This is a revolutionary new way of thinking about style.

All of the advice you've received, all of your life, has been about how to dress your body.  "If you're petite, avoid long pants. If you're curvy, emphasize your waist. "

As far as I can tell, every other style system advises you to dress primarily for your body.

But your body isn't what people are mainly looking at.

​They spend the vast majority of their time looking at your face.

And dressing for your body at the expense of your face means  you end up looking all wrong. 

Let me offer you several examples to demonstrate this phenomenon.

Here's Ellie Kemper:
​

You might know her from "The Office" or "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." She's adorbs, right? 

If you're guessing that she has a lot of Gamine and  a lot of Ingenue  (and maybe some Classic?), I'd agree with you. Those stripes are cute on her. (The palette is a separate issue, but never mind.) 

Another pic of her looking fantastic:

And here: adorable, face-framing curls, small geometric print, simple, round neckline, high waist -- again, lots of Gamine and Ingenue, very good: 

Just a few more images of her looking awesome with lots of Gamine and Ingenue (and some Classic):

But let's imagine that Ellie Kemper's going to get style advice that considers her body as a significant factor.

​I don't know if you noticed, but Kemper actually has a super-curvy, very Romantic body.:

Most style systems will assign Ellie Kemper a style type that dresses her for her curvy body.

But that would be all wrong.

See how uncomfortable, how not-herself, this Gamine Ingenue (or Classic-Gamine-Ingenue)  looks in Romantic styles: 

Thank goodness Kemper (or her stylist) usually understand that she needs to dress for her face, not her body.

Here, Kemper's waist is obscured and her bust is unemphasized. And it's sooo much better!

(Jenna Fischer, also from "The Office," is another example of a woman with a Romantic body but a very youthful face. Like Kemper, Fischer looks all wrong in overtly sexy clothes.

​By contrast, Mindy Kaling of "The Office" has quite a bit of Gamine, like Kemper and Fischer do -- but she also has enough sexy Romantic in her face to totally pull off figure-emphasizing clothes. )


"If you got it, flaunt it" is not a thing. Let it go. 

Only emphasize your curvy body if it also harmonizes with your face. 

​Dress for your face. 

Other celebrity examples of dressing primarily for one's face, not one's body:
​

• Jane Krakowski of "30 Rock" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
  
  

A rather Natural body (little waist, thicker neck, small bust).
​
A rather Ingenue face (tiny chin, high forehead, big eyes.) 

Is she better in Ingenue or Natural?
​

Ingenue bows, ruffles, puff sleeves, cap sleeves, high waist, feminine hair, midi length skirt: so good.

Natural t-shirts, layers, separates, shaggy hair, undefined neckline, geometric shapes -- not great.

Jane Krakowski is lovelier when she dresses her face, not her body.


I'm not saying to totally disregard your body. There are individual tweaks your body may call for that are consistent with a style your face doesn't manifest.

For example, Jane Krakowski is flattered by open necklines; they elongate her rather short neck.

That's consistent with Natural, not with Ingenue. 
​
​But her open necklines are best when they're adorned with ruffles or bows. True Natural necklines are wrong for her. 

extremely ​tall, mostly Dramatic body. 

Christie is so tall -- 6'3" -- and relatively narrow,  most style systems would require her to dress as a Dramatic, or a Dramatic/Natural blend. 

​But that's really wrong for her.

Mostly Dramatic, and so not great:

Much more feminine, and so much better for her:

Even more celebrity examples: 

• Despite her height, Taylor Swift is fantastic in Gamine , Ingenue and Classic
  
  
• Despite his height, Leonardo DiCaprio can pull off dapper Gamine looks because of his Gamine baby face
  
  
• Brigitte Nielsen's gorgeous Dramatic face makes her best in similarly Dramatic clothes, despite her very curvy body


• The same goes for Jamie Lee Curtis: her Dramatic face makes sexy Romantic looks seem wrong for her , even though her curves are pronounced

To sum up: 

1. Identify your style identity based primarily on your face. 

2. Make a few tweaks in the direction of a different style identity if you know your body calls for it. 

Dress for your face!



​

For several years, my readers have been asking for makeup guides for each of the 63 style types.   I started doing the research necessary to create these guides in 2017, and I'm finally done!​​

Your makeup's color palette comes from your color season. But two women with the same color season  won't apply makeup the same way to look their most beautiful.

Have you ever wondered why certain makeup trends -- a matte lip, a cat eye, contoured cheeks -- just don't work for you, even when you know that the colors you're using harmonize with your skin?

The reason is that the lines of your face, which determine your style type, harmonize with certain makeup looks and not others. 

Not everyone looks harmonious with fuller lips.
Not everyone looks harmonious with contoured cheekbones.
Not everyone looks harmonious with a smoky eye.
Not everyone looks harmonious with ​delicate, plucked brows. 

Here are two pics of me in two different makeup looks. In both pics, I'm wearing Soft Autumn colors. But I think you'll agree that I'm lovelier in the pic on the right than the pic on the left. 

My style type is Ethereal Natural, and the pic on the right shows me in an Ethereal Natural makeup look.
The pic on the left is a look with elements of Classic, Romantic, and Dramatic -- all essences that are unimportant for me. 

On the right, my skin finish is less powdery and matte, my eyebrows are less intense, I'm not wearing foundation, my makeup's overall level of contrast is lower, and my overall impression is less made-up. These are all features of an Ethereal Natural makeup look. 

Now, if I were a Romantic-Dramatic-Classic, chances are I would look gorgeous in a more matte, more made-up, higher-contrast look. Angelina Jolie is a Romantic-Dramatic-Classic, and that kind of makeup look is gorgeous for her:

It's interesting to note that Jolie and I both have the same Soft Autumn color palette.  Yet because the geometry of her face is Romantic, Dramatic, and Classic, her best makeup look is much more sexy, intense, and traditionally feminine than mine. My best makeup ​look combines Natural's no-makeup aesthetic with Ethereal's lightness and delicacy. 

​

The makeup guides are about 30 pages long. Here's what each guide includes:

• Specific, illustrated instructions for how to express each of your essences in the following aspects of your look:
  • overall contrast level
  • color
  • lines and blending
  • skin finish
  • contour and highlighting
  • eyes
  • brows
  • cheeks
  • lips
• Ideas for how to combine your essences to create your makeup look
• Several full-color examples of your style type's makeup look, with annotations explaining how each example expresses your style type.

​
Since I expect a high volume of initial orders, please allow UP TO A WEEK for your makeup guide to be delivered by email. All guides will eventually be instant downloads; at that point, you won't have to wait. :-)

I didn't even think about separates before I knew my style type. But how you put separates together actually has a big effect on the impression you make. 

Romantics, Ethereals, Classic, and Dramatics are each best in a head-to-toe look. If you think about it, this makes sense, because all four of these types are formal and grown-up in their own way: the Romantic is mature womanly sexiness, the Classic is a "ladylike" adult woman, the Dramatic is a powerful ruler, and the Ethereal is an immortal being. None of these pure types is youthful or casual enough to look her best in an obvious use of separates.
​

Another easy way to do a head-to-toe look is to just wear a dress.  Ethereals, Romantics, and Classics have a lot of great dress options. 

​Speaking of which: the message a Natural sends with her use of separates is, "I own nothing but separates, and I basically just throw them together because that's how confident I am, but the effect is never weird, because I can't be bothered to put in enough effort to make it deliberately weird, because that's how casual I am." 

​A Gamine's use of separates says, "I deliberately combine separates no one else would dare to put together, because that's how fun and quirky I am. I want you to notice!"

If you're a blend of two or three types, as most women are, and you manifest Natural, Gamine, or Ingenue through your use of separates, you'll want to lean a bit more heavily on your other essence (or two) to balance the effect. So, for example, A Natural-Classic-Ingenue combining separates in a casual, Natural way would take extra care to bring in Classic and Ingenue in other aspects of her look.



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If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style ID Calculator!

A reader writes, "​Your guides have been incredibly helpful to me. However, there is one part of your guides that confuses me. What exactly does it mean for a piece of clothing to be "constructed" or "unconstructed"?"

Great question!

​Constructed garments have a defined shape that's not simply the shape of the body underneath the garment. You can't easily ball up a constructed garment in your hand; it wants to hold a shape. 

The way a garment is sewn can give it a defined shape. This is easier with heavy, stiff, or crisp fabrics. ​

Manufacturers also use lining, padding or interfacing to make garments have a defined shape. 

Dramatics and Gamines are flattered by sharp-cornered squares and rectangles. These aren't the shapes of the human body, so Dramatics and Gamines usually need constructed garments to create those shapes. 

Romantics, Ethereals, and Naturals all look their best in unconstructed clothes. For Romantics, this means sexy draping that appears to hug the body. For Ethereals, this looks like floaty, trailing garments that seem about to take flight. For Naturals, this looks like garments that are supremely comfortable and unfussy. 

It's not as easy to find constructed clothes as it was 100 years ago. As a society, we've all mostly agreed to dress like Naturals most of the time.  Which is great for us Naturals, but a challenge for everyone else.

Garments that are tailored into defined shapes are usually more expensive than unconstructed garments, because that kind of sewing is labor-intensive. If your style type calls for construction, you may choose to spend the money on those more expensive items. You might also save some money by focusing on clothes that are stiff not because of their tailoring but because they're made from stiffer fabrics.

If you're willing to buy second-hand, you'll find that a lot of vintage clothes are more structured than what you typically see in stores today. 

​Also, consider using spray starch to give your garments more stiffness! You don't hear much about it these days, because fashion is mostly so unconstructed, but clothing starch is still a thing. 

 Here are hairstyle ideas for the two-identity blends.

For each blend, the suggestions are jumping-off points. Use them as inspirations.

If you're a blend of three identities, try combining suggestions from the different two-ID blends that apply to you.  For example, if you're a Romantic-Ethereal-Natural, take a look at suggestions for Romantic Ethereal, Romantic Natural, and Ethereal Natural. 

Don't know your style identity? Try the Style ID Calculator!
​

Romantic Ethereal: Aphrodite 

Try:
Soft & flowing. 
​Asymmetry.
Fullness and height at the crown.
Long, luscious and full.
​Side parts.
​Low side pull-backs.
Touchable curls or waves.  
​Soft, sexy updos with lots of free curls.

​Ethereal Gamine: The Sprite.

Try:
Spunky, diaphanous, floaty, boyish, tousled.
Short and wispy.
Choppy waves.
Cute or witty "period" looks.
​Playful, unexpected braids.

​

​

I can't say enough about this beautiful handmade jewelry.  I'm writing about it because I had the opportunity this summer to see it in person. 

I had no idea what went into making jewelry by hand. It's frankly awe-inspiring to hold one of these in your hand and think about the fact that the person sitting across from you made it. The silversmith who makes this jewelry, Linda Groom, is so talented.  This is the kind of jewelry  you own forever; it's flawlessly crafted, it's heavy -- it's real, you know? 

One of the things I really respect about Linda's jewelry is that she has a consistent aesthetic you can feel across all of her pieces. Blunt edges, earthy materials, organic shapes, and hammered finishes  embody the Natural style type.  If you're a Natural blend, there's a piece in Linda's collection that will resonate with you.
​

I love this bracelet for a Natural with Ethereal and Classic elements, a "Preppy Bohemian."  The glow of the silver, the slender,  gently curving lines, and the overall color scheme add Ethereal; the regularity and balance make it fitting for a Classic as well. 

This gorgeous bracelet is good for a Natural with a strong Romantic influence -- a "Babe Next Door."  Romantic comes in through the rounder shapes and the deep purple color. 

I love this bracelet.  It's abstract, but dainty and playful too. It's great for a Natural with Ethereal and either Gamine or Ingenue essences. 

These are gorgeous earrings for a Natural with some Ethereal and Ingenue influences -- a"Flower Child." 

This is a beautiful bracelet for a Natural with Romantic and Classic -- "Today's Southern Belle."   The cuff's overall symmetry adds the Classic element.

These earrings would be lovely for a Natural Gamine with some additional feminine influence (Romantic, Ethereal, or Ingenue).  

​





I love these for a Natural with Romantic and Ethereal  -- a  "Glamorous Gypsy." Romantics are great with big, round shapes; the cutout here adds a mystical quality. 

  

Linda makes knives too; can you believe it? So incredibly cool.

I wonder what types you think her other pieces would suit? Check them out here, and let me know in the comments. 


​

How's that for a click-baity title, ha ha? 

​(Seriously though, I might be the only person alive who prefers long and dry over short and grabby. I am wholly a nerd.)

At any rate,  here's what I mean:  In my  Style Identity system, when I say that a physical characteristic reads as womanly, or manly, or mature, or childlike, that's generally because that (average) physical difference exists in real life. 

We are all unconsciously aware of the visual signifiers of masculinity and femininity, of maturity and youth. We make instantaneous judgments about other people's age and masculinity/femininity based on visual cues we're not even aware that we are processing.
​
Here are some examples of what I mean. 

• The distance between the upper lip and the nose lengthens as we age. Additionally, this distance is greater in men than in women. So a short distance here, especially accompanied with quite visible top teeth, tends to create a youthful and feminine  -- in other words, an Ingenue-- impression. 

• Lip fullness peaks in adolescence, and women's lips are on average fuller than men's.  Plumper or puffier lips tend to read Romantic, because  Romantic embodies the fully mature, "pubertal" (I love that word!) feminine essence. Thinner lips, by contrast,  tend to read as Natural. 

​

• Men's foreheads, on average, appear shorter than women's (because they are less vertical, and because men on average have lower hairlines than women).  So short foreheads tend to read as  Natural. 
  
  
• Chin clefts are more common in men than in women. The presence of a chin cleft can increase the overall Natural or Gamine impression of a face.

 

• A dark ring around the iris -- a "limbal ring" -- is more common in children than adults. (Limbal rings fade with age.) So the presence of a limbal ring tends to contribute to a Gamine or Ingenue impression.  

• Men tend to have wider noses than women, so a wide nose tends to read as Natural or Gamine, while a narrow nose tends to read as Romantic or Ingenue. 

NB: A viewer makes these judgments in the context of the subject's perceived ethnicity.  So, while it is the case that African noses are on average somewhat wider than European noses, it's not the case that women of African descent appear more visually masculine than women of European descent. The viewer in this example unconsciously takes perceived ethnicity into consideration when processing the visual appearance of a nose. 

​                                    *  *  *  *  *

You may notice that I didn't mention Ethereal, Dramatic, or Classic in this article.

Classics are easy: Imagine that you averaged all male features and all female features. Beauty in a female Classic represents a face that's slightly to the feminine side of that perfect average, and beauty in a male Classic represents a point that's slight to the male side. In Classic men and women both, nothing's noticeably big, or small, or sharp, or round, or high, or low, or full, or thin, or wide, or narrow.  See more about that beauty  here.

As for Ethereals and Dramatics, their beauty derives from archetypes that aren't based in human physical reality. That's a long post, though, so I'll save it for next week.  :-)

If you're a Bright Spring or a Bright Winter, you've probably been advised to go for super-shiny finishes and sparkly jewelry.

But if your style identity consists only of Natural, Dramatic, and/or Gamine, you know that these masculine essences ask for matte finishes.  (Sparkly and glittery finishes read as feminine.)

How do you reconcile these two realities?

Bright seasons need, above all, an overall impression of brightness and high contrast. Blingy jewelry is of course one way to achieve that, but it's not the only way – – otherwise Bright season men,  who generally very very little jewelry, would never be able to fully manifest their Bright selves! Right? 

You can stick with matte and enamel finishes in your jewelry and still look amazingly Bright by focusing on value contrast (light-dark contrast) and color contrast in your clothes and accessories.

Here are some examples of women and men in Bright-looking ensembles  with little or no shiny jewelry.  I hope they inspire you!

​

Natural is one of the most difficult style identities for us to wrap our heads around. Most of us want to feel beautiful, but we have difficulty seeing the beauty in a style ID that's by definition masculine and unfancy. I say this as a Natural blend myself.

Here, I offer you some words to use as synonyms for Natural, to help you find the beauty in your own Natural blend. 

"Raw" makes me think of things in their pure, unadulterated states. I've never enjoyed having to pretend to be someone or something I'm not. I feel like Natural gives me permission not to put on airs, permission to just relax. 
​

"Relaxed" describes Natural's lines -- the lack of tailoring and construction in the clothing -- but it also describes Natural's vibe. "Pure ease," I sometimes think when I think about Natural. A feeling of complete peace and relaxation. 
​

I love the comfort and simplicity of Natural. Since I was little, I've always been one to take my shoes off, to cut the tags out of my cloths, to loosen and untie things -- I've never enjoyed being belted or buttoned up. 

I could have edited "sloppy" out of the word cloud above, but I left it in, because I think it's instructive with regard to Natural style: what looks sloppy on others looks just right on Naturals. Unfinished hems, untucked shirts, shirts falling off one shoulder, rolled sleeves -- these details look great on us Natural blends. 

​
Not sure of your style type? Try a virtual analysis. 

So you're a Natural Gamine, a "Tomboy." But that's not your personality at all! Is your style ID all wrong? 

Naw.  In the Truth is Beauty system, personality isn't correlated at all with style identity. 

Which isn't to say you can't dress like your personality -- if that's what floats your boat, do it! 

But if you want to dress in the way that best visually flatters your natural physical form, be guided by your visual self only. Let who you really are be a delightful, additional layer that complements your surface beauty. 

I'm a tomboy in my soul.  But I don't look like a tomboy, and I wouldn't be flattered by most tomboy-looking styles. "Tomboy" as an archetype for a style identity is about appearance only, as are all of the archetypes. 

If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style Identity Calculator!

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"Soft Natural" seems to be almost a catch-all category for women with some Natural and some feminine influence. That's because it's a style type that collapses features of several types into just one. This creates confusion for a lot of women.

"Soft Natural" is essentially Natural with Romantic. Romantic is sexy, womanly femininity. Now, that kind of feminine beauty isn't the only kind. But some systems believe it is.

In a system that only has one feminine essence, all manifestations of feminine beauty end up getting assigned to Romantic.  So women whose feminine beauty is of the Ingenue or Ethereal variety end up getting categorized as Soft Natural, and the recs don't all work. 

For example, Soft Naturals supposedly get light, floaty fabrics.  Those don't work well on women with a lot of Romantic, but they're great on women with a lot of Ethereal. If you're an unsatisfied Soft Natural who looks great in light-as-air fabrics and the most mystical aspect of Soft Natural, you might be Ethereal Natural instead.  

Soft Naturals also supposedly get puff sleeves.  Puff sleeves are girly, even princessy -- in other words, they're Ingenue. If you're an unsatisfied Soft Natural who's great in puff sleeves and other girly aspects of Soft Natural, you might actually be a Natural Ingenue. 

​Still lost? Consider a virtual analysis.

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. 

I'm an Ethereal Natural.  I love my style identity -- both halves of it.  

Discovering you're strongly Natural can feel like a bummer, for a couple of reasons:

 - Natural is a masculine essence, and we woman often feel that if we look "masculine," we're unpretty

- Natural feels so unexceptional. What's there to get excited about?

To the first point: Gisele Bundchen. Very strongly Natural, and stunning. Google her.

To the second point: Here are some of the reasons I love, love, love being a Natural...

•  I love that comfortable clothes actually look good on me. I can't stand being constrained or buttoned up or confined,  and, as a Natural, I don't have to be.

•  Same with shoes -- the most comfortable shoes are actually flattering on me. Thank goodness! Heels drive me nuts.

•  My clothes are less expensive, because the less expensive fabrics tend to be Natural fabrics. 

• Nothing I own gets dry-cleaned.
  

• It's unfortunate but true: women with very feminine faces are sometimes taken less seriously and given less respect. I think the Natural elements of my face make it easier for me to be heard.

•  If I'm in a hurry, I can skip jewelry without worrying that it's ruining my look.

•  Similarly, if I'm in a hurry, I can throw on some gloss and blush and know that I'm looking my best.

• I can keep my hair very, very low-maintenance and know that it looks right for me. I just comb it when I get out of the shower;  that's literally all I do. 

This is the stuff I remind myself of if I ever find myself wishing I was a more "exciting" or "feminine" type.

​But that doesn't happen too often, now that I've had several few years of practice being comfortable with who I am.

I want that feeling for you too!   <3 

If your Style Identity consists solely of Natural Dramatic, and/or Gamine, and you've purchased your What Not To Wear guide, you've probably seen that your skirt no-no section is really long. 

If you think about it, it makes sense -- all three of these essences are masculine, and, in our culture, skirts are iconically feminine garments.

So what skirts do you get to wear?

What I'm going to say next may sound weird, but it's really good advice to understand which skirts will look best on you:

Anything skirt-like that a man could pull off will probably work for you. 

All around the world, throughout history and continuing today, men do wear skirt-like garments -- and they make them work!

​Dramatic, Natural, and Gamine women, men's skirt shapes are our skirt shapes. 

Now, I know that this may be a difficult idea for some of us to accept, because we want to feel pretty, and we are invested in the idea that pretty = feminine. 

But it's my goal to destigmatize "masculinity" for women, so that we can accurately acknowledge those features in ourselves. 

In style analysis, see, "masculine" and "feminine" are not two discrete groups at opposite poles of a binary.

Instead, there are "masculine" features and "feminine" features.

Many, but not all, men have predominantly "masculine" features.  

Many, but not all, women have predominantly "feminine" features.

​Most of us have some of both. And we look awesome!  

Check out models: the most gorgeous female models often have a lot of masculinity in their features, and the most gorgeous male models often have a lot of femininity.

If you're a strongly Natural, Dramatic, or Gamine woman, you have masculine elements in your appearance. Own it and love it!  :-)

    -      -       -       -        -       -       -       -       -       -    
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​
Anyway... for us women with a lot of Natural, Dramatic, or Gamine, the skirts that complement "masculine" features are the skirts that will look great on us. ​

​The outline of a masculine skirt will always resemble a rectangle, square, or trapezoid.

​If there is draping, it's elongated and subtle. If there are gathers, they are similarly subtle -- there's never a bouffant effect at the hips. And if there are pleats, they are large and sharp, like kilt pleats.

 

Over the years, so many of you have asked for shopping guides for each of the 63 Style Identities.
I have been working on them for a long time.
Finally, I am ready to offer them to you. 

Each of these multi-page guide tells you which specific items you should look for when you shop.

It includes sections for wardrobe essentials such as tops, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, and shoes.

It also includes sections for special items such as hats, bags, jewelry, and swimwear.  

In addition, I describe what you should look for in fit, fabrics, waist treatment, prints, shapes, and use of color.

It's comprehensive! 

I will be sending these out beginning November 1st.
I'm offering them for $24.99.  
But if you pre-order today, you'll get yours for $19.99.  

I'm so excited to finally offer a tool that provides visual examples of how to wear your Style Identity!

The Style Identity Calculator helped you figure out your Style Identity.

But it can be difficult to know how to translate that Style ID into an ensemble each morning.

The new Visual Style Guides help solve that problem.

Each guide shows three different women dressed as your Style Identity. Annotations explain each element of the ensemble. 
​

The guide is a one-page PDF, so you can print it and hang it in your dressing area, and also pull it up on your phone when you're shopping.

You deserve this!

(A thoughtful and affordable  holiday gift idea: Analyze your loved ones with the Style Identity Calculator, and then surprise them with a Visual Style Guide.)

Of the seven pure style identities, I believe Natural is the most common type - but perhaps the hardest to define. 

The other types are exceptional by definition: 

Dramatic are exceptionally imposing.
Romantics are exceptionally sexy.
Ethereals are exceptionally otherworldly. 
Gamines and Ingenues stand out because of their seemingly eternal youthfulness and their small stature.
And Classics are unusually symmetrical and balanced. 


Naturals, by contrast, are mostly defined by what they are not. 

They are not visually extreme in any regard. Not extremely imposing, not extremely small, not extremely sexy, not extremely alien.

Naturals are just that - humans in their typical, average, natural state.

If Naturals get a superlative, it has to be "most friendly-looking." Even Natural supermodels look nice!

Naturals create an overall visual impression of being friendly, sturdy, and ordinary.

The attributes in a woman that tend to create this impression include:

• An "athletic" body: straight, strong, and wide-boned
  
• A toothy, friendly smile
  
• A wide jaw
  
• A nose that's large but blunt-edged, not sharp
  
• A long, blunt (not pointy) chin
  
• Close-set or small eyes
  
• Average to above-average height

Wait - go back a minute. Did she just call Naturals ordinary-looking?

Well, I did. 

The ordinariness, the average-ness, is what makes them so appealing.

They feel  familiar.  We relate to them. We expect them to welcome us as fellow ordinary people. 

Of course, since appearance =/= personality, a friendly-looking Natural may secretly be a right royal b****. 

But that's part of the fun, isn't it?

If you're a Natural whose guileless exterior belies a devilish interior, you're twice as fascinating. 

Regardless of whether or not you're the girl-next-door that you appear to be, your Natural form will be most flattered by Natural clothes: simple lines, comfortable fits, textured fabrics, functional accessories, and an overall informal vibe. 

Naturals can be confused with Dramatics. Both types can appear somewhat masculine. ("Yang," other writers say, but I'm trying to eschew those euphemisms.) 

To distinguish between a Dramatic and a Natural, you might ask, "Does this face look friendly or threatening?"

A Natural's ordinariness may cause her to be confused with a Classic. 

An important difference between a Natural and a Classic is that Classics present an idealized version of the human average: moderate and balanced in every single dimension, without any asymmetry. 


Naturals present the actual human average, which comes with asymmetries and lumps and bumps.

A test: Look at a person and imagine a cartoonist's caricature. If that's hard to do, you might be looking at a Classic. It's hard to caricature a Classic  because nothing sticks out. But Naturals have plenty that sticks out.

This is why Naturals feel accessible and Classics feel aloof: Classics are so balanced that it feels almost inhuman. Naturals' "imbalances" are entirely human. 

...about two style identities being the maximum that anyone can reasonably work with.

I have been attempting to flesh out definable archetypes for three-way style identities.

Initially, I thought it would be impossible. But I'm actually finding it very doable.

For example, I'm thinking of Romantic-Ethereal-Classic as "Elegant Aphrodite."

Other examples of three-way combo archetypes in progress:

Romantic-Natural-Classic = "Alluring L.L. Bean."
Dramatic-Gamine-Ingenue = "Girlish Punk Rocker."
Classic-Gamine-Ingenue = "Darling Prep Schooler, a.k.a. Cher from 'Clueless.' "

My Pinterest boards for each three-way combo are still secret, but I aim to make them public soon. When I do, I'll add info about the trifold combos to this site.

In total, we'll have 63 style identity options:
7 pure essences + 21 doubles + 35 triples.

Do you have ideas about particular three-essence archetypes? Share them in the comments!

Edited to add:
I've made all of the above-mentioned Pinterest boards public. You can see them here: 
https://www.pinterest.com/coloranalysis/

This is an excellent tool if you already know what looks good on you, but you don't know how that translates into a coherent Style ID.

It's also great for analyzing friends, family, and celebs.

To use it, you'll need internet access and a PC with Microsoft Excel.


The Style ID Calculator was fantastic! Turns out I'm a Natural-Ingénue-Classic.  -  R.G.