9 Audrey Hepburn Style Quotes to Live By

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's
Photo: Paramount Pictures/Getty

As oh-so-chic socialite Holly Golightly in the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany's, Audrey Hepburn had a take on pretty much everything — especially style.

"You can always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you," she said in one memorable scene.

In another, she calmly mused, "A girl just can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick."

And while Golightly might go down as one of the most quotable movie characters of all-time, Hepburn herself was also quite style-wise in real life too.

Though she was an Oscar winner, international fashion icon, and eternal muse to couturier Hubert de Givenchy, the actress had a decidedly down-to-earth outlook on dressing in her daily life. When she would walk the streets of Rome where she lived for more than 20 years, her effortlessness was evident. She favored comfort—ballet flats over pumps, capris and turtlenecks over complicated dresses—and was quick with a smile. Something she called one of the best accessories of all.

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy," she said. "It's all that matters."

We're looking back at her most memorable style quotes that continue to inspire us today.

01 of 09

"Why change? Everyone has their own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it." —Audrey Hepburn

Black and White photo of Audrey Hepburn Smiling
Hulton Archive/Getty
02 of 09

"There's a shade of red for every woman." —Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn in a red coat and matching red lipstick.
Hulton Archive/Getty
03 of 09

"Some people dream of having a big swimming pool. With me, it's closets." —Audrey Hepburn

Black and white photo of Audrey Hepburn in a light head scarf and gloves, holding sunglasses up to her face.
Silver Screen Collection/Getty
04 of 09

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." —Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn in a popped collar shirt, red scarf and bold red lips against a soft green background.
FPG
05 of 09

"Life is a party. Dress like it." —Audrey Hepburn

Black and white profile photo of Audrey Hepburn with eyes closed and wearing a tasseled hat
Cecil Beaton/Getty
06 of 09

"Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." —Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn in iconic black dress with gold jewelry and red lipstick
Archive Photos/Getty
07 of 09

"Makeup can only make you look pretty on the outside, but it doesn't help if you're ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the makeup." —Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn with a pixie haircut and diamond earrings in a strapless dress and white gloves looking upward
Hulton Archive/Getty
08 of 09

"There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don't need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain." —Audrey Hepburn

Black and white close up of Audrey Hepburn
Hulton Archive
09 of 09

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart." —Audrey Hepburn

Black and White close up of Audrey Hepburn in pearl earrings with her chin resting on her fists pose
John Kobal Foundation/Getty

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