Celebrating Iris Apfel: Fashion Icon’s Secrets to Aging Gracefully

The world lost a vibrant beacon of style and grace with the passing of Iris Apfel on March 1, at the age of 102. Apfel, a New York socialite and fashion icon, was renowned for her flamboyant attire, chunky, statement-making jewelry, and her signature bold spectacles. But there was much more to this “geriatric starlet” than her outward appearance.

At the ripe age of 97, Apfel signed with IMG Models and became a genuine influencer, collaborating with powerhouse brands such as MAC Cosmetics, H&M, Kate Spade, and Ciaté London. In her nineties, Apfel was arguably more active and successful than ever, living proof that age is merely a number, a belief she embraced wholeheartedly.

In a 2021 interview with People on her 100th birthday, Apfel declared, “At 100, what else is there to do except sit around? I don’t play bridge. I don’t play golf. I love to work, and I really enjoy what I do.”

Apfel was always candid about her life and experiences. In the years before her death, she generously shared her secrets for aging with grace and vitality. She emphasized that a long life inevitably comes with wrinkles, but it also requires a positive mindset and a refusal to obsess over one’s age.

“I never think about my age. Maybe that’s the ticket. I never think about it—it’s a passing thought. It’s just a number,” Apfel shared in an interview with CNBC’s Make It.

She acknowledged that aging can bring physical discomfort, but she believed the key to feeling young was to “move beyond the pain.”

“If you want to stay young, you have to think young. Having a sense of wonder, a sense of humor, and a sense of curiosity—these are my tonic,” she said. “They keep you young, childlike, open to new people and things, ready for another adventure. I never want to be an old fuddy-duddy; I hold the self-proclaimed record for being the World’s Oldest Living Teenager and I intend to keep it that way.”

Apfel also stressed the importance of humor during an appearance on Good Morning America. She was a firm believer in the mantra “more is more and less is a bore,” encouraging people to live authentically and not conform to minimalist trends for the sake of others’ preferences.

When it came to her diet, Apfel had long given up unhealthy habits like smoking. “I always eat well; I never eat junk food. I don’t drink soda. I used to smoke four packs a day! But I gave it up; I just quit one day,” she told the New Potato, as reported by Town and Country.

Contrary to many longevity enthusiasts, Apfel didn’t prioritize exercise or alcohol consumption. However, she did place great importance on her appearance, but not in the conventional sense. She loved makeup but was against plastic surgery, preferring to embrace her wrinkles rather than trying to erase them.

“To me, wrinkles are a badge of courage. If God is good to you and gives you all those years, why try to hide it?” she said in her People interview. “It’s so foolish, because after a while you get to look so pinched and nobody is going to think that you’re 27 if you’re 72. You can’t make your hands look younger. And what’s wrong with white hair?”

Apfel believed personal style was “a matter of attitude” and it would be a waste to follow trends that make you look like everyone else. “Your originality is so important,” she emphasized.

Perhaps the most significant piece of wisdom Apfel shared was the importance of living without regret.

In her People interview, she advised, “If you make a federal case out of everything, you’re going to be a wreck. You can’t live in the past, because that’s gone and you can’t make it come back. It was lousy, it’s finished, go on to the next mistake. As my husband used to say, ‘You have one trip, baby, so enjoy it.'”

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