never go out of style.
5. Burberry Trench Coat
Thomas Burberry first created the water and wind proof fabric called gabardine in 1879. Using this material, he would go on to design the first predecessor to the trench coat in 1912. During the first world war soldiers would wear this coat while in trenches across Europe, which gave this coat its iconic name. After the war, the trench coat transformed into a fashion statement for men and women alike thanks to movie stars who wore the stylish coat on film. Today the Burberry trench coat is worn by men and woman all over the world.
This coat has been around for 100 years and it is not going away anytime soon. It’s practicality and style has forever changed the way coats are made.
6. Hermès Birkin
The story of the invention of the Birkin bag — the result of the chance meeting in 1983 between actress Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, then creative director of Hermès — has become legendary among Hermès lovers. The two were seated next to each other on an international flight. When Dumas asked why she travelled with a simple straw tote, Birkin explained that most leather bags were too structured for her taste. Birkin ‘wanted something much more boho’, according to Caitlin Donovan, Handbags specialist at Christie’s in New York. ‘The two actually came up with the design for the bag on that flight, on the back of an airsickness bag.’ And so, the Birkin was created.
This is one of the most recognizable and iconic bags in the world and is a symbol of style and luxury.
