Classy And Fabulous—Coco Chanel’s Advice Rings True 100 Years Later

Ninety-eight years ago this October, the world’s first little black dress made its debut. The place? Vogue. The designer? Chanel.

In the near century since, the designs and styles from Coco Chanel’s eponymous fashion house have continued to set standards and push boundaries in an industry saturated with designers – with more emerging every day. In a world of Cider and SHEIN, Chanel stands apart.

What makes this iconic empire so alluring? Is it the scent of Chanel No. 5? The camellia flowers and interlocking Cs? The novelty of wearing something brand new with such a deep history in a world that survives largely on fast fashion?

No matter what it is about Chanel that draws you to the brand, it all has to do with her: the original Ms. Chanel, who was as famous for her fashion as she was for her reputation as a (slightly scandalous) 20th-century socialite.

Although many aspects of Coco Chanel’s personal life are those with which we are not inclined to agree (habitual drug use, potential Nazi involvement, etc.), her new-fangled, old-fashioned outlook on life – and fashion in general – is one which we would be wise to adopt, especially in a world that tries to convince us to break away from the past and embrace modernity. 

Good Advice Never Goes Out of Style

Whether or not Coco’s written quotes were her original creations or composed largely with the help of Pierre Reverdy, one of the many eminent gentlemen with whom she had a relationship, remains up for dispute. Regardless of whether these quips are original or a result of collaboration, they are still impactful and as iconic as some of Chanel’s greatest fashion creations.

What’s even better about them is that, unlike a handbag (which will set you back around $10,000), all of Chanel’s classic advice is free for the taking, no secondhand shopping required!

"Fashion changes, but style endures."

I’m personally not one for following trends (unless they have to do with hair ribbons or the color pink, both of which I was a fan of before the Barbie movie, might I add), and neither was Coco – even though she was often the one setting them!

Although some, of-the-moment fashion choices really are the “next big thing,” most of them are money traps that convince us for a season or two that we really are into pleather, skinny jeans, cottagecore dresses, and…you get the point.

Now, that’s not to say we should studiously avoid every trend that comes along. As I mentioned above, I’m loving all of the #Barbiecore remnants from last summer’s sensation on the clothing racks, especially the continued prevalence of #Barbenheimer essentials like pink blazers and stylish pantsuits. But I’m not living for these trends – the trends are living for me. Even when the essential elements of 2024 fashion that resonate with me go “out of season,” I’ll be sure not to purge them from my own wardrobe. Why? Because they are a part of my own personal style. When I shop, I trust my taste in clothes, using it as a barometer for what’s hot and what’s not. No matter what Vogue or Cosmopolitan might say to the contrary.

"Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity."

I grew up in a small town in Oregon where most people’s idea of luxury was a brand-new-to-them tractor or a weekend spent dirt camping in the woods. And you know what? For them, those things were luxurious. 

Like Coco says, there’s a difference between luxury and wealth. One is completely – often even more so – attainable without the other. An excess of money and a life of extravagance do not necessarily result in luxurious living. In fact, some of the most well-to-do people I’ve known have the messiest homes and the most volatile relationships.

Indeed, luxury is where you find it. Whether that means a well-kept home or an apartment at the Ritz is up to you. But, even on a shoestring budget, you can find luxury in the way you live; in dressing simply and elegantly rather than falling prey to trends that force you to spend a fortune to look like a vagabond. 

So let’s quit listening to music with obnoxious beats and profane messages. Let’s back away from the fast-food line and pick up the ingredients needed to make a nutritious salad. Instead of following fads, let’s focus on gentle, gracious living and find the luxury hidden in our own simple lives.

“Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!”

Anyone who tells you that looking good is as easy as throwing on a dress that bares it all is, quite sadly, mistaken. Although we live in a society that emphasizes sexiness above style and eroticism above elegance, Coco makes it quite clear that there is a great weapon hidden in our way of dressing. 

A hint of mystique in an outfit makes it 10 times more tantalizing, and the effortless elegance of not baring it all should be a relief for those of us uncomfortable with the wave of celeb favorite see-through dresses and barely there bikinis.

As Coco says, “Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.” When we dress with care and grace and with pure intentions in our heart, we exude a specific type of beauty that can’t be found through trends or clothes that “bare it all” in the name of fashion.

That’s not to say I’m not a fan of backless frocks and the occasional crop top or that my summer wardrobe isn’t a good 25% bikinis, but I don’t dress that way in an attempt to flaunt my body. Instead of dressing to impress others, I dress to impress myself.

“A woman can be overdressed but never over-elegant.”

Coco was a maven of simplicity. Her styles manage to be perfectly eye-catching in a sedate, subdued way, and much of her fashion advice boils down to this: True elegance is found, not in excess, but in restraint.

Especially in America, we’re fond of phrases like “bigger and better,” and we’re known to seek out quantity over quality. But Chanel advises us to dial it back, to embrace the art of simplicity and use it as an avenue straight to elegance.

Another Coco quote that reflects this emphasizes that “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” So the next time you’re going out for the evening, take a look in the mirror. Are your statement shoes competing with your statement handbag which is vying for attention with your statement jewels? Have you spent so much effort on your makeup that your eyes, brows, lashes, and lips are all the “focal point” of your face, so much so that no one aspect really stands out at all?

Embrace simplicity, for simplicity is elegance.

“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

As much as Coco Chanel believed in elegance and restraint, she was also a great supporter of what people in those times considered “edgy.” Her menswear-inspired women’s looks were some of the first of their kind, and she was known for breaking through barriers by shunning “essential” fashion elements such as corsets.

Indeed, without Coco and her unapologetic approach to fashion, we likely would have never experienced leggings, bikinis, or the miniskirt. When Coco broke through the barrier of traditionalism, creativity in women’s fashion exploded, and it is still on the rise today.

While that can often give way to some truly atrocious trends, it’s also good news for us as we develop our personal style. If you can dream it, you can wear it! And, as Coco says, if you want to stand out, you have to be different. Step away from the norm. Develop your own style.

For me, this includes incorporating old-fashioned elements like strands of pearls and fascinator hats into a thoroughly modern wardrobe. For you, who knows? The importance is that your style is different, that your style is yours.

We might not aspire to live a life quite like Coco Chanel's, but we can all glean pearls of wisdom from her quotes that shine just as brightly as the fashion label’s latest jewelry line. May Coco’s expert advice inspire you on your journey to developing your personal style, and, if you take away any advice from Coco today, let it be this: “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

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