Coco Chanel Quotes & Mantras: For Fabulous Badass Girls

Channel Your Inner Coco Chanel With These Fabulous Coco Chanel Quotes, mantras and witticisms for Badass Girls who want to live life on their own terms as Chanel did.

By Annie André ⦿ updated January 11, 2024  
Featured image: Witty and inspiring Coco Chanel quotes for fabulously classy girls who want to rule the world
Featured image: Witty and inspiring Coco Chanel quotes for fabulously classy girls who want to rule the world
tags: quotes

Channel your inner Coco Chanel with these fabulous, inspirational Coco Chanel Quotes, mantras and witticisms for Badass Girls who want to live life on their own terms as Chanel did. (Original French quotes translated into English)
French fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel needs no introduction. She’s one of the most notable self-made women of the 20th century, born in a time when women didn’t yield much power unless they married well or came from money. She had neither.

Chanel was a strong, independent woman, known for her ambition and determination, which she applied to her professional and personal life. She gave women Chanel No5 and the “little black dress.”

More importantly, she revolutionized fashion by changing how women dressed with her simple designs inspired by menswear which freed women from uncomfortable corsetry and restrictive period clothing. 

But Chanel was more than a French fashion designer.

The Best Coco Chanel Quotes For Girls: In Love, Life, Death And Everything In Between

Coco Chanel seemed to have an opinion about everything from style, money, and love to success and living life on your own terms.

She gave the world many pieces of brilliant wisdom and life lessons: through the hundreds of quotes she uttered throughout her lifetime.

Let’s explore some famous quotes by Coco Chanel for women and gain insight into her timeless philosophy on a range of universal themes from this famous female fashion designer who transformed women’s clothing and women’s attitudes.

1) Empowering Coco Chanel Quotes

Chanel‘s designs and creations were meant to empower women to pursue their destiny.

Her fabulous musings and insightful sayings and quotes give us an idea of what it means to be strong, independent and to live your life on your own terms.

“Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be.”

“Soyez qui vous êtes, Pas qui le monde veut que vous soyez.”

 

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

“Je m’en fiche de ce que tu penses de moi. Moi, je ne pense pas à toi du tout.”

 

“Strength is built by one’s failures, not by one’s successes.”

“La force est construite par les échecs, pas par les réussites.”

2) Coco Chanel Quotes On Men

Coco Chanel never married and never had any children; however, she had many high-profile loves and lovers who were key to her success both in business and society. Here are two of the best Coco Chanel quotes I could find, that gives us a little insight into what she thought of them. 

“As long as you know that most men are like children, you know everything!

“Si tu as compris que la plupart des hommes sont comme des enfants, tu n’as pas besoin d’en savoir plus

 

“The best accessory for a woman; a beautiful man!”

“Le meilleur accessoire pour une femme : un bel homme!”

3) Coco Chanel quotes on Age.

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty, you get the face you deserve.”

“La nature vous donne le visage que vous avez à vingt and. La vie façonne le visage que vous avez à trente and. Mais à cinquante ans, vous obtenez le visage que vous méritez.

 

“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.”

“Vous pouvez être magnifique à trente ans, charmant à quarante ans et irrésistible pour le reste de votre vie.”

Print this Free birthday card with Coco Chanel Quote

Coco Chanel Greeting Card Quote Birthday Card For Gorgeous & Irresistible women

4) Coco Chanel Quotes On Life and Success

In the humdrum of life and moments of soul-searching and self-examination, Chanel often pondered about life.

Is it a series of actions? A window of time where we embody the gifts that we’re born with?

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

“Pour réaliser de grandes choses, il faut d’abord rêver.”

 

“In order to be irreplaable, one must be different.”

“Pour être irremplaçable, il faut être différente.”

 

“Strength is built by failures, not successes.”

“La force est construite par les échecs, pas par les réussites.”

 

“I Regret Nothing in Life but the Things I Have Not Done.”

“Je ne regrette rien dans ma vie, à l’exception de ce que je n’ai pas fait.”

Print this quote:

Coco Chanel Quote: I regret nothing in life but the things I have not done

5) Coco Chanel Quotes About Fashion

Although its effects are subtle, the clothes we wear can affect the way we feel. If you feel amazing in your clothes, you can reduce anxiety and stress levels and impact your self-confidence. Coco knew this and lived it. Her designs freed women of uncomfortable period clothing while allowing them to express themselves in fashions that made women feel powerful. 

“Dress like you are going to meet the love of your life, your ex, and your worst enem.”

“Habille toi comme si tu allais rencontrer l’amour de ta vie, ton ex et ta pire ennemie.”

Well-designed fashion can also be both chic and practical, made for a woman in motion. Coco is credited with popularizing sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style.

Her understated, elegant and casual designs infused with menswear patterns and sensibilities freed women from Victorian corsetry and other uncomfortable clothing that promoted movement and action.

“A dress made correctly should allow you to walk, dance, even ride a horse.”

“Une robe faite correctement devrait permettre de marcher, de danser, même de monter à cheval.”

6) Coco Chanel Quotes on Love

Coco Chanel had many loves in her life, but she also knew what it meant to be without love; how the absence of it magnifies our reality.

“The only beautiful eyes are those that look at you fondly.”

“Les seuls beaux yeux sont ceux qui vous regardent avec tendresse.”

 

“No matter how old you are, not to feel loved is to feel rejected.”

“Quel que soit votre âge, ne pas se sentir aimé, c’est se sentir repoussé.”

7) Coco Chanel Quotes on Beauty

Chanel‘s views on beauty were clear.

“Beauty Should Begin in the Heart and Soul, otherwise cosmetics are useless.”

“La beauté devrait commencer dans l’âme et dans le cœur, autrement les cosmétiques sont inutiles.”

 

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”

“La beauté commence au moment où vous décidez d’être vous-même.”

8) Coco Chanel Quote about Champagne

Chanel worked hard and played even harder, and she had a sense of humour. 

“I only drink champagne on two occasions. When I am in love and when I’m not.”

“Je ne bois du champagne qu’à deux occasions : quand je suis amoureuse, et quand je ne le suis pas.”

Print this quote:

printable wall art quote: Coco Chanel: I only drink champagne on two occasions

9) Coco Chanel‘s Last Dying Words Of Wisdom

Even though Chanel had a luxurious apartment above her flagship shop at 31 rue Cambon, she lived at the Ritz hotel in suite No. 302 for 34 years until her death in 1971.

Before she passed away in her Ritz hotel bed at the age of 87, Coco gave the world one last piece of wisdom, which she told her assistant Celine:

“You see, this is how you die.”

“Tu vois, c’est comme ça que tu meurs.”

After her death, the Ritz renamed the suite “The Coco Chanel Suite” in her honour, and it’s available for booking if you’re a Chanel fan willing to pay 18k Euros per night. Ritz hotel Coco Chanel Suite

Have these French quotes by Coco Chanel inspired you to chase what makes you blossom or liberate your powerful feminine spirit?

3 books: 2 for children and one for adults to inspire you and your little girls

The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman
$19.95 $11.49

A 225-page book about the life of legendary fashion icon Gabrielle Coco Chanel with practical life lessons for women of all ages.

Shop Now
02/19/2024 07:17 pm GMT
Along Came Coco: A Story about Coco Chanel
$17.99

Children's book for 4 - 8 years old. 32 pages. A cute little book with retro illustrations about Chanel's life from the orphanage to Faschanista.

Shop Now
02/19/2024 11:56 am GMT
Coco Chanel (Little People, Big Dreams)
$6.64

Children's book for 4 - 8 years old: 32 pages. An adorable book about Coco Chanel, from her early life in an orphanage - where she learns to sew - to her time as a cabaret singer, hat maker and, international fashion designer.

Shop Now
02/22/2024 07:08 pm GMT

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a 'petite commission' at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through my links. It helps me buy more wine and cheese. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Related Articles you might like

Annie André

Annie André

About the author

I'm Annie André, a bilingual North American with Thai and French Canadian roots. I've lived in France since 2011. When I'm not eating cheese, drinking wine or hanging out with my husband and children, I write articles on my personal blog annieandre.com for intellectually curious people interested in all things France: Life in France, travel to France, French culture, French language, travel and more.

We Should Be Friends

Subscribe to Receive the Latest Updates