Today was an uber girly day. As a reward for several weeks of hard workouts, my friend R and I decided that the best reward would be to make another friend happy. So, we kidnapped S, and along with another friend J, we all went to get new "looks" at MAC cosmetics. Then, we got pictures professionally done. And no. I know what you are thinking and it wasn't Glamor Shots. Today just goes to show that most women will always love to play dress-up and make-believe, if given the opportunity.
While chit-chatting and fawning over each others' fabulousness, I got to thinking about the fashion industry and the concept of the modern woman. Who defined us? What set everything going? Why do most women have the staples of a little black dress, a good pair of jeans and tee, and a no-fail trench coat? I know that I have had my little black dress for close to ten years, and every time I wear it, I feel dazzling and am always complimented on it. Is it the dress itself? Is it my good attitude that attracts others' good opinions?
Who knows. It is probably a mixture of both.
But if anyone would have the answer, it would be the great and legendary Ms. Coco Chanel. She certainly has had a great impact on me, and the women in my family. Classic, feminine, and alluring, while at the same time avant-guarde and confident in the embodiment of womanhood - and what that implies to each individual woman - is what makes Chanel so extraordinary.
I, for one, wouldn't dare leave the house without a spritz of my signature scent, Coco Mademoiselle. Another woman wouldn't dream of a night out without the classic Chanel red lipstick coloring her pretty pout. And if a woman wants a knock-out interview or board meeting presentation, the Chanel suit will certainly help in scoring some points.
To get to know Ms. Coco's style and attitude towards life (because after all, isn't that what a fashion sense is all about?) check out this book: Coco Channel: Three Weeks/1962. Mostly photographs with some captioning, you get a very intimate insight into the world this woman lived in, and the world she helped to create.
If Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O. are the reigning queens of all things lovely and feminine in modern times, then Coco Chanel was their fairy godmother. And let's be honest, mine, too.