What does the '55' in Chanel 2.55 handbag refer to?

The “55” in the Chanel 2.55 handbag refers to February 1955, the month and year of its creation.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel introduced the bag as a practical evening handbag with a shoulder strap, freeing the wearer’s hands. Its name combines “2” for the second month, February, with “55” for 1955.

The original design is recognized for its quilted body, chain strap, burgundy lining, and distinctive rectangular clasp. Chanel’s choice of a shoulder chain was influenced partly by details associated with her convent upbringing and by practical military-style hardware.

A common mix-up is confusing the 2.55 with Chanel’s later Classic Flap bag. Karl Lagerfeld introduced the interlocking CC clasp and other updates in the 1980s; the original 2.55 used a rectangular “Mademoiselle” clasp. Chanel also issued a 2005 re-creation called the Reissue 2.55 to mark the design’s 50th anniversary.