Discover your color palette and your style type.

An Ethereal-Natural-Gamine's Thoughts, and Do Ethereal Naturals Wear Pants?

6/11/2018

Here's a narrative from a recent client that I analyzed as an Ethereal-Natural Gamine (one of my favorite types!) Also, I answer a question from a reader about whether Ethereal Naturals get to wear pants.

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Daniela writes:

First there was David Kibbe. His style system opened up a new world for me and my sister. Before him there had only been four or five archetypes. Kibbe introduced different style blends and we were fascinated. We tried to figure out our own style-IDs according to his style system, but we didn't succed. That doesn't surprise me because this was all new to us. But more importantly, his system was incomplete. We discovered that later.

Then there was Rachel. Another world opened up for us. Rachel's system was complete. There were even blends of three essences and blends of four essences. There was also two new essences: the Ingenue and the Ethereal. After reading the pages of Truth is Beauty I was pretty sure that I had Natural and Gamine. My sister was convinced I had Romantic, but I wasn't sure. I read Rachel's pages so many times I became quite an expert on typing celebrities and others. But I felt that I couldn't be fully objective about myself. That's why I sent Rachel some photos of myself and asked her about her first impressions. I didn't think she would respond, but she did. She believed I was a Romantic-Natural-Gamine.

I had to believe the expert, right? Well,I tried the RNG style-ID for quite some time, but somehow it didn't really feel right for me. I couldn't put my finger on what felt wrong, but something was not right and I believed it was the Romanic element. Wearing romantic clothes made me feel uncomfortable. I knew I must have a feminine essence apart from Natural and Gamine, but I was not convinced Romantic was the one. So I compared my photos to the style boards again and then something happened. Suddenly I discovered how good the Ethereal lines looked on me. I read some more about the Ethereal style type and I compared myself to Ethereal celebrities. And then everything fell into place. I had found the missing piece! I realized that the Ethereal element had been a part of me all the time, I just hadn't noticed it before. Or at least I thought so. But I didn't really trust my own instinct so I contacted Rachel again for a style analysis. I didn't want to guess anymore. I wanted to know! And I was still confused about the Romantic element. Should I include that or not?

I couldn't wait for Rachel to give me the answer! And at last it came. I am an Ethereal-Natural-Gamine with a dash of Classic. I really like my new style-ID and this time it felt right from the beginning. Now dressing is easy and fun. I know what suits me and what doesn't.

I recommend women to have a style analysis. Even if you are an expert it is difficult to be objective about yourself. I recommend style analysis for those who don't have a clue about these things but I also recommend it for those who think they have figured it out on their own to get confirmation from Rachel. Style analysis will save you time and money.

To those women that don't want to have a style analysis I would like to say: You can do it on your own. I almost did. I also want to encourage women in general to trust their instincts. We are often instinctly drawn to the "right" things, like I was.

Finally, thank you so much Rachel, for your expertise! Thank you for helping women find their beauty. I've learned so much from you. You are a true source of inspiration. I love it that your pages are so informative and educational. That makes it easier for women to analyze themselves. And I really like your blog where women can ask each other for advice or share their opinions. To all of you that are participating by commenting: thank you! Your contributions are making this blog even better.

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A reader asks, "Can Ethereal Naturals wear pants?"

I'm an Ethereal Natural, actually, so this is a personal question for me.

Pants are awesome for any Natural-influenced type, and one of the reasons I love being EN. I'm all about pants.

Cargo pants, straight slacks, loose capris, and jeans are all great for Naturals.

To manifest Ethereal Natural, a woman can feel free to go fully Natural from the waist down, and then bring in Ethereal in accessories and shirts.

In other words, not every garment has to combine both essences; fully N garments + fully E garments will read as EN.

This reader mentioned Indiana Jones as a touchstone for her own style. Indiana Jones is actually a good starting point for an Ethereal Natural look.

Keep the basic concept, but perhaps make the colors more gentle and feminine. Consider adding Ethereal accessories like elongated earrings or a floaty scarf. Consider changing the fabric on the top to something more light and floaty. Insert some Ethereal details like bishop sleeves or sheeny metallic finishes, or change the pants to a narrow, flowy skirt.

To create an Ethereal-Natural-Gamine look, like Daniela's best look, tweak one of the looks above by adding Gamine elements such as a playful print, a short skirt, a short top, a short necklace, a silhouette with several horizontal lines, very narrow pants, pants rolled to the ankle, a short vest, or ankle boots.

204 Comments

6/11/2018 09:40:04 am

Great post, Rachel. Love seeing more content on the ID blends, they can be confusing to put into practice. It's especially great to see a specific character named as potential inspiration for the blend, as it enables us to see the blend as a cohesive aesthetic rather than just a hodgepodge of different elements.

Is Harrison Ford an Ethereal Natural?

Rachel

6/11/2018 10:28:22 am

Hi! I think he's mostly just Natural. He may have a touch of Gamine or Classic, but I doubt he has anything else.

Shawna

6/11/2018 10:56:01 am

Indiana Jones is a favourite look of mine and Ethereal Natural or Kibbe's Soft Natural are looks I have frequently tried to emulate. However, as I am a Romantic Ethereal Ingenue I don't pull it off well. I think it's rather obvious that when there is a dose of a masculine ID pants will work. The bigger challenge is for the feminine-heavy ID blends to wear jeans. I just take the attitude that jeans are a necessity and I will darn well make them work!

Daniela touches on a few things I relate to. One is not being able to find herself in the Kibbe system and another is difficulty seeing herself objectively. She also encourages women to trust their instincts and when I think about how often my instincts were actually going in the right direction and yet I strayed it is a little amusing. I discovered the Mori Girl look online and was intrigued, and believed I could even pull it off despite my height and age. I dabbled a little but it was too difficult to do. Mori Girl looks are probably Natural Ingenue so they wouldn't be totally off base for me. I also dabbled in lagenlooks of the soft type. I tried layers and flounces and ruffles and very feminine things but I could only do it with thrift shop clothing that was cheap looking so I didn't like the overall effect and also at that point I didn't know my best colours so I had those wrong. I am figuring it all out somewhat late in life but it still feels great!

Rosetta

6/12/2018 05:43:20 am

Shawna, FWIW, jeans definitely don't work for me, a REI with some N! Guess there's not enough N in me after all for that ;)

Shawna

6/12/2018 11:43:16 am

Rosetta, I think it might be the Ethereal that allows them to work on me. I think my height and elongation allow jeans to work for me but I wear them with feminine flats and soft tops. Yes, I probably look better in skirts and dresses, but they are more difficult for me to find in good colours and fit. Do you wear skirts and dresses in Winter? How do you keep warm or is that not an issue where you live?

6/11/2018 12:41:59 pm

This post is really interesting! I, too, found kibbe a step in the right direction, but ultimately found him limiting. I also appreciate hearing about this journey with style ID - that it took time to find a good fit, even with help! And the bit with Indiana Jones - what a cool way to see how to conceptualize the ID!

I find it strange to 'trust my instincts' on clothing, because I feel I've been taught not to for so long. I've long loved all things sort of quirky and conceptual: goth clothing (not the makeup), futuristic cyberpunk, clothes & hairstyles that look like they came straight out of a video game, armor concepts and period costume.

And as I'm thinking I'm ED and growing increasingly confident about that, I'm thinking those instincts were closer than I realized. The curious combo of ethereal gentleness and dramatic 'the bolder the better' means I'm now looking to all these 'costume' ideas and trying to figure out how to make them into everyday wear. My current challenge is to find things that are the right color as well, because nearly all those above ideas come in black, and I can't wear black. I keep hoping I could find someone who makes *gray* goth/cyberpunk wear, and so far haven't found anything. I'll keep looking. :)

6/11/2018 02:45:06 pm

W., this designer is expensive for everyday wear and not very available in the US, but check out Lurdes Bergada (example from past season
- https://happyinspain.com/en/place/odezhda-ot-syngman-cucala-lurdes-bergada/). Her collection might skew too N for you, but I used to have a grey piece from her that I ended up giving to my mom who is much more N and D than I am. She makes a lot of grey/white clothes that are pretty cyberpunk, but appropriate for everyday. Her pieces do show up on eBay as well, often discounted.

6/11/2018 06:14:23 pm

Ooh, pretty! Thanks for the link.

Zara

6/12/2018 03:54:42 am

I bought a pair of cyberpunk goggles on amazon to use as an accessory, maybe as a headband or just let it rest around your neck.

Ilona

6/11/2018 02:13:34 pm

Love this post! I just saw Jurassic World 2 and Bryce Dallas Howard caught my eye as a possible EN with her Indiana Jones-style in the movie! She looked so beautiful.

Kim

6/11/2018 04:12:32 pm

Would everyone agree that Stevie Nicks is an Ethereal Natural? Maybe with some Romantic and Gamine?

6/11/2018 04:19:25 pm

EN with G, I think. I don't think she has any R.

Katja

6/12/2018 02:46:22 am

Stevie Nicks has no Romantic. She could be an ENG. Or possibly an ENI, but I believe she is an ENG.

Kim

6/12/2018 10:46:44 am

Hmm. Interesting. I'm wondering how you guys envision Romantic. Why are you so sure Stevie Nicks doesn't have any Romantic?

Janet

6/11/2018 07:05:11 pm

Really loved reading about someone else’s style journey and knowing I’m not the only one finding it complicated. I also loved the discussion about pants and putting together a blended essence look. A couple of questions: for those of us with both masculine and feminine essences, are we better off buying pants in our masculine essences and pairing them with tops in our feminine essences? (If you ever feel like writing a post about feminine pants like the one about masculine skirts, Rachel, I would devour it! :-) ) Also, does anyone have thoughts about determining the essence of a clothing item that could be confusing? I’m still working out my id, but I know that I have a significant amount of E and next to no N or R. I sometimes have trouble distinguishing between these essences, especially when shopping online.

Katja

6/12/2018 05:08:23 am

Janet, if you have a lot of yang/masculinity in your face you are better off buying tops in your masculine essences and pairing them with pants or skirts in your feminine essences.
Yes, it can be tricky determining the essence of clothing items. And some clothing items can work for more than one style category. If you have a significant amount of E you can buy mostly Ethereal clothes. Ethereal lines are elongated, flowing, s-curved.
I don't understand your question about R and N. Do you have a problem distinguishing between these essences in general or what?

Janet

6/13/2018 10:17:53 pm

Hi Katja, thanks for your reply! My face seems fairly androgynous to me, based on Rachel's post about masculinity and femininity a few months ago. But your comment reminded me that one of my favorite looks last winter was pairing a black leather moto jacket with a light pink silk chiffon scarf around my neck. It's not how I normally dress, but I loved the way my face looked. I'm BW, and the contrast of style and color seemed to work really well.

I have trouble sometimes distinguishing between R and E or between N and E. All three essences seem to use drapey fabrics at least some of the time. I've found some distinctions, like N can wear thick, heavy, textured knits, but those look heavy on me. E seems to have very light fabrics with little texture, and I was surprised when I found they can look good on me. I had assumed any drapey fabric would look awful. R clothes drape close to the body, and E seem to lightly skim or float away from the body, but I was surprised when drapes that accentuated my curves didn't look right. Well, maybe I've answered some of my own questions! Is there anything else look for in terms of drape? I can also get confused by pattern, since both E and N seem to have abstract patterns. Sometimes they are easy to tell apart. but sometimes I'm surprised by a pattern that I thought had a lot of E, but it doesn't work for me.

Katja

6/14/2018 11:30:08 am

Janet, sometimes you can see 2 or 3 essences in one garment. That goes for patterns too. But in general : soft-edged geometrics (plaids, stripes, paisleys, animal prints, leaves and funky prints in irregular shapes are Natural patterns.
Florals are Romantic patterns.
Feather shapes, birds and other winged motifs, celestial motifs are Ethereal prints. Ethereal prints are abstracted or stylized, not realistic.

Natural lines are relaxed, straight and unconstructed.
Romantic lines are soft and flowing. Waist definition and gentle draping is essential.
Ethereal lines are long and flowing. The lines are s-curved.
I hope this helps!

Katja

6/13/2018 03:22:27 am

Kim, it's hard to tell. Romantic features are lush, full, sensual. The features are rounded and the bones are small.

Shawna

6/14/2018 07:51:03 pm

Janet, I had similar difficulties to what you are describing in that Ethereal is so clearly right for me that I saw all draping as good and all elongation as good. That was really confusing and even though I now think I am Ethereal Natural Classic there is a lot of Natural that doesn't work for me and I think it mainly works due to relaxed and draped lines. The thick and heavy textures you describe are terrible on me and the accessories are too heavy, so are the patterns. I mistakenly chose too much R in my first attempts with the ID calculator because I was choosing everything with draping and ornate detail. Those are the E elements that look good on me but I chose them in other things too and it gave me a result that didn't seem right. It takes practice being able to sort these things out and even when I could state in theory what all the elements of the different essences are it took time to see them in clothing.

Janet

6/16/2018 01:26:27 am

Katja and Shawna, just wanted to say quickly how much I appreciate the comments from both of you. Katja, I always appreciate your insight into the style ids, and your answers to my questions are really helpful! Shawna, it's good to hear from someone who's at about the same stage in sorting all this out! (And thanks for being willing to post your pic!) I'm 46, and like you, find that people often read me as being much younger than I am. I don't think I have any obvious gamine or ingenue features. I'd thought I was gamine for a long time, but after working with the style id, I think my young essence is ingenue, and my masculine essence seems to be dramatic.

Zara

6/11/2018 08:13:08 pm

I was wondering if romantic-ethereal-ingenue can wear pants? I was looking through it earlier and it’s all dresses. I bet the pants would have to be very feminine with frills and lace.

Shawna

6/11/2018 08:56:59 pm

Zara, I am REI, only recently discovered and am working out how I will translate this into my life. I have a very casual lifestyle and I wear jeans. There are a variety of reasons why I don't have easy access to purchasing options and why I do not wear skirts or dresses very often. As a taller person dresses are difficult because the proportions are all wrong. The seams will hit me in the wrong spot and a short dress will be a tunic. But also, with the REI clothing being rather wispy, I can't imagine what I would put on my legs all winter to keep them warm and dry. Thick tights seem to lean away from the REI aesthetic and I cannot begin to work out how or where I would get the right colour ( Autumn ) and match with shoes etc. So I wear jeans. I realise that's not helpful to people who are trying to translate this into career clothing. I think that with jeans it is likely to be appropriate to go with boot cut so there is a bit of flare that is still soft, which is consistent with the Romantic curves and Ethereal curves. Of course I could be wrong. I tend to look quite awful in skinny jeans despite being slim. I sometimes wear straight leg though I know those read as Classic. I think the boot cut is a bit of a translation of the ruffle concept but that could be stretching it. Anyhow, I too would love to see more information on how to dress my bottom half.

Zara

6/12/2018 03:47:20 am

REI has such beautiful clothes, but I feel like there’s a masculine essence to me that might be natural. I think I’m Somewhere in some combination of Ethereal, Natural, romantic, and ingenue. I feel pretty certain about E. Romantic by itself feels too grown-up, and on the other side Ingenue by itself feels too young, like I’m wearing kids clothes or that one time I felt like a man in a dress. I’m thinking back to which celebrities I’ve been compared to to see if there is some pattern. Before puberty I got compared to a young Meg Ryan, Macaulay Culkin in home alone, Peter Ostrum in Willy Wonka. After puberty I’ve got 7 of 9(Jeri Ryan), Alainis Morrisette, Aubrey Plaza, Kristian Stewart. I think Blake Anderson looks like he could be related to me. and a young Dave Grohl is who I imagine I’d look like if I was a man.

6/12/2018 03:42:47 pm

"As a taller person dresses are difficult because the proportions are all wrong."

^ Wow, yes. I had not thought about this. But YES. Maybe this is why I can have so much E, but dresses just make me feel so unlovely.

I, too, wear jeans often, and like you said, I find that flares in a solid hue are really great - they give the suggestion of trumpet skirts while staying very grounded. I like skinny jeans too, though. I find I either need very skinny jeans or way wide-leg flares - the cut has to be extreme. That's an ED thing, I'm finding. Never moderation, always extremes.

Also, I wonder if styles are like seasonal colors -- if you absolutely have to stray from what's best, do it further from your face? While jeans aren't my best look according to the style guide, I still like the comfort of them. I find if I wear them with an appropriate top (floaty, yet avant garde in my case), the effect is appropriate enough I can get away with it.

Katja

6/12/2018 03:37:41 am

Hi Zara, even a REI can wear pants. You can wear jeans if you want to, but that's not ideal for a REI. Here are some ideas:
Romantic pants should always be soft and unconstructed. They should be draped and showcase your curves.( But they should not be fitted like Gamine pants). There should be gathers, draping shirring at the waist.They should have narrow or tapered ankle and be of short ankle-length.
Ethereal pants should be unconstructed and loose. The fabric should be light and flowing. Pajazzo pants and harem pants are a few examples.
Ingenue pants should be shapely with some construction and showcasing the ankle.
If you like prints you can choose for instance florals and feather prints. Hope this helps!

Zara

6/12/2018 03:55:21 am

Those are some good ideas, thanks.

Rosetta

6/12/2018 05:45:50 am

Zara, I'm REI (with some N), and pants are definitely not good for me. I do wear them in the cold seasons (which is about 70% of the year where I live), but it's just out of necessity, I don't really like wearing them, and it's mostly leggings, not "real" pants. But I'd live in dresses & skirts if I could!! ;)

Shawna

6/12/2018 11:48:07 am

Ah Rosetta my question to you is answered here. I too have cool and wet seasons to dress for. Not ideal for romantic when you need rubber boots! LOL

6/11/2018 10:23:13 pm

IDK if I live in a weird part of the country or something, but I don't think I've ever seen an REI and there are so many on this site. I'm fascinated by the idea of all that femininity. Can anyone point me in the direction of an REI? Someone in an earlier thread mentioned Amanda Seyfried and Christina Hendricks, but after hours of scrutiny I can't see significant Romance in Amanda or Ingenue in Christina. Or are my standards too high?

Shawna

6/11/2018 10:57:32 pm

K, you might have standards too high or we may all have mistyped ourselves. I know that for myself I can really see the Ethereal in my height and elongation and yes, that sort of faraway look is often in my eyes. I also see the Ingenue quite clearly though it's surprising due to my height. I don't see the romantic but it seems to be a necessary component in my blend. I think I would be fine to ignore it in some ways. I clearly need the feminine detail near my face, the lace and ruffles and sheer fabrics, the softer colours, the delicate ornamentation all looks really good. I don't have an hourglass figure though. It's an Ethereal figure. I am long and lean and very balanced actually which always made me thing I would be a Classic but that's my body. This system is about the face. Romantic seems to show up in me in a need for the ruffles and some draping and an overall impression of curving lines. The pure R pinterest board isn't my best choice but I would look good in some of the dresses and most of it looks good near my face. I gave it a 2 in the calculator rating system. I chose several R blends as well but my E and I selections were more numerous. Classic looks okay next to my face but a bit more harsh and boring. Natural sometimes looks okay but it gets busy in a heavy way. Dramatic and Gamine are really not good unless they are being tempered a lot by Ingenue or Ethereal and then they are only iffy. So, as I said, in me the Ethereal and Ingenue are obvious but in using the calculator several times with different photos I always get REI and nothing else. The only change is a slight alteration in percentages but more often than not I get an even spread. For what it is worth I don't look at all like either Christina Hendricks or Amanda Seyfreid but I also don't think they are REI types. Also, I think that it will be a given that those of us in the same style ID won't all look the same. It could also be that REI types struggle to understand their appearance so are all on line trying to get help. You find more introverts online and yet I don't think there are more of them in the world. I feel like a freak of nature in many ways in a world that is seemingly full of Natural blends and where I live Natural blends are the ideal. It's a casual world and looking great in hiking gear and a pony tail is where it's at! I can say that feedback from friends is that I read as very feminine. I didn't even realise that about myself. I doubt that helped but it's the best I can do. LOL

6/11/2018 11:39:59 pm

Huh! Interesting! Thank you for sharing.

Katja

6/12/2018 02:51:57 am

K, I believe Amanda is E/G/I. Christina looks like a REI to me. She looks very feminine and I can se Ingenue, Romantic and Ethereal in her.

Shawna

6/12/2018 03:01:32 am

I would pick the same for Amanda-EIG but it's hard for me to attache REI to Christina as she seems so very different from me. However, that's not to day it can't be that way. I think that is part of what makes this interesting. People of the same type can appear quite different. I think my Ethereal must be quite strong and Romantic fairly weak. I wonder what celebrity might be like that.

Rosetta

6/12/2018 05:49:16 am

K, I really don't know what you mean by "I've never seen a REI" - how would you (or anyone else) know a casual passer-by's style ID...? And what's more, any REI's in Western culture at least are usually wearing wrong styles for them, i.e. jeans, pants, sportswear etc., as that's the norm, unfortunately!

6/12/2018 05:09:28 pm

Jesus. I work in theatre and am exposed to many people in a day as well as their headshots. I've simply never observed a woman with that level of femininity before. Most women with feminine faces don't reach the level of complex ornateness and curve that REI implies, especially with all 3 feminine essences equally represented, as many of the women here do. I've seen Romantic Ethereals with a very small proportion of Ingenue, and other similar breakdowns, but have not observed an equal REI in person or in photographs before. It's a unique type, and I hoped someone might have a style icon or a celebrity suggestion. I experience people's faces in a different context from many people, and was eager to see an underrepresented type. You're wild.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:07:11 am

Actually, K, you are the one who is "wild" here, or rude... It seems you have decided by yourself an idea what a REI is, even though it seems very unrealistic, and nothing others say will change your mind, it seems.

6/12/2018 03:49:51 pm

I cannot think of a celebrity REI (Lily Cole? not so much R - Kat Dennings? not as much I).

But if I could hazard a guess, I think the reason there are so many REIs here is the same reason there are a lot of Es here? -- Those are 2 types that Kibbe left out (I and E), so you won't find any advice for REIs in Kibbe land. Also, that's a tri-blend (which Kibbe and most style types don't allow for) that's distinctly feminine (all feminine!) and a lot of trendy ready-to-wear skews at least partly masculine? I would guess there are a lot of women who are blend of all the feminine types, but can't find in-store styles to suit them. That was why I ended up on this site, looking for a style home. :)

But yeah, I do think it's interesting how many rarer types are looking to this site - but that's a testament to how helpful Rachel's work is!

6/12/2018 05:12:58 pm

Makes a lot of sense! I found my way here because of the two extra types as well, and because of Rachel's open-mindedness regarding color systems. Thanks for your answer!

Nancy

6/13/2018 02:52:07 am

K, I've never seen a REI either. Do they really exist?
I've seen RE ,RI or EI, but never REI.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:34:12 am

W, glad that at least someone here approaches this with positivity ;) And you totally have a point there! (Kibbe is so incorrect on so many levels...)

Not that I'd even agree that there would be "many REIs" here - for some reason a few commenters here just seem to pay (negative) attention to those few that have said they are, or suspect it...

Katja

6/13/2018 02:57:24 am

K, I believe Christina is a REI.

Shawna

6/12/2018 02:01:45 am

You are welcome. I am good at giving more information than anybody wants. I have noticed, in reading some other comments recently, that it would seem others who identify as REI are leaning more into the Romantic than I do. This adds to my conviction that there will be variation within the types. I looked at Rosetta's Pinterest board and I see that she pins some things I have and other things I have not. She is definitely going more Romantic whereas I am going more Ingenue and Ethereal. My direction is looking more soft, sweet boho with a dash of sweetly innocent classic at times. I would wear a blouse with a peter pan collar. I'm not sure Rosetta would but if she sees this comment perhaps she will tell us. As I said, my body is not lucious. I laugh at the thought! But there is a softness to it in a sense. I have no sharpness, no robust bluntness, so I guess that is what makes it so feminine. I was thinking about how I would describe my face to someone who can't see it. I have delicate features, a slightly long, thin nose, a small mouth, slightly full but not sensual, almond-rounded eyes, a long oval face, smooth cheeks, taut but not very cheek boney. I look younger than my age but I do not look like a child. As a child I was the old soul type and looked older than my age. I might be described as pretty by some and not particularly pretty by others. I would not be accepted in Hollywood. I never thought I was pretty until I saw my face next to the right lines in the style ID calculator. I viewed my face as boring and not remotely ideal feminine. I envied those with stronger bones and more Dramatic or Natural in them. I don't think of female faces with more D, N or G as less feminine at all. I am thinking about your wondering what this supposed uber feminine face would look like. I see one in the mirror every day I suppose and I am not impressed. I have learned to see more beauty in it because of Rachel but please don't imagine that there is anything special about all this feminine stuff. I have to admit that while I am thrilled to see what a difference the right lines and details make for me, it's not so wonderful to be a bit trapped in that hyper feminine box. I can't help but think life would be easier to be a Natural blend of some type and a lot of styles I really like would work if I were a Natural but sure look terrible on me. Though I also know that darn grass next door can sure look greener.
Sorry. I do tend to ramble on. You will regret you ever wondered out loud what the heck these REIs actually look like.

Rosetta

6/12/2018 05:54:23 am

Shawna, great that you found my Pinterest board useful, or at least interesting ;) Maybe I've said it here earlier, can't remember, but my principle in collecting my board was to pick items the likes I actually *do wear*, not ones I love the look of but never do. So it's based on my actual personal style, and the labels (like REI) came 2nd ;) But from comments I've got, it seems my style hits pretty close to REI (with some N). ;)

And no, I wouldn't wear a blouse with a peter pan collar, blouses are not really my style (I sometimes wear one over a dress for example, but not as such), too Classic (or G) for me!

Shawna

6/12/2018 12:23:48 pm

I can see how if those very romantic leaning styles you favour are ideal for you that jeans would be difficult. I have seen how Christina H looks a bit wrong in jeans. I can get frumpy looking in jeans if I am not careful. Cutting myself off in the middle is not an ideal look but it's a challenge not to given the clothing norms and what is available to me. I look terrible in classic blouses but really good when they are light, sheer, have lower necklines, include lace or ruffles or tucks etc. My equivalent to jeans looking so wrong is the classic shirt concept. Even worse if it's plaid! Or a trench coat. OMG so bad! LOL I am highly attracted to the ENI board I've noticed and I probably dress ENI at times. I think of it as dainty boho. If it's a compromise it is probably my best one for fitting myself into 'normal' clothing.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:38:52 am

Yes, Shawna, anyone with anything like a REI in their blend has to compromise, in today's Western societies at least :) Interestingly enough, trench coats are one of my style mainstay (as pictured in my Pinterest board, too)! ;) Although not the most masculine ones, obviously. They are just so much better than the usual jackets that end on waist - not good for me, I've found that knee-length is the best in coats & jackets for me!

Katja

6/12/2018 03:50:36 am

Shawna, yes people of the same type can appear quite different depending on the division of the essences. It sounds like you have a lot of Ethereal. Christinas Romantic is quite strong I think, and her Ethereal fairly weak.
I don't know why you envy those with stronger bones and more Dramatic or Natural in them. I think you should be proud of your feminine appearance. I'm sure you are beautiful.

Katja

6/12/2018 04:14:13 am

Liv Tyler is typed as a REI, but I'm not sure if that is correct. She is strongly Ethereal. I don't know if she has Romantic. If she does it must be fairly weak. Maybe you look like her?

Shawna

6/12/2018 11:52:15 am

Katja I don't resemble Liv in a way anyone would comment on but you could say I have similarities. I have a very feminine but long face. I look younger than my age and soft. I am tall and lean in shape and don't read as curvy although I am well balanced. I suppose that could describe both Liv and me. I probably could play a Lord of the Rings elf FWIW. LOL

Nancy

6/12/2018 05:32:12 am

Shawna, Olivia Grant is an Ethereal Ingenue.

Lena

6/12/2018 08:28:23 am

Could Sarah Jessica Parker be an ENG? Or does she have Dramatic?

6/12/2018 01:28:09 pm

I think SJP is N, with D and E, plus some G based on the clothes that flatter her. She's elongated certainly and can carry crazy fashions, but not particularly sharp. This may sound odd, but I think her G also shows up in how good she looks in motion. I think SJP is beautiful and the mean-spirited media reaction to her is cruel and unfair, but I do see how she really lights up in motion on film and does not have exactly the same charisma in a still photograph.

Nancy

6/13/2018 02:31:09 am

I think SJP has Dramatic, Natural, Ethereal and Gamine.

Shawna

6/12/2018 11:57:15 am

Nancy, I didn't know Olivia Grant though I recognise that face from the EI board. I do resemble her in many ways. Thanks for that tip. It's possible I could only be EI but the Romantic as an addition doesn't seem to hurt and I can pull off some of it if it looks more old world.

6/15/2018 04:24:15 am

Hi Shawna--"old world" styles, on the scale of centuries rather than decades, are actually recommended for Ethereals. It reinforces their old soul, "here from a distant time and place" qualities. So maybe you are an EI after all :).

I've also noticed in my own personal experience that you can sometimes incorporate small amounts of essences you don't actually have if they have enough in common with your native essences. For instance, I am an Ethereal-Natural-Gamine, and I can sometimes cheat Ingenue or Dramatic influences into an outfit because the I essence has youthfulness in common with G and femininity and delicacy in common with E, and D has elongation in common with E and N, masculinity in common with N and G, angularity in common with G, and otherworldly abstractness in common with E. Small touches of Romantic could be working for you because you have a small amount of it or simply because it shares a lot in common with your Ethereal and Ingenue essences.

Shawna

6/15/2018 10:14:54 am

KC, I definitely have lots of Ethereal and Dramatic makes me look 12 years old. Everything else is kind of debatable but I think ENC with I or G as my missing 10% is possible. The Natural and Classic have to be tweaked a lot and I seem to be able to put in a little I. Some people seem to read a tiny bit of that I in me and see it as Gamine but I know it's the I styles I can more easily slip tiny bits of into what I wear. I think the E makes the softness and ornate detail of I look appropriate and the drape of R look appropriate. It seems to be the clothing lines of Natural that work for me also because of the E but Natural textures, patterns and accessories are too heavy so I am better to use Classic there. I think I am finally beginning to understand the mix. It's complicated but fascinating to get to that point.

Rebekka

6/12/2018 01:17:29 pm

I've found my style ID (ENI), but I need some help with my season. Last year I got draped as a 'true spring' but this was in a system that used 10 seasons, not 12. During the draping a lot of the TS colors were okay, but some didn't fit that much. There were also plenty colors in the other seasons that looked amazing. This lead me to believe TS isn't my best season. I want to try lipstick draping, but most of the colors aren't available here (Netherlands). Can anyone help me out?

Shawna

6/12/2018 04:10:37 pm

Rebekka, there as at least as many opinions on personal colour as their are systems dealing with it. As someone who struggled to figure herself out and who went for years, decades even, not even realising she was warm toned, I would suggest you start with what you know. It sounds like you probably have a lot of warmth if not pure warmth. So warm colours are good for you and colours like purple and teal which tend to straddle warmth and coolness and work for many people probably also suit you. Perhaps you can figure out what other colour qualities are good. Do you do look better with bright or soft, light or dark colours? Time and practice can make you better at eyeballing colour and knowing what season it is but it's still easy to make mistakes. Many Deep Autumn colours will seem like True Autumn to me if I am not able to make some comparisons, but Deep Autumn colours don't work well for me.

I think that some of us also need to tweak our best palette a little more than others do and I am increasingly thinking this has to do with style ID. I gravitate to the softest, lightest colours of my Autumn palette and tend to favour monochromatic or analogous colour schemes. I think this is due to having so much Ethereal and Ingenue in my style ID. Lipstick draping has never helped me. I can find the colours that are best, but formula can throw me off. Most recommended Autumn lippies read as too much on me and this made me think I was a Spring but Spring is too bright. Everything else is too cool. In the end I now know I need the lightest of the True Autumn rec's and I need a sheer formula or to blot it quite a lot. Without that knowledge trying to find my season by lipstick was just confusing. TS might be your best season but something about it needs tweaking. For example, maybe you look better in the earth tones of the palette because you have Natural in your ID. Or maybe you are best in all of the Corals and Peaches and Cream because of the Ethereal and Ingenue. That's what works for me with my palette.

Good luck. I hope you find better clarity. It can take awhile.

Nancy

6/13/2018 03:04:13 am

Rebekka, maybe you are a Spring, but maybe not True Spring. Did you know there are muted Springs too? Check this out: https://www.prettyyourworld.com/the-colorbreeze-seasons.html

Shawna

6/12/2018 03:58:42 pm

W, yes, you are echoing and elabourating on my thoughts. I would wear more dresses if I could get the right fit. I love empire waists but sometimes that seam is running right across the middle of my bust instead of under it. LOL A waist is nearly always one to two inches higher then where my waist is. Skirts make it easier to deal with fit but they are less flattering for me as they naturally cut one in half unless it's a matching top and bottom or same colours.

As for jeans. I think I might suit a cropped at ankle length due to lots of Ingenue but I have not actually tried that style. Being taller I am just slightly longer than average everywhere. so longer in the rise, leg and torso. Getting trousers to fit is tricky also. I need not only a longer leg length but rise also and some clothing makers neglect that.

As you say, I adapt and make things work as best I can, concentrating on putting the really good stuff near my face.

Miranda

6/13/2018 12:56:28 am

Different fit problem, but I would wear more dresses and skirts if I could figure out how to make them hang properly with significant glutes (from strength training). A knee-length dress is mid-thigh in the back, and forget anything shorter - it would not be decent on me. I can't find many high-low skirts, and the difference is enough to notice even in asymmetrical skirts.
I love skirts and dresses, so this is very frustrating :/

Shawna

6/13/2018 11:43:49 am

Miranda, fit problems can sure be frustrating. I suppose most people have them to some degree. Sometimes I think it would be nice if having all your clothes made for you was just the normal thing to do, but then I remember that given my income I'd have to make them all myself. LOL

6/14/2018 11:43:46 pm

Aw yeah! High five to training-related fit problems! Good for you!

Shawna

6/12/2018 07:30:26 pm

K, I'm wondering if Sophie Dahl is REI and would be a good example for you to look at. She definitely has Ingenue and I think Romantic. I am not sure about the Ethereal but she is quite tall so it's likely. She's a fairly good example for me too, for seeing something of myself in a celebrity though comparing myself to a celebrity is never really a very good thing. LOL I only notice where I am 'falling short'.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:17:55 am

(Not that I'd even prefer to reply to this person called Nancy, who has proven herself *very* rude before, but this whole thing seems to be getting out of hand, because of these couple of commenters here...)

Katja

6/13/2018 02:45:38 am

Shawna, Sophie Dahl is not a REI. I believe she has Ingenue and Ethereal. I'm not sure she has Romantic. But I see some masculine essence in her too. I don't know if it is Dramatic, Natural or Gamine.

W, Lily Cole doesn't have R. Kat Dennings has E and R, but no Ingenue. I also see some yang in her. Could it be D or G?

Shawna

6/13/2018 11:30:33 am

Katja, you may be right about Sophie but I also think we could debate what we think we see in people until the cows come home. Which could be fun or frustrating. LOL Since I am tall and have lots of Ingenue, I'm just happy when I spot some of that in someone else.

Nancy

6/13/2018 03:00:31 am

There seems to be so many REIs here, could you link some photos of yourselves? We haven't seen a REI in real life.

Zara

6/13/2018 03:45:36 am

Yeah, I’m pretty curious too!

Lena

6/13/2018 03:55:43 am

Could Aishwarya Rai be a REI? She has a lot of R. Maybe she has Ingenue too? I don't know if she has E. In my opinion she looks all feminine. I don't see any masculine essences in her.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:16:59 am

As I responded earlier to K above, I really don't know what some people here mean with this "I've never seen a REI in real life" - how would you (or anyone else) know a casual passer-by's style ID? That's just preposterous to claim such a thing. Even from Rachel it takes plenty of time to analyze anyone, and you think you can instantly know whether someone is REI or not..? Totally baffling.

And what's more, there seems to be a funny / strange idea propagated by some here that a REI "must" look like a Miss World, or alternatively a Playboy model... I really don't know where such ideas are coming from?!? Not from the info on this site, that's for sure.

I for one don't think I've ever seen a Dramatic IRL, for example, but I don't go on saying it here and demanding people to post pics to prove they are D... It's just offensive.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:19:42 am

Not that I'd even prefer to reply to this person called Nancy, who has proven herself *very* rude before, but this whole thing seems to be getting out of hand, because of these couple of commenters here... (Posted this comment in wrong place first.)

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:22:47 am

And as for myself personally, I've never claimed to be pure REI (although that's what my style calculator results mostly point to), but either a REI with some N, or then a REIN. (See my first posts on this page for my percentages in results.) So it doesn't even directly concern me personally, but as I said, this weird persecution of REIs (or doubting their style iD) is getting out of hand here.

Rosetta

6/13/2018 04:25:09 am

A correction to above - not the first posts on this page, but the post about "Where's my 10% essence", that's where I posted my percentages. ;)

Gabriella

6/13/2018 05:36:25 am

If it doesn't concern you, why make a comment? I know you are not a REI. There is no persecution of REIs here, or doubting their style iD. Some people here are just curious. And nobody is demanding anyone to post pictures.

Lena

6/13/2018 05:42:28 am

I don't think that a REI "must" look like a Miss World, or alternatively a Playboy model. I have not seen anybody here saying that either...Sombody said: I'm fascinated by the idea of all that femininity.

Shawna

6/13/2018 12:23:11 pm

There are people here asking to see a REI face. I have a Pinterest board where I am exploring images I think might work for me and I scored REI repeatedly with the Image ID Calculator. I pinned a picture of my own face to my REI pinterest board at least temporarily so I can share it here. Is it a purely feminine face? I have no idea. I choose some Natural and some Classic images when I did the calculator but they always have at least R, E or I blended with them. Periodically I chose Gamine too. Rarely Dramatic. I have spent most of my life assuming I was some sort of Natural-Classic blend who looks a bit young for her age. I have rarely believed myself to be pretty, but rather average looking. Recently a friend told me I am the most feminine looking woman she knows and I was surprised. I do know that when I put my face next to images on the ID calculator it looks best when there is a lot of delicate and feminine detail such as ruffles, lace, rounded shapes but that it also needs to be soft, low-medium contrast, and light looking or I am overwhelmed. I am sure I could pull off both Kibbe Soft Natural or Kibbe Soft Classic in many ways and look just fine, but the information from this style calculator is so much more useful and allows me to embrace the Ingenue and ethereal aspects I previously didn't have words for. I believe they are more strongly represented in me than Romantic is and my body definitely leans mostly into ethereal. FWIW I am 51 years old and wearing no makeup in this photo. My hair is pretty awful as I am growing out a very short cut. https://www.pinterest.ca/McComberS/romantic-ethereal-ingenue-style-id/

Zara

6/14/2018 03:00:53 am

Hey, Shawna, nice to put a face to your comments. I think you have some natural and definitely ethereal. I always have trouble figuring out weather there is a third essence or not.

shawna

6/14/2018 12:05:19 pm

Zara, I do find myself attracted to the seeming simplicity of just 2 essences. Even though I know that nobody is a pure type, I find that discovering the Ethereal is the most important bit for me. It seems that almost any other type is pretty good for me if it gets Etherealised. LOL Ethereal Natural is very doable and I generally like it quite a bit.

Katja

6/13/2018 01:00:35 pm

Hi Shawna, and thank you for sharing! I see a lot of Ethereal in you, but I can't see any Ingenue or Romantic. Based on this photo alone I would say you are an Ethereal Natural or an Ethereal Natural Classic.

Shawna

6/13/2018 01:10:04 pm

Valid observations. I thought that too. I chose such boards often in the ID calculator. I expected those results. I do think there is going to be subjectivity here. My favourite board is Ethereal Natural Ingenue. In classic clothes I look a bit severe and bland. In Natural style I am quickly overwhelmed by the weight of it. My personal style is probably a delicate ethereal natural also dabbling in classic. Those clothes are easiest to find and wear. I am not certain that we can just look at faces out of context and see what we see when they are put into the context of clothing. Anyhow, I fully expect to be told by others what they think they see and that's fair enough. Thanks for your feedback. :-)

Shawna

6/13/2018 05:23:08 pm

Update: I have done the calculator several times, used a variety of pictures and used both the 321 method and the all 1 method of scoring. Part of the problem with doing it more than once is that eventually you get to know the boards really well and that may lead to a bias. I try to do it quickly and go with my gut. Another challenge is that you might rate a board as looking good because it's the best you have seen but later when you get to other boards you see there are even better options that would cancel out previous choices. I suspect Rachel has tried to account for this, but I have done some inputting where I go back and review my choices and delete some. The majority of the time I get REI but I don't always. Sometimes I get some classic or natural mixed into a 4-way result. I recently did it again and was really strict about my choices. I did the only give it a 1 scoring for the very best boards, not ranking anything higher or lower than anything else and still going with quick cut instinct and not worrying about if I would actually wear something there. I eliminated boards where there are one or two things that would work. I went back and forth comparing two boards with the goal of eliminating one of them. The result when I did this was ENI which is a very comfortable result for me. It is more comfortable then REI, which is the result I get when I include everything that looks okay-good and rank it 123. The bottom line for me and what will mainly inform my style choices going forward, tweaking what I am already getting right, is to remember the delicate details near my face and the flowing lines. Those make a difference. The rest of what I already do and already know works for me fits with any of the results I've gotten.

Nicole

6/13/2018 03:09:23 pm

Hi! I'm going to take a tip from Shawna and do the same- here's the link to mine: https://tinyurl.com/y8mtxhmh ! Can't wait to hear you guy's thoughts! I've also been considering REI, but I'm a mixed race African American and it's hard to find any examples in media. Plus I don't look like any of my siblings! I'm often compared to ethnic & nonethnic celebs who are Ethereal or Ingenue, and I was confident in Romantic because my lips are rather full, I've been told often that I have almond shaped eyes that are "bedroom eyes", and I can NEVER have too much lace on me. I was shocked by the influx of positive reactions when I started wearing lace. Also, like many of the petite Romantics, I look tiny but I have very long soft arms/legs/fingers (I literally have index finger rings that none of my girlfriends can get past their pinkie finger) and I know I have a booty to dress for (and others have told me I have to dress for it too haha). I used to try to ignore it & cover it with oversized clothing but that simply wasn't working. Plus if I don't dress femininely enough the outfit goes downhill very quickly. It clashes with my face & body. For a while I considered Gamine, but I continuously get compliments in soft items in peachypink, cream, girly florals, headbands, airy curly buns, or tiny delicate engraved heart-key necklaces like in my photo link. But I'm also a draped Soft Spring and suit those colours to begin with, so that may be distorting my REI decision a bit. I certainly feel I have a rather long face and longer/broader nose, but I'm not sure it's blunt in the Natural way, and I've never been compared to any Natural celebs. I'm also not having any success pulling off D, N, or G. I often dress G or D even when I know it's not working.... But seeing Christina Hendricks with her longer face, her forehead, and strong nose made me realise you can be all feminine and still have those features! Again- I'm really excited to hear you guy's thoughts!

Shawna

6/13/2018 03:54:15 pm

Hi Nicole you look lovely in your colours! I don't think I can tell anyone what their style ID is, especially not without the context but I will say you strike me as both cute and pretty. Have fun figuring out your ID.

Zara

6/14/2018 03:15:02 am

Hey Nicole, I do see ingenue and ethereal. I wonder if I have romantic for similar reasons: full lips, a booty that don’t quit, and soft arms. Some day I’d like to get my style analysis done.

Lena

6/14/2018 10:40:06 am

Hey Nicole, you are so pretty! I think you have Ingenue or Gamine or both.

Nicole

6/14/2018 11:13:23 am

Hello Shawna, Zara, and Lena- thank you all for the very kind words and helpful advice!! And Shawna- the photo of yourself that you shared is absolutely stunning & so fresh faced! You inspire me to stay healthy now so I can keep my skin looking as good as yours :)

Rachel, Katja-- Some lovely posters here have suggested some potential archetypes. Do you have any thoughts or intuitions on what archetypes I may possess from my photo link, as you did with Shawna? You two are both at talented and wise in the art of Style ID!

Beth

6/14/2018 03:20:32 pm

Oooh, I like this game! I’ve not used Rachel’s calculator as I don’t have a device on which it works. For a while now, I’ve been dressing as ERC, but am still unsure as to whether it is a good fit. My lovely straight talking honest friend thinks I have lots of ethereal in my face, and I’m 5”8 with very long lines, but I have often wondered if I have Ingenue as well, as I often get mistaken for younger than I am. I have a super romantic, hourglass body. I’ve been professionally draped as a warm spring.
I’d really appreciate anything anyone has to say. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bethanyailene/style/

Katja

6/16/2018 09:27:42 am

Hi Nicole, I think you might be a Natural Ingenue. You may have some other essences too, but I maninly see Natural and Ingenue. And without a proper analysis it's hard to tell.

Nancy

6/14/2018 01:34:29 am

Shawna, nice of you to share a picture with us! I'm thinking Ethereal, Natural too. Maybe you have some Classic too. I'm also thinking Gamine, but I'm not sure. I think you are flattered by short hair.

Shawna

6/14/2018 11:25:22 am

Nancy, I see classic and natural working for me to some extent and chose them on the calculator when blended with E. I know what you mean about G seeming possible. I've always been drawn to it. I seem to look good with short hair and long hair. I think the only thing I am sure about is Ethereal but that gives me plenty to play with.

Katja

6/14/2018 11:36:08 am

Nicole, thank you so much for your kind words! I will have a look at your lovely pictures and get back to you as soon as possible-

Shawna

6/14/2018 12:45:49 pm

Nicole I really recommend the style ID calculator because you can learn so much. It may take some playing around, redoing and questioning but it's worth it. I also find that a helpful strategy which I am using now to refine things is to make a private pinterest board with a few photos of your face. Pin things from the style boards to make a sort of collage with your own face and the images and get a sense of how they look. You can pin a few at a time so as not to be overwhelmed, make a decision and then delete them and try other things. This may also help you make choices or score things for using the style calculator. Have fun!

Katja

6/15/2018 03:57:02 am

Beth, I'm thinking Ethereal- Natural-Ingenue for you...

Beth

6/15/2018 05:26:17 am

Katya, hmm can I ask why Natural? I’m very bad a natural elements in clothing.

6/15/2018 08:18:41 am

Beth, I think you are N-I-E.

I think your dominated style is N.Since almost all of your clothes are so loose and relaxed.Most of them have girlish feminine detail like flower print or bow, and you said that you looked younger so I comes in the second.And you seem to like elongated items with feminine style, that's E.And almost all of your clothes arr flowy style, some of them also floaty, light weight fabric, these are mutual qualities of EIN.

I've seen some of D, but it's elongated D item, not avantgarde D, so I think you like it cause it's elongated quality, that's also E.There is few C, however they always come with E or I, so I think you choose them for E,I.

You said that you looked bad in N.May be you looked bad in "pure N" which is possible if your N is not that strong.I'm RIC but I would looked ridiculous in pure I either.John Kitchener stated in his video that if you want to get head to toe dress with one style, you must have a percentage of that style >50%.

Shawna

6/14/2018 04:24:02 pm

Katja, I know you have a good eye for this and are confident about what you see and much of what you said fit well with my own thoughts so I wanted to figure out why I would score REI so frequently. That in itself was interesting and I learned much about my own appearance but I also tend to think our instincts are often better than we might think. I went into this expecting to get Ethereal Natural or Ethereal Classic. I am trying to keep this from getting too lengthy but that's hard. LOL I think there is some difficult to pin down youthfulness to my look that isn't quite Ingenue or Gamine and maybe it can just be ignored. There are some things that make me look like a child ( lots of D influence and some of the Classics ) and there are Ingenue lines that look pretty good but I think it's more that they just don't look as bad as Ingenue might look on some people. Not sure if that makes sense. I never have seen any R but I think it's the fact that all draping and some degree of ruffle looks better than plainness and straight lines. I think I may have chosen too many options and the process of really eliminating things helped. I don't put my face next to the ENC board and think Oh YES this one is it but I am inclined to think I am ENC anyhow and that the E is strong. When I really sorted through which boards were best and just did the simple scoring system I first got ENI but I still didn't think that was quite right. I worked at it again, and got 40% E and 25% each Natural and Classic. My gut tells me that is right. There are some things on the ENC board that don't suit me but I don't think we are meant to literally copy the outfits necessarily. Anyhow, thanks for your input. It can be so useful to know what other people see. :-)

Jennifer

1/27/2019 08:33:36 am

Shawna, chiming in here late to the game, because your comments here I can really relate to. Also, Katja's comment about it being hard to discern between Romantic, Ethereal and Ingenue when trying to assign a feminine essence that we see in a face. I went through this exact thing, so I can relate to your process! I know I have Ingenue, because I look very youthful in a feminine way, considering my actual age. And Classic seemed important all the times I did the style calculator, I clearly need some cinching in and clean lines in my look . But CI was missing something crucial, it was too prim and proper on me alone. Similar to you, I knew I needed some softness in my look, which I also got as feedback on the TiB Facebook group. I was leaning R, but do not have any of the R traits in my face. I got good feedback with NCI but it didn't feel quite right-- some looks were good but it got heavy or kind of clunky on me unless I kept the N super minimal. Plus it needed some spark... It seemed flat. I have been convinced I have E in my blend, I can see it in my face and expression and my very initial hit was ECI. The E provides the long soft lines that I seem to need, plus it does something very flattering to my face. However, it's fascinating because too much ECI looks too prim and posh on me, and I suspect it's that bit of N coming in. I toyed with ENI and conversely, I need that C in there or it gets too sloppy. So, long story short, I am likely an ECI with a dash of N to relax the style a bit. I too was looking for that softness/draping/elegant quality-- which for me is best answered with E, and even N if you take into account how the relaxed quality can soften a 3 way blend. I guess my point is, I am amazed at how nuanced this all can be!

6/13/2018 08:56:32 pm

I'm sure that REI girls are gorgeous with their right dress(like every essence is beautiful in their right dress).And I don't think that all REI are look the same.30%R-30%E-30%I will looks different from 50%R-25%E-25%I or 50%E-30%I-20%R.But I can understand people's curiosity since REI is almost 100% feminine beauty which quite rare, because most of people mixed with musculine and feminine beauty.However I think that REI is more common than DNG in women, and DNG is more common in en than women.

PS, IMO, I think the sterotype "Miss World" is "RC" with dominated R blended with subtle C "Sexy and Sophisticated" that's what we looking in Miss World,right?And for "Playboy model" is "RI" with dominated R blended with subtle I "Sexy and Innocent" is what's men so crazy about.

Shawna

6/13/2018 09:24:11 pm

PJ I agree with you about the Miss World and Playboy stereotypes and the comment someone else made somewhere about another female ideal being RDN. I also agree that there will be variation in REI types. I get REI score most of the time but I don't know if it is my best or most accurate result. This is subjective to some degree after all. There is no blood test to tell you your style ID. I do think that even putting the labels aside we can learn quite a bit from exploring this and improve our understanding of what most flatters us.

6/14/2018 01:44:54 am

Dear Shawna
I understand how you feel.The first time I did this calculator I got RIC with 30% of each but something don't feel right, I'm look better in pure R board than RIC board, I did it again and again, finally I got 50%R-25%I-25%C and that's definitely suit me.So I think percentage is matter.In your case, I didn't see your photo yet but after reading your comment you might be domniated E with secondary I blended with small R and tiny N, may be 40%E-30%I-20%R-10%N.Of course you can skip N if you think 4 blended is too much.But if you can do EIRN you might look awesome.I watched John Kitchener video, if you have 20-40% you can make the one garment,less than that is accesory.So may be you could wear light colour flowy dress with waist emphasized with lots of feminine detai like ruffle or bow.Just keep it delicate, sweet, sensual and relaxed.

Personally, I think it's vey difficult to identify "ideal beauty".IMO timeless ideal beauty is RC with "elegant womanliness" make me think of Grace Kelly, stunning beauty who later become a princess.But now the western trend seem to like "effortlessly beauty" like a girl who do nothing but still looking gorgeous, so may be "RN" is ideal for now.

But for most of men, I think "RI" is ideal.Sexy and innocent girl like "Disney princess" is something that men want to protect and cherish.

However, I think most of women prefer "RD" I've found myself drawn to "femme fetal" character in a movie or fiction.D is powerful musculine essence.And for female, I think we want to see some musculine type in other woman(I don't know how to describe this one, but in my country, a girl like RI who are adored by guys will be despited by girls,but a girl who got musculine essence will be likwd by girls more).

You might see that I only mention about 2 type blended, not 3 typed.Because I think the 2 type will have more percentage of each style than 3 type blended.And the more percent you have, the more obviously your quality will be seen(A girl with 70%R will looks sexier than a girl with 30%R).

Janelle

6/14/2018 02:23:06 am

Shawna, I think you make a great point about subjectivity. Typing ourselves or others isn’t a robotic process, it’s human; therefore, there can and will be different interpretations. It can also be easy to obsess over every last detail... At the end of the day, if we feel good about how we choose to show ourselves to the outside world, then that’s what’s most important, I think.

Janelle

6/14/2018 12:54:36 pm

Shawna,

Thanks for posting your pic! I'm just now getting around to looking at it and yes--I totally see the decent amount of Ethereal. Could also see some natural and gamine in smaller doses adding to your look. Funny enough, I have an aunt who looks fairly similar to you, and I'm guessing she's mainly Ethereal with some Gamine!

Lena

6/14/2018 01:29:56 am

PJ, I agree with you.

Shawna

6/14/2018 11:55:29 am

PJ I agree with everything you've said. Well put!

Janelle, I agree with you, too. There will be different interpretations and preferences.

My interpretation of my results is that Ethereal elements are really good, probably essential and significant for me. It may even be dominant. I really like much of Ethereal Natural and some of Ethereal Classic and they both look good on me which is great because they are quite doable. Interestingly though Classic and Natural on their own and in many other blends are not good. I just find all of that rather fascinating to discover.

Sola

6/14/2018 01:02:25 am

Great article Rachel! You're pinboards also are very inspirational. For the Natural Ethereal Gamine board I noticed that most of the ideas are great for warm climate like summer. My question would be how would someone with the NEG archetype dress in colder months? Like in deep winter? And is this addressed in the Style guides? Do you have recommendations for clothing items that fit the different seasons? Do you also have store recommendations?

6/14/2018 01:27:35 pm

I found the shopping guides have a really good range in thist regard. I skimmed them at first and so didn't realize how detailed they were. When I started pinning/searching up items one by one, I realized how much range there is. There are shoe options, sandal options, dress, shorts, jackets and coats, even hats, bags, etc.

I had thought the same because E tends to take you very light and airy. But there are cold-weather options even there - as previous posters told me, long-stranded faux fur looks very E. So take a NG bomber jacket and add a for collar maybe?

The guides do have an excellent range. Finding such items in one's size and seasonal colors is another challenge, but at least there are ideas. Hope that helps!

Shawna

6/14/2018 06:14:28 pm

W, I seem to have a large dose of Ethereal and always struggled with skirts and dresses because the heavier ones looked so bad on me, I just didn't have winter versions of skirts. I generally stopped wearing them in winter. I hope to get some shopping guides eventually but I wanted to be really sure I had figured out my ID and then I need to wait until I have spare funds. It's nice to hear how useful you find them. I do hear you about actually finding your colour and fit! Big challenge for me too.

Sola

6/14/2018 09:13:15 pm

Thanks for sharing W! I find that really helpful. I know Rachel offers a few style guides: What to wear, what not to wear, and shopping guide. May I ask which style guide you got?

6/14/2018 11:49:30 pm

Thanks Shawna! And hi Sola: I found the Shopping Guides were most helpful to me. My personal opinion was the style guides (the 3 looks ones) are useful, but I would have found them more useful if they gave a range of looks (like work, casual, dressy). They are good, but if I was to only but one item, it would be the style guide and seasonal draping cards. That's what I got the most use from. But then, the other items are also cool. I love the fragrance guide. :)

6/14/2018 11:50:41 pm

*I meant the shopping guide - the list of items. It's there longer one. It costs more, but it's totally worth it imo

Shawna

6/14/2018 11:58:10 pm

I seem to have a large dose of E-at least 40% so if and when I get any guides I think I'd want that in particular. I'd like to know how to dress very E as I have a pretty good idea of how it works in blends. Definitely less clear on things like footwear and handbags. LOL

6/15/2018 12:13:27 pm

Hi Shawna,

The E elements show up in any E guide. I have several shopping guides, because it was by "draping" myself in the style IDs (taking guide to store, try on elements I'd never considered, take pics of self in dressing room mirror, evaluate), that I found the best style for me.

So, for example, all the guides I bought with E in them (I tried EDC, ENC, ED, ENI - errr yeah. It would have been easier to get style ID by Rachel. 20/20 hindsight)... But anyhow, all those guides list E items, and most list the same items (certain Necklines, sleeve types, etc.) But there are interesting omissions and overlaps. Like, even though ED had a lot of overlap with EDC, there are a few differences. Like, Dolman Sleeves was one - that's just too Avant Garde to read as classic, so it was on the ED list, not the EDC.

I don't know if that's helpful. But I found the shopping guides have a great amount of info in them. I can't begin to imagine how much time they took Rachel to make.

Alex

6/14/2018 09:12:21 am

This is such a helpful post! Thank you so much, Rachel!

I've always been drawn towards Natural styles, and most of my clothes are Natural. Since learning about style ID I've discovered I've quite a bit of Ethereal as well (I'm about 60% Natural, 30% Ethereal, 10% Gamine). Most of my clothes are Natural, and I'm only now trying to find ways to add Ethereal elements, so I find this post particularly helpful. (Interestingly: I've always been drawn to Ethereal elements in hair and jewelry: braids, cascading, s-curves. Most of my clothes are Natural, but my jewelry is all Ethereal!)

I've been noticing Ethereal elements everywhere. Flutter sleeves, draping, diagonal lines - I'm seeing these everywhere all of a sudden. Is it just that I notice those elements now that I've learned about them, or is it that Ethereal elements are coming into fashion?

6/14/2018 01:30:20 pm

Yes! I can't tell if E is just trendy, or if now that I know what to call it, I notice it more. Either way, it's a boon to Es.

Miranda

6/16/2018 01:50:22 pm

I think it's trendy right now, which while awesome for buying, makes me a bit worried because I'm afraid things I purchase now will look embarrassing later. Or maybe I am worrying too much and it won't look dated because it's in my style ID. Whichever it is, the pieces I bought will probably be worn until they fall apart because I love them so much.

Shawna

6/14/2018 02:55:16 pm

Janelle, interesting about your Aunt! I know there is some sort of youthful spark about my appearance that persists and it could be either Gamine or Ingenue I suppose. Gamine lines are quite choppy and busy and my face disappears with those. I can go a long way just adding Ethereal to whatever I do. Anything with relaxed draping and an elongated look is good. Natural and Classic are workable though each has some essential features which don't work for me. The Ethereal Natural Classic category seems likely although there are things on that board which would not be great on me. Still a bit difficult to find a clear category but I am discovering many useful things. :-)

Shawna

6/15/2018 09:29:44 pm

Janelle, you made me examine Gamine more closely. I confess I had ignored it thinking it was the least likely of all seven essences but now I am actually debating between Classic and Gamine. Every time I think I've nailed it I discover that I haven't but I am learning so much so that's good!

Shawna

6/14/2018 04:42:30 pm

Beth, you are quite stunning. Your colours are gorgeous on you too! I'm not so good at this game but others here are. I can see how you would try out ERC. It seems like a good guess. I wonder if you could have D as well though four essences isn't likely or necessarily useful. I find that your amazing eyes and strong cheekbones are the first things I see. My suggestion for you is to use your pinterest board with the pictures of your face and pin a few images from the labelled boards you think are good. Look at them right next to your face. I found this really worked well for me. I used one -three images at a time. Have fun!

Katja

6/15/2018 04:00:41 am

Beth, I'm thinking Ethereal-Natural-Ingenue for you...

Beth

6/15/2018 10:21:58 am

Thanks Shawna, that’s really lovely of you to say. I really love my colours, they’re so happy and feminine.

Thanks for your input PJ, but I’m unsure what evidence there is for all my clothes being Natural? Of the pictures I have linked too, you can only see at most half of my shoulders. How does that reveal what the rest of my clothing looks like? In fact on two of the images posted, I’m wearing a very tight pencil skirt on my bottom half, hardly a natural item. When I say I’m not good at natural, I don’t just mean pure natural. I’m generally rubbish at anything except the finest of knitwear, anything oversized, most flat shoes, casual wear, jackets, big accessories. I’m very good at evening wear and occasion wear. The minute my clothes are natural, I look homeless. So I am really struggling as to where this supposed natural is coming from.
It’s interesting that a few people are saying ingenue. I know that Taylor Swift is the quintessential tall ingenue blend, and I’ve often been told I’m like a sexier Taylor Swift.

Katja

6/15/2018 06:21:23 am

It's hard to explain, but I think I can see some bluntness.

Shawna

6/15/2018 10:25:50 am

This comment section is getting so busy I am finding it difficult to keep track of where to put my replies to people. This is for BETH.

Beth, I look terrible in Natural accessories, textures and patterns. One of the worst things you can put on me is a button up shirt-make it plaid and that is worse, But the lines of Natural clothing work well so it sits comfortably in my mix and it's not dominant. One of the reasons I ended up on this site exploring these types is because I was pretty sure I would be a Flamboyant Natural in the Kibbe system and I've tried it. It's not good on me at all as prescribed. I'm thinking about the bluntness Katja is referring to and thinking Slavic cheekbones. I hope that's not a bad thing to say. I could be very outdated with regard to what's considered PC.

Beth

6/15/2018 10:45:11 am

Hi Shawna,

It’s true my cheekbones are high and prominent in an otherwise soft face. I remember my friend saying ‘I’m not saying you look like an alien, but you face is really like the alien face that Rachel has just posted on truth is beauty’.
I feel a bit like I’m arguing with everyone here, and I really don’t mean to be I’m sorry, but what you have said identifies my problem with natural. Even taking away natural fabrics (all that wool and suede) and print, natural silhouettes are too heavy on me. Ethereal has the beautiful long lines and elongation I need, but the minute I take those lines more natural, they age me and make me look 3 inches shorter and a stone heavier. My best fit in kibbe is theatrical romantic, and on the kibbe quizzes I’ve taken natural is always my lowest score. I quite like theatrical romantic, except it doesn’t take into consideration how tall I am, and the fact that my visual height is very very long (people often think I’m 5”11/6” from a distance). I just find that kibbe doesn’t quite fit, probably because there is no ethereal.

Shawna

6/15/2018 12:42:20 pm

Beth, I understand. While feedback from others can be very helpful and helped me better understand what I was seeing, I have still ended up in a place where I know the clothing will work for me and I know how to create my version of it. However, I also think that we know things about ourselves others don't, and certainly nobody here sees enough of you to be certain. I think it sounds like you know what you are best wearing and not wearing but you need a sort of context to put it into, something that gives you a big picture. That's what I needed and I did find it but it took a lot of effort. I didn't have a good fit in Kibbe either but I had some almosts and I learned from it how to describe what is good. Have you looked at Rachel's labelled pinterest boards and found one you think is best, or a few of them you think have something good about them? Put a photo of your face next to them to help determine this and save some to your pinterest board where you have the photos of your face, making a sort of collage of your face and some images. Play with that to find which boards are best. One of the reasons I think REI is so confusing and perhaps not very common is that the old soul of E and the youth of Ingenue would cancel each other out to some degree. Everyone will be a different blend of it though. You sound to me like a good candidate for REI so what is the harm in exploring it? Maybe you can put together outfits that fit with it from what you already own. Maybe, because you already know what aspects of Romantic work for you, you can just explore adding some Ethereal and Ingenue, which Rachel describes on this blog and you can find on Pinterest too. When I first saw you I wondered if you were Soft Dramatic, which I think is what Kibbe gives to Uma Thurman and it seems you might be a little like her with extra cheekbones. But cheekbones don't disqualify anyone from Soft Dramatic since it's also the category for Raquel Welch and Sophia Loren. I'm not saying Soft Dramatic is perfect but just thinking out loud if it might be somewhat good and the idea could be refined by Rachel's blended types. I also wonder about Ethereal Classic and Romantic Ethereal Classic. I am beginning to think that some of us might have youth in our faces without it contributing much useful to our style blend or being sort of cancelled out by E. EC and REC look like they might have the sexy, soft, elegant, draped and very feminine look you need. Good luck!

Shawna

6/15/2018 01:19:45 pm

Beth, another thought I've had (and I hope Rachel will forgive me for suggesting you refer to Kibbe before coming back here to make better use of the info) is that you might be sort of like Ingrid Bergman who is given as an example of Natural for Kibbe. If you Google Kibbe Natural and go to the link for the forum TapaTalk you will find excerpts from Kibbe's book and a photo of Ingrid Bergman. It does seem a bit like you and the descriptions of Natural here seem more refined and classic as befitted Bergman's era rather than the boho sort of idea or sporty idea we have of Natural these days. Just look at the recommendations for fabric and line and see if any might work. :-) This might help you to see how Natural actually could be part of your blend.

Beth

6/15/2018 01:59:39 pm

Hi Shawna!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to leave me such detailed replies, I really appreciate it. I’ll definitley follow your advice. I’ve also added an image to the link that was taken by someone else from a distance (it’s actually a photo from my wedding, and I’m sadly not in my best makeup colours lol). Just out of curiosity, how old would you say I am from the photos? I find I don’t often get taken seriously at work, I work in sales. I find older customers don’t believe what I say because they think I’m a kid.

Shawna

6/15/2018 03:20:25 pm

Beth I used to have that problem too of people assuming I was younger. Now that I'm in my fifties I don't find it a problem but I completely understand the frustration of not being taken seriously if you want and need that at work. I'm not particularly good at guessing ages but I would has said 35 is the oldest I'd guess for you if I assumed that you look young and if I had reason to think you were 25 I would think you looked mature. Does that make any sense? Sometimes when we look young we try to look older with older clothing and it can backfire. In most Dramatic things I begin to look 12 though at this point a few wrinkles would give me away. LOL My first impression of you was of looking youthful but also sort of elegant and poised, in a way that makes me think of people like Grace Kelly or Ingrid Bergman. Your face also reminds me a little of Sophie Dahl. I thought Sophie might be REI but Katja thinks not, and perhaps EI with some natural.

6/15/2018 11:53:03 am

Beth, I think you are N-I-E.

I think your dominated style is N.Since almost all of your clothes are so loose and relaxed.Most of them have girlish feminine detail like flower print or bow, and you said that you looked younger so I comes in the second.And you seem to like elongated items with feminine style, that's E.And almost all of your clothes are flowy style, some of them also floaty, light weight fabric, these are mutual qualities of EIN.

I've seen some of D, but it's elongated D item, not avantgarde D, so I think you like it cause it's elongated quality, that's also E.There is few C, however they always come with E or I, so I think you choose them for E,I.

You said that you looked bad in N.May be you looked bad in "pure N" which is possible if your N is not that strong.I'm RIC but I would looked ridiculous in pure I either.John Kitchener stated in his video that if you want to get head to toe dress with one style, you must have a percentage of that style >50%.

Circé

6/15/2018 01:25:11 pm

Hi Beth! I have not tried to analyze you, but I wanted to add something : your picture are all taken, clearly, by yourself, so at a quite short distance from your face.

Unless you have a special lens, shots taken so close will be slightly distorted, because the regular lenses of casual phones/cameras are not made for this. They will change your proportions a bit, making your nose look a bit bigger for example. That might be why several persons here see N in you.

Beth

6/15/2018 02:00:53 pm

Hi Circé,
Your right, I hadnt thought of that! I’ve added a photo that isn’t a selfie, so hopefully that is more helpful.

Circé

6/15/2018 02:05:43 pm

You're welcome. ;) Nice picture! Maybe, if that's not too much to ask, you could find a face shot like this (Rachel said somewhere that other angles tended to hide our natural geometry as well)...

Katja

6/15/2018 02:10:05 pm

It seems to me that many women have difficulties distinguishing between Romantic beauty, Ethereal beauty and Ingenue beauty. And I think many women believe they have Romantic when it's acually Ethereal or Ingenue. They may see some femininity and automatically believe they have Romantic. A curvy body or full lips doesn't necessarily mean you are a Romantic. ( I have also seen the soft bluntness of Natural be mistaken for the roundness of Romantic). I don't blame women for being confused about this because in many style systems the Romantic essence is the only feminine essence.
Kibbe didn't distinguish between the different feminine essences, they were all lumped together. As a result of this a SN in his system could actually be an EN or a NI. As a result of this even clothes have been wrongly categorised. A blouse categorised as SC in his system could really be a EC or CI blouse.
There are three feminine essences and they are quite different from each other, but it can be difficult to distinguish between these three essences. And if you have two of them it can be even harder!
If you suspect that you have a feminine essence and you want to distinguish which one, you can ask yourself:
Is my feminine beauty mature and sensual ? (Romantic beauty is the onlysensual one).
Is my feminine beauty innocent and youthful? (Ingenue beauty is the only youthful one).
Is my feminine beauty otherwordly and angelic?( Ethereal beauty is the only otherwordly one).
It may not be easy to answer these questions because the influence of your other essences affect how the Romantic, Ethereal or Ingenue manifest itself. but it can't hurt to try.

Shawna

6/15/2018 03:25:30 pm

That's a great explanation, Katja. Such a difficult thing to figure out but that explanation would help many people. One really wants to sit Mr Kibbe down and set him straight! LOL

Zara

6/15/2018 06:53:39 pm

Hey, Beth I think I see some classic.

Circé

6/19/2018 04:05:47 pm

Hi Beth! I did your analysis, and I think I'm onto something. But remember that I might be wrong, and I only have a few shots of you, and you might look quite different in reality, and so on and so on. In the end, you're the one who knows what works, and more importantly, what makes you happy.

Of course, Ingenue and Ethereal spring to the eye. I'd say something like 50% I, 30% E). No wonder that NC elements (like the plaid, I'm pretty sure that's NC) look heavy on you: these are the two lightest essences!

But still, you can see I left 20%: I think you have 10% R and 10% N. It's small and you can ignore

For R, I think a bit of it in your outfit, like light reds, demure heartshaped neckline, waist-cinching (not bodycon, rather a bit loose, not too defined), would harmonize nicely with your face. The lightest elements and silhouettes of the REI, REN and RIN boards are good examples, here are a few:

https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801961286/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801508772/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801129205/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801508767/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801508479/
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/159244536801961282/

(Good luck trying to dress for winter :p)

And what about N? You insisted that it made you look tired and heavier, and I could see it. You need delicacy, you need light colours. But I could see that something worked as well, and at the begining I was a bit puzzled. Then you posted that picture from the wedding where you look like a northern queen, and it clicked.

Your natural percentage is here, but it is very small, and competing against the two lightest essences, so you have to be careful, or indeed it will look wrong and heavy. Here is my opinion: you cannot wear a pure Natural item. Not even between to IE garments. It's already too much. Same goes for pure N textures, or real N geometry/silhouette.

But you have a need for simplicity, a feeling and authenticity. Maybe not too much details. And if you want to incorporate N in your style ID, you have to choose EI(R) garments that have a tiny something of N. That look a bit more comfortable, for example this :

https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/86272149095966085/

rather than this :

https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/86272149095967218/

For textures, I'm thinking that this kind of embroideries, that look more traditional and authentic, would be better than the very fine type.
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/86272149095967218/
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/86272149096034665/

Fur would be better looking just slightly rugged and authentic than the "everything is silky and in place" feeling of pure Romantic, or pure Ethereal.

In other words, I'm thinking ethnic clothing, slavic and swedish embroideries, delicate boho version of EI.

But of course, do what you like! ;)

Circé

6/19/2018 04:09:49 pm

P.S. : the items of clothing you pinned were great. They had all the sweetness and delicacy needed, with exactly that touch of simplicity and comfort. :)

Beth

6/19/2018 06:27:40 pm

Hi Circé!

Thanks so much for taking the time to do that. It’s really interesting hearing what the calculator says. I think instead of trying to work out winter clothes, I will have to move to a hot country haha.

Are you on the TiB Facebook group? I am, and have posted lots more photos of my face and some longer shots.

6/16/2018 02:23:54 am

I'm agree with Katja, lots of women have difficulties distinguishing betweeen R,E,I.

I think style analysis is similar to colour analysis, it doesn't matter what you look like, but what flutter you is matter.And dress for your face not your body.If you have curvy hourglass figure but have DN face, DN clothes will looks beautiful on you more than R clothes do.Sometimes I and R are difficult to clarify on face, is my lip just plumping like I or luscious as R?I used to ask myself that cause we can't measure my lip size and put it in calculator.But R dress are more beautiful for me than I dress.So girls, you don't have to worry about what you look like, just thinking about clothes that flatter you the most.If they are sweet like a girly dress or make you feel like a innocent girl, they're I.If they are delicated, floaty, airy feeling, they're E.If they are sensual, sexy or make you feel like a mature woman, they're R.

Alex

6/15/2018 04:49:44 pm

Question: what style IDs are most associated with being seen as "ageless"?

Zara

6/15/2018 06:56:23 pm

Ageless as in young, or ageless as in traditional/classic?

Alex

6/15/2018 09:44:44 pm

Ageless as in neither young nor old, or young and old at the same time.

Zara

6/15/2018 11:57:01 pm

Igenue and gamine are young looking. Romantic and dramatic are mature looking. I think that leaves ethereal and classic. I’m not sure I would describe natural as ageless.

Alex

6/17/2018 03:50:22 pm

Ethereal and classic makes sense. Thank you, Zara!

Janelle

6/16/2018 12:28:40 am

After reading all the wonderful discussions in these comments, If you haven’t already, some of you ladies should consider joining the TIB Style Talks Facebook group! We obsess over the same stuff, just have an easier time with posting photos, etc...

Miranda

6/16/2018 02:02:48 pm

Yes please! There are people here I'd love to talk to in a format more suited to conversation (W!).

Nicole

6/16/2018 10:13:51 am

Hi Katja! Thanks so much for your help! I believe this knowledge will help me greatly as I build a professional wardrobe for my budding career!

If I may ask, what were some of the other essences that you spotted? I also felt like I was seeing alot of different essences in myself, but they were not super prominent.

Katja

6/17/2018 03:26:31 am

Hi Nicole, I don't know if you have seen my answer, there are so many comments here... So here it is again:
I think you might be a Natural Ingenue. You may have some other essences too, but I see mostly Natural and Ingenue. And without a proper analysis it's hard to tell.

Nicole

6/17/2018 12:11:33 pm

Hello, Katja! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your help!! Hope this busy blogpost brings even more people to the blog :) Yes I agree with NI, that has definitely honed it in. Respectfully, I believe I'm mostly NI with a dash of R. I'm more babyfaced Ingenue than anything, then N, then R. Without your knowledge, I never would've determined my N before! As you mentioned, I think a proper analysis might reveal that bit of R I've been experiencing (most of my linked photos are very loose fitting clothes; but I'd be denying myself if I tried to ignore what a positive upgrade it has been since I started wearing R-styled clothing). I just have to accept that my R is not as initially prominent but keep it in mind as I dress. But the Natural explains why I kept trying to add D/G and although REI looked very doable, I kept checking out ENI alot. ENI had my NI (Feminine & Masculine), but the wrong tertiary Femininity (E, instead of R). RI is unique kind of R; it must be gracefully done, but that R depth is still necessary nonetheless. Plus I've had so many Scarlett Johansson/Kerry Washington comparisons before in person, it's kind of hard to ignore (I don't think I look THAT much like them but I definitely understand what they mean). But I NEVER would've been able realize NI without your help- thanks again Katja!! I feel SO at home with RNI- everything is perfect down to the tee!!! I'm so grateful for this blog!

Before I go, I have to admit: I'm having a really hard time finding African-American Ingenue celebs... Let alone RNI. Are there any RNI (or at least NI) African American celebs that have been assessed or are up for consideration? (If not, here are some I've been considering: Alesha Dixon, Carmen Ejogo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ashley Madekwe, Sheron Menezzes, Izzy Bizu, Ella Thomas, Liya Kibede, Melanie Liburd, Kirby Griffin, Alisha Boe, Jasmine Tookes, Sonia Rolland, Kota Eberhardt, or Tina Kunakey.) I considered Kerry Washington, but I think she is RIC or RID.

Nancy

6/17/2018 12:27:34 pm

Nicole, Lupita Nyongo is an Ingenue blend.

Nicole

6/17/2018 06:45:11 pm

Ooh, or possibly Jaz Sinclair! She, too, is young but wears RI surprisingly well.

Katja

6/18/2018 02:59:43 am

Hi NIcole, I've also been considering RNG for you. Why don't you experiment a little and see which one feels better for you?

Nicole

6/18/2018 04:08:17 am

Katja... I think you nailed it!!!!! Since I had never considered N before, when I checked out NI(R), I was feeling really at home. But NGR is even more fitting & "in line" with my face (if that makes sense), which I didn't even realize was possible after discovering RIN!! I'm certainly going try out both Style IDs, but I'm very confident in RNG! I never would've thought to check out Gamine- honestly I was just so happy discovering outfits with that balance of romantic & youth (on the RNI board), that I would've settled for that alone haha! It's amazing, because SO often on this blog I see others saying to "stick with your gut". I always knew the R was there, even if it was an atypical kind of R. And as I mentioned in my first post, I considered Gamine for a long while but I received so many compliments in florals & such that I assumed I must be making up the idea that I had Gamine. But while I received many compliments on Ingenue looking items, it wasn't nearly as many compliments as when I started integrating Romantic items. So I think it's safe to say RNG is my Style ID!! Can't wait to try these out! I really can't thank you enough for helping me navigate through these archetypes Katja!! The T.I.B. blog is so much more objective, openminded, and ultimately more accurate than Kibbe's original system!

(P.S., I know it sounds silly- but it really is so helpful to have celebs to look up to. Are there any African American and/or non-minority RNGs I can take style inspiration from? I'm not sure I've seen any RNGs mentioned since I started following the TIB blog!)

Katja

6/18/2018 04:26:12 am

Hi Nicole, I'm so glad that you are happy with my suggestions.
Zoe Kravitz is typed RNG.
Rihanna is typed RGNI. Her primarily essences are R and G.
Eva Longoria is typed RNG. (She is Latina, not Afro-American).

Nicole

6/18/2018 04:50:10 am

Thank you! That's crazy about the Eva Longoria being RNG too, because I am mixed with African American (Ethiopian/East African roots) and Latina (straight from the Dominican Republic)! So it's perfect that I can have both my African American & Latina examples!!! Again, thanks for your all help, Katja! Best wishes!

Nicole

6/18/2018 11:24:19 pm

Hey again Katja! :) I was so tired last night, I forgot to ask before I signed off: were there any African American and/or nonethnic RNI celebs, with no Gamine? (Just in case I try out the Gamine and it is not as successful as Ingenue, or it is too much masculinity. I'm so ecstatic I've discovered RNG, RNI, & NI!)

Lena

6/17/2018 04:51:10 am

Ralu, is there only one picture of you, the one where you are wearing a purple t-shirt?

Ralu

6/17/2018 06:06:06 am

I'm not good at taking photos of myself, nor very successful in recruiting others to take pics of me, so this was the best my dad could pull yesterday. I added some extra pictures from November (I'm not wearing any makeup in those), but they are rather blurry. I can tell I have a crazy amount of gamine and that I clearly lack any Romantic or Ingenue. I know that going overboard with Natural can make me shorter or drenched in fabric, but I'm adding some looseness, elongation and grunginess to an outfit is definitely good. I tend to look bad in feminine clothes (especially ones that are fitted) and do not like to have my waist defined. I can still mark it, so tucking a boxy T-shirt in some boyfriend jeans and adding a belt belt looks good.

That said, often, when doing that I feel that I'm missing something. I think I look better in a combination of gamine elements blended with a more elongated silhouette, rather than being staccato all over. For example, I'm really fond of cuffing my jeans and endorse most current trends, but would rather avoid also wearing the most boyish blouse ever with this ensemble, especially that I have really long arms and that would make my sleeves look too short.

Pixies and short hair in general looks good on me. While not all my cuts have been equally beautiful, I don't think I've ever had any real flops since I chose to get rid of my locks. My style has a heavy casual slant and I think there's some good in that.

I'll aim to be slightly more photogenic in front of y camera in a few hours. Sorry for not providing enough info.

Lena

6/18/2018 02:29:25 am

Ralu, I think you have Gamine and maybe Ingenue as well. In the old pictures I think I can see Ingenue. And if you don't mind me saying so, I think you look better in longer hair.

Lena

6/17/2018 06:22:05 am

Sorry, but I can't see any more pictures of you. I see other moving pictures of cats and other people.

Ralu

6/17/2018 07:15:37 am

Would this pinterest link work?
https://ro.pinterest.com/chisehatori/my-old-style/

Lena

6/17/2018 09:15:27 am

Yes, it works! Can I see a picture of you before you cut your hair? Without makeup?

Ralu

6/17/2018 09:29:15 am

You mean older pictures of me with long hair, right? Because I'll be cutting my hair next week. Then. I added a bunch.The outfit pictures are from November. The ones with long hair must be at least several years old.

Ralu

6/18/2018 03:33:37 pm

Thanks. Ingenue definitely confuses me. I think I also can spot it a bit in older pics, but I don't remember being flattered by it . I feel that girly details make my face look a tad too harsh and masculine. I'm not sure long hair is better either, but then again, my hair is straight, fine and very thin so I had a lot of bland/bad hair days because I was too lazy to style it properly. I think I can pull mid-length hair with some layers added in and/or a bang.

Nancy

6/18/2018 04:11:11 am

Ralu, you are not easy to type! But I definitely think that you dress way too masculine/boyish. I do think you have Gamine and maybe Natural, but I see a a feminine element in you too. I don't know which one. It's not Romantic.

Lena

6/17/2018 09:02:05 am

Yes!

Lena

6/17/2018 11:56:15 am

Ralu, how tall are you?

Ralu

6/17/2018 12:35:48 pm

I'm very short (153 cm/ 5 feet) and, as far as I am aware, I look clearly petite, but a little taller than I am in reality.

Ralu

6/21/2018 10:42:33 am

I added a few extra pics, included ones in a more formal dress I believe must have at least some Classic. My new haircut got ruined. (insert Romanian girl problem 100 here: when the hairdresser doesn't realize that he's supposed to put products on your hair, not just cut style it. And it looked like from a magazine until the heatwave struck. Not fair.)

Ella

6/18/2018 04:55:42 am

Hi Ralu, imo, you look best when your hair is pulled away from your face (loosely, not severely). I think you're NG with possibly another less dominant aspect.

Nancy

6/18/2018 05:49:17 am

I agree with Ella about the hair. And it should not be too dark.

Ralu

6/18/2018 04:00:23 pm

That's news to me. I always imagined I look best with some sort of pixie cut.

Circé

6/19/2018 04:30:57 pm

Hi Ralu! I like your three haircuts (especially the pixie, bangs were nice as well, providing geometry and playful youth). I think you're mostly G, with a helping of E. The EG board was the best for you imho. :) I think that a bit of D (punk-rocker sprite ?) or N works well too, but in small amounts.

But feel free to rock what you like!

Ralu

6/18/2018 02:25:48 pm

I'm having a bit of a trouble replying to all of you. Gamine is clearly my very obvious/can't miss it essence. I've been thinking about silhouettes and I feel that the bluntness and unconstructiveness of Natural is to be preferred against Dramatic. I probably don't have D after all. As for my feminine essence, I'm still thinking Ethereal as I like how I look in subtle light color schemes and I can't pull ruffles, puffed sleeves, tiny bows and such. What would be a good way to compare those too essences on someone who may not have that much of them?

Circé

6/19/2018 04:55:15 pm

I think there is an airy, calm feeling about you (which is interesting, blended as it is with gamine energy!), the slight shimmers and other ethereal elements, when mixed with gamine, seem to connect to your face - I don't see that happening between I and R. But that's just my opinion. :)

Ralu

6/20/2018 12:50:17 pm

I think I agree.Of the pictures I added to pinterest today (I didn't have time for more, sadly), I liked this ones the most

https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/528047125054688027/

https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/528047125054687970/

Circé

6/20/2018 05:49:13 pm

I especially the first one, soooo good! The second is great in shape, but a bit heavy in texture, maybe a bit too Natural.

Katja

6/19/2018 02:13:21 pm

Nicole, here are some Ingenue blends: Brandy Norwood, Corinne Foxx, Lupita Nyongo. I think Kerry washington can be an Ingenue blend too.

Nicole

6/19/2018 08:41:29 pm

Thank you Katja!!

Lena

6/20/2018 03:55:02 am

Hi Ralu! Have you consider Classic? I think you have mostly Gamine, but could you have some smaller parts of Classic or Ethereal or both?

Nicole

6/21/2018 02:55:06 am

After lots of consideration, comparisons, & testing out styles- I've decided on RNIG! (I hope that's not crazy to think I have 4 essences... Let me know if it is crazy haha :) RNIG maintains the 50/50 balance of Femininity & Masculinity that I was liking about NI, but RNGI gives me the depth I need. RGN REALLY helped me understand my appearance, and the RGN celebs were VERY similar but somehow I was still coming across as slightly sweeter/"cuter" than them. And it wasn't just because I had more Gamine than them... I was seeing more than Gamine. The African American Ingenues you listed yesterday REALLY helped me determine this. Furthermore, I found the RNG outfits were close, but slightly too heavy/bold/sporty/masculine. Plus, looking at Rihanna compared to the other RNGs and also looking at the GI woman at the bottom of this TIB article (www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-identities-your-best-hair) really sealed the deal for me. RNI is definitely my closest Style ID- it has my best textures, prints, and color schemes with the exact type of Romantic fit & necklines that suit me very well. The only thing RNI lacks is a touch of that Gamine playfulness. So, I plan to wear predominately RNI and add a touch of Gamine to temper the femininity and become RNIG! I think being so neutrally balanced gender-wise is what made it so hard for me to figure out! I hope I'm not bothering you... But I just want to say thanks again for all your help Katja!

Katja

6/21/2018 01:45:23 pm

Hi Nicole, you are not bothering me. I'm happy to help you if I can. And you are not crazy. It's not impossible to have 4 essences in a style-ID. You can also have 3 essences with just a dash of an essence. RNI doesn't sound bad for you. RNIG and RNG are not bad either. I'm not really sure if you have Gamine or not. Maybe not? You can try to incorporate it in your outfits and se if you like it or not. Best wishes, Katja

Ralu

6/20/2018 12:41:12 pm

Thanks, everyone. I have updated my pinterest after dressing up a little, so now you can see me in more feminine colors and outfits. That might give you some better ideas. My thoughts are still stuck on GNE, but if you think I'm wrong, do tell me, especially if you don't mind to explain your reasoning. I'm still learning and watching you brainstorm this will eventually help me improve both my people typing skill and my eye for style.

Link: https://ro.pinterest.com/chisehatori/my-old-style-ralu/

Nancy

6/21/2018 03:16:26 am

Hi Ralu, the latest pictures are very helpful. And you look so much better in clothes like that. I like your hairstyle too! I really like the first pic and pic number 4, the one with a belt. I think you look good in somewhat fitted clothes. I don't like you in the ENG outfit. That outfit makes you disappear. I think you need some construction and I wonder if you have any Natural at all. I think you definitely have Gamine. That must be your strongest essence. Maybe you have Ethereal, but I don't think you have Ingenue. You are not girlish. I like you in that grey and green dress. Maybe that dress is EG? EG seems to be pretty good for you, but I feel something is missing. Could it be Classic?

Ralu

6/21/2018 09:44:17 am

Thanks. I added an extra picture taken today (it's been so hectic lately) to show that natural might work after all if the silhouette is not baggy to the extreme. That said, looking at my NG sweaters, I agree that Natural is sometimes a miss. But Classic has the same issue. Too much and I feel like I'm dressing up. I think I am a casual-leaning archetype. So, if Classic is there it's more of an accent than anything. I will scour my wardrobe to see what I can come up. Thanks.

Ralu

6/21/2018 10:58:57 am

Done. And I might have across my style archetype by mistake too... hmmm...

Nancy

6/21/2018 12:16:04 pm

Ralu, I wonder if Natural fabrics are too heavy for you. Too much textured. I think you need lighter fabrics.

6/23/2018 11:30:34 am

Ralu, I think I prefer you in the Natural-Gamine, very military look a bit further down on the board. I think the almost pure Gamine - with the slicked-back short hair - is awesome. As is the short hair with more fringe detail in the front. For a more feminine look, I like the mostly-masculine silhouette with the lace detail tops. The camisole is good.

Ralu

6/24/2018 08:52:53 am

Thanks. I agree. That's by far my favorite jacket and tend to like how I look when wearing jackets in general, which I think it's a Gamine, Natural and Dramatic quality. That outfit does not look like having any D though, only G-N. I tested some purely N outfits (forgot to take pics) and while I looked slightly silly due to bagginess overload, I don't think they were as bad as I remembered them. Fabric weight wasn't that much of an issue, aside from a few pieces and color was either total miss or ok-ish. I like giving off a watery vibe and not looking like dirt or autumn (especially the latter is bad).

For my third essence or smudge I'm kinda' rooting for Ethereal as I am very attracted to the mist-like quality of the fabrics as well as the flowy shapes.I wish I were an elven queen. Daydreaming aside, GN is utilitarian, comfy and impressively easy to shop for. I believe I can sometimes give off a wispy nimble vibe and can do the "look in the distance" pose with ease, but the latter my not be really revealing of anything other that the inclination of a person with seriously bad eye-sight to have trouble focusing on something, especially when looking away. As I nerdy kid on front row I was always worried that I staring at the teacher, only to realize that the teacher just thought I must be looking in his general direction.

Ralu

6/25/2018 10:17:43 am

So, I'm pretty sure at this point that I'm a NGE, although taking more pictures of myself in gamine outfits proves that too much G can be childish and not helpful. I think it makes young in the wrong way. nIt it possible, as weird as it sounds, that despite my love for pixie cuts I'm actually ENI or maybe EGI?

Lena

6/29/2018 02:46:08 am

Ralu, could you be a NGI? You remind me a little of Lea Seydoux and she is typed NGI. (I don't know if that's correct). Check out the NGI board!

Ralu

6/30/2018 04:17:47 am

That's definitely not a style I gravitate towards naturally, but I am willing to try dressing up when I have time (not sure if I will be able to give you an update on this). I'm not very good at self-assessment and I see myself in a somewhat distorted view (i.e. way more masculine than anyone around me sees me), so I'll have to get some input from a bunch of friends.

Is Mori Girl an NGI style? I've always admired it, but never thought myself capable of puling it off.

Katja

6/29/2018 02:47:51 am

Nicole, here are two African-American examples of RNI: Tony Lee Williams and Annie Illonzeh.

Nicole

7/3/2018 03:46:52 pm

Hi Katja! You are SO kind to inform me of those African-American RNIs. Thanks for going out of your way. I really appreciate your sweet soul :) After taking a look at those 2 ladies' features and how they wear their clothing has confirmed my belief that I'm RNIG. Initially, I was unsure about Gamine but then I realized I was looking at purely G/NG. So I took your advice & played around with my outfits by replacing some RNI with RNG items. To my surprise, I *immediately* started getting the same compliments I get when I wear RIN. When I look at myself, both the RNI & RNG items do seem to suit me equally. I will take a look at RIG & NGI pages tonight and start creating a Pinterest style board with content from the Truth is Beauty RNI, RNG, RGI, and NGI boards :)

Also- I'm a bit of an idealistic nerd so this may only be intriguing to me LOL. But I thought you might find this interesting too: my father who has always been ethnically ambiguous received his "23 & Me" Ancestry-Heritage results recently and it turns out he is from 5/7 continents. He is from ALOT of countries, but mostly Spaniard (Ibiza), Italian, Middle Eastern, and JEWISH heritage (more than Dominican Republic, despite both his parents being from there)! First off, that's interesting because people always jokingly call him a "fair skinned Drake", and Drake is Half Jewish. The other crazy part? I remember reading somewhere that RGN Zoe Kravitz is Half Black Half Jewish, which I always thought was a unique combo. Furthermore, my W.O.C. mother's results came in with a surprising amount of East Asian & European heritage as well! Until now, I could never understand the confusing amount of comparisons to Asians I would get, and we also never understood why one of my sisters has "monolid" eyes that people often associate with Asians. I also see that Teruko Burrell (the African American model used as G.I. example on the TIB archetype-hairstyle article) also "appears" as if she has some Asian heritage. I never grew up with comparisons to people of my own race of Afro-Latina (nor have I been accepted in either of those cultures).... I most often get comparisons to half white W.O.C, half white Asians, or half Middle Eastern W.O.C. It really is crazy to me how accurate Style Analysis can be! There certainly is some truth to it somewhere! It's amazing how "full circle" it is, and how something so small can have such an impact on one's life. Thanks again for all your help & patience with me!! (P.S. I would love to see those Ingenue W.O.C. on the Ingenue homepage- I'm confident it would greatly help many other women like myself! :)

Katja

7/6/2018 02:49:23 am

Dear Nicole, Im so happy to hear that you have found your true style-ID. And thank you so much for your kind words!
Genealogy is always interesting. It is nice to know where you come from. And you are a mix of so many nationalities! In some of the pictures you appeared to me as if you have some Latin heritage. And when your hair was straight I thought I could see some Asian influence.
You are absolutely right. Colour analysis and style analysis can have a strong impact on one's life.
It would be interesting to see your Pinterest style board some day...

Nicole

9/6/2018 12:47:20 pm

Hey again Katja! Enjoying my newfound Style ID- it has really opened my eyes! I know this sounds so cliche... but knowledge is power!

Quick question- do you have any thoughts on Danielle Leonel potentially being an RNG (or were there any RNG / RNI considerations for any of those women that I listed earlier)?

Nicole

9/7/2018 04:02:32 pm

Lineisy Montero also appears to be a very possible candidate for RNG/RNI as well.

Nicole

9/11/2018 11:19:11 pm

Also- here's a very interesting photo of RNG Zoe Kravitz and NG Ellen Page standing next each other. This might make a really good post about some of the similarities in their NG facial features, and the contrasts of how the outfits suit (or don't suit) them: https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/1393862094_lisa-bonet-zoe-kravitz-ellen-page-zoom.jpg

Nicole

9/15/2018 11:09:37 am

Oooh!! Or Karyn Calabrese as RNG/RNI. I definitely see N&R there and she looks *amazing* for her age.

Nicole

10/14/2018 03:06:06 pm

And Shannon Elizabeth Kane :)

Ralu

7/11/2018 08:18:24 am

So, I've fiddled a bit with the help of my family and everyone voted for Gamine and Natural as my main essences. No one could decide on my tertiary, albeit the votes leaned towards Ingenue.That's that. I'm gonna rock all my potential style archetypes, paying attention to lean more towards this tomboyish archetype. I'm a bit down that I won't look my best dressed up like someone from a fantasy realm, but also happy that I am able to rock some normal geek chic.

Ralu

7/24/2018 11:58:12 am

I eventually settled for GNE as my archetype. I tried out Ingenue and didn't like at all how I looked.

Truth is Beauty

An Ethereal-Natural-Gamine's Thoughts, and Do Ethereal Naturals Wear Pants?

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