Quoted in The Gospel According to Coco Chanel : Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman (2009) Quotes

Context

This line was spoken by fashion icon Coco Chanel.

Coco Chanel proved that good fashion can be timeless. No acid-washed jeans or shoulder pads for this style icon. She built an empire of fashion and fragrance, and along the way proved that good quotes never go out of style. One of her more famous quotes is "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

Raised in pretty terrible conditions, we imagine these qualities are two of Chanel's personal goals. And Chanel, who created the famous No. 5 perfume and popularized the little black dress, knew how to be classy and fabulous.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this from someone giving style advice, or someone analyzing the classic Chanel commercials featuring Nicole Kidman or Keira Knightley, which are classy and fabulous—but not that one featuring Brad Pitt because that one's just weird. 

Additional Notable References:

• You can be classy and fabulous with this Chanel inspired pillow...
• ...and wall art.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

As long as you understand that there are a myriad of ways to be classy and fabulous, you're good to drop this one.