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Named after the date (2 February 1955) that Coco Chanel first put it into production, the 2.55 shoulder bag is the fashion equivalent of the Coca-Cola bottle - an instantly recognisable design classic. But this bag is more than just looks, it holds the secrets of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's life. As a young girl her mother died and her father abandoned her to an orphanage. Legend has it that the time she spent there heavily influenced her design. The burgundy lining of the 2.55 is a colour match of the uniform she wore, the diamond quilting is said to represent the orphanage windows and the distinctive double chain shoulder straps (a whole new concept in an evening bag back then) are based on the key chains the caretakers wore around their waists. Then there's the zippered compartment inside where she's said to have kept her love letters from her affair with Nazi spy, Hans Gunther von Dincklage and the trademark ‘Madamoiselle Lock', so called because Ms Chanel never married. All that class and such a great story too - who knew?! Bottom line though, the 2.55 is still going so strong because it's beloved of girls of every age and can be worn anywhere, with anything, which makes it the perfect accessory, non?

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