Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur, France. She began her career as a singer in a café-concert, before opening a small shop called Chanel Modes in 1908, selling hats. In 1913, she opened her first fashion boutique, Chanel Modes, at 21 rue Cambon in Paris, which featured her own designs. This was the beginning of the Chanel fashion empire.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Chanel’s popularity soared and her designs became synonymous with luxury and elegance. Her use of jersey fabric, which was less expensive and more comfortable than the traditional silk and satin, made her clothing accessible to a wider range of women. She also popularized the “little black dress” and the concept of costume jewelry, which allowed women to add a touch of luxury to their outfits without breaking the bank. Chanel’s designs were modern, sleek, and simple, which stood in contrast to the ornate, heavily decorated styles of the time.

Chanel’s designs were not only popular with the general public, but also with the elite of society. She had many famous clients, such as the Duchess of Windsor and the actress Gabrielle Dorziat. In 1920, she introduced the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume, which became one of the most popular fragrances in the world. During WWII, Chanel closed her fashion house, but she continued to design jewelry and perfume. After the war, she reopened her fashion house, although her designs were not as successful as before. In 1954, she retired from fashion design and died in Paris in 1971. Today, the brand continues to be a major player in the fashion industry, known for its iconic designs and high-quality craftsmanship, and is considered one of the most valuable luxury brands in the world.

70s Chanel British TV Commercial

How to tell if Chanel is vintage from the Logo

• With the exception of Karl Lagerfeld’s addition of the two C’s emblem, the Chanel logo has remained unchanged.
• Karl Lagerfeld added the emblem after Coco Chanel’s death in the early 1970s as an ode to the founder.
• Other than that, the font and logo style has been very consistent.
• The text is all capitalized.

How to tell if Chanel is vintage from the Neck Tags

In 1924, Pierre Wertheimer, a savvy businessman, established Parfums Chanel, which specializes in producing and selling perfumes and cosmetics. Chanel’s cosmetics are the most widely available of all the brand’s products and can be found at counters in department stores worldwide. Chanel’s High Jewelry collection, founded in November 1932, is another important aspect of the brand. The fashion house debuted its Bijoux de Diamants collection at Coco Chanel’s mansion in Paris and continues to offer a luxurious jewelry line today. A clue to identifying vintage Chanel is the wash tags. Modern Chanel items typically have large polyester rectangles at the hip, indicating they are from the late 2000s onwards.

Having trouble with your vintage tags? Upload a picture on our vintage tag identification page, and we’ll help you identify them!

1920s vintage Chanel tags

• Many of the earliest Chanel tags alternated between a script and block text logo.
• Some of them included “”Paris”” on them.
• Most early Chanel items were couture at this time.

1930s vintage Chanel tags

• Similar tags proliferated in the 1930s.
• A common theme was to mention France or Paris.
• They are wide white rectangles.

1960s vintage Chanel tags

• In the 1960s, tags started to become more uniform.
• The block text font logo was used.
• The tags are wide black rectangles with white font.

1970s vintage Chanel tags

• A similar design was used for 1970s tags.
• One common difference was the more common use of white versions of the tags.
• The two Cs emblem was also introduced on the tags to memorialize Chanel.

1980s vintage Chanel tags

• The new emblem was used more regularly on tags in the 1980s.
• They were longer and sewn in on both sides.
• They also included the word ‘Boutique’ on some tags.

2000s vintage Chanel tags

• The tag design remained very similar.
• However, many of the tags started to have polyester labels with manufacture information included on them.
• They also had some sizing information on them.

2010s vintage Chanel tags

• The more modern tags often have a size label attached to them.
• The two Cs emblem is also smaller.
• With slightly bigger and bolder font.