Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was a fashion icon of the 20th century. Born in France in 1883, Chanel started her career as a milliner and quickly became known for her stylish hats. In 1910, she opened her first boutique in Paris, and in 1921, Coco Chanel launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5. The perfume was an instant success, and it solidified the Chanel brand as a symbol of luxury and refinement.
Coco Chanel was one of the first designers to experiment with jersey fabric, and she popularized the little black dress. Throughout her career, she remained true to her simple, elegant style. She died in 1971, but her legacy continues to influence fashion today.
The fashion icon left behind plenty of empowering quotes on beauty, style, and self-confidence. From advice on living a stylish life to sage words on standing on your own two feet, here are 50 inspiring quotes by Coco Chanel. Scroll down and be inspired.
Famous Coco Chanel Quotes
Coco Chanel’s quotes are inspirational and can be used as motivation in many aspects of life. Check out some of her most famous quotes.
- “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” — Coco Chanel
- “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” — Coco Chanel
- “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” — Coco Chanel
- “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” — Coco Chanel
- “You live but once; you might as well be amusing.” — Coco Chanel
- “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel
- “I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all.” — Coco Chanel
- “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.” — Coco Chanel
- “I am not young, but I feel young. The day was younger than I was; it waited for me. That’s the way it is in life.” — Coco Chanel
- “I’m not interested in money, I just want to be wonderful.” — Coco Chanel
- “Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.” — Coco Chanel
- “How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.” — Coco Chanel
- “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” — Coco Chanel
- “Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them.” — Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel Quotes on Fashion and Style
- “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” — Coco Chanel
- “I don’t do fashion, I am fashion.” — Coco Chanel
- “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” — Coco Chanel
- “Fashion is made to become unfashionable.” — Coco Chanel
- “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” — Coco Chanel
- “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” — Coco Chanel
- “I decide what I am, not what other people say I am.” — Coco Chanel
- “There are people who have money, and people who are rich.” — Coco Chanel
- “Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.” — Coco Chanel
- “Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” — Coco Chanel
- “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live.” — Coco Chanel
- “Fashion passes, style remains.” — Coco Chanel
- “Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.” — Coco Chanel
- “An empty closet is a wardrobe of embarrassment.” — Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel Quotes on Beauty and Confidence
- “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” — Coco Chanel
- “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.” — Coco Chanel
- “Keep your heels, head, and standards high.” — Coco Chanel
- “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve.” — Coco Chanel
- “You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” — Coco Chanel
- “Innocence is charming only when it is not aware of itself.” — Coco Chanel
- “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” — Coco Chanel
- “I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little.” — Coco Chanel
- “Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!” — Coco Chanel
- “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” — Coco Chanel
You may also like: 50 Inspiring Quotes by Audrey Hepburn
Coco Chanel Quotes on Life and Independence
- “The most important thing in life is to give yourself, not to take.” — Coco Chanel
- “Nothing is more beautiful than freedom of the body.” — Coco Chanel
- “Those who create are rare; those who cannot are numerous. Therefore, the latter are stronger.” — Coco Chanel
- “The most unfortunate people are those who have to hide their emotions.” — Coco Chanel
- “There is time for work, and time for love. That leaves no other time.” — Coco Chanel
- “I never wanted to be a genius, but I think I have talent.” — Coco Chanel
- “I like what I do, and I put all my heart into it.” — Coco Chanel
- “In every era, there’s a certain amount of coldness that becomes fashionable.” — Coco Chanel
- “A woman has the age she deserves.” — Coco Chanel
- “I’m not going to spend my life worrying about what people think of me.” — Coco Chanel
More Coco Chanel Quotes
- “A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.” — Coco Chanel
- “Don’t waste time trying to fix a mistake. Move forward and make a new one.” — Coco Chanel
- “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel
- “I want people to be able to say, ‘that’s a Chanel dress,’ by the cut, not the buttons.” — Coco Chanel
- “Elegance is refusal.” — Coco Chanel
- “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” — Coco Chanel
Final Thoughts
Coco Chanel didn’t just build a fashion empire, she built an entire philosophy around confidence, independence, and staying true to yourself. Decades later, her words still resonate because she wasn’t just talking about clothes, she was talking about how to live.
Save your favorite quotes, share them with someone who needs a confidence boost, or just let them remind you that elegance and self-assurance never go out of style.
Which Coco Chanel quote inspires you the most? Let us know in the comments.
