No matter how witty or philosophical we try to be, sometimes we have to face facts that somebody has already said what we want to say – and they have probably said it better. Below are some of the best quotes about fashion, beauty and style from the people who know best: designers, writers and fictional hero (but frequent idiot) Carrie Bradshaw. Enjoy!

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”
– Oscar Wilde

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
– Coco Chanel

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”
– Orson Welles

“To me, clothing is a form of self-expression – there are hints about who you are in what you wear.”
– Mark Jacobs

“It’s a new era in fashion – there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.”
– Alexander McQueen

“One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress.”
– Karl Lagerfeld

“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at all times.”
– Betsey Johnson

“Whoever said that money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping.”
– Bo Derek

“The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
– Yves Saint-Laurent

“You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.”
– Christian Dior

“Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.”
– Alexander Wang

“Shoes transform your body language and attitude. They lift you physically and emotionally.”
– Christian Louboutin

“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”
– Miuccia Prada

“Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.”
– Virginia Woolf

“When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more.”
– Carrie Bradshaw

You may notice that some style icons are notably absent from this selection of quotes, namely those fabulous bitches known as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. This is not to say that we don’t love these chicas; au contraire, our house is full – some may say festooned – with posters of them. However, I simply can’t cope with how over-quoted they are on social media sites. If I read ‘I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure’ one more time on Twitter of Facebook then I cannot be held responsible for my actions.  For this reason, I have had to exclude them and their wise words from my list. I am terribly sorry.

What are your favourite quotes about fashion and style?