There are few figures in the fashion world who are quite as iconic asIris Apfel.
Throughout her fascinating career, Apfel and her partner ran a textile company called Old World Weavers.
She also worked as the stylist for nine American presidents.
After retiring in 1992, Apfel’s fame only grew.
In 2014, she was even the subject of a documentary by Albert Maysles.
As a tastemaker in the fashion world, Apfel has been hugely influential for decades.
And her personal life has been pretty fascinating, too.
Want to learn more about this fashion legend?
Here is the untold truth of Iris Apfel.
Nevertheless, Apfel’s mother managed to dress extremely well.
“She was exceedingly chic,” Apfel toldThe Cut.
Apfel watched her mother and learned a lot about style from her.
One important lesson, Apfel explained, was the importance of the accessory.
Apfel toldInterviews with Iconsthat her mother actually worked in the fashion industry herself.
Apparently, she owned a small boutique.
In fact, the only two people who Apfel asked for fashion opinions were her husband and her mother.
“If you’re not comfortable, you’re able to’t look well,” she said.
She went on, “The clothes shouldn’t wear you.
You have to wear the clothes.”
“It does something to your psyche, I think,” she said.
It’s clear that Apfel practices what she preaches.
In an interview withStylist, she stated that she always preferred wearing flats to heels.
Sometimes, she thinks that modern clothing is “too comfortable.”
Whilebeingcomfortable matters, according to Apfel, you should neverlooktoo laid-back.
As she told The New Potato, people used to wear a black tie dress code to the theater.
“Now you sit next to someone with dirty jeans and a ragged t-shirt,” she said.
“That’s not right.”
In another interview withStyleCaster, Apfel brought up the modern trend for casual dressing again.
When asked about her biggest pet peeve, she said simply, “The way people look these days.
They look like walking rag heaps.”
Clearly, Apfel thinks there’s a big difference between feeling comfortable and looking comfortable.
In several interviews, her chewing habit has been noted.
Clearly, she always has a pack with her.
Of course, this habit makes it a little tricky to be glamorous.
“Years ago in school they used to put them under the desk,” she said.
Of course, that’s no longer an option for her.
Apfel’s gum obsession even extends into her fashion.
As she toldInterview Magazine, she chose the famous frames when she first needed glasses.
“I thought, ‘If I was going to wear glasses, let me wearglasses!'”
But she always chooses big frames.
People would always say to me, ‘Why are you wearing such large frames?’
And I would say, ‘The bigger to see you,'" she explained.
As she toldVanity Fair, she simply doesn’t have the time to wear elaborate outfits every day.
If she needs to leave the house to run errands, she throws on a pair of jeans.
As she once toldVogue, she doesn’t like to spend too long putting outfits together.
In fact, she spends “no time at all.”
It sounds like Apfel is way more practical and laid-back than we realized!
However, as she explained toThe Talks, perfection has actually never been her aim.
Her mother, on the other hand, had been obsessed with perfection.
“She was perfect all the time.”
Apparently, her mother’s style always turned heads.
For Apfel, that kind of constant perfection isn’t the goal.
“I just go with the flow!”
Instead of working to get her outfits absolutely perfect, Apfel gets spontaneous and experiments with new colors.
As she put it, “My God, I couldn’t live in a rigid world.”
Iris Apfel was raised to be frugal
Iris Apfel became a hugely successful businesswoman and fashion mogul.
However, she wasn’t always well-off.
Plus, rewearing outfits means that she gets a lot of use out of her favorite clothes.
Apfel even wore her wedding dress multiple times.
“I had a dress made that I could wear again,” she explained.
And, when Apfel goes shopping, she’s always on the hunt for a bargain.
Well, it turns out, the fashion superstar may not actually have any middle name.
As she toldStyleCasterin 2018, “I don’t know that I ever had a middle name.”
However, it seems she could never settle on one option.
As a child, she apparently used a variety of different middle names that sounded “glamorous.”
It sounds like Apfel’s creativity for fashion was not the only way she would express her imagination.
In the end, however, nothing stuck.
“I guess everybody who worked with [color] was influenced by our friend,” she said.
“Mr. Matisse certainly knows how to carve through [color].”
She also drew inspiration from his painting “The Horse, the Rider, and the Clown.”
Many, for that matter, even attempt to hide their age as they get older.
For Iris Apfel, aging is nothing to be ashamed of.
As she toldCNBC, this philosophy includes embracing how she looks.
“There’s nothing wrong with wrinkles,” she said.
For that reason, Apfel has never considered plastic surgery.
For Apfel, that means dressing exactly how she wants, as long as it’s appropriate.
For those decades, Carl was a crucial pillar of support for Iris.
After that, he became her biggest champion.
His encouragement and unwavering support made this book possible."
She explained that it was Carl who encouraged her to keep pursuing fame.
Clearly, Carl was a hugely influential figure in Iris’ life.
“I got all dressed up; I think I had more nerve than brains,” she recalled.
“I explained my mission and he said he was sure the Duke would see me.”
She and Ellington did meet and quickly became friends.
He even took her to Chicago to meet other famous jazz musicians, much to her mother’s disapproval.
Entitled simply “Iris,” the documentary shares a glimpse into her life and work.
At first, Apfel said no to the idea.
However, her friend eventually convinced her it was too good an opportunity to miss.
Being the center of such a prominent documentary was an exciting and somewhat nerve-wracking experience for Apfel.
Apfel also loved the fact that the documentary presented her as more than just “an empty-headed fashionista.”
This is what Iris Apfel likes to eat
Iris Apfel has quite specific tastes in food.
As she toldHealthyish, she’s tried just about every food you’re free to think of.
“When I was young, my husband and I were very adventurous,” she said.
However, at 100 years old, her tastes have become a little simpler.
She usually eats whitefishor lean meat withvegetables for lunch followed by fruitfor dessert.
If she does have red meat, she’s picky about the quality.
“I never buy ground hamburger meat,” she said.
“We always get a good steak and we grind it here at home.”
As for diet trends, Apfel doesn’t believe in them apart from incorporatingturmericinto her diet.
“I think they’re all cuckoo,” she said.
Clearly, her simple, healthy diet is serving her well!
