You can’t try to be somebody you’re not; that’s not style. — Iris Apfel

You’re not pretty, and you’ll never be pretty. But, it doesn’t matter. You have something much better. You have style. — Iris Apfel

Nobody is original anymore. Nobody has any original style. — Iris Apfel

Great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself. — Iris Apfel

I never just went to look for clothes and style; I always find that wherever I go. — Iris Apfel

Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. — Iris Apfel

I can’t tell people how to have style. No amount of money can buy you style. It’s just instinctive. — Iris Apfel

You can’t try to be somebody you’re not; that’s not style. If someone says, ‘Buy this–you’ll be stylish,’ you won’t be stylish because you won’t be you. You have to learn who you are first, and that’s painful. — Iris Apfel

Style means you have a real curiosity about yourself and then you express it. Having style is not copying somebody else. — Iris Apfel

There are absolutely no rules about style at all. Not for me. — 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. — Iris Apfel

You can’t just say, ‘I’m gonna have style.’ You have to work at it. It’s intuitive; some people have it, and some people can work on it all day long, and it will never happen. — Iris Apfel

I think you’re born with style, but you have to develop it. You can be born with the talent to be an opera star, but you’ve got to work and practice it. — Iris Apfel

First you have to know who you are. That is the most important thing, as if you don’t know who you are you will either get swallowed up or you follow some unsuitable trends and just become a nonentity. — Iris Apfel

Sometimes I think fashion is going to hell. — Iris Apfel

If you put something together and it doesn’t look so good, the fashion police are not going to come and take you away. And if they do, you might have some fun in jail. — Iris Apfel

Fashion and interior design are one and the same. — Iris Apfel

If you don’t have any individuality and you’re happy just being one of the girls (or boys) be my guest. I’m not the fashion police. I won’t fault you. — Iris Apfel

Fashion has this youth mania. But 70–year–old ladies don’t have 18–year–old bodies, and 18–year–olds don’t have a 70–year–old’s dollars. — Iris Apfel

Fashion really is women’s liberation in a lot of ways. Look at how many women in this country are depressed about how they look and how they think they have to look! It’s really sad. And it’s not about money. — Iris Apfel

Being attractive lasts longer than being pretty. — Iris Apfel

I’m not a pretty person. I don’t like pretty, so I don’t feel badly. Most of the world is not with me, but I don’t care. — Iris Apfel

If you’re over 60, arms are not pretty, so I think you should stay covered up. But wear what’s appropriate for what you’re doing, how you live, and what your lifestyle is. — Iris Apfel

You have to observe a few simple rules in dressing, which are really not rules; it’s just being appropriate. If you’re 70 and want to wear miniskirts, 70–year–old knees ain’t pretty! — Iris Apfel

When you don’t dress like everybody else, you don’t have to think like everybody else. — Iris Apfel

I don’t dress to be stared at. I dress for myself. — Iris Apfel

Humor is important in everything. Dress with a little humor and you can go a long way. — Iris Apfel

You have to look in the mirror and see yourself. If it feels good, then I know it’s for me. I don’t dress to be stared at, I dress for myself. — Iris Apfel

I say, dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance. Wear something that says ‘Here I am!’ today. — Iris Apfel

I am not a fashionista, and I don’t dress up. Usually if I’m at home, where I am now, I’m wearing a robe. — Iris Apfel

I was never hurt by what anybody said about my clothes, because I dress to please myself. If somebody doesn’t like what I’m wearing, it’s their problem, not mine — Iris Apfel

I still have the dress I wore on the first date with my husband, which was more than 66 years ago. I still have it, and it still fits. — Iris Apfel

If there was a choice on spending a lot of money on accessories or dress, I always chose accessories. I think jewelry can change an outfit more than anything else. — Iris Apfel

Jewelry is the most transformative thing you can wear. — Iris Apfel

It’s more important to be happy than well–dressed. — Iris Apfel

When the fun goes out of getting dressed, you might as well be dead. — Iris Apfel

The fun of getting dressed is it’s a creative experience. — Iris Apfel

I always feel that if you’re gonna be uncomfortable and unhappy in something, just because you think it’s in or it’s chic, I would advise you to be happy rather than well–dressed. It’s better to be happy. — Iris Apfel

I’ll spend more time getting dressed than I spent at the actual event. — Iris Apfel

You have to know yourself and know what you can carry. If you’re not comfortable, no matter how well dressed you are, you’re not going to look right. I’d rather be happy and feel comfy. — Iris Apfel

I don’t get dressed up every day. I’m very busy. I get really annoyed when people talk about me as a ‘fashionista.’ I get dressed up when I have to go out. Most of the time, I’m running around in jeans. — Iris Apfel

I don’t spend my life getting dressed! I have to put clothes on during the day; I don’t get dressed up at all when I’m working. I’ll wear jeans, or something very simple. — Iris Apfel

My mother worshipped at the altar of the accessory. — Iris Apfel

Given the choice, I would spend my money on accessories. — Iris Apfel

My mother knew if you bought a couple of really good architectural outfits and put your money into accessories, you could create a million different looks. She taught that to me, which I think was invaluable. — Iris Apfel

I used to collect frames. I’ve been collecting accessories since I was 11–years–old, creeping around flea markets and sales and everything. Whenever I saw unusual eyeglass frames, I bought them. — Iris Apfel

These are things I love, things I’ve worn. I get more compliments on accessories than anything else. I think they’re kind of like herbs and spices. They give zest and zing to an outfit. — Iris Apfel

I think fashion is just part of my life and if it hadn’t been fashion then it would have been something else. — Iris Apfel

I had to be my own person and live my own life if I wanted to be happy, and I just did it. — Iris Apfel

I don’t count myself as a fashionista because I do a lot of other things. That’s just a small part of my life. — Iris Apfel

I think people try so hard to learn everything that they miss all the wonderful essentials. There is so much mystery in life that you should leave a mystery. — Iris Apfel

To lead the good life in New York, the two most important things for a woman are a chauffeur and a fur–lined raincoat. If you have those two things, you’re made. — Iris Apfel

Everything that’s happened to me, nothing’s been planned. I’ve never had a business plan. I just kind of fell into it, and I liked it, and I took a chance. I took a lot of chances in my life. — Iris Apfel