Style, History & Intrigue: The Story of the Chanel 2.55

When your name is synonymous with high fashion, you shouldn’t have to carry your own purse, right? That’s what Coco Chanel thought when she re-entered the fashion world after sixteen years of retirement. After losing several bags at various theaters, parties, and events, she decided she’d had enough. A woman ahead of her time, the designer understood women had better things to do with their hands than hold a handbag, and that a Chanel purse, like clothing, could be a symbol of status and class.

Chanel borrowed on her memories, passions, and even the tragedies in her life to create what would become the most instantly recognizable women’s handbag in all of history to date. Combining practicality with femininity, the Chanel 2.55 was born. Chanel took the concept of straps – previously only found on soldier’s bags and the heavy satchels female bicycle porters carried – and feminized the idea into a Parisian sensation. It would become, and remains today, one of the most sought after Chanel handbags in the world.

 The 2.55 was introduced to Paris society in February of 1955, and Coco’s signature was all over it. Boasting the “Mademoiselle” lock, the front flap hid a secret pocket where it is believed Coco hid love letters from her admirers, and it is rumored that those letters were in fact love notes from the Nazi spy Hans Günter von Dincklage. The interior was lined in reddish/brown material, a throwback to her days in the orphanage where the children wore uniforms of the same color. Attached to the backside of the purse was another little pocket where extra money could be kept.

The chain straps gave the purse portability – women could now keep their purses on their arms while their hands were free for other things. Chanel said, “I know women, women adore chains.” The double chain is another playful nod to her life in the orphanage. The caretakers would dangle keys from similar chains for the children to play with. The 2.55 came in a variety of colors and textiles; everything from silk for evening style, to lambskin and calfskin for day to day use. Like her other designs, this Chanel purse boasted the famous “secret” quilting process that was influenced by Coco’s love of horse racing.

Karl Lagerfeld, who took over the creative leadership of Chanel in 1983, released a Reissue Chanel 2.55 in 2005 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic classic Chanel handbag. The Reissue is exactly as Mademoiselle Chanel designed it in 1955. It has two chain straps, rather than the chain and woven leather strap, and the double C clasp has been replaced with a Mademoiselle lock. The Mademoiselle style clasp is so named as a reference to Ms. Chanel’s having never married. The commemorative Reissue name was intended only for the 2007 replicas, but it’s now commonly applied to ALL of the Classic Flap purses.

The 2.55 is the “it” bag of today just as much as it was in 1955. From Katherine Hepburn to Katherine Heigle, Grace Kelly to Mischa Barton, the Chanel 2.55 handbag transcends time and style, class and culture, proving to the world that a purse can indeed be an icon. The bag has adorned the arms of movie stars and royalty, as well as the common woman who has an eye for fashion, history, and even a bit of intrigue.

Chanel’s style has been oft imitated. Designer “knock offs” can be found online, and replica Chanel purses can even be purchased from street vendors. Imitation is believed to be the greatest form of flattery, and Chanel herself said, “I would shed tears the day no one copied me.”