“I don’t know why women want any of the things men have when one of the things that women have is men.”
- August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971
- Born in France
- Designer, businesswoman
- Founded the Chanel brand and advocated modern and simple fashion, especially popularizing the “Chanel suit” and “little black dress,” and contributing to the liberation of women.
Quote
“I don’t know why women want any of the things men have when one of the things that women have is men.”
Explanation
In this quote, Coco Chanel seems to express a provocative view on gender dynamics, suggesting that women already possess something valuable—the attention and influence of men—which may render the pursuit of traditionally male-dominated roles or possessions less essential. Chanel’s career was built on challenging societal norms, and this statement reflects her maverick attitude towards women’s roles. By suggesting that women have men as an asset, she plays with the idea of gender power dynamics and highlights the unique position women hold in certain social structures. The quote might be seen as satirical, pointing out the complexity of the relationship between men and women, where women often wield indirect forms of power that are overlooked or undervalued.
Chanel’s perspective can be interpreted as commentary on societal expectations: at a time when women were largely confined to domestic and secondary roles, she saw men as an integral part of the system women were expected to navigate. By saying that women already possess men as “something they have,” she might be suggesting that women can exert influence through their relationships with men, thus potentially questioning the necessity of aspiring to the same societal status or material wealth that men often sought. However, it is worth noting that this statement could also be seen as problematic, as it reduces women’s power to their relationship with men rather than acknowledging their independent capabilities and achievements.
The quote could be interpreted through a modern lens as a critique of patriarchal systems where women may have been made to feel that their value was tied to their relationships with men, whether as wives, daughters, or muses. Today, as conversations about gender equality evolve, Chanel’s words remind us of how deeply ingrained these dynamics were and still are in many parts of society. However, it also challenges us to reconsider the ways in which women derive empowerment, and how their worth should be recognized independently of male influence or validation.
