[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Elegance Is Refusal

Sun Nov 10 20:27:47 UTC 2024

Ben performed excellent sleuthing regarding the quotation "Elegance is
refusal" attributed to fashion editor Diana Vreeland. In response I
obtained the over-sized fashion photography book titled "Allure" by
Diana Vreeland (with Christopher Hemphill) from the adjacent county's
library system.

This crucial 1980 citation has now been added to the QI article. The
conclusion and acknowledgment have been updated.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/11/01/elegance-refusal/

[Begin conclusion]
In conclusion, Diana Vreeland popularized this quotation by using it
in her 1980 book "Allure". Oddly, she disclaimed authorship by stating
"I don't know who it's a quote from". Yet, she also asserted "I've
known it all my life". Strictly speaking the author of the saying
remains anonymous. The attribution to Coco Chanel is unsupported.
[End conclusion]

[Begin acknowledgement excerpt]
Special thanks to journalist and linguist Ben Zimmer who responded to
QI's inquiry asking about the remarks of Vreeland in the book "Allure"
by locating an excerpt containing the pertinent text reprinted in a
Substack message from LA HAZE at "the envelope" dated April 6, 2023.
This led QI to obtain the hardback of "Allure" from a library and
directly verify the quotation and its context.
[End acknowledgement excerpt]

Feedback welcome
Garson

On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 4:34 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks Ben. I also noticed that. Searching for 1980 in the Playbill in
> Google Books displays a snippet specifying the following range
> “Oct.-Dec. 1980”. The Playbill website has an archive page, but
> nothing seems pertinent:
>
> https://playbill.com/category/the-archives
>
> The Playbill website also has a Vault, but there were no pertinent
> matches for "little gazelle".
>
> https://playbill.com/vault
>
> The target text also appears on a tumblr. The accompanying photo shows
> Audrey Hepburn. So the target text might be next to the Hepburn photo
> in the book.
>
> https://aaron-symons.tumblr.com/post/51573300737/elegance-by-diana-vreeland-allure-so-then-we-got
>
> A library near me has the 1980 edition of Allure, and I requested a
> transfer to my local branch. So I may be able to directly view the
> book within a week (or two).
>
> Garson
>
> On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 3:19 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > The transcription of the Vreeland passage looks legit, as it also appears
> > in an excerpt from _Allure_ that was reprinted in _Playbill_ in 1980:
> >
> > https://books.google.com/books?id=F4dIAQAAIAAJ&q=elegance+refusal
> >
> > On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 12:23 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Fascinating discovery, Ben. If this text is in the book "Allure" then
> > > it adds a new wrinkle because Vreeland seems to be disclaiming credit
> > > for the saying although she also says "I've known it all my life".
> > > Garson.
> > >
> > > On Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 10:07 AM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > 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
> > > > >
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org