Quotes by Designers
It’s the time of year that I’m once again pulling pieces out of the closet, updating with newer pieces (like this headband trend I’m obsessing over), and gently letting go of older things. The Summer season is creeping in. City dwellers are trading Manhattan for poolside sunsets in the Hamptons or whisking away to Ibiza.
When I reflect on my wardrobe and my annual cleaning; I am newly inspired by old pieces and simultaneously hitting myself for spending so much on one of a kind pieces that never made it out of the closet. Enviously I browse manicured Pinterest boards for the latest in summer-wear.
Personal style is a life long evolution.
I’m trying to keep that in mind.
And you? How are you beginning to feel about those t-shirts piled in the closet kept in case “someday” you may wear them, use them, or donate them.
Can you say that you’ve had the same style for years successfully? If so, I’ll need you to call me immediately and let me in on the secret.
My wallet will thank you.
Personally, I’m experiencing a rebirth of minimalism in my wardrobe after ages of loud colors and patterns.
Style is a process. Ask anyone who has scrolled back on their own social media time lines. Be gentle with yourself and dive in below on inspirational quotes on personal style from some of our favorite designers and writers.
Quotes on Style, Fashion & Confidence
- If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. ~Vincent Van Gogh
- Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
- People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Put your future in good hands — your own. -Author Unknown
- A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her. -David Brinkley
- Never dull your shine for somebody else. -Tyra Banks
- Don’t let anyone steal your dream. It’s your dream, not theirs. -Dan Zadra
- What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates his fate. -Henry David Thoreau
- Be proud to wear you. -Dodinsky
- “Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes.” –Diana Vreeland
- “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” –Gianni Versace
- “Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” –Oscar de la Renta
- “I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.” –Ralph Lauren
- “You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs. It helps you get up in the morning. It’s a way of life. Without it, you’re nobody. I’m not talking about lots of clothes.” —Diana Vreeland
- “Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.” —Alexander Wang
- “You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.” –Christian Dior
- “Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.” –Vivienne Westwood
- “Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose.” –Lauren Hutton
- “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”-Hubert de Givenchy
- “I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect, they are much more interesting.”-Marc Jacobs
- “Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self expression and, above all, attitude.” -Iris Apfel
- “People will stare. Make it worth their while.” -Harry Winston
- “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” –Coco Chanel
- “Playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends.” –Kate Spade
- “Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered.” –Giorgio Armani
- “The hardest thing in fashion is not to be known for a logo, but to be known for a silhouette.” –Giambattista Valli
- “I want people to see the dress, but focus on the woman.” –Vera Wang
- “We have this saying, Christy and I. We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.” –Linda Evangelista
- “I make clothes, women make fashion.” –Azzedine Alaïa
- “What’s my style is not your style, and I don’t see how you can define it. It’s something that expresses who you are in your own way.” –Iris Apfel
- “Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who’s wearing it.” –Yves Saint Laurent
- “Whoever said that money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” –Bo Derek
- “Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.” –Betsey Johnson
- “I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.” –Coco Chanel
- “The joy of dressing is an art.” –John Galliano
- “Luxury is the ease of a t-shirt in a very expensive dress.” –Karl Lagerfeld
- “A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste—it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I’m against.” –Diana Vreeland
- “The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.” –Coco Chanel
- “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” –Yves Saint Laurent
Can you relate to any of these quotes? Finding solace in our wardrobes is no easy task in the age where celebrity culture, fandom, and mega brands are pushing for us to continually buy new. And now.
To Quote Iris Apfel–
“Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self expression and, above all, attitude.”
Finally, as some years as a serious style maven (97 years of age) I can see that she has some years to perfect it!
Some inspirational quotes share joy and bring humor. In the case of Iris, they inspire you to follow your heart and find what works for you. Seeking more style inspiration or quotes? Follow along on social media.
As always, Happy Styling!
