[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Elegance Is Refusal

[Ben Zimmer]

Hi Garson,

While I don't have access to the book, here is the full passage, wherein
Vreeland responds to someone asking about "the difference between elegance
and fashion."

---
https://breaktheseal.substack.com/p/34-wheres-the-line
"You can't ask a question like that casually," I said. "Fashion is a
passing thing -- a thing of fancy, fantasy, and feeling. Elegance is
innate. It has nothing to do with being well-dressed. It’s a quality
possessed by certain thoughts and certain animals. Gazelles, I suppose,
have elegance with their tiny heads and their satiny coats and their little
winning ways . . ."
Once, years ago in Sidi Bou Said, a little gazelle jumped in my lap,
terrified. His greatest terror, of course, was being in my lap, but I felt
these tiny hoofs and this miniature face looked in my eyes as only a
woodland creature can . . . I've never forgotten it.
So I said, "Gazelles have elegance. And Audrey Hepburn -- magnificently."
Then I said something I’ve always known. I don’t know who it's a quote
from. I didn’t get it from you, shall we say, and I didn’t make it up, but
I’ve known it all my life.
"Elegance," I said, "is refusal."
-- Diana Vreeland, _Allure_ (1980) pg. 203
---

--bgz

On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 9:11 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The opaque statement in the subject line has been attributed to
> fashion mavens Coco Chanel and Diana Vreeland. I received a request to
> determine the correct authorship. I was unable to find evidence that
> Coco Chanel employed this saying. She died in 1971 and received credit
> by 2000.
>
> The statement appeared in a 1980 "The New York Times" piece about a
> new book by Diana Vreeland titled "Allure". Apparently, the statement
> also appeared in the book, but I have not been able to verify that
> yet. If someone can access the book and find the phrase (together with
> a complete and accurate citation) that would be great. I think most of
> the book displays photographs.
>
> [ref] 1980 September 14, New York Times, Section: The New York Times
> Magazine, A Vision of Style by Francesca Stanfill, Start Page SM18,
> Quote Page SM74, New York. (ProQuest) [/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Fame in all its forms is celebrated by Diana Vreeland. Some of her
> favorite subjects -- and her impressions of them in "Allure" -- are
> presented here. …
>
> "Elegance is innate. It has nothing to do with being well-dressed.
> Elegance is refusal." …
> [End excerpt]
>
> Here is a link to the Quote Investigator article:
> Quote Origin: Elegance Is Innate. It Has Nothing To Do with Being
> Well-Dressed. Elegance Is Refusal
> https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/11/01/elegance-refusal/
>
> Garson
>
>

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