Chanel has been my single favorite fashion designer not just for her clothing but moreso the unconventional and unapologetic nature with which she lived. For me this uncontrollable spirit speaks to the core of my very own nature. In our society women this strong tend to earn a certain reputation and Coco was no exception. I can only hope to earn such a reputation by the end of my life. For me it will mean creating the life I was meant to live, expressing my unique talents, and that I did so fully without abandon and unapologetically.

In her most recent Rules of Style post Shannon Ables writes, ““Life is meant to be lived in such a way that is not in following, but in offering our talents and abilities to the world. Gabrielle  “Coco” Chanel certainly did that and left behind a legacy that can be seen nearly everywhere in the fashion world and elsewhere.” I am constantly striving to live the way Shannon describes by sharing my unique set of abilites and navigating my own path through life.  My favorite quote by Chanel (below) serves as my personal credo.

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

 Other Favorite Chanel quotes:

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”

“It’s probably not just by chance that I’m alone. It would be very hard for a man to live with me, unless he’s terribly strong. And if he’s stronger than I, I’m the one who can’t live with him. … I’m neither smart nor stupid, but I don’t think I’m a run-of-the-mill person. I’ve been in business without being a businesswoman, I’ve loved without being a woman made only for love. The two men I’ve loved, I think, will remember me, on earth or in heaven, because men always remember a woman who caused them concern and uneasiness. I’ve done my best, in regard to people and to life, without precepts, but with a taste for justice.”

“I never want to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird”

“Don`t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

“I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all.”

 “How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”

 “To achieve great things, we must first dream.”