How to Make Chanel Inspired Clothing with Flower Buttons (and without breaking the bank)
Chanel is a brand that, still today, embodies what it means to have a sophisticated, effortless elegance. Coco Chanel transformed the way women dress with her classic, timeless designs. Even vintage Chanel pieces are still perfectly in style and fashionable today – what a feat in today’s climate of trends and disposable, fast fashion!
Unfortunately, stocking your closet with oh-so-elegant Chanel clothing just might max out your credit card – but there are ways to get the Chanel look without the price tag!
How to Dress Like a Chanel Girl
Since you’re probably not going to be running to the Chanel store and picking out authentic Chanel pieces to transform your style, let’s take a look at what it means to be a Chanel girl. Once you know what Chanel style looks like, it’ll be easier for you to find beautiful Chanel inspired pieces to transform your look without needing to buy actual Chanel.
Keep the colors classic
Basic, classy color combinations are key to achieving a simple, elegant Chanel inspired look. The most classic Chanel-like combination – black and white. Navy and white is another great option. Or try a monochrome look, wearing shades of one classic color from head to toe.
Stick with fitted, sophisticated silhouettes
Coco Chanel was the designer that introduced the women’s suit and paved the way for women to wear tailored, chic clothing. This means that to achieve a Chanel inspired look, you’ll want to choose well-fitting, tailored clothing. Neither baggy, unfitted garments or skin-tight pieces are the look we’re going for!
Don’t forget the tweed!
There may not be anything more Chanel than tweed. Chanel has included textured tweed garments, especially jackets, in many collections over the years. Pop on a classy tweed jacket and you’ll be halfway to looking like a real Chanel girl.
Look for statement buttons: flower buttons anyone?
Many of Chanel’s jackets included (and still do!) large, eye-catching, statement buttons. These buttons are made from high-quality metals and other materials and usually feature intricate, elegant designs. Coco Chanel loved camellia flowers and often used a camellia design on buttons for her pieces.
Accessorize like a champ: pearls, gold, and a quilted bag
The accessories are what will really pull together your Chanel inspired look. Pearls are a must – choose simple, elegant pearl earrings and other accessories. You can also up the glam a bit with some gold elements. Finally, top off the accessories with a quilted bag.
Finish it off with a comfy and classy shoe
You can’t call it an outfit without the shoes! For a Chanel aesthetic, go for a basic, comfortable shoe in a classic color. Think ballet flats, espadrilles, or a slingback pointed-toe heel in white, tan, or black. Even better if you can find a shoe with a contrasting toe color for a really authentic Chanel-like look.
If you need some inspiration as you put together your Chanel inspired looks, check out chanel.com and browse through their new designs!
How to Make Chanel Inspired Clothing on a Budget
Now that you know how to dress like a Chanel girl – how can you afford to dress like one? The key is to find, alter, or make Chanel inspired clothing.
Find inexpensive clothing with a Chanel look
The easiest route to your new look is to find pieces that have a Chanel-like aesthetic already. Spend some time hitting all your local thrift shops and pick up any pieces that fit the Chanel look. If there are small details that are off or slight fit issues, you can always alter the garment later – so try to see past the little things while shopping.
Make alterations to get that fitted, Chanel inspired look
Once you’ve found a few great Chanel inspired pieces, it’s time to break out that sewing machine and make any alterations needed to get the garment looking its best! Try to keep the alterations simple and just focus on getting a classic, sophisticated fit.
Sew your own Chanel inspired clothing
If you aren’t having much luck thrifting Chanel inspired clothing, or maybe you just want to flex those sewing muscles, you can make your own Chanel-style pieces. Look for patterns in classic silhouettes and think about what alterations would be easiest to make for each one to get a more authentic Chanel look. You may have the best luck with vintage patterns, so don’t forget to look around for older patterns!
Chanel is all about the buttons
Whether you bought the garment or made it, don’t forget the statement buttons! You can change out the buttons on an existing jacket or add Chanel inspired flower buttons to your handmade pieces.
We have some awesome Chanel inspired buttons available to help you take your look to the next level!
If you’re looking for some inspiration for your DIY Chanel inspired look, check out this beautiful, retro, Chanel-style coat one of our customers made with our camellia buttons!
Chanel Buttons: Real, Fake, Chanel Inspired
Lastly, a final note – the buttons we sell are Chanel-inspired, they’re not authentic Chanel buttons – but they are beautiful! If you want to use real Chanel buttons, expect to pay a good price for them – and beware of those trying to sell fake Chanel buttons as authentic. Here is a great site for information on recognizing real Chanel buttons.