Fashion Legend Norma Kamali’s Not-So-Glamorous Guide to Personal Style

Norma Kamali wants you to know that working in fashion is much less sophisticated than her iconic persona might imply

“Everybody thinks this is such a glamorous job, but I spend more time on the floor and on top of a cutting table and doing things that are serious labor, so it’s not exactly the place to get dressed up,” she said over a video call, wearing a black long-sleeved top and a matching jumpsuit (she explained she had taken off the top half of the jumpsuit and tied the sleeves around her waist for added comfort). “I’m usually wearing things that are comfortable.”

Kamali, an American designer with over 50 years in the business (she opened her first boutique in 1967), puts functionality first. She’s mastered the marriage of practicality and fashion through innovative, often hybrid-like, designs that put utility front and center. See: the Sleeping Bag Coat, one of her signature designs, which first came to her after she wrapped herself in her sleeping bag during a camping trip in the early 1970s.

At 80, Kamali is convinced that having good style boils down to a few core principles but is rooted in one key truth. “You should dress to match your spirit,” Kamali said

Here’s what Norma Kamali recommends to get personal style right

Wear what you like and take care of it

Kamali’s first piece of advice is to forgo trends and instead just buy what you love. She suggests prioritizing identity and taste over the trend cycle, which is speeding along faster than ever. (Remember Barbiecore? Or normcore?)

Her suggested strategy is to divide your closet in two: the core wardrobe and the styling wardrobe. “There’s a closet that you’re using all the time,” she explained, referring to more everyday basics and uniform-like pieces, like T-shirts, trusty jeans, and little black dresses

“Then there’s the closet that is sort of inspirational that you can pull from and mix into whatever you just bought or however you’ve been dressing,” she said. These pieces may be the vintage brooch you found at an estate sale or the statement heels that add pizzazz to a pair of jeans

To fill those two sides of your closet takes more than just shopping, Kamali said. Instead, it requires collecting, experiencing, and, well, living. As she purchased pieces throughout the years, she first asked herself, “Will I wear this 10 years from now or 20 years from now?”

Making the items in that closet last is also key. Kamali, who started her business selling vintage clothes in the 1960s, knows that care is crucial to maintaining a good wardrobe, especially if you’re shopping secondhand. And her method isn’t rocket science — all you need is water and dish soap

Back when she started her vintage business, Kamali used a mild dish soap and lukewarm water in a clean sink to wash the vintage pieces — many made with silk and other delicate fabrics — she collected from the 1930s and 1940s. “You see all of the dirt, all of the grease come out of it,” she said. Her preferred dish soap is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap, which performed “adequately” in our testing according to Andrea Barnes, the author of our guide to the best dish soaps.

Kamali also regularly uses a sponge to clean areas like collars, necklines, cuffs, and sleeves that gather oil and dirt from our skin and grimy surfaces. This is a trick she especially employs at the end of winter, once you’re ready to pack up your outerwear for the season. (Using dish soap to remove clothing stains, especially those caused by makeup, is a hack Andrea also recommends.) “It just brings life back into the garment,” Kamali said.

Shop from the past, but style for today

Though the idea of shopping for other people’s old clothes can be intimidating, Kamali is not shy about going as far back as she can. In the 60s, she’d often buy pieces from the late 19th century, she said. Today, she recommends looking for items from the 70s and 80s, hinting that if you look hard enough, you can still find items in good condition, even after decades

Kamali’s vintage flair, however, is just one of her styling tools. Balancing the old and the contemporary is what makes her style a unique combination of ease and elegance

Shoes are one category that she plays with the most in terms of styling. Her collection is so vast that she donated a good chunk of it to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 90s. But in 2026, she keeps things more casual — with Ugg boots

During our interview, she was wearing a pair of black Ugg Classic Ultra Mini Platform boots, which she confessed she wears a lot for the comfort factor. Still, she doesn’t style them like most of us do. “You’re wearing Uggs and you have on almost an evening dress,” Kamali said, suggesting a styling method she likes to employ. “To me, that looks great.”

Travel with open eyes (and preplanned outfits)

Before Kamali worked full time in fashion, she was an airline employee, which allowed her to travel regularly (her transatlantic tickets were $29, thanks to her employee discount), a privilege she credits for building her style

“Each country was very clear about their identity. You couldn’t get the same thing in every country,” she said of her adventures in the 60s. “I think that was the highlight of traveling at that time, and the adventure of traveling and opening yourself up.”

Although this may not be the exact same case in the globalized world of 2026, Kamali said she still suggests people travel to expand their aesthetic sensibilities — and style. “I still would encourage as much of an adventure, new experiences as often as possible,” she said

Kamali suggests planning your outfits in advance to bring only the essentials. “Think about the specific outfits you’re gonna wear and not bring extra things,” she said. She recommends two outfits per day — one for daytime, one for nighttime

That also involves a lot of packing — and for that, Kamali relies on a slew of plastic bags. “The secret is the tighter the package, the better,” she said, adding that she likes to pack shoes separately to avoid damaging or dirtying your clothes

After more than 50 years in fashion, Kamali believes that no matter what she recommends, people should do what feels right for them. But her ultimate goal — both with her work and style — is to “inspire women to look at every day as the first day of an adventure,” she said. “It’s really the spirit inside that gives you permission to do whatever you like.”

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder

Meet your guide

What I Cover

I review clothing and accessories, focusing on fashion-forward picks that are also practical and a good value

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT