--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't try to be somebody you're not…" description: "\"You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style.\" — Iris Apfel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png" --- # You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style. ![“You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style.” quote by Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png) > “You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style.” [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes authenticity; style comes from being true to oneself, not imitation. **In simple terms:** Being yourself is the real style. Key Takeaway Embrace your true self. Themes authenticity self‑expression style Mood confident inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal branding - social media presence - networking events Key Concepts personal identity fashion philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can you express authenticity in daily life? - What does “style” mean to you? A Different Perspective Style can be misinterpreted as superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) ## Related quotes > [Whenever you see somebody's style you feel like you get to know them a little bit better by how they're dressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-west-coast/whenever-you-see-somebody-s-style-you-feel-like-you-get-to-know-them/) [Chanel West Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-west-coast/) > [I think you have to be what you are. Don't try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-think-you-have-to-be-what-you-are-don-t-try-to-be-somebody-else-you/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Dont ever try to be somebody else cause what you have thats what god gave you and thats what you meant to have.. dont…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/dont-ever-try-to-be-somebody-else-cause-what-you-have-thats-what-god/) $Teady > [I try to find my way in the world you know, I try to be somebody instead of just, make money off of everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/i-try-to-find-my-way-in-the-world-you-know-i-try-to-be-somebody/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Look, you cannot try to be somebody that you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-witten/look-you-cannot-try-to-be-somebody-that-you-re-not/) [Jason Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-witten/) > [You can't be everything. Nobody is everything. You just do what you do, and you try to do that as well as you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-colaiuta/you-can-t-be-everything-nobody-is-everything-you-just-do-what-you-do/) [Vinnie Colaiuta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-colaiuta/) > [Don't ever try to be somebody you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-davis/don-t-ever-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not/) [Jeremy Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-davis/) > [Yeah, it's nice to look up to people, but the more you try to be somebody else, the less you are of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-montana/yeah-it-s-nice-to-look-up-to-people-but-the-more-you-try-to-be/) [Joe Montana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-montana/) > [Don't try to be somebody you're not because it doesn't work. If you try to be this perfect person or perfect persona of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-quayle/don-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not-because-it-doesn-t-work-if-you/) [Ben Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-quayle/) > [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [If you don't have any individuality and you're happy just being one of the girls (or boys) be my guest. I'm not the fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/if-you-don-t-have-any-individuality-and-you-re-happy-just-being-one/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [Throughout history, clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are. During the Ching dynasty, for example, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/throughout-history-clothes-represented-who-you-were-they-are-a-great/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't spend my life getting dressed! I have to put clothes on during the day; I don't get dressed up at all when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-spend-my-life-getting-dressed-i-have-to-put-clothes-on-during/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/well-just-that-there-would-be-somebody-in-the-office-and-the-voters/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) ## More by Iris Apfel > [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't spend my life getting dressed! I have to put clothes on during the day; I don't get dressed up at all when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-spend-my-life-getting-dressed-i-have-to-put-clothes-on-during/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I think some people like me because I'm different. I don't think like everybody else. People are so tied up in the worst parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-some-people-like-me-because-i-m-different-i-don-t-think-like/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [Throughout history, clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are. During the Ching dynasty, for example, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/throughout-history-clothes-represented-who-you-were-they-are-a-great/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [If you don't have any individuality and you're happy just being one of the girls (or boys) be my guest. I'm not the fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/if-you-don-t-have-any-individuality-and-you-re-happy-just-being-one/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I think jewelry can change an outfit more than anything else. Transformation, punch, individuality: One or all of the above are why you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-jewelry-can-change-an-outfit-more-than-anything-else/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [When you go to a nice restaurant, you want to be relaxed and have a drink and everything, you want to look at people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/when-you-go-to-a-nice-restaurant-you-want-to-be-relaxed-and-have-a/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I'm happy. I give thanks every morning that I can get up, that I still have my husband with me. I'm extremely grateful. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-m-happy-i-give-thanks-every-morning-that-i-can-get-up-that-i-still/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [It's not easy to know who you are and it's very painful and takes a lot of time and that is why a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/it-s-not-easy-to-know-who-you-are-and-it-s-very-painful-and-takes-a/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [If you put something together and it doesn't look so good, the fashion police are not going to come and take you away. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/if-you-put-something-together-and-it-doesn-t-look-so-good-the-fashion/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [The world is always full of promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/the-world-is-always-full-of-promise/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [First you have to know who you are. That is the most important thing, as if you don't know who you are you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/first-you-have-to-know-who-you-are-that-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [The fun of getting dressed is it's a creative experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/the-fun-of-getting-dressed-is-it-s-a-creative-experience/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [In America, it has been proven that the bulk of spending money is in the hands of women between 60 and 80, so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/in-america-it-has-been-proven-that-the-bulk-of-spending-money-is-in/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't believe in rules. It's different for everybody. Everyone has to make their own decision and find out what's comfortable for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-believe-in-rules-it-s-different-for-everybody-everyone-has-to/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) [Explore all 171 Iris Apfel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## More Fashion quotes > [“I can either be a victim—or a winner. Fuck victimhood. I don’t wear it well; it clashes with my wardrobe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-can-either-be-a-victim-or-a-winner-fuck-victimhood-i-don-t-wear-it/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Never in a million years would I imagine Calvin Klein flying me out to my first men's fashion show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-dallas/never-in-a-million-years-would-i-imagine-calvin-klein-flying-me-out/) [Cameron Dallas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-dallas/) > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [No one knows whom the shoe pinches - no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sholom-aleichem/no-one-knows-whom-the-shoe-pinches-no-one/) [Sholom Aleichem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sholom-aleichem/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [I have always been too round to do fashion shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/i-have-always-been-too-round-to-do-fashion-shows/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [I've retired my sneakers for stilettos, baby!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivica-a-fox/i-ve-retired-my-sneakers-for-stilettos-baby/) [Vivica A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivica-a-fox/) [Browse all 19,830 Fashion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Iris Apfel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not-that-s-not-style/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fashion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not-that-s-not-style/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/iris-apfel-2319_fashion_you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not_2505395.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't try to be somebody you're not; that's not style.” — Iris Apfel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Iris Apfel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't try to be somebody...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not-that-s-not-style/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/you-can-t-try-to-be-somebody-you-re-not-that-s-not-style/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```