«اِلْكَلْبْ كَلْبْ وَلَوْ كَانْ طُوقُهْ دَهَبْ»

Outward finery cannot change what someone fundamentally is. A person of low or ignoble character remains the same underneath, however expensive the clothing, jewelry, or other trappings they put on to look respectable.

The saying is aimed at people who try to buy dignity through display. It judges character, not wealth itself: ornaments neither ennoble a base person nor give them real worth, so appearances should not be confused with character.

Use it to dismiss someone whose fine clothes, jewelry, or new status hide a mean or contemptible character. Likening a person to a dog is a harsh Arabic insult, so this is openly contemptuous, best kept for blunt informal talk rather than polite or professional settings.