Etiquette requires the presumption of good until the contrary is proved.
The fault of bad taste is usually in over-dressing. Quality not effect, is the standard to seek for.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bad taste often comes from trying too hard to impress with excessive adornment. It's more important to focus on quality than on appearance.
In this quote, Emily Post highlights that the true essence of taste lies in simplicity and quality, rather than in ostentatiousness or extravagance. She suggests that over-dressing or overdoing one's appearance can lead to a lack of authenticity and personal style, and emphasizes the importance of seeking high-quality items that reflect one's true taste and character rather than merely trying to create a striking visual effect.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a fashion seminar to emphasize the importance of quality over quantity.
More from Emily Post
All quotes →If you are hurt, whether in mind or body, don't nurse your bruises. Get up, and light-heartedly, courageously, good-temperedly, get ready for the next encounter.
To make a pleasant and friendly impression is not alone good manners, but equally good business.
An overdose of praise is like 10 lumps of sugar in coffee; only a very few people can swallow it.
Any child can be taught to be beautifully behaved with no effort greater than quiet patience and perseverance, whereas to break bad habits once they are acquired is a Herculean task.
Courtesy demands that you, when you are a guest, shall show neither annoyance nor disappointment--no matter what happens.
Similar quotes
We live in an era when established values are no longer valid, when prodigious discoveries are being made every year, when catastrophes of unbelievable proportions occur weekly. In ancient Greek the word “chaos” means “gaping void” or “yawning emptiness.” The most effective response to the chaos in our lives is the creation of new forms of literature, music, poetry, art and cinema.
I always thought that poetry is the verdict that others give to a certain kind of writing. So to call yourself a poet is a kind of dangerous description. It's for others; it's for others to use.
For me, a poem is an opportunity to kind of interrogate myself a little bit.
In documentary filmmaking, there's a tradition of telling stories about victims. We often do that from a very patronizing place, but mostly we do it from a very selfish place, to reassure ourselves that our lives are in sympathy and solidarity with the victims.
He stared up at the stars: and it seemed to him then that they were dancers, stately and graceful, performing a dance almost infinite in its complexity.
Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it - my music, I know I will live forever.