What is elegance?

"We must never confuse elegance with snobbery"  ~Yves Saint Laurent

"Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress"  ~Coco Chanel

"The only real elegance is in the mind; if you've got that, the rest really comes from it."  ~Diana Vreeland

For me elegance in a look is paramount!  I enjoy whimsy, a bohemian vibe, a touch of the unexpected, but at the end of it all, the overall effect must be elegant.

Cecil Beaton said, "What is elegance?  Soap and water!"  He's right!  Elegance doesn't need designer labels or a credit card.  Elegance is found in simplicity.  As Ms Chanel once said, "Elegance is refusal". That speaks to me of refusal to be a slave to trends.  Refusal to carry oneself differently whether wearing an evening gown or a pair of jeans.  Refusal to go straight for "sexy" instead of letting the imagination entice.

I love that there's no price tag for elegance!  This is a thrifted vintage dress that cost $5 and a thrifted Chico's long blouse that I shelled out $2 for!!  Truly the. best. blouse. EVER!  The collar is made to stand up perfectly!

Finished off with my favorite over the knee leather boots, a pair of silver hoops, and my favored red nails.  I can't tell you how great I felt in this!!  If there is an outfit that just FEELS like me, this is it!

I just thrifted a pair of black leather flat heeled boots for $5.  I could have worn those with this and the whole look would be about $12!  

I leave you with a final thought from Mr. Benjamin Disraeli that really speaks to me:

"Teach us that wealth is not elegance, that profusion is not magnificence, that splendor is not beauty."