Stop Press! We’re saying “welcome back!” to vintage Chanel today at Matches, as a new wave of divine jewels and heartmeltingly beautiful quilted bags arrive online!

That sumptuous quilting! Those all-familiar interlocking “C”s! Even the phrase “2.55″ is enough to strike joy into the heart of girls all over the world!

And what makes these beauties even more delightful is the charming stories behind their every detail. For instance, did you know that the signature burgundy hued lining of the 2.55 was inspired by the uniforms the girls had to wear at the orphanage Coco grew up in? Or that the chain straps, which revolutionised the way women accessorised, pay homage to the chain belts from which the orphanage wardens dangled their keys? And the famous quilting…well, that may have something to do with Chanel’s passion for horse racing…she got the idea from the quilted coats the boys at the race track wore. The secret pockets which cleverly detail her bags? Legend has it that this is where, in her original, she hid love letters received from a beau…

Our vintage Chanel goodies, are, naturellement, authentic, and exquisitely rare, sourced by a licensed dealer who travels the world to track down the most beautiful Coco collectables. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Coco herself had a characteristically sanguine approach to fakery. “I would shed tears the day no one copied me,” she quipped.

Here’s our buyer’s guide to spotting a real Chanel from a fake…

THE MATCHES GUIDE TO CHANEL 

 1. THE LOCK IS THE KEY

Look out for the iconic double “C” locks on most 2.55 classic and re-issue bags. This is called the Mademoiselle Lock (as Ms. Coco never married) and was introduced by Karl Lagerfeld in the Eighties.

Note: The interlocking CC’s on all Chanel bags should overlap like so: right C overlaps  left C at the top, and the left C should always overlap right C at the bottom. See above…

 2. LOOK OUT FOR FIRST CLASS STAMPS

The Chanel stamp print colour (on the inside of the bag) should match the hardware. So it goes without saying that for gold hardware the stamps should be in gold, for silver hardware the stamps should be in silver.

 3. FORGET PARIS

Chanel bags are only ever stamped as being Made in Italy or France, but they are never made in Paris. Paris only appears on the screw hardware on the classics.

 4. DUST THEM OFF

1980s and 1990s Chanel bags come with a white dust bag made from a flannel fabric stamped with the CHANEL logo in black enclosed in a circle with the words Chanel underneath. Newer models come in black dust bags.

5. LINE-IT UP

The quilting on a Chanel bag should always align. For example on the classic flap bag the lines should match up when the flap is closed and should maintain diamond pattern. 

6. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Last but not least in order for your Chanel bag to be truly authentic you must love, love, love it!