I feel like everyone has a couple of luxury designers that they are drawn to more than others. For some it’s Louis Vuitton, for others it’s Chanel. But for me, I am constantly enamored with Chloe.
Chloe is a French luxury fashion house that was founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. The brand’s first collection was released in 1956, but they did not truly rise to fame until the 1970s when Karl Lagerfeld became the main designer. Celebrities such as Jackie Kennedy and Brigitte Bardot catapulted the label into the limelight. Other notable designers who have crafted Chloe into the brand it is today include Stella McCartney and the iconic Phoebe Philo.
Chloe is known for its romantic, bohemian silhouettes. It’s been described as free-spirited femininity, vintage with contemporary influences and casual with refined elegance. Think delicate pleating, gorgeous florals. relaxed tailoring. and western leather goods, all in a palette of understated colors. Chloe has such a hallmark style that designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi gave its most ardent fans a special moniker – Chloe Girls.
Chloe is an extremely underrated designer brand for a number of reasons. Chloe pieces are effortless and unstuffy; they’re things you can wear every single day. The label does a great job at creating with the modern active woman in mind – someone who has places to be and needs to look fabulous but does not have time for things that slow her down. The shoes and bags especially are beautiful pieces to add to any outfit, but they are still functional as ever.
There’s also the price. Chloe is one of the most value-laden luxury brands on the market right now. They fly a bit under-the-radar, so they do not see the insane price hikes that Chanel or Saint Laurent does. And the quality that you receive for the price is astounding. The bags start at $990 for the Mini Marcie and cap off around $2000 for some of the larger Tess bags. That sounds (and is) quite expensive, but when you compare it to a Chanel Classic Flap where you can’t even get in the door for under $7,100, you’re actually getting quite the steal. The bag I am wearing is the Chloe Nile bag. The style is a few years old, and I got mine secondhand from Fashionphile, but like I said the quality is just amazing. The leather is so durable yet wears beautifully. It’s an everyday statement bag I get compliments on every time I wear it.
And Chloe regularly goes on sale – you can find biannual sales on the Chloe website, and more frequent price drops or coupon codes on places like Farfetch, Net-a-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, or Neiman Marcus. I own four pairs of Chloe shoes and, besides my tall leather boots, I didn’t pay more than $250 for any of them. My first Chloe bag was the Mini C bag that I got nearly $700 off on 24s.com.
If you’re thinking about buying a luxury item, I cannot recommend Chloe more. But if you’re love the style and are just looking for under $200 inspiration, I have you covered there too.
As soon as I saw this dress online, it gave me such strong Chloe vibes I immediately had to order it. I said recently in my Color Crush – Green with Envy post that Forever 21 has been surprising me SO much lately. They’ve stepped up their game and are honestly becoming one of my favorite places to shop. This dress is under $25, the quality is fantastic and it’s sustainable – it’s made from 98% recycled polyester. It’s also lined which is huge for an off-white dress.
Everything about this dress reminds me of Chloe – the flowy silhouette, the high neck and long sleeves, the romantic floral pattern, the slight Victorian ruffle detail along the chest. I’ve paired the dress with my trusty leather jacket, my Chloe Nile bracelet bag and some Tory Burch stacked-heel ankle boots. But I’m so excited to wear this again with a longer coat and my leather Chloe boots – last seen here. I think it would also be a fun option for a dinner date night because it’s so roomy you can eat as much as you want and not feel uncomfortable.
Whether you invest in a real Chloe piece or opt for an inspired look, you won’t be disappointed. Prepare for compliments wherever you go!
