Coco Chanel first presented clothing made from jersey fabric in 1913.
Chanel used jersey in her early Deauville collections, transforming a material associated largely with men’s underwear and sports clothing into fashionable women’s wear. Its stretch, softness, and practical drape suited the more relaxed lifestyle that developed around seaside resorts and outdoor activities.
The choice was also shaped by wartime conditions and availability. Chanel’s designs made informality look deliberate rather than improvised, helping normalize knit dresses, loose sweaters, and other pieces that allowed greater movement than heavily corseted clothing.
The year 1913 marks the early public use of jersey in Chanel’s fashion story, while 1915 is associated with her Biarritz couture house and 1918 with her move to 31 Rue Cambon. Jersey was not simply a fabric choice: it became a symbol of Chanel’s broader shift toward comfort, mobility, and modern sportswear.