If you find yourself on the style sidelines thinking, “I could never pull that off,” then it’s time to get a new fashion mantra. We’ve rounded up sage words of wisdom that every fashion wallflower needs to frame and hang in their closet. These quotes from designers, muses and style icons are eloquent reminders that fashion should be fearless.
With equal parts gravity and levity (and, we promise, not a single cliché about your “comfort zone”), these observations encourage us to approach getting dressed in the morning as an art form. Click through the slideshow to read 16 fashion quotes that will motivate you to get gutsy with your personal style.
16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton)
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #1
“People will stare. Make it worth their while.” -Harry Winston
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #2
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” -Rachel Zoe
Image: Mike Pont/WireImage/Getty Images
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #3
“Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.” -Alexander McQueen
Image: Pool BASSIGNAC/BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #4
“I've learned that no matter what I wear, somebody will hate it... So I decided that I just dress for me.” -Gabourey Sidibe
Image: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #5
“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” -Coco Chanel
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #6
“Life's too short to wear boring clothes.” -Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #7
“You can have anything you want if you dress for it.” -Edith Head
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #8
“More is more and less is a bore.” -Iris Apfel
Image: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #9
“Knowing who you really are and dressing the part — with an air of amused recklessness — is life affirming for you and life enhancing for other people.” -Simon Doonan
Image: Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images for Barneys New York
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #10
“Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world.” -Bette Midler
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #11
“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.” -Ralph Lauren
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #12
“Attitude is everything.” -Diane von Furstenberg
Image: Jason Carter Rinaldi/Getty Images for BioSilk Haircare
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #13
“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 you live.” -Gianni Versace
Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #14
“You don't learn style from watching people on a runway. Fashion happens every morning when you wake up.” -Shalom Harlow
Image: @shalomharlow
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #15
“In difficult times fashion is always outrageous.” -Elsa Schiaparelli
Image: Imaxtree
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16 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Face Your Fashion Fears (Cotton) #16
“Fashion is not about buying a second skin. Fashion is about having a fantasy.” -Alber Elbaz
Image: Imaxtree
