Iris Apfel Quotes & Sayings

I was in art school since I was five years old. I've always been to art school. 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

People say, 'You have inspired me, you've given me courage ... ' They've gone so far as to say, 'You've changed my life!' And I would come back and say to my husband, 'I can't understand it - what kind of poor little life did she have if I had to come and change it?' — Iris Apfel

I think if women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they'd be better off. — Iris Apfel

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

I'm not a minimalist, as I'm sure you've noticed. — Iris Apfel

Oh my God, I'm a walking advertisement for discounted shopping. — Iris Apfel

People with a lot of money don't dress as well as people who have to make do, who have to be inventive. Those are the people who are always more interestingly dressed, I think. Everything I do, I do with gut instinct. If I think too much, it won't come out right. — Iris Apfel

It's better to be happy and comfortable than well dressed. — Iris Apfel

I don't look at Instagram. I don't have much to do with social media. — Iris Apfel

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

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

Throughout history, clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are. During the Ching dynasty, for example, what you wore and how it was made reflected your status in society. People could literally read your clothes like a book, just by its color and how it was embroidered. — Iris Apfel

In my view, you can't go to the future if you haven't come from the past. — Iris Apfel

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

You only have one trip. You might as well enjoy it. — Iris Apfel

I hate being asked how I met my husband and very personal questions like that. I don't like that. People are too nosey. Intelligent questions I like, but sometimes people ask such silly, dopey ones. — Iris Apfel

The White House is the people's house. When you do historical restoration, that must be what it is. — Iris Apfel

Creativity is down the tube. And people give a lot of lip service to individuality. I know they all appreciate it, but they all say they would like to do it, but they don't want to work at it, and it doesn't come out of the sky. — Iris Apfel

I don't have any rules, because I would only be breaking them, so it's a waste of time — 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

My father told me once not to expect anything from anybody so I wouldn't be disappointed. If somebody was nice and did nice things for me, I should be overjoyed, but I shouldn't go through life expecting it, which is very good advice. — Iris Apfel

I never buy what someone says is 'in' or a 'must-have.' I buy what makes me happy. — Iris Apfel

If you're lucky enough to get old, I think you should celebrate it. — Iris Apfel

I'm a practical person. Most fashion people live in the clouds, and they're full of it. I live like a human being - or, I try to - and I have to be intelligent; I have to be practical. I'm a great believer in common sense, and the older I get, I see that common sense is not that common. — Iris Apfel

Caviar used to be my drug of choice, but since my husband is on a no-salt diet, I've kind of given it up. I still have dreams of sitting down and gorging, though. I love it with a good vodka; I don't like it with champagne. — Iris Apfel

I find that if I get up and push myself, I get lost in what I'm doing, and I forget about everything else until I stop doing it. — Iris Apfel

You can change the look of an outfit so easily by changing the kind of jewellery you wear. If you have a basic outfit on - a black sweater and skirt or a simple black dress - you can go from the office to a cocktail party at night just by changing your jewellery. It helps if you change your shoes as well. — Iris Apfel

I don't do very much for beauty. I use very simple things on my skin. I haven't got time. I would always get facials and then come home laden with product, and pay a lot of money and never use it. Anyway, one day a dermatologist told me to use Cetaphil to clean my face and as a moisturizer, and that's what I do. — Iris Apfel

Nothing I ever did I expected to do. It just kind of happened. — Iris Apfel

I do have a dominant shopping gene but, unlike a reasonable person, I never plan for what I need each season. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the discovery and the endless search. In another creation I was, perhaps, a hunter/gatherer. After all these years, I've learned that it's not the end result or finished product but the process I most enjoy. If my experimenting, searching and juxtaposing turns into an exciting outfit well, it's just a big fat bonus! — 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

I didn't have children, but I never wanted children. — Iris Apfel

I think jewelry can change an outfit more than anything else. Transformation, punch, individuality: One or all of the above are why you should wear jewelry. — Iris Apfel

I've always been attracted to unusual eyewear. I thought glasses were an interesting accessory, depending on the shape of your face. People would always ask me, "Why are your frames so large?" And I would say, "The bigger to see you!" And that shut them up. — 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

I love a nice hot pink. I like thick lipstick, otherwise it doesn't look like you're wearing any. — 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

Coco Chanel said take one thing off. I always said put another one on. — Iris Apfel

I go out in New York, and I think, boy, you can look at someone and pretty much determine their zip code. Everyone seems to want to conform. I wonder, are they all just button-pressers, on the Internet all day long? I don't know. — Iris Apfel

I mix everything up. A museum curator once said to me that there is a great jazz component to the way I do things because good jazz is improvisation and draws elements from all different cultures. And that's the way I do everything - the way I dress and decorate. — Iris Apfel

My look is either very baroque or very Zen - everything in between makes me itch. — Iris Apfel

There's different shopping in Paris than there is at a bazaar in Istanbul, but they're all wonderful. — Iris Apfel

I'd rather go to a flea market than just about anything. It's the process I like - the same with getting dressed. If I've got someplace to be, I'll spend more time getting dressed than I spent at the actual event. Sometimes. Even in my own closet, I love to dig and search and find. — Iris Apfel

When you're older, no matter how good your humor is you don't always feel perky and peppy. But if you sit home all day and brood about it, it gets worse. — Iris Apfel

I'm delighted that gay people want to get married and I say why not! It's nobody's business and I would happily give my blessing. — 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 love high-end designers, but a head-to-toe designer look for me is extremely boring. I've always mixed it up. — Iris Apfel

If your hair is done properly you can get away with anything — Iris Apfel

I'm happy if I can help anybody. I'm more than happy to, but you have to find your own path. — Iris Apfel

I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I love objects from different worlds, different eras, combined my way. Never uptight, achieving - hopefully - a kind of throwaway chic — 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

When you go to a nice restaurant, you want to be relaxed and have a drink and everything, you want to look at people who look well. You don't want to look at some slob with an open shirt and a hairy chest. At least I don't. — Iris Apfel

I think people have to sharpen their eyes and look. I always feel like a big sponge: I feel like I learn lots of things by osmosis, and I feel that I'm always absorbing. I mean, when people say, 'What is your inspiration?' I could throw up. I mean, I'm inspired by the fact I get up in the morning. And I'm still here. — Iris Apfel

Self-exploration is very painful, but unless you do that, you will never know who you are and who you want to be. — Iris Apfel

I'm from New York. My grandparents were settlers of Long Island City. When they came here, there was no bridge, and they had to hire a boat across the river. They had a farm, and my grandmother had to go once a week to Manhattan to buy provisions - very primitive. — 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

I just roll with the punches. — 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

I think fashion is just part of my life and if it hadn't of been fashion then it would have been something else. — 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 that if you have to work very hard at dressing up and it makes you nervous or uptight, then you won't look very well because you won't be comfortable. I think it's much better to be comfortable and happy than well dressed. — Iris Apfel

You have to be interested. If you're not interested, you can't be interesting. — 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

Technologically, I live in the 17th century; I don't have a computer, I don't have any of that stuff. I don't look at the Internet, although I know people tell me I'm all over it. Somebody told me they Googled me, and they said I was mentioned two million times, some stupid thing ... but who cares? — Iris Apfel

In America, it has been proven that the bulk of spending money is in the hands of women between 60 and 80, so it's so stupid. The people who do have the time and money to shop are either retired or empty-nesters. — Iris Apfel

I just never want to completely grow up. — Iris Apfel

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

You have to push yourself when you're older because it's very easy to fall into the trap. You start to fall apart - you just have to do your best to paste yourself together. I think doing things and being active is very important. When your mind is busy, you don't hurt so much. — Iris Apfel

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

I'm happy. I give thanks every morning that I can get up, that I still have my husband with me. I'm extremely grateful. After all, how many 93-year-old cover girls do you know? — Iris Apfel

I don't think dressing has anything to do with numbers. I know people of 30 who act like they're 97, and I have a few old-bag friends who are very hip. — 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'm not going to be a rebel and offend anybody, but I'm not going to live in somebody else's image. — Iris Apfel

I've always loved to help people, young people in particular. — Iris Apfel

It's more important to be happy than well-dressed. — Iris Apfel

I think people should express themselves more and not just buy what's in. While it can be very beautiful, and it may suit you perfectly, I'm sure it doesn't suit everyone in the same way. I like people who express themselves and are more individualistic. — Iris Apfel

The world is always full of promise. — Iris Apfel

My mother worshipped at the alter of accessories and I got the bug. She always said, if you have a good, little, simple black dress and you have different accessories, you can have 27 different outfits. — Iris Apfel

I don't expect to find inspiration. It just sort of comes. Sometimes you step on a bug and you get inspired. — 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

To find out who you are is like putting yourself on a psychiatric couch, but you have nobody to help you. Really it isn't easy. I was talking with my nephew this morning and he gave me one of the best quotes I've heard in years 'Personal style is curiosity about oneself.' — Iris Apfel

I live in the Dark Ages, the 17th century. Actually, I would have loved to be in Paris in the early 20th century when the Ballets Russes were there and Chanel was designing. — Iris Apfel

I don't care what people think ... I learned a long time ago ... I was 19 and had a very traumatic experience ... .and I learned that I have to go to bed with myself at night and that I have to please myself ... and as long as I don't go out of my way to offend anybody that I love, upset my mother or my husband ... I'll do my own thing. And if the public doesn't like it, it's their problem, not mine. — Iris Apfel

You learn as you grow up, if you're intelligent - or even three-quarter witted - that there's no free lunch. You pay for things in various ways. Living, loving, everything else is a matter of the same principles: you learn to work with what you have. — 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

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

I'm a color person, I've never been known to play it safe. Plus I like big bags. My eyeglasses are so big; they don't fit into smaller bags. — Iris Apfel

If you don't learn constantly, you don't grow, and you will wither. Too many people wither on the vine. Sure, it gets a little harder as you get older, but new experiences and new challenges keep it fresh. — Iris Apfel

Shock can kill you. Shock is terrible. But what you've got to do is live in the present, which is what I have always done. — Iris Apfel

If you can't be pretty, you have to learn to make yourself attractive. I found that all the pretty girls I went to high school with came to middle age as frumps, because they just got by with their pretty faces, so they never developed anything. They never learned how to be interesting. But if you are bereft of certain things, you have to make up for them in certain ways. Don't you think? — Iris Apfel

More is more and less is a bore. — Iris Apfel

I see myself as the world's oldest living teenager ... I try to get as much kick out of things as possible. — Iris Apfel

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

I've never seen anything like the way some young people behave. They go out on a date, and they're sitting opposite each other at a table, and they're not looking at each other, and they text each other as though they're deaf-mutes. It's insane. — 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

Understated jewellery is not for me. It's too itsy-bitsy. My husband is lucky, as I've never had a yen for real jewels. — Iris Apfel

I live in the 17th century. I don't have a computer. I don't look at the internet. I use a cellphone, and that's about my only connection to the modern world. — Iris Apfel

Coco Chanel once said that what makes a woman look old is trying desperately to look young. Why should one be ashamed to be 84? Why do you have to say that you're 52? Nobody's going to believe you anyway, so why be such a fool? It's nice that you got to be so old. It's a blessing. — Iris Apfel