Twelve Commandments for Women by the Incomparable Elsa Schiaparelli

Is a gray suit a sign of fear? And why should a woman pay her own bills? The legendary Schiaparelli on how to be bold, stylish, and independent

Twelve Commandments for Women by the Incomparable Elsa Schiaparelli:

1. Most women do not know themselves—it wouldn’t hurt for them to study themselves.
2. Eighty percent of women are afraid to stand out and worry about what others will say, so they buy themselves a dull little suit. Better to gather the courage to be different.
3. Most women (and men) struggle to distinguish colors properly. Consider the advice you’re given.
4. Never forget that twenty percent of women suffer from an inferiority complex, while seventy percent live in illusions.
5. It’s utter foolishness to buy an expensive dress and then alter it—this usually leads to disaster.
6. Women should ask for and listen to advice from competent people and reasonable criticism.
7. Choose your outfits alone or in the company of a man.
8. Never pick clothes in the company of another woman, who may—sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously—prove to be envious.
9. Buy little, but only the best—sometimes less expensive.
10. Never alter a dress to fit your body—train your body to fit the dress.
11. A woman should shop mostly where she is known and respected, not wander aimlessly in search of the latest whim.
12. A woman should pay her own bills.

From the memoir "Shocking Life," Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli haute couture Coat dress