fashion fades, style is eternal

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an aphorism attributed to Yves Saint Laurent asserting a fundamental distinction between fashion — the ever-changing surface of trends, novelty, and seasonal cycles — and style, which is the enduring, personal, and authentic expression of individual character through dress that transcends the dictates of any particular moment; fashion is understood as external, commercial, and temporary, driven by the industry's constant manufacture of novelty to sustain consumption; style by contrast is internal, cultivated, and timeless — the development of a coherent personal aesthetic that remains recognisable and distinctive across decades and contexts; the aphorism challenges the fashion industry's authority over how people should dress and proposes instead that true distinction comes not from following trends but from developing a genuine, individualised relationship with clothing as a form of self-expression