Chanel and the Little Black Jacket

Wherever I went in New York last week, I saw publicity for this exhibition...

Chanel and the Little Black Jacket

Sadly, I missed it as I was getting ready to fly out of JFK just as it was getting ready to open, but the website and associated media have more than compensated for my bad timing. 

I adore black jackets – I think I have a 10 of them in the wardrobe (which I rarely use now I'm freelancing) – and so I loved seeing the images from this exhibition, which celebrates one of fashion's most classic pieces. Something I've always wanted (and search for whenever I'm in Paris) is a vintage black YSL tuxedo jacket. But I think they're as rare as sightings of Karl Lagerfeld...

Doesn't Daphne Guinness look fabulous in her black jacket? 

I love her French cuffs, and the lace headpiece.

This is Anna Wintour. She seems rather shy about showing us her black jacket? But look at the precision of that bob! It's as straight as that ribboned hem.

Uma Thurman looks beautiful, as always, in her black jacket and Elizabethan collar. 

The doorman of the Gramercy Park Hotel told me she lived directly opposite the hotel, and he often spotted her. I tried to catch a glimpse of her in Gramercy Park but I think she's heavily pregnant to Elle Macpherson's ex, Arpad Busson, so she's probably sitting with her feet up somewhere. I'm sure she's just as beautiful as she is here, even with no make-up and a dressing gown on while she waits for baby no. 3 to arrive.

Georgia May Jagger looks very French in this photo. Not sure whether it's the Monica Belluci-style lack of apparel, the tussled bed hair, or the cheeky bra? She's almost chanelling this beauty, right here...

The inimitable Jane Birkin.

Look at that irrepressible smile. She still has it, doesn't she?

Both the exhibition, which is currently touring the world (See thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com for details) and the accompanying book are a collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld, both of whom took the photographs. If the exhibition comes to your city, do go and see it: it's meant to be well worthwhile. And if you can't, just look at the website for some wonderful fashion inspiration!

PS Here's an authentic black Chanel I found on eBay for $800. It perhaps needs some soft shoulder pads for form and I'd maybe lose the belt and replace it with a thin black one, but it's definitely a good buy for that price. Perhaps I should discard my dream of a YSL tuxedo and settle for a classic Chanel number instead?

PS I must apologise for being rather low-key at the moment. I know I haven't replied to your lovely comments and I'm so contrite. There's rather a lot happening here and I'm struggling with juggling everything. Think: Jetlag combined with a terrible flu I picked up in Sydney, combined with packing up a big house to move (settlement is in 2 weeks: no rest for sick souls around here!), combined with troubles and worries within our family, and finally reconciling the fact that my mother-in-law might have to come and live with us, which curtails any plans to move OS.

But there is always a bright side to life. And I'm thankful for the many lovely things in our life. 

I just hope you can bear with me while I catch up on correspondence, comments, and well, life itself!