Coco Chanel is a French fashion designer who led a revolution in fashion design in the 20th century and liberated women from the oppression of corsets, and the founder of the Chanel brand. Coco Chanel presented the essential freedom of women’s clothing through black and simple beauty (Simple is best). Standing in her studio, she walked through the fabric directly over the model’s body, and with only a pair of scissors in hand, she mercilessly cut away the cumbersome and heavy corsets, massive collars, and unnecessary lace of the 19th century. Instead of erasing lines with a pen, she felt the tension of the fabric and cut them out, creating a minimalist simplification that allowed women to move around freely and exercise their body awareness.
Today on BuildSelf, we introduce the cognitive scientific principles of his habit of ‘placing heavy fabric on the model’s body and cutting it with scissors’ and a 3-step guide that modern people can easily practice in their daily lives.
Historical & Academic Evidence
This content is based on Edmonde Charles-Roux, *Chanel and Her World* (1975) & Cognitive Neuroscientific Studies.
1. Analysis of brain science principles that lead to success
The act of visual cutting, cutting out unnecessary excess information and leaving only the core essence, powerfully activates the ‘Suppression Filtering’ circuit in the frontal lobe of the brain. Training in which the brain blocks out external distracting noises and focuses attention only on the most efficient form develops a high level of intuitive organizing ability that allows you to immediately weed out unnecessary elements of judgment in business processes or daily life.
2. 3-Step Practical Routine for Modern Professionals
Step 1: Setting up environment and tools
Every afternoon, I select the one most complex, wordy paragraph (or three objects on my desk) from my work environment or from any planning document in progress. Get ready to apply decorative elements.
Step 2: Full sense projection and practice
We coldly reflect on the selected object, asking, ‘Will the original function or core message be maintained even if this is removed?’ and ruthlessly erase the parts that can be removed.
Step 3: Objective looking and meta-organizing
Preserve the core by performing a two-minute extreme embellishment suppression exercise that leaves only the most essential one-line sentence (or one essential tool).
3. Behavioral science advice for successful settlement
This is not extreme minimalism, where you get rid of everything. The key is to dedicate cognitive resources to leaving behind the ‘essence’ that will help the target’s core values shine the most.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Should I perform this isolation routine every evening? ▼
Yes, establishing a clear boundary between work and rest through an isolation ritual, smelling scents completely alone after work.
How can I substitute if I don't have aroma perfumes or a hotel room? ▼
You can achieve the same effect by turning off your smartphone for 15 minutes in a tidy corner of your home while smelling a simple diffuser or multi-balm.
