Quote #95339
Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!
Coco Chanel
About This Quote
This quote needs no introduction—at least for now. We're working on adding more context soon.
Interpretation
The line frames style as a deliberate, almost strategic practice: “adornment” is treated as a disciplined craft (“a science”), while “beauty” is acknowledged as socially potent (“a weapon”)—capable of influencing perception, access, and power. The final turn—“modesty, what elegance!”—suggests Chanel’s characteristic preference for restraint over ostentation: true sophistication comes from controlled simplicity rather than excess display. Read together, the aphorism captures a modern view of fashion as both art and social instrument, and it hints at the paradox Chanel often exploited: understatement can be the most commanding form of display.
