Ahh, the Chanel Classic Flap Bag - perhaps the most iconic of all 'it' bags. Here we dissect the ultimate arm candy... and we're giving you the chance to win one, too!
Ask any girl what their ultimate wishlist item is and you'll hear "A Chanel Classic Flap Bag!" more often than not. Why? A Chanel through and through, the bag serves up an instant dose of French sophistication – that classic sensibility with a flair for rock 'n roll – thus lending any wearer that je ne sais quois quality we're all dying to capture each morning.
The Classic Flap has been seen on the arm of nearly every editor from Marie Claire's Taylor Tomasi Hill (seen below, left), to the ice queen herself, Anna Wintour, and can be found featured in major publications around the world nearly every month. A favorite of celebrities and style icons including Victoria Beckham and Rachel Bilson, the bag simply goes with everything and will never lose its value. As gorgeous as it may be, the story behind the design is what really makes it such a precious piece worthy of the investment.
The Dissection: First released in February of 1955–hence the 2.55 nickname–the original flap bag featured the original "Mademoiselle Lock" but was updated to include the CC lock in the 80s by Karl Lagerfeld. At PurseBlog (our #1 source for all things handbag), Vladi Dusil tells the story behind the bag: "Coco Chanel grew up in an orphanage/convent, therefore, the double chain shoulder strap comes from when the children's caretakers in the orphanage would dangle keys from their waists with the same type of chains as on the Reissue. Also, the zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap of the Reissue is where Coco sequestered her love letters, as she was having an affair at that time. The brownish red color of the inside represents the color of Coco and the rest of the children’s uniforms (the nuns’ were black with white trim: thus, the packaging on Chanel Parfum/Eau de Parfum/Eau de Toilette). The back outside flap of the Reissue actually marks where Coco would stash extra money!
"Over the years there have been many variations to the original design of the 2.55, including the leather/fabric, the chain–metal vs. interwoven leather, single flap vs. double flap, and the closure–mademoiselle vs. interlocking CC. The 2.55 refers to all flap-style bags, including variations of the original! The term classic flap commonly refers to the flap with the interlocking CC closure and the leather interwoven chain.
"In February 2005, Karl Lagerfeld re-made the 2.55–exactly as Coco Chanel had made in 1955, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 2.55. It came to be known as the Reissue. Technically the term Reissue should only be used for the bags that were made to commemorate the original–so only those in 2005. However, it has become convenient to call all 2.55s that resemble the original 2.55 Reissues and all 2.55s that have the interlocking CCs Classic Flaps."
