Vintage Chanel Necklace Wood

In the years following the opening of her modest millinery shop, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel became a pivotal designer of both fashionable casual wear and Paris haute couture as well as an icon and arbiter of 20th-century style with her bob haircut and pearls. Today vintage Chanel handbags, jackets and evening dresses are among the most sought-after clothing and accessories for fashion lovers all over the world.

The first Chanel shop was established in 1910 in Paris on rue Cambon by the young milliner Gabrielle Chanel (1883–1971), who had picked up the nickname “Coco” while working as a club singer. The boutique drew the attention of the Parisian fashion elite who popularized her wide-brimmed Chanel Modes hats. Soon she added a sportswear store in the Normandy resort town of Deauville, where Coco set the tone for her defining sense of style — traditionally masculine garments reimagined for feminine shapes, made from simple jersey fabric.

Effortless and elegant, Chanel's designs promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by complicated layers of fabric and cumbersome corsets. She followed this success with a couture house, opened in 1915 in Biarritz.

But Chanel was not born into a life of glamour. Following the death of her mother, her father left her in an orphanage where she lived until the age of 18. It was there that she learned to sew as well as appreciate the classic pairing of black and white as worn by the nuns.

In 1926, Chanel introduced her first little black dress, reclaiming a color that had once been reserved for mourning and working-class women. That same decade, she debuted her perfume, Chanel No. 5, as well as the Chanel suit with a fitted skirt, inspired by the boxy lines of men’s clothing and employing a sporty tweed. 

Chanel closed her fashion operations during World War II, then returned to the industry in 1954 to design for the functional needs of modern women.

Structure and wearability endured in all of Chanel’s clothing and accessories, like the quilted leather 2.55 handbag — a 1955 update of a 1920s-era design — with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes. Her collarless jacket reacted against the constricting styles of Christian Dior's New Look, replacing them with a design that was timeless, an instant classic. 

After Coco Chanel died in 1971, the brand underwent several changes in leadership, including fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who took over as artistic director in 1983. His collections for Chanel displayed his knack for synthesizing old and new, high and low. Lagerfeld revived Chanel ballet flats and thoroughly embraced the classic logo's interlocking CCs, which took the form of a clasp featured on so many of the rare Chanel bags that are much sought after today.

Vintage Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel dresses, coats and other clothing of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s riffed on its iconography, accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. And as the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers, vintage Chanel bags of the 1990s are among the most prized of the brand’s offerings.

Over the years, the company has continued to innovate, such as expanding into ready-to-wear fashion in 1978 and, in 2002, establishing a subsidiary company — Paraffection — dedicated to preserving the heritage skills of fashion artisan workshops. The House of Chanel still operates its flagship on rue Cambon in Paris, where it all began.

Browse vintage Chanel bags, evening dresses, shoes, jewelry and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

Whether they’re chunky, statement-making accessories or a single strand of the understated sort, antique and vintage beaded necklaces are versatile pieces of jewelry. Indeed, the unique beaded necklaces in your jewelry box likely go with everything, from casual summer tops and shorts to dazzling evening gowns.

From the fish-bone and seashell jewelry of the prehistoric era to the breathtaking amulets and pendants of ancient Egypt to modern sapphire beads, people have been accessorizing with beaded necklaces for eternity.

Beaded necklaces — as well as other kinds of necklaces — were common in prehistoric times. Personal adornment was important, and jewelry was made for every part of the body. Beadwork is among the best known art forms attributed to Native Americans, and just as they had for saddlery and clothing, early populations would fashion beads for necklaces with stone tools or instruments made of wood. The making of colorful glass beads for beaded necklaces likely originated in Venice, Italy, during the 14th century, particularly given the growth of the decorative glass industry on the series of Venetian islands called Murano. During the Neolithic period, humans were buried with coral beaded necklaces from the Mediterranean, even as far north as the Alps.

Whether you’re seeking the pop of color you’ll get in a double-row jade beaded necklace from the Art Deco era — which encompasses the 1920s and ’30s and ushered in a very distinct look in jewelry design — or perhaps a simple strand of pearls for a blouse that leaves your neck bare, remember that different necklines call for different pieces of jewelry.

When accessorizing with a beaded necklace, a long piece with a pendant will likely pair best with your favorite vintage V-neck dress or V-neck tee, while beaded chokers and collar necklaces are a stylish fit for strapless tops. Bigger beads will hit your neckline in a different way than a more minimalist necklace might, so you’ll want to keep that in mind. Choose colors you like and pick items that will go with what is in your closet. When the occasion calls for it, don’t be afraid to stack. “More is more” for some, so pairing a delicate strand with a bolder piece might be the move for you.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of pearl beaded necklaces, antique emerald beaded necklaces, diamond beaded necklaces and more.