You may not agree with all of these quotes about fashion, but they will definitely make you think!
![Pierre Cardin in 1978 Pierre Cardin in 1978](https://www.themodestman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Pierre-Cardin-in-1978.jpeg)
Mark Twain said that โClothes make the man,โ but what about the people that make the clothes?
It turns out they have plenty to say about what is (and is not) fashion, and what you should think and do about dressing your absolute best.
So read on to find your own style inspiration in this curated list of quotes from top designers, models and stylists.
Our Top 20 Fashion Quotes
In no particular order…
“To achieve the nonchalance which is absolutely necessary for a man, one article at least must not match.”
-Hardy Amies
“I can go all over the world with just three outfits: a blue blazer and grey flannel pants, a grey flannel suit and black tie.”
-Pierre Cardin
โGood grooming is integral and impeccable style is a must. If you donโt look the part, no one will want to give you time or money.โ
“Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.”
-Bill Cunningham
โPeople say, โWhat do you mean you want to help the world, but youโre so concerned about fashion?โ Itโs illegal to be naked. It is something that is extremely important.โ
–Kanye West
“Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.โ
–Vivienne Westwood
โThe difference between style and fashion is quality.โ
–Giorgio Armani
โFashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.โ
–Oscar Wilde
โIf you canโt be better than your competition, just dress better.โ
–Anna Wintour
“I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect, they are much more interesting.”
–Marc Jacobs
โTo be noticed without striving to be noticed, this is what elegance is about.โ
–Luciano Barbera
โIt is both delusional and stupid to think that clothes donโt really matter and we should all wear whatever we want. Most people donโt take clothing seriously enough, but whether we should or not, clothes do talk to us and we make decisions based on peopleโs appearances.โ
–G. Bruce Boyer
โHe who goes against the fashion is himself it’s slave.โ
–Logan Pearsall Smith
โBeing perfectly well-dressed gives one a tranquillity that no religion can bestow.โ
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
โSimplicity is the ultimate sophistication.โ
–Leonardo da Vinci
โFashion is not necessarily about labels. Itโs not about brands. Itโs about something else that comes from within you.โ
–Ralph Lauren
โThe boor covers himself, the rich man or the fool adorns himself and the elegant man gets dressed.โ
–Honore de Balzac
โEvery generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.โ
–Henry David Thoreau
Best Fashion Quotes for Men
These are some popular fashion quotes about men’s fashion, in particular:
โPutting on a beautifully designed suit elevates my spirit, extols my sense of self and helps define me as a man to whom details matter.โ
–Gay Talese
โClothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance.โ
–Arthur Ashe
โLike every good man, I strive for perfection, and, like every ordinary man, I have found that perfection is out of reach โ but not the perfect suit.โ
–Edward Tivnan
โDirt makes a man look masculine. Let your hair blow in the windโฆ All you have to do is look neat when you have to look neat.โ
–Hedy Lamarr
โMen tell me that Iโve saved their marriages. It costs them a fortune in shoes, but itโs cheaper than a divorce.โ
–Manolo Blahnik
โAlmost every man looks more so in a belted trench coat.โ
–Sydney J. Harris
โI often take a brand new suit or hat and throw it up against the wall a few times to get that stiff, square newness out of it.โ
–Fred Astaire
โA well-tied tie is the first serious step in life.โ
–Oscar Wilde
โMake it simple, but significant.โ
–Don Draper
โMusic has shaped menโs fashion and transposed in a playful and witty manner its riding or military heritage. It is difficult to figure out who leads, but music and fashion are connected genetically.โ
–Hedi Slimane
โโTis hell to a man of spirit to be contradicted by his tailor.โ
–Richard Garnett
โKnow first who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.โ
–Epictetus
โA well-tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men.โ
–Unknown
โIt is totally impossible to be well-dressed in cheap shoes.โ
–Hardy Amies
โIf people turn to look at you on the street, you are not well dressed, but either too stiff, too tight or too fashionable.โ
–Beau Brummel
โNever wear anything that panics the cat.โ
–J. OโRourke
โTrendy is the last stage before tacky.โ
–Karl Lagerfeld
โWhoever said that money canโt buy happiness, simply didnโt know where to go shopping.โ
–Bo Derek
โMenโs fashions all start as sports clothes and progress to the great occasions of state. The tailcoat, which started out as a hunting coat, is just finishing such a journey. The tracksuit is just beginning one.โ
–Angus McGill
Style Quotes to Inspire You
If you just need some inspiration, these quotes about fashion might do the trick:
“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
โStyle is primarily a matter of instinct.โ
–Bill Blass
โBlack is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy โ but mysterious. But above all black says this: โI donโt bother you โ donโt bother me.โโ
–Yohji Yamamoto
โFashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.โ
–Alexander McQueen
โI like nice clothes, whether theyโre dodgy or not.โ
–David Beckham
โThe most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.โ
–Coco Chanel
โYou donโt find a style. A style finds you.โ
–Keith Richards
โEven on the most solemn occasions I got away without wearing socks and hid that lack of civilisation in high boots.โ
–Albert Einstein
โStyle is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing. To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art.โ
–Charles Bukowski
โMy style โ itโs black and itโs expensive.โ
–Mark Healey
“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. Itโs a way of life. Without it, youโre nobody. Iโm not talking about lots of clothes.โ
–Diana Vreeland
โOne pretends to do something, or copy someone or some teacher, until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes oneโs own style.โ
–Cary Grant
“In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous.”
–Elsa Schiaparelli
“I like my money right where I can see itโฆhanging in my closet.”
–Carrie Bradshaw
โPeople always ask me what the trends are, but Iโm not a believer in trends. Individuality is more important to me, to stand out and have the confidence to wear something youโre comfortable in โ it just happens. Iโm comfortable wearing a suit.โ
–David Gandy
“I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.”
–Alexander McQueen
“Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.”
–Alexander Wang
โCreate your own visual styleโฆ Let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.โ
–Orson Welles
What do you think?
Which of these fashion quotes resonate with you? Which ones do you disagree with?
Let us know in the comments section down below!
Hi,
Awesome article, very educational, knowing that these have been quoted by these numerous people with a passion for fashion. Some of these made us chuckle.
The one that resonates with us is from Iris Apfel:’Fashion you can by, but style you possess….’.
Here is also one we heard recently and like:’Quantity you can count, quality you can count on’
Regards.