Top 80 Iris Apfel Quotes (2025 Update)
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51. “You can’t try to be somebody you’re not; that’s not style.”

— Iris Apfel

52. “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

53. “I’m not a minimalist, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

— Iris Apfel

54. “I was in art school since I was five years old. I’ve always been to art school.”

— Iris Apfel

55. “Humor is important in everything. Dress with a little humor and you can go a long way.”

— Iris Apfel

56. “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

57. “I just mix and put things together the way the spirit moves me.”

— Iris Apfel

58. “I love a nice hot pink. I like thick lipstick, otherwise it doesn’t look like you’re wearing any.”

— Iris Apfel

59. “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

60. “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

61. “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

62. “I’ll spend more time getting dressed than I spent at the actual event.”

— Iris Apfel

63. “Technologically I live in the 17th century. I have a very simple cell phone. I say I live through the kindness of strangers, because if they see something on the Net they type it out and send it to me.”

— Iris Apfel

64. “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

65. “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

66. “I had a great example with my mother, who was extremely chic.”

— Iris Apfel

67. “I’m making a lot of noise as I walk.”

— Iris Apfel

68. “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

69. “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

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

— Iris Apfel

71. “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

72. “People would always say to me, “Why are you wearing such large frames?” And I would say, “The bigger to see you.””

— Iris Apfel

73. “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

74. “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

75. “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

76. “My mother worshipped at the altar of the accessory.”

— Iris Apfel

77. “The worst fashion faux pas is looking in the mirror and seeing somebody else.”

— Iris Apfel

78. “Whatever happened to the cultivation of the inner self? It’s painful and it’s work, but it always pays off.”

— Iris Apfel

79. “You don’t have to be an artist to be a creator, because creativity comes in a lot of forms, like cooking or keeping a house or dressing well. What you need is imagination, to make things up for yourself.”

— Iris Apfel

80. “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

81. “You don’t find out who you are unless you work at it.”

— Iris Apfel

82. “When you try too hard to have style, you look uncomfortable, like you’re wearing a costume, like the clothes are entering the room before you do. If you’re uptight, you won’t be able to carry off even a seemingly perfect outfit. If that’s happening, I say abandon the whole thing. It’s better to be happy than well dressed.”

— Iris Apfel

83. “I never expect anything. I just feel things in my gut and I do them. If something sounds exciting and interesting, I do it – and then I worry about it later. Doing new things takes a lot of energy and strength. It’s very tiring to make things happen, to learn how to master a skill, to push fears aside. Most people would rather just go with the flow; it’s much easier. But it’s not very interesting.”

— Iris Apfel