It can be hard to know which Style Identity category a given outfit falls into. Here are some unexpected questions you can ask yourself to help you narrow it down.
"Could I do a walking tour in this?" The essence of Natural style is relaxation, freedom, and uninhibited movement. If an outfit is something you could wear for a walking tour of a hilly European city, it probably has a lot of Natural. Clothes you could comfortably take a nap in are also usually Natural.
"Do I have an irresistible urge to touch this?"
Romantic fabrics often beg to be touched. This absolutely relates to the fact that Romantic style is the embodiment of feminine sexuality. If you can't wait to run your fingers across a fabric, chances are it's part of a Romantic ensemble.
"Does this scare me a little?"
Dramatic ensembles are avant-garde, outside the norm -- and we humans are naturally intimidated by stuff that's outside the norm. If an outfit makes you feel like taking a step backward, it likely has a strong Dramatic influence.
"Can I imagine this on a girl in a Norman Rockwell painting?"
Ingenue style is an archetype of traditional girlishness. Almost anything that's Ingenue looks as if it emerged from a Norman Rockwell painting -- or from the closet of Sandy in "Grease." (Before her makeover at the end, LOL!)
"Could a little boy wear this?"
Gamine style is boyish. If an ensemble looks like something a little boy could conceivably wear to school without raising eyebrows, it probably has a lot of Gamine.
"In a movie, would someone ascend into heaven wearing this outfit?"
That may sound ridiculous, but Ethereal styles make the wearer look as if she can take flight.
"Would I wear this to my first day at my Wall Street job? (Or to the boss's barbecue the following weekend?)"
Whether formal or casual, Classic ensembles always look conservative and rich. In a Classic outfit, you'd never be embarrassed to run into the C.E.O. of your company. There's never anything attention-seeking, objectionable, or out of place in a Classic look. You're above reproach.
Not sure of your style identity? Try the Style Identity Calculator, or get a Virtual Analysis.
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Actually, that's not how it works! Don't pay too much attention to systems that try to tell you otherwise.
Your hair color doesn't make a darn bit of difference in determining your season. A person with red hair might be found in any season, depending on her skin tone. Here's a redheaded Light Spring: http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/uploads/4/7/6/0/4760820/7761500.jpg A redheaded True Spring: http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2005/specials/emmys05/bestworsthair/mcross.jpg A redheaded True Autumn: http://images.totalbeauty.com/content/photos/20-totalbeauty-logo-red-hair.jpg And I personally know a redheaded True Summer. Redheads tend to have warm-toned skin, which puts them into Spring and Autumn categories. But it's theoretically possible that a person with genetically red hair could have Winter or Summer skin. Unsure of your season? Try at-home draping cards. Every one of the 63 style identities can be manifested within every seasonal palette. (Though your coloring may play a small role in your style ID.)
The trick is to read each recommendation for your style identity's color schemes and adapt it by adding your color season's name somewhere in the sentence. For example, I would recommend deep reds and purples to create a Romantic look; if you're a Dark Autumn Romantic, you would think to yourself, "Choose the deep reds and purples from my Dark Autumn palette." To create a Classic look, head-to-toe-conservative neutrals is effective; in the case of a Dark Autumn, she would choose from the most conservative neutrals from her Dark Autumn palette. You can find more information about your style identity's palette recommendations in the shopping guide for your type. As a floral, rose is a note that's inherently feminine. All floral notes are feminine, first and foremost. What kind of feminine, though? Innocent Ingenue femininity? Abstract Ethereal femininity? Or sexy Romantic femininity?
You probably guessed it -- rose's femininity is the womanly femininity of Romantic. Some florals have added masculine elements: for example, carnation has an element of spiciness that brings in some Dramatic, and geranium has a bit of a lemony element that brings in cheerful Gamine. Rose is interesting in that it has an added powdery and refined element that brings in Classic. So rose, as a note, combines passion and sexuality with restraint and sophistication. If you're a Romantic Classic, this is a definitive fragrance note for you.! If you're not, a lot of rose in a fragrance may add more sexiness or conservatism than you feel comfortable with. Want to know what your best notes are? Check out my Fragrance Guides! |
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