[3] In his autobiography, Blass wrote that the margins in his school books were filled with sketches of Hollywood-inspired fashions instead of notes.

Its mission was to deceive the German Army into believing the Allies were positioned in fake locations, for example by using dummy tanks.

[6] In 1970, after two decades of success in menswear and womenswear, he bought Maurice Rentner Ltd., which he had joined in 1959, and renamed it Bill Blass Limited.

[3] His clients, many of whom were also his friends, included Happy Rockefeller, Brooke Astor, Nancy Kissinger, Jessye Norman, Gloria Vanderbilt and Patricia Buckley.

[3] Blass is largely credited with creating the relaxed, elegant look that American fashion favored in the late 20th century.

His signature style consisted of feminine ruffles, luxury materials such as mink or cashmere, and sharply-cut, simple silhouettes.

Blass was the first American to incorporate fabrics traditionally only found in menswear, such as pinstripes and houndstooth, into womenswear.

[5] During November 1973, at the Palace of Versailles, five American fashion designers, one of whom was Bill Blass, faced off against five French designers who were at the time considered to be the best of the best – Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior – in a battle of fashion shows.

[5] Beginning in 1975, and continuing until 1992, Blass lent his talents to the Ford Motor Company for an edition of their Continental Mark series of automobiles.

The 1979 through 1983 Mark series Blass models were available with a "carriage roof" giving a convertible top look to the cars.

Blass, longtime a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with oral/tongue cancer in 2000,[9] not long after he began writing his memoir.

"[13] “When in doubt, wear red.”[14] “Fashion can be bought by anybody; style takes discernment, it has to do with individuality.”[14] “Sometimes the eye gets so accustomed that if you don't have a change, you're bored.