This pink Chanel inspired suit has been on my bucket list for a while now. I have never made a jacket before so this was sort of a big project for me.
Now that winter finally seems to be over, I’m all about Spring and trying new things. One of the big things I’m doing this Spring is making some changes to the blog. It’s been about a year since I started and I think it’s time for some updates. Roxbury Place is no longer going to be just about sewing. Not to worry, there will still be lots of fun new projects I’ll be making, but I’m going to start adding more “lifestyle” type content. More relatable stuff. I realize that while not everyone likes to sew, I know that a lot of you like style and clothing suggestions. In addition, I would like to add more family related content. I have two kiddos age 10 and 8 who a dying to be on the blog so keep an eye out for more of that too.
Anyway, on to the clothes! This suit turned out better that I had hoped! As I mentioned above, I have never made a jacket before and I put off making this a while because of the intimidation factor. However, I am happy to say that it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely took me longer that most projects but it was worth the time.
A Pink Chanel Inspired Suit- Pattern
I initially was going to use this vintage Simplicity pattern for this project. I purchased it a while ago on Etsy (my go to for vintage patterns). When I started getting serious about making it I realized I didn’t love the style of the jacket. It was very boxy and not tailored. Boxy is not a style that looks good on me so I went looking for another pattern.
Finally, I settled on this vintage Butterick pattern. I like how tailored it is. I only used the jacket of this pattern. I skipped the “faux” pockets and buttons. I might go back and update it at some point. I like the idea of also adding some fringe trim like this.
For the skirt I used this Mccalls pattern 3830, and added a double flounce just like I did for my red Seersucker skirt.
A Pink Chanel Inspired Suit – Fabric
I bought this fabric in a second-hand store in Buffalo about a year ago. It’s bouclé. Per the Mood Guild to Fabric and Fashion, it is described as “a novelty fabric made of loopy curly yarns”. Think Coco Chanel. She made this fabric famous when she started designing clothing. If you’re interested you can read more about Coco and the fabric here.
Most Iconic Bouclé Suit Ever Made
One of the most iconic bouclé suits ever made was the pink skirt suit Jackie Kennedy wore the day JFK was assassinated. There has been a lot of speculation as to whether the suit she wore was actually a real Chanel. Jackie had recently been criticized in the press for a going on a $30,000 spending spree in Paris during JFK’s presidential campaign, and it was reported that she needed to “tone it down” to be more relatable to American women. Keep in mind this was back in the 50’s. Could you imagine what the equivalent to a $30,000 Paris shopping spree would be today? (#shoppinggoals)
Turns out hers was not made by Chanel. It was a “line for line” replica of Chanel custom made by a dress shop in New York called Chez Ninon using materials supplied by Chanel. It wasn’t exactly a knock-off, but it also wasn’t an original made by Chanel. It’s all about the details. Read more about it here.
I kind of fell down the rabbit hole reading about Jackie and the pink suit. If you would like to read more about where the suit is now and why we’ll never see it check out this Town and County article.
I made a purse out this fabric a few months ago. You can see it here in my How to Hack a Handbag post. I thought about wearing it for the photos, but I thought it was a little too matchy-matchy for me. Normally love matching my handbag to my outfit as you can see in my post with my Navy and Orange Wool Skirt and Bag post, but I decided to skip it. Instead I carried my Roxbury Place gold monogram clutch. More details on how you can order your own coming soon.
A Pink Chanel Inspired Suit – Styling
I like the fact that this outfit of made up of separates. I’m planning on making more separates this summer so stay tuned. You can dress it up or down which is great. I’m a stay at home mom, and I don’t wear suits on a regular basis, but you can mix and match this with other things to be casual or dressy.
Obviously, this is something you could wear to work if you work in a business environment. I used to plan events at a hotel, so I had to wear a suit every day. Something like this would definitely fit the bill. You could easily wear this to a wedding also. Swap out the button down for a white camisole and you’re good to go.
I like the third option the best. This definitely fits my current lifestyle. Jeans a t-shirt and the jacket. You could very easily wear it running errands or even picking the kids up from school. It makes you looked pulled together without having to try too hard. The flats work but you could even swap them out for a pair of white sneakers.
Hope you like this week’s little fashion history lesson. If you’re interested you can shop similar items below. I really like the Kate Spade version.
Thanks for reading. Hope you’re off to a good week!
Photos by – Chloejane Photo + Film