Ethics

Coco Chanel Ethical Fashion Designer and Integral Member of the Womens Liberation Movement
Coco Chanel was a fashion pioneer whose career spanned the end of the first wave and the middle of the second wave of the womens liberation movement in the late 19th through mid-20th century.

Chanels modern philosophy and creative aesthetic informed her clothing designs such that menswear was created for women, and the result was an elegant, yet powerful take on the feminine form. Chanels use of the male figure when crafting her clothing for women helped women to feel professionally competent and independent during a time in which women were asserting themselves as equal to men and demanding equal rights, and insisting on ethical treatment.

Chanels designs were informed by simplicity and elegance. Her style encouraged women to break out of stereotypical housewife roles by showing them that they need not dress for their husbands, but dress for their jobs. Women saw that they could be elegant and feminine and sophisticated while supporting themselves financially. Chanel was concerned with the ethical equality of women in the workplace as well as in the home. She saw that women could empower themselves through the way they dressed, especially when that dress involved challenging mens views of the way women should dress.

During the second-wave of the feminist movement, gender inequality in the law and in culture was directly addressed by protesters across America. Instead of focusing on how men socially and psychologically dominated women through their broader education and professional opportunities, the second wave movement narrowed down on the laws which prevented women from moving freely in society. Women were unable to own property, unable to refuse sex with their husbands, and unable to work in the financial and other professional sectors. Women were barred from social clubs, and insulted and called whores if they socialized with men by themselves or after dark. Women were not supposed to drink in public, and they were expected to marry young and start having children and make their occupation in the home.

Chanel challenged the cultural ethos by making clothes which showed women and men that women need not flaunt their curves, their bosoms, their legs, and yet could remain feminine in a quieter, less obvious way. Her designs became classic and known for their classiness and respect towards women. During the time Chanel was designing, Simone de Beauvoir wrote her famous treatise, The Second Sex, in which she referred to women as the other.  This idea harked back to Virginia Woolf, who wrote of the denial of womens creativity and interests outside raising children during the first wave of the feminist liberation movement. Later in the second wave in 1963, Betty Friedan wrote, The Feminine Mystique, which further explored the problem with no name which was the dissatisfaction of educated women who were relegated to working in the homes and who set aside their desires, viewing them as selfish, since they interfered with their traditional role in the family construct.

Chanel became known as an ethical designer through her involvement with the feminist liberation both directly and indirectly. Chanel was a businesswoman, and did not outsource the finances of her company to a man she appeared as the ambassador of her brand, instead of sending a man to negotiate for her Chanel herself campaigned against cultural and political inequalities, and grew her brand in the process. Chanel unveiled her brand in 1909, when one of the greatest freedoms of women at that time was how they expressed themselves through appearance and dress. Frills, flounces, and curls were no longer fashionable. Instead, short haircuts, flat-chested silhouettes and simple design were in style.

Chanels designs were comfortable and practical. During World War I, women could take on the jobs of the men who were fighting, and they could not do so were they to wear restrictive, ornate fashion and hobble skirts. In 1953 Chanel came out of her early retirement (in 1939) because of her distaste of post-war fashion. She re-introduced comfortable shapes, and by 1959 her Chanel Suit became the uniform of professionally well-dressed women all over the world.

Chanels involvement in the womens movement for equality defines her ethical view that both women and men deserved to be equals in the workforce and equals in contributing to the state of their nation.  The financial and professional ethos of Chanels designs catered to the ethical views of the times that it takes two genders for a family, for a nation, and for the success of the modern movement towards industry. Chanel did she tolerate counterfeits of her designs the Chanel suit was copywrited to protect Chanel and her business, and to encourage other designers to create their own innovative steps towards being part of the womens liberation movement.

It is neither ethical nor correct for a woman to design clothes that another woman cannot wear. Chanels designs catered towards the female body, and kept the classic traditions of modesty and elegance alive. Chanels tendency towards modesty evoked her implicit understanding that women have the right to own their bodies and the right to express their bodies how they choose, whether or not they are in public. When Chanel first came to be known as the name-brand designer she is today, it was noted that she affirmed the right of a woman to own her own sexuality. The highly unethical standard of the time was for women to give themselves to their husbands whenever the husbands demanded sexual favors, and Chanels clothes denied men this idea, as well as implying that a women could undress herself however and whenever she chose, in her own personal style, just as she could dress herself however she chose.

Chanels designs of simplicity and elegance made it clear that mens view of women as objects of sexual desire and conquest were highly unethical. Women were empowered when they wore Chanels designs. All of a sudden they felt the power of their femininity as well as their personal and professional power. Modesty and sensuality were conveyed in a lens of power, not a lens of weakness and supplication. This was a great turnaround from the previous conceptions of womens place in society and relationship to men. Along with mens idea that a women dressed solely to please them, the idea that a woman herself took pleasure in not dressing to please men was a huge cultural and psychological transformation.

It is simply unethical to act as if one sex has the right to command another to act or be a certain way. One of the ways in which fashion can perpetuate this unethical situation is to restrict women to certain forms which are in vogue and prey on womens self esteem by making them believe that if they do not dress a certain way, they will be outcasts of their society. Fashion has served throughout the centuries as a way to make people feel included or excluded. Purple has always been associated with royalty, copper with poverty, silver with longevity, and gold with godliness.  There exists significance in all of the fashions of the times, and in each case fashion has served to introduce people to one another before they have personally met. When one sees anothers outfit, assumptions are automatically made as to that persons standing in society, the persons age, their marital status, and their profession.

There are statements which are familiar to persons living in the late 19th century and early 20th century which have stood the test of time. For example, the apron in the 1950s symbolized housewifery the flapper dress in the 20s symbolized innocent sexuality and girlishness the WAK uniform of the 40s symbolized authority the tie-dyed clothing of the 70s symbolized political freedom. There is a multiplicity of examples from across the world, and many are contradictory, which further show how fashion is not necessarily about the clothes themselves, but about their symbolism in society. An example of this is the color worn by those in mourning in different cultures. In America, that color is black in China, that color is white. In China, red is considered a lucky color, and Chinese women often wed in a dress inspired by the reds in the color spectrum--no Chinese would ever consider getting married in a white dress.

Chanel paid attention to her cultures focus on woman as a subservient being, a being for whom the state did not owe as much as it owed the men of its dominion. With her streamlined style and refusal to give her business over to the control of a man, she personified her clothing. Her efficiency and straightforwardness made her unique in her era of fashion. While other fashion houses were catering to the male ideal of femininity, Chanel was redefining   femininity along with the other members of the womens liberation movement. Chanel was one of the first designers to create a menswear line for women, employing trousers and straight-cut jackets where there used to be ruffled dresses and fitted cardigans. It was not that Chanel did not believe in showing off the female form--rather, she saw the female form as embodying the changing political, psychological and social ethos of the times. Chanels designer aesthetic reinforced her role in the womens liberation movement by allowing women freedom of movement in their clothes, which was a metaphor for freedom of movement in their lives.

Gender-neutral is a term which is mistakenly applied to Chanels designs. They are clearly designed for a woman, with their slim silhouettes and clean lines. Chanel herself was adamant that she was a feminine designer with a feminist agenda. Her agenda came second to her aesthetic, however, which was one of power and self-confidence. She rose from relative obscurity to open her own shop and have creative authority over much of the French and American society in the early 20th century. The brand Chanel signifies grace and professionalism and power.

While designing clothes for all women, it was specifically with slim, flat-chested women in mind that Chanel created her couture. Today, Chanels suit is worn mainly by slim women, since the circular necklines do not fit a woman whose bosom requires more support. Instead of a corseted approach to a womans waist, Chanel reinforced her belief that a woman need not be restrained by her clothes, and able to exercise her physical will, in addition to her psychological and political will. The elimination of the corset from her fashion lines was a big step in womens liberation of style. Women were not-so-subtly informed that their shape need not be hemmed in, that they could breathe while attending parties, while walking down the street, while eating. Chanel also brought back the idea of costume jewelry, which she used to accessorize her simple designs with. The costume jewelry added a tone of whimsy and femininity to what could be interpreted as the severity of her suits and clothes.

Chanel did not intend to become a leader of the womens liberation movement, but her art spoke for itself. Later on in her life she became a champion of womens right to own property, speaking at public gatherings and in public forums with national reaches of the necessity of a womans having a home to literally call her own. This point of view harks back again to Virginia Woolf when she wrote her masterpiece, A Room of Ones Own. A woman was no longer treated like a child who is passed from father to husband, with an accompanying dowry. Chanel spoke for the emancipation of women from the bondage of marriage. Prior to the 1960s, women were not allowed to own property, and divorce settlements were practically moot because a woman could not leave the household without being forced to move back with her parents.

As Chanel herself said, Fashion is not something that exists only in dresses. Fashion is in the sky, in the street fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. Through her words it is clear that Chanel was conscious of how fashion led women to feel a certain way about themselves in a social context. Chanel used everyday, common fabrics such as tweed and jersey cloth. She introduced pea jackets and bell bottom pants for women.

More than a brand name, Chanel came to objectify a way of life, and she laid the foundation for the coming womens liberation movement. Through her clothes, Chanel celebrated the freedom and equality of women. Chanel used unconventional models, appealed to fashion magazines, thus forcing the fashion industry to accept her brand. The manliness of Chanels designs did more than inspire women to act with an air of greater authority, as men have been doing for centuries, but to change womens conception of their own femininity. Chanel created a way of life, and her fashion was, in effect a workable, wearable, garment tailored specifically for the coming womens movement.

Chanel chose her designs from her heart, and was inspired by what she herself wanted to wear. This attitude inspired more than thoughts of fashion in other women, but conspired to foster a stronger sense of self and individuation and power that women didnt necessarily feel entitled to express before wearing her clothes. By wearing what was once a traditional male style, women were forced to examine their ideas of their role in the world in terms of male power and influence, and questions what it was about their lives that they found unsatisfactory. Just as a person is more likely to feel sad if they purposely wear a frown, women who dress in a more stereotypically manly fashion are more likely to question the role of their gender in society.  Chanel herself said I did not go into society because I had to design clothes I designed clothes precisely because I did go into society. Because I was the first to live the life of this century.

In addition to being streamlined in her designs, Chanel embodied that streamlined principle in all areas of her life. She pared down her living to simple, albeit expensive style she pared down her acquaintances to very few, but trusted friends she pared down her speaking engagements to few, and limited the time she spent away from designing. At heart, Chanel was a designer and a societal innovator rolled into one. She did not stay away from her purpose, and in so doing, inspired others to be true to themselves no matter the distractions at hand and pressures from society--both our internalized society which tries to give others a good impression of us, as well as the society in which one engages on a daily basis.

One of the ways women were limited in society was through the limitation of skirts and dresses imposed on them by generations of men. Chanel started the revolution which consisted of women wearing pants, the better to have mobility--again, mobility being a metaphor for psychological and political mobility. Skirts and dresses were cumbersome, and a reminder of the stringent rules imposed upon women over the centuries. Through fashion, Chanel gave women a perspective into what was possible when they gave up male dominion and started to think about what would be personally and politically comfortable for them.

Another way in which Chanel was one of the godmothers of the feminist liberation movement was through the introduction of her revered perfume, Chanel No.5. It resembled the alternative style of dress she had made famous in that it was a marked change from its competitors in the fragrance market. Chanel No. 5 was simplistic, and the shape of the bottle was sleek and angular with a cut stopper. The fashion of the times was for perfumes to be dressed ornately in tiny bottles which were geared to be romantic in nature and catering to the notion of women as sexual and sensual beings. As with Chanels clothing line, her perfume line gave women the freedom to think of themselves in more masculine, powerful terms, and to internalize some of the characteristics they attributed to masculinity, such as self-confidence, professionalism, and independence.

It was during Chanels tenure as a designer that American society struggled with viewing women as independent beings who kept their qualities of humor, sex appeal and self-respect, while adding to that a sense of dignity and professionalism. The ethical nature of Chanels designs and vision for the womens liberation movement is indisputable. Chanel herself was conscious of what she was doing, however it is important to note that she was doing what she inherently felt was correct. Her inner sense of aesthetics led her to create designs which inspired the women of her time to think differently about themselves and their place in society. Due to her influential status as a fashion icon, helped by the promotion of her line and brand by fashion magazines which celebrated Paris couture, Chanel was able to bring her message to the world and inspire other women who may not have been moved to change their self-concept and join the liberation movement. And there is nothing more ethical than inspiring others to fight for their equality and discover who they are--especially if one is motivated from a personal sense of duty to be true to herself, and feels the duty to bring that truth to others.

At the end of her life, Coco Chanel was revered by other designers, business women around the globe, and young girls hoping to break into a profession, or even into fashion. She showed what was possible when one stopped living by the status quo and designed from the heart, not just from the head. Chanel was famous in social circles for spurning marriage, and deciding to live as an independent woman with lovers instead of settling down with a man. Chanel was an example of a woman who does not need to align herself with a man in order to be powerful. She was a self-made woman, and she never shirked from a challenge, be it to showcase her designs in a time when they could be ridiculed or rejected, or to come out of retirement to re-define what she believed female fashion should be about when she saw that fashion was reverting back to a style which encroached on a womans figure and comfort level.

Coco Chanels legacy will be felt for years to come. Her revolutionary designs brought ethics into the fashion world, where previously fashion had been about catering to the male point of view and aesthetics. Chanels aesthetics were dictated by her firm belief that a woman should be comfortable in her clothing, and that that comfort extend to her personal and political life. She was an advocate of the personal being political, which was one of the mantras of the feminist liberation movement. Chanel brought a context to her clothing, and she defied mans conception of femininity. Women could now wear pants, abandon corsets, and let their natural figure be unencumbered by the restrictive style of the late 19th century.

While some women marched in the streets and others watched from the sidelines, rebelling in their own personal way in their households, Chanel was a public figure who demonstrated her allegiance to womens liberation through her art. Her talent saw her through many difficult times, and she was encouraged by the gratitude she received from womens associations and the negative attention she received by reactionary men. The simplicity of her art made it difficult to argue with the ethical necessity of equal rights for women. It was difficult to point to her designs as foolish or outlandish when, in fact, they were practical, elegant and, in a word, lovely. Chanel will always be known for her class, but her greatest contribution may be her fight for gender equality through an elegant message infused with staunch ethical beliefs.