Since the days of Bertha Palmer and Mable Ringling, Sarasota has been known as a town of elegant, independent and influential women. Accomplished, impeccably dressed and believers in old-fashioned good manners-the kind that spring from true consideration and respect for others-these ladies define a style that is fast vanishing today. With the enduring beauty that comes from character and years of experience, they have made enormous contributions to the lives of their families, friends and this community. And though in ballgowns they might look as if they wouldn't attempt anything that might break a nail, don't be fooled: They are our iron butterflies, and Sarasota is lucky to claim them.

We asked them to tell us what they've learned about beauty, style and what matters most in life, and we photographed them in Sarasota's most gracious and elegant home-the newly restored Cà d'Zan, built by John and Mable Ringling in the late 1920s.

In 1951, Elisabeth Kallay Gonye and her husband Laszlo fled Soviet-dominated Hungary, where he held an important government position and her family's extensive holdings had been confiscated. Elisabeth never looked back to her pampered upbringing or her spot on the 1948 Olympic team (her specialty was balance beam). The Gonyes emigrated to the United States, where Laszlo became a prominent businessman. After a Sarasota visit in the '70s, they bought a home here, and the town became theirs permanently in 1982.

Widowed five years ago, the 73-year-old Elisabeth is a volunteer and generous donor at New College, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and the Sarasota Opera. She also has a reputation for gracious entertaining-and she can do it in four languages.

How would you define your style?

I've always been a Chanel kind of dresser; in the past few years I've bought Armani because he does such wonderful pants suits. I'm careful about cut, fabric and choosing the right color for myself. But honestly, if you develop a good eye, you can dress elegantly out of Target or Sears. Style is an attitude about how one approaches everything in life. If I scrub the floor, I want to make that floor exquisitely clean. When I set a table, it has to be with the finest things I own. If I curtsey before a king, and I have, I will do it perfectly.

Are there colors and styles you avoid or favor?

Green is for trees, not clothes. I never wear prints because solid colors are more elegant. I choose black, white, gray or beige. Then I accessorize with pearls, a pin, a Hermès scarf or belt. A great handbag and quality shoes will make an outfit.

Favorite places to shop?

In America it has been Saks for 40 years, in New York, Chicago and now Sarasota. In London I go right to the Chanel boutique; it's better than the Paris one. But Paris has the Hermès shop, and it's the city where I have always bought gloves. Perfume I buy by the liter in Monte Carlo.

Is there anything in your closet you'd never get rid of?

Of course-a 35-year-old brown and sky-blue tweed suit with a fur collar, three-quarter-length sleeves and blue lining. I bought it at Saks. It's not couture, but it's perfect-a simple, classic suit with clean lines. It will never go out of style.

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When she's at a party, expect to see half the guests clustered around Helen Rogers. Her energy, sharp intellect, and elegance defy her 95 years, and her social calendar reads like a debutante's.

The only child of wealthy, older parents living in Manhattan luxury, Helen was adored and provided with a governess and a wealth of educational and cultural experiences.

In 1972, friends introduced Helen, who had been recently widowed, to Leo Rogers. They married and moved to Longboat Key, where Leo led the volunteer effort to establish Sarasota Opera's permanent downtown home. Now a widow, Helen serves on the opera board and is a donor to local theaters and a wide range of projects that address human services. "I've had a privileged life," she declares, "but I don't take a thing for granted, and my motivation is the Golden Rule. I came in blessed and will go out owing."

How would you define your fashion style?

I own what becomes and fits me. I would never select a dress or accessory that upstages or overpowers me. I used to tell boyfriends who would bring me a corsage to make it a gardenia, never an orchid. The orchid was too big and showy-you couldn't help but notice it first.

Is there anything in your closet you can't part with?