This timeless Chanel material made its debut in 1925 in the form of an iconic tweed jacket. The simplistic silhouette in combination with the formerly menswear-exclusive material made a strong impact in the fashion world and quickly became a mainstay of the house. Coco Chanel's innovative tweed jacket design then evolved into the production of tweed suit sets, skirts, dresses, accessories, and even handbags. Our take on tweed? It’s a classic material that’s as versatile as it is chic. Shop with us in stores for pairings of classic tweed pencil skirts and vintage rock tees, or browse our website for a variety of collectible tweed bags & accessories. Read on for more about tweed, plus our styling tips for integrating tweed into your wardrobe.


THE MAKING OF A HOUSE ICON

The vision of implementing tweed into her designs was concepted by none other than Coco Chanel herself. Coco drew inspiration from men’s suiting and viewed menswear as a rebellious form of femininity. Her tweed fixation began with borrowing the garments of her lovers, all the while observing the different types of tweeds used in men’s clothing. It was Coco’s palpable urge to turn tweed into contemporary womenswear that led to the creation of the first tweed jacket. That first tweed jacket was just the starting point for what tweed would soon become for the house: an iconic brand staple.

A few years after testing the waters with the jacket, Chanel incorporated multiple tweed pieces into her collections which did not go unnoticed. Vogue began featuring these groundbreaking collections which led to the tweed takeover. Soon, Coco Chanel’s designs were almost exclusively tweed, seen on simple, no-frills pieces like collarless jackets and straight-cut skirts. As fashion evolved, so did Coco’s use of tweed. When looser silhouettes came en vogue, Coco opted for a lighter weight tweed to adapt to this trend while retaining her signature looks. Coco Chanel’s emphasis on quality and craftsmanship led to the continuous use of tweed over many years, cementing it as a brand symbol still to this day.

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S TWEED

At What Goes Around Comes Around, our obsession with vintage Chanel is no joke. You will find vintage Chanel suiting nestled between vintage Levi’s and classic rock tees in our retail stores for a reason. In our opinion, the best way to freshen up a serious tweed is by pairing it with easy basics or modern trends. A prime example of our ideal tweed styling: Katie Holmes at our West Broadway reopening party last week wearing a vintage Chanel tweed jacket over an effortless white tee with on-trend denim.

But of course we couldn’t mention vintage Chanel without plugging our all-time favorite tweed pairing: a vintage Chanel bag. Many of the original bag styles were released in tandem with the debut of tweed clothing, oftentimes appearing in the same collection. The matching colorways and corresponding quality levels make it clear that vintage Chanel bags and tweed are a styling match made in heaven. Scroll down for styling inspiration and to shop our top vintage Chanel picks.