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Chanel’s Modern Fashion Culture which changed the Women of the Ancient Regime into the Modern Citizen

  • Korean Review of French History
  • Abbr : KRFH
  • 2023, (49), pp.75~108
  • DOI : 10.51786/RCHF.2023.08.49.75
  • Publisher : KOREAN SOCIETY FOR FRENCH HISTORY
  • Research Area : Humanities > History
  • Received : July 24, 2023
  • Accepted : August 11, 2023
  • Published : August 31, 2023

Lee Ja Suh 1

1연세대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The fashion of Ancient Regime before the French Revolution of 1789 had maintained as the fashion of Belle Époque until the early 20th century when Gabriel Chanel disconnected this long tradition. This fashion distorted women’s body with corsets and added too much decorations on costumes. It was a fashion culture which reflected the social prejudice that women were defective and helpless gender. It is a tragedy that symbolizes the misogyny that modern bourgeois men had. Chanel announced a break with the old fashion. She got rid of corsets from her first costumes of leisure look and jersey suits. She gave a freedom to women’s body and self consciousness to women’s mind. As the 1st world war broke out, men went to the battle front, women filled men’s place at home front. Chanel’s practical clothing styles were widely accepted. Chanel created the little black dress, the symbol of modern women in 1926. And surprisingly she allowed the copy of her design to spread her fashion philosophy to all women. Today, the brand of Chanel remains as the symbol of Parisian luxury. However, as Gabriel Chanel announced “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.