In September 1957, we paid congratulatory tribute to Mademoiselle Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who'd just won that year's Neiman Marcus Award. Her comeback three years prior was initially met with cold shoulders by her countrymen—perhaps owing to her Nazi collaborations during World War II—but it didn't take long to reclaim her perch, and as much acclaim as she had ever commanded, as the world's arbiter of timeless style.
Chanel was long synonymous with a certain look, which we called "the Chanel look": costume pearls, LBDs, jersey, and a sense of ease in dressing. This revolutionizing revamp of the way women ought to dress has won her enduring cult status, from the end of World War One and probably forevermore, a proof that comfort should never be drab.
Leena Kim is an editor at Town & Country, where she covers travel, jewelry, education, weddings, and culture.
