Coco Chanel: secrets for real women! Seven secrets of coco chanel Secrets of coco chanel style.

For 88 years of life, the Great Mademoiselle gave her name to the style of clothing, costume, fashion house, perfume. A tireless inventor, Coco Chanel created a lot of new things, but above all... a woman that no one knew before her.

1. Every morning, Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel began to live anew.

She methodically got rid of the burden of her unfavorable past. Every new day she erased from her memory everything painful from yesterday. Childhood and part of her youth are shrouded in a veil of mist. She created her legend on her own, inventing facts, confusing her biographers. Gabrielle had thrown at least 10 of her years overboard like trash, and realizing this, oddly enough, she felt that she had more time. She began to need less sleep, to think more fruitfully. With her fate, she proved that the future does not follow from the past at all, you can start a career at any moment. It was easy for her to close her main brainchild, the Fashion House, for many years, so that later, at 71, when she was no longer taken into account, she would return to business and reach former heights.

2. Chanel considered any obstacle in the way as a sign of a new direction.

At the beginning of her career, she was not allowed to make a "real" women's dress, as she could be prosecuted for illegal competition, because she was not a professional dressmaker. Then Chanel began to make dresses from men's jersey and created a fortune on this. All her opening dresses were born in a similar way. Creating, Coco did not refine, but simplified. She did not draw her models and did not sew them. She simply took scissors, threw the fabric over the fashion model and, while she stood motionless, cut and stabbed the shapeless mass of matter until a brilliant silhouette appeared. Once, a gas column caught fire at Koko and scorched her curls. Then the innovator cut off her braids and proudly went out "to the people." So in 1917 there was a fashion for a short women's haircut. Before Chanel, women were required to have long hair.

3. Chanel did not allow random people into her life, so almost no random events happened to her.

The criterion was elementary: she sensitively recognized those who did not like, and left them. Her friends were Cocteau, Dali, Picasso, Diaghilev, Stravinsky.

4. Coco's teacher was love.

Lovers were her universities. Through the invisible channels of love, she uninterruptedly "pumped" the knowledge and skills of her men into herself. Poet Pierre Reverdy, who anticipated Eluard, Paul Iribe, cartoonist, politician and publisher, Duke of Westminster, the richest man in the world, Grand Duke Dimitri. Each of them was a person. And Coco for the time being became tracing paper, carbon paper, Chekhov's Darling. Riding, savoring oysters, English language, playing tennis, hunting for foxes and wild boars, fishing, publishing newspapers learned from them perfectly. Each of her men brought something of his own and to women's fashion, and in her other endeavors. She was neither a chemist nor a perfumer. But thanks to Prince Dmitry, she met the outstanding specialist Ernest Bo, the son of an employee of the Russian royal court. Bo put his unique perfumery knowledge at Chanel's service. Coco sniffed, chose, and herself - nothing would have happened without her! - settled on the perfume formula "Chanel No. 5", consisting of 80 ingredients. For the first time, not a specifically floral, quickly vanishing, but an abstract, persistent fragrance appeared, which still conquers the world.

5. Coco Chanel made paradox her way of life and the driving force behind her talent.

Before her, black was considered the color of poverty and mourning. Women didn't dare to wear black clothes for no reason. Chanel proclaimed black popular and luxurious. For five years, she produced only black, and her "gloomy" dresses were sold like buns, stuffed - with a small white collar and cuffs. With Chanel began white women's pajamas. In general, she "robbed" men, introduced their jackets, blouses with ties, their cufflinks and hats into women's fashion.

6. Independence was her god, the axiom of life.

Even with her first lover, Coco discovered the freedom that money gives if you do not serve them, but they serve you. Friends lived luxuriously at her expense, she covered their huge debts. It was her principle - to pay in order to forget that she was once paid for. With the help of money, she conquered her shyness, because before in the salons she did not open her mouth. The colossal profits gave her confidence and the ability to speak in public.

7. Outward beauty in a woman was proclaimed by her as a part of success, otherwise it is impossible to convince anyone of anything.

The older the lady, the more important it is for her to be beautiful. Chanel said: “At 20, nature gives you your face, at 30, life sculpts it, but at 50 you have to earn it yourself ... Nothing ages like the desire to look younger. After 50, no one is young. But I know 50-year-olds, which is more attractive than three-quarters of ill-groomed young women." Chanel herself looked like an eternal radiant teenager. She weighed all her life as much as in 20 years. And one more thing: she gave the ladies not only a new style, but also a new face that embodied the era - "the face of a rebellious orphan with the grace of a deer." Two or three times a century, non-standard types of faces appear, which suddenly overshadow the recognized beauties and introduce a different canon of beauty. Chanel was one of those!

Secrets from Coco: 1. New day - new life Every morning, Chanel began to live anew. She, without fear and labor, discarded what was in the past, and forgot the past hardships of fate. She has always maintained that the future does not follow from the past, and that a career can be started at any time and at any age. 2. Difficulties are a pointer to a new path When difficulties arose in Koko's life, she did not try to find ways to resolve them, she simply bypassed them. For example, at the very beginning of her career, Chanel, without the education of a dressmaker, did not have the right to sew women's dresses. Then Coco decided to make dresses from men's jersey and created a fortune on this. In 1917, she accidentally singed her hair. Chanel cut off her braids and went out with a new hairstyle. Thus was born the fashion for short haircuts.

3. Life without random people

Chanel has always been very sensitive to what people don't like. She quickly broke off all relations with them. “There are no random people - there are no random events,” Koko adhered to this rule.

4. Lessons in love

All Chanel's lovers were personalities, and she tried to learn something from each of them. Each of her men brought something of his own to her endeavors and to women's fashion. Thanks to her lover, Prince Dmitry, she met the outstanding perfumer Ernest Bo. Together they created the perfume "Chanel No. 5", which is still appreciated all over the world.

5. Paradox as a way of life

Before Chanel became a trendsetter, women only wore black when they were in mourning or out of poverty. But for 5 years she produced only black dresses with little trim and turned the stereotype around. Coco Chanel created women's white pajamas and made men's jackets, blouses with ties, cufflinks and hats women's wardrobe items.

6. Chanel worshiped independence

Freedom was the main axiom of her life. She wanted to be independent of everything and everyone, and money helped her in this. Thanks to a colossal income, she got rid of her shyness and learned to speak in public. “It is necessary that you do not serve money, but money serves you,” she said.

Best Coco Chanel quotes:

You won't get a second chance to make a first impression. To be irreplaceable, you need to constantly change. Perfume is invisible, but unforgettable, unsurpassed fashion accessory. He announces the appearance of a woman and continues to remind her when she left. When should you use perfume? the young woman asks. “When you want to be kissed,” I answer. A woman who doesn't use makeup thinks too highly of herself. If a woman is not beautiful, then she is simply stupid. Your face at twenty is given to you by nature; what it will be like at fifty is up to you. Nobody is young after forty, but we can be irresistible at any age. At 20, nature gives you your face, at 30, life sculpts it, but at 50, you have to earn it yourself ... Hands are a visiting card of a girl; The neck is her passport; The chest is a passport. You don't have to be young and beautiful to look great. Age for a woman is not the most important thing: you can be amazing at 20, charming at 40 and remain irresistible until the end of your days. Every woman has the age she deserves. Nothing ages like the desire to look younger. After 50, no one is young anymore. But I know 50-year-olds who are more attractive than three-quarters of ill-groomed young women. My manner of dressing caused ridicule of others, but this was the secret of my success. I didn't look like everyone else. If you were struck by the beauty of a woman, but you cannot remember what she was wearing, then she was dressed perfectly. Elegance is not about wearing a new dress. Elegant - because it is elegant, the new dress has nothing to do with it. Jewelry is a whole science! Beauty is a formidable weapon! Modesty is the height of elegance! Be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night. Fashion passes, style remains. Fashion has to be accepted, otherwise you will look ridiculous. However, new things should be accepted imperceptibly, in small portions. ..A. there is a woman inside the dress... A beautiful dress may look beautiful on a hanger, but that doesn't mean anything. A dress must be judged when it is on a woman, when a woman moves her arms, legs, bends her waist. Bad taste has limits, only good taste is endless. Nothing ages a woman like an overly rich suit. True happiness is cheap: if you have to pay for it high price which means it's fake. Everything is in our hands, so they can not be omitted. If you were born without wings, don't let them grow. Luxury is the need of the soul. Luxury is when the inside is as beautiful as the face. Coquetry is the victory of reason over feelings. In order to act and create, it is necessary, first of all, to have a friend on whom you can rely. There is a time to work, and there is a time to love. There is no other time. The best thing about love is doing it. We need beauty to be loved by men; and stupidity - so that we love men. Only those who look at you with tenderness have beautiful eyes. Old age does not protect against love, but love protects against old age. A woman worries about the future until she gets married. A man does not worry about the future until he marries. Women, as a rule, choose much more carefully for themselves. nightgown than a husband. There are people who have money and there are rich people. He found time to take care of me and to cheat on me every day. There are two things that a man cannot comprehend: this is the secret of Creation and his wife's hat Lace, according to Coco Chanel, is "the most beautiful imitation of the fantasy of nature", so it is not surprising that flowers, leaves and frosty ligature become the motifs of openwork. The secret of the attractiveness of everything lacy, perforated, as Dahl wrote, "with a draft", lies in the very word "openwork" - derived from the French a jour, that is, "to the light." Yes, it is the light pouring through the smallest holes-windows that gives openwork things such ephemeral beauty and fragile mystery. "Pearls are always right," said Coco Chanel, and made pearls the most democratic decoration that suits any woman and goes with any outfit. Women want to change. They are wrong. I am for happiness. And happiness is in constancy and in not changing. A woman cannot be happy if she is unloved, and that is all she needs. A woman who is not loved is zero and nothing more. Believe me: she is young or old, mother, lover ... A woman who is not loved is a lost woman. She can die in peace, it doesn't matter anymore. You pay for love in installments, and for the most part, alas, when love has already ended. I do not care what you think of me. I do not think about you at all. I don't know why women demand everything that men have. After all, women, among other things, have men.

Mademoiselle Chanel left behind many secrets and mysteries, but most of them were prepared by her fate, and not by Coco herself. Charisma stole from her the happiness of being a wife and mother, but gave her world recognition.

Soon they had baby Julia, then Gabrielle (known as Coco), then Antoinette and two more boys Lucien and Alphonse ((the third son of the Chanel family, Augustine, died in the same 1891 that he was born).

After the birth of his first child, Albert nevertheless married Jeanne, the family settled in Saumur, but over the years Chanel became even more irresponsible and rarely appeared at home.

Therefore, it was not surprising that when, years later, mother of many children died of asthma, her husband simply moved to another town, leaving relatives to take care of their own children.

Poor nomadic merchants of the Chanel family could not raise five children, so the boys were given to peasant families, and the girls were sent to an orphanage at the monastery of St. Etienne.

Soon, the grandfather's curse again made itself felt: after the untimely departed Jeanne, two sisters Gabrielle died young. She was left all alone in the walls of a cold shelter - the only woman from her mother's family ...

By the age of eighteen, Gabrielle had turned into a beauty: a bright brunette with a kind heart and good feeling humor was the soul of any company. In the evenings, she sang a cheerful song “Qui qua vu Coco” on the cabaret stage, for which she was nicknamed Coco. Soon, Chanel began to introduce herself only by this name, as if she wanted to hide from her own fate - after all, the name Gabrielle was given to her by her mother, and Coco appeared on its own.

And from morning to evening, the girl worked as a seller in a store. women's clothing, sometimes she sewed outfits for clients herself, which led to the fact that Chanel became obsessed with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bopening her fashion house.

A major turn in Coco's life came when she met a "young, handsome and rich" officer, Étienne Balzan. The military man was fascinated by the miniature provincial and took the girl to his family castle in Paris, which, ironically, used to be a monastery. As a child, Chanel lived in the monastery of Saint Etienne, and now she has moved with Etienne to the former monastery!

But Etienne was far from a saint, and Chanel had to go through a lot of disappointments: another girl lived with them in the same castle, who was on the payroll of an officer. Koko did not seem to notice this "mini-harem" and silently waited for Balzan to take her to a restaurant or theater again. But in society, she often fainted, after which she did not regain consciousness for a very long time, and at night with her eyes closed she left the castle and wandered under the moon in the gardens of the estate until morning. Over the years, these symptoms of somnambulism have developed markedly ...

love line

After living with Balzan for several years and receiving a small shop from him as a gift, Koko took up work seriously and began to make elegant straw hats.

How suddenly appeared in her life real love. Balzan's friend, the English industrialist Arthur Capel, nicknamed Boy, often came to the estate and rode horses with Coco. One fine day for a girl, Boy invited her to live together. The time spent with Arthur was the happiest in Chanel's life: her lover sincerely believed in her talent, bought a large clothing store on the prestigious Rue Cambon and constantly took care of the sickly girl.

But in an instant this world was destroyed: Boy died in a car accident, Koko, heartbroken, lost even more weight and wore only black clothes. During this period, she created the famous "little black dress", and few people knew that this was not just another fashion whim, but a personal tragedy.

Chanel always said that it was the strongest and only love in her life ...

Rich, but unmarried Mademoiselle decided to marry an aristocrat at all costs and chose the Duke of Westminster for this "project". Chanel was just a stone's throw away from a happy marriage, only now the duke set a condition - to give birth to an heir. The fashion designer was obsessed with motherhood: when treatment the best doctors and special gymnastics proved powerless, she began to keep an old amulet by the bed.

But this time, it was not possible to deceive fate: the Duke of Westminster left her life, as many did. However, Chanel was never left alone, because she had her kingdom - Fashion.

Under the sign of Leo

Coco met the sunset of her life in luxury, but completely alone - she outlived all her lovers and many friends.

The last refuge of the fashion artist was a chic room at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

She worked hard as before (she called herself a “solar bee”), but at night she began to behave very strangely: without waking up, she got out of bed, left the room into the corridor and went to the laundry to wash clothes.

The hotel staff was frightened by this behavior, so the maid was ordered to close Mademoiselle at night in the bedroom.

Coco Chanel was buried in Lausanne, five statues of lions, her favorite animals, were installed at her tombstone. Perhaps the fashion designer's love for lions is due to the fact that Chanel was born under the sign of Leo, or maybe she felt a kindred spirit in this proud "king of animals". It seemed that fate specially gave her a long, sparkling, luxurious life, but at the same time took away the most valuable thing - female happiness. Mademoiselle became the last woman of her mother's family, the curse of her vengeful grandfather was fulfilled. But still, Coco Chanel outwitted her fate - instead of heirs, she left the world her outfits, perfumes, accessories, aphorisms and an all-conquering desire to live, create, fight and love ...

Aging is a natural process, according to Coco, but "even wrinkles should be beautiful!", Chanel said.

Why Coco

Coco Chanel, actually born Gabrielle Boner Chanel, was born on August 19, 1883 and lived to be 87 years old. This is the greatest French couturier who surprised the world with her ideas, innovation, and inspiration. men's fashion. Everyone knows three things from Chanel:

• perfume;
• little black dress;
• fitted jacket.

Chanel's aphorisms are no less popular. They have become so common among the people that many use them in everyday speech, without even assuming that their author is Koko. This woman had a significant impact on haute couture, and Time only listed her as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Advice!If you are interested in the details of Chanel's life, you can watch films about her and read her biography. The story of her life is amazing - tragic and happy at the same time.

Gabrielle had four children in her family, her father abandoned them, her mother died early, and Chanel was brought up in an orphanage. At the age of 18, Chanel worked as a saleswoman in a clothing store, and in the evening she sang unpretentious songs in a cabaret. During the performance of her songs "Ko-ko-ko" ("Ko Ko Ri Ko") and "Qui qua vu Coco", the men present in the hall often shouted "Ko-ko-ko" to her, imitating chicken clucking. And so her nickname arose, which later became her second name, famous throughout the world.

Trace Chanel

Chanel was the first to reflect the 20th century in fashion. The ladies of that time idolized her, Gabrielle's popularity was incomparable with anything. Koko herself loved to be alone, in nature, loved fishing, loved dogs. I preferred to get up early and go to bed early.

She loved to sit back and work with rapture. As she said, "Only work can give courage to the spirit, and the spirit is able to give courage to the body." And about sleep, Chanel sincerely believed that those who go to bed after midnight do not feel sorry for themselves. “Personally, nothing interests me after 12 o’clock,” she said.

Advice! If you really want to look great, don't hesitate to sleep. Remember, all lack of sleep is reflected in a woman's face. Scientists have proven that nothing exacerbates the aging of a woman like a lack of sleep or an insufficient period of it.

Beauty secrets

What did Chanel use for skin care? First of all, she believed that “self-care should begin with the heart,” meaning that the state of the soul is always reflected on the face. Aging is a natural process, according to Coco, but “even wrinkles should be beautiful!” Chanel said so.

Chanel preferred natural products in skin care:

• corn flour,
• olive oil;
• salt, not table salt maritime ;
• strawberries.

However, the use natural remedies in skin care at that time a normal phenomenon, because then the cosmetic industry was not yet highly developed.

Body scrubs

She showered daily with a mild corn scrub.
You can cook it yourself, this is a very simple recipe and thus feel like a famous Frenchwoman. So here's the recipe:

Homemade corn body scrub

Dry corn flour is applied to a wet body with massage movements, you need to start with the face, and finish with the feet. How to massage the body, then the whole scrub rinse under shower. After applying the scrub, you do not need to wash, and you just need to blot the whole body with a soft towel. Result: velvety silky skin.

Advice! You can buy cornmeal in large chain supermarkets, it is quite possible that you did not pay attention to it before. You will be surprised how inexpensive it is, and the effect of its use is amazing, like from expensive scrubs.

Salt scrub for cellulite

Once a month, Chanel rubbed a salt scrub into her skin, based on olive oil and salt. In modern self-care, this is a recipe for cellulite. It is not known for certain whether Chanel had cellulite, but the fact that she used this recipe in skin care is a fact.

This scrub, unlike the previous one, is applied to steamed, cleansed and wet skin. After applying this scrub, you can perform other procedures related to the fight against cellulite - for example, massage, wrapping, and more. You can just use only this recipe, because it gives excellent results, and helps keep the skin in a supple and beautiful condition.

So, you need to combine sea salt and olive oil in equal parts. For flavor, you can add essential oil citrus fruits, no more than 5 drops. With a spatula, the mass is thoroughly stirred and applied to the skin with rubbing movements.

Advice!During the procedure, a slight burning sensation or tingling may be felt. This is normal and should go away after you wash off the scrub and apply a mild soothing cream to your body.

Facial care

Although Chanel believed that the beauty of the figure more important than beauty face and age, however, she carefully looked after her skin. She is even prescribed to create a yeast facial mask that is suitable for nourishing the skin of mature women.

Yeast mask

It will require live yeast (in briquettes, sold on the market), warm water.

The yeast is slightly dissolved in a cup, diluted with water to the consistency of sour cream. The mass is stirred with hands, it should be plastic, like liquid clay. Then, the mass is applied to the face, and covered with a napkin on top. After 15 minutes, the mass is washed off, and the face is rubbed with an ice cube for a tonic effect.

strawberry scrub

It will require:

• strawberries (three tablespoons);
• almond oil(two tablespoons);
• honey (1 tablespoon).

In a glass bowl, mashed strawberries, oil, honey. Mix thoroughly. It is better to perform the procedure in the bathroom. Scrub is applied to the face with hands, gently rubbing it into the skin. Rinse afterwards with warm water.

Softening mask for aging skin

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon honey (preferably flower);
• 1 tablespoon flour;
• 50 milliliters of milk of any fat content.

Cooking:

Flour is mixed with honey, and diluted with milk until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The mask is applied to cleansed face for half an hour. Rinse off the mask with chamomile tea.

Advice!If you are allergic to honey, it is better to refrain from the mask.

Rules for a healthy body

Chanel was a true woman, and said that being beautiful and young is the merit of every beautiful looking lady. It is not difficult to be beautiful in youth, but to preserve beauty in maturity is work, and every lady needs to work on herself. So the main simple rules, to preserve youth, health and attractiveness, Coco Chanel tried to stick to them.

Sleep well

Sleep is the basis for a healthy complexion, maintaining hormonal levels without disturbances, and the secret of a woman's youth. What a young girl can easily do (stay up all night) mature woman should be avoided at all costs.

And it turns out that lack of sleep leads to obesity. Before going to bed, it is better to properly ventilate the room, it is advisable to sleep with a dark bandage over your eyes, this will increase the production of the hormone melatonin, which contributes to proper rest.

Advice! If there are problems with sleep, then it is better to consult a therapist so that he prescribes suitable drugs.

go in for sports

The easiest way is morning gymnastics. It is never too late to do it, gradually you will get used to doing it in the morning, and after a while, you will be surprised to note the effect it has on you, helping you to be cheerful, cheerful and healthy.

Advice! You can first consult with your doctor to rule out possible contraindications to practice this or that sport for you.

Breakfast for energy

Even if you are not a fan of eating in the morning, you need to accustom yourself. Instead of strong coffee - drink freshly squeezed juice, instead of a sausage sandwich - eat a handful of berries. If you don't like oatmeal, eat muesli. A delicious breakfast is made from a whole grain sandwich of bread, a leaf of lettuce, and boiled chicken, placed on a slice of tomato.

Important! Remember that those girls who eat breakfast are not disposed to gain weight over the years!

And those girls who are on a diet and do not refuse breakfast lose weight more effectively than those who do not eat in the morning.

You can treat yourself to a simple salad called Coco Chanel.

So, you will need:

• boiled chicken breast - 400 grams;
• fresh tomato - 400 grams;
• boiled potatoes - 400 grams;
• sweet pepper (preferably red) - 300 grams;
• hard cheese (such as "Parmesan") - 250 grams;
• half a lemon - juice;
• olive oil - 2-3 tablespoons;
• salt and pepper of your choice.

Cooking:

We tear the chicken into pieces with our hands, cut the potatoes into small slices, cut the pepper into strips, cut the tomatoes into cubes, chop the cheese on a grater. We mix all the ingredients, and add the dressing: oil + lemon juice + salt (pepper). Put lettuce leaves on a dish, and put our salad on top. Bon appetit!

Advice! If you do not have olive oil, you can take unrefined sunflower oil.

We take care of the skin

Chanel believed that a face at twenty was given to us by nature, but what it should be like at fifty depends on us. The skin needs our care and it should be useful feature every self-respecting girl.

A true lady will never go to bed with inflicted makeup, and will not appear in public without it. In the morning and in the evening, the face needs to be cleansed, and the older the lady, the more delicate products are recommended for this. In no case should alcohol-based products be used for mature skin: lotions, as well as soap - these products only dry the skin and tighten it.

Be sure to drink water. This seems like a banal tip, but if you stick to it, you can get amazing results:

• Lose weight. The water entering the body helps to speed up the metabolism, as a result, fat reserves are melting before our eyes;
• The turgor of the skin improves, as a result, it always looks toned and elastic.

In order not to forget to drink water, you can download a special application on your smartphone that will remind you to drink. Of course, in Chanel's time there were no smartphones, but she herself remembered the need to drink more water to maintain good skin condition.

Water should be drunk before signs of thirst appear, because when it appears, this already indicates dehydration. By the way, the cause of fine wrinkles is just the lack of water and dry air.

Advice! If you have kidney disease, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of drinking water in the amount of two liters per day.

Be optimistic

Chanel said that the worse things go for a girl, the better she should look. Broke up with a guy, the boss scolded, and what do we see? A tear-stained girl, with an unwashed head, no makeup, dressed in something inexpressive.

What is it for? If you suffer like this, then it will be clear to others that everything is bad with you: your loved ones will be upset for you, and your enemies will only be happy! Do you need it? Surprise everyone, do the opposite. Go to the salon, make a new amazing hairstyle !

Pamper yourself, learn to extract from negative situations benefit. Did the guy quit? Well, you will find another, but you don’t need to watch hated football anymore!
Problems at work? Or maybe this is a sign that you should stop doing an unloved thing?

The most important:

• Stop feeling sorry for yourself;
• Don't jam problems;
• Remember that there is always a way out!

Advice!If you feel that you are not able to cope with problems on your own, you can seek the help of a psychologist.

As Coco said, there are no ugly women, there are lazy ones. Let your beauty sparkle with new colors.