The Woman Who Unstitched a Century: Coco Chanel

The Woman Who Unstitched a Century: Coco Chanel

She wore black at a time when women were expected to shine. She cut her hair, discarded corsets, and declared that elegance could be effortless.

In the smoke and shimmer of 1920s Paris, one woman reshaped not just how fashion looked—but how freedom felt.
Her designs liberated women from Victorian restraint and laced the decade with style, simplicity, and subversion.

TIMELINE 

1918–1920: A World Remade — and So Was She
After the Great War, women began shedding 'corsets, gussets, garters, whalebones, plackets, false hair, and brassières' casting off the mystery of excess for a new kind of freedom. Chanel gave that freedom a silhouette.

In 1918, Gabrielle Chanel acquired 31 Rue Cambon, launching a couture house that rewrote the rules. Gone were the heavy layers and rigid lines. In their place: soft jersey dresses, flowing blouses, and clothes made to move.

1921: The Scent of Modernity — Chanel No. 5 Launches
Chanel didn’t just make clothes, she crafted a signature scent that redefined femininity. On May 5, 1921, she launched Chanel No. 5, the first designer fragrance to blend abstract aldehydes with marketing genius. It wasn’t just perfume, it was modernism in a bottle.

1922–1925: Cardigans and Chic Rebellion
Chanel popularized cardigan jackets made from soft jersey — a revolutionary twist on menswear adapted for women. It was fashion that followed function: easy to wear, easy to live in.

1925: The Chanel Suit
It was understated but radical: a collarless, boxy jacket paired with a straight skirt. Gold chains were stitched into the hem to keep it sitting just right. Designed for elegance and ease, the Chanel suit gave women an alternative to excess — and a symbol of quiet power.


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1926: The Little Black Dress
When Vogue unveiled Chanel’s black crepe de Chine dress, they called it “the Ford of fashion” — simple, streamlined, and universally wearable. Once reserved for mourning, black became the ultimate expression of effortless glamour.

1927–1929: An Empire in Motion
By the end of the decade, Chanel had extended her reach into jewellery, beauty, and global influence. She had conquered not just Paris salons but the front pages of the international fashion press.

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COMMENTARY FROM
THE TIME

While daily newspapers of the 1920s often covered fashion in brief, period magazines and cultural commentary reveal how Chanel was perceived in her time:

  • Harper’s Bazaar, 1923 — Chanel herself famously declared:
    “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

  • Harper’s Bazaar, 1915 & 1917 — observed that Chanel’s styles were “on the list of every buyer,” underscoring the demand for her early designs.

  • The New Yorker, 1931 (Janet Flanner, “31 Rue Cambon”) — offered one of the most striking cultural reflections on her impact:

    “Women were full of gussets, garters, corsets, whalebones, plackets, false hair, and brassières. In short, as the men passionately muttered, women were full of mystery.”

Her Legacy
Chanel’s real legacy wasn’t fabric. It was freedom.
She unstitched the rules, re-cut the silhouette, and tailored a world where beauty didn’t demand permission. Her impact endures not because of any single design but because she proved that less could be more, and that elegance, above all, could be lived in.

UNCOVER THE STORIES BEHIND STYLE

Trace the rise of Coco Chanel and other style icons through original articles from The Telegraph.
This beautifully bound collection of newspaper reports spans over 170 pages of fashion history, exactly as it was reported at the time.


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frequently asked questions

Newspaper Books

What are newspaper books?

Each of our Newspaper Books are created with copies of authentic newspapers from specific dates or categories. Each book allows you to choose from various cover colours and designs, and to make it truly special by personalising it with a name and dedication, printed right in the book.

With Newspaper Date books you choose a specific date, for example a birthdate, and we'll create a book containing the front page for the specified date for every subsequent year since. For example, a date of July 13th, 1978, would contain the front page for July 13th for each year forward.

Our History books offer a glimpse into the past, bringing together headlines and articles relating to some of history's most fascinating or iconic events. Choose from Military History, British Royal History, and World Events; each book revisits key events, all through the eyes of the reporters who were there.

If Sports History is more your interest, you can revisit key matches, events, tournaments and races from decades past. Select your favourite team from Football, Hockey, Rugby, and more, and relive every glorious moment through the magic of print.

And, Pop Culture fans won't be left out - get an all access pass and revisit events in Music, Film, & TV. Relive the history of Classic Rock, Star Wars, Taylor Swift, and more, all through newspaper headlines.

Note that each of our Newspaper Books contain true copies of real newspaper content. We don't edit, change, or censor what was originally included in each paper. This means that each book will reflect the true history as it was printed, good or bad.

Personalising Newspaper Books
How does personalisation work?

As you create your Newspaper book, you'll be prompted to personalise it in a few different ways.

First, you'll be able to choose from a selection of cover colours, as well as a cover design. Simply click the options available, and you'll see the image update to match your selection, helping you to choose your favourite.

In addition to the look of your cover, you're also able to add the recipient's name, which will be printed right on the front cover. You can see how this looks in the example images on our website, it appears right next to the words "Presented To"

And finally, a special dedication is printed right inside the book. You can opt to use or add to our pre-written sentiment, or write your very own from scratch.



Does it have to be personalised?

At this time, there isn't any way to create one of our newspaper books without a First Name. It's a request we've shared with our product team, but at the moment don't know when this option might be available.

Please note that anything that is entered into the recipient's name box will print exactly as it's entered. This means that writing 'no personalisation' for example, will result in your book printing with that showing on the cover.

If you prefer not to use a first name, we suggest using a phrase related to your chosen book. For example for writing "A big fan", or using nickname or relationship, such as "My Partner", or simply "You" or "Me"

Original Newspapers
What are Original Newspapers?

Our Original Newspapers are just that - authentic, original papers that were once hot off the press and sold at actual newsstands in the UK and US. Each paper is stored in our archive of over 3 million newspapers, dating back to the early 1900's and featuring 100s of editions.


What can I expect with my paper?

When you purchase one of our original newspapers, our team of archivists will carefully review your paper page by page. Being careful to examine and press each paper flat, they'll also repair any flaws and reinforce the paper as necessary with a special archival repair tape. This work ensures the paper you receive will be strong enough to enjoy for years to come.

Note that as these are real newspapers and not replicas, you'll be holding a piece of treasured history in your hands, one that others may have enjoyed throughout the decades before you. While our team takes care to ensure that each paper is suitable for gifting, due to the nature of newspapers and time itself, there may be minor flaws or imperfections, or signs of age.


I can't find what I'm looking for, do you have more in stock?

To see what options are available, visit our Original Newspapers Page and enter in your desired date. Upon clicking 'search' you'll see any editions available to order, clicking 'select' will allow you to view the price for the paper you've selected, as well as various gift box options available. Newspapers are priced based on age, rarity, and special historic events, and can vary between editions.

Please note that every newspaper within our archive is catalogued and listed. If no results appear or the edition you were hoping to see is not listed, and the date you've entered is more than 2 weeks ago, we unfortunately do not have any items in stock, and are not likely to receive more at a future time.

Gifting
Can I send a gift directly to the recipient

Yes indeed! Both our Newspaper Books and Our Original Newspapers make incredible gifts for the special people in your life.

While placing your order you'll have the option to add a special gift box, which your item will be carefully placed inside prior to packaging and shipping.


For our Newspaper Books, you can also include a special dedication which will be printed directly in the book you've created - free of charge.


During checkout, you'll be able to enter in the recipient's shipping address, separately from your billing one. And, we never include any pricing or invoices within the parcels themselves, so the recipient won't see those details at all.


Note that at this time we're unable to include any gift notes or separate gift messages within the orders.

Placing an Order

Add content here...What happens when I place an order?

Once your order has been placed, the details are immediately sent to our workshops for processing.

If you've ordered an Original Newspaper, our team of Archivists in our warehouse located in Western Scotland will carefully pick, examine, prepare, and package your order.


If you've ordered a Newspaper Book, details for your customised book will be sent directly to our Printhouse located in the United Kingdom, where an automated printing process will print, trim, bind, and cure you book before it is carefully packaging it for shipping.

Note that as our orders are processed very soon after they're received, we are not able to make any changes or amendments, or cancel any orders.

Returns, Cancellation, and Edit Policies

Due to the automated nature of our order processing, we're unable to make changes or amendments to an order once it's been completed, nor are we able to cancel orders once after they've been placed.

For information about our Returns Policy, please visit this link >> HERE