I used to love to create outfits, and I still do - I just don't

In the words of Iris Apfel, we hear the union of artistry and practicality, born from hardship and carried into wisdom. She recalls her love for creating outfits, a passion that endured though time became scarce. Yet even in her fashion, she remained grounded by the lessons of her youth: “I’m a child of the Depression, so I’m very, very practical.” Even her wedding dress was made not for a single fleeting day, but fashioned so it could be worn again. In this balance of beauty and frugality lies a profound teaching: that true elegance is not excess, but resourcefulness adorned with creativity.

The ancients, too, revered this harmony. The Greeks celebrated sophrosyne, the virtue of moderation, where beauty was never divorced from reason. A gown may dazzle, but if it serves beyond its first use, it becomes not only beautiful but wise. Apfel’s words remind us that the greatest artistry is not in wasteful extravagance, but in finding ways to honor both desire and necessity, weaving joy and utility into a single fabric.

Her reflection also shines as a testimony to the shaping power of history. The Great Depression forged a generation that learned to treasure every thread, every scrap, every coin. Waste was not only impractical—it was impossible. From this crucible, Apfel’s philosophy was born: to see fashion not as endless consumption, but as a craft, a reinvention of what one already possesses. Even her wedding dress, the garment most sanctified by tradition, became an emblem of this resilience and practicality.

History mirrors her wisdom in the story of Queen Elizabeth I, who, despite ruling with majesty, often had her gowns altered and remade for different occasions. Though she was surrounded by wealth, she understood the power of transformation and reinvention—teaching her court that grandeur need not mean waste. Apfel follows in this lineage, showing that what is worn again is not diminished, but enriched with new memory and new meaning.

Therefore, let this teaching endure: true style is not in discarding but in reimagining. A dress worn many times becomes layered with history, and its beauty deepens with each appearance. Apfel’s words call us to embrace the virtue of practicality, not as a limitation but as a source of creativity and strength. For in the marriage of necessity and imagination lies a wisdom that endures beyond fashion, reminding future generations that elegance is not abundance, but the artful use of what we already hold.