CharlieHearts: My 2.55 lust...

I've been very distracted all day long, caught in a daydream of Chanel....

It poured down here most of the day, but it suited me as i got lost in hundreds of Chanel images, past and present.

Chanel is my weakness and i love beautiful things

The 2.55 is an iconic masterpiece and if I wished for only one thing under my Christmas tree this year, it would most certainly be a 2.55!

Coco Chanel tired of carrying her handbag in her arms, so in the 1920s set about designing a bag that avoided this. In 1929 she introduced a design that was inspired by the straps that were found on soldier's bags, she added thin straps and this was the result introduced to the market.

She had a desire for practicality -

'I was fed up with holding my purses in my hands and losing them, so I added a strap and carried them over my shoulder'

Coco Chanel

In 1954, after having a successful return to the fashion industry, Chanel decided to update her handbag.

In February 1955, the 2.55 was born and named after its creation date.

In February 2005, Chanel sold a bag to celebrate the 50th anniversary . It was an exact copy of the original 2.55 and was named "Reissue 2.55"

There are 180 stages and 60 pieces that go into the making of a 2.55.

It takes great expertise with 10 years of training.

This is a job for highly skilled craftspeople, who take huge pride in their work.

The outside of the bag shows its iconic quilted pattern, a running stitch is used to give the bag volume and shape.

It's said to be inspired by her love of horse riding, the jockeys' riding coats, the cushions that were in her Paris apartment and the stained glass windows of the abbey at Aubazine.

Her uniform at the convent where she grew up is portrayed in the burgundy lining....

Mademoiselle Chanel was very particular in that the inside of a handbag should be as beautiful as the outside.

The inside of the bag is seeped in history.

The secret pocket that she was rumoured to hide love letters from her beau in her original bag.

A compartment for lipstick, something which she would never leave the house without.

Then there is the magical code again, a stitching of the famous double C on a second flap and on the fastener another logo which was designed after her death in 1971 and is known as the Fermoir Mademoiselle.

The original bag had a front lock which was called "the mademoiselle Lock"

(referring to the fact that Chanel never married.)

The "Classic Flap" bag are the ones with a lock in the shape of the double CC Logo. This version came about in the 1980s.

The last stage to the making of the famous bag is the adding of the strap.

'It's a very delicate stage - if you get it wrong, you've ruined the bag.'

Chanel designed the double chain strap to make it easier for ladies attending social functions to carry so that they had their hands free. At the time this was very rare in such high class societies and was maybe inspired by the caretakers at the convent where she grew up, who carried their keys on a similar type of chain.

The bag is now ready and comes with its own unique code, proving the bag is authentic and if you so wished you could even find out who in the factory had actually made your bag.

How much would i like to get locked in that factory! It would be my equivalent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, swimming in Chanel logos!!!