Discover your color palette and your style type.

How do I Combine Light Spring Colors with My Dramatic or Gamine Style ID?

4/1/2019

Your palette seems inherently gentle and graceful. Yet your Dramatic or Gamine Style Identity calls for a bold use of color. Can you do that?

Sure you can!

Definitely wear your Light Spring colors.
But wear them in solid blocks, rather than in watercolor or ombre effects.

This would not be so good for a Dramatic or Gamine:

This use of Light Spring blue is excellent for an Ethereal blend, but not so fitting for a style type with a more aggressive energy.

A use of Light Spring color more like this , below, would be more appropriate for a Dramatic or Gamine:

The color is in solid blocks, not gently blended. It's still the Light Spring palette, but on a person with Light Spring skin, the effect will be bold.

Even better, consider doing head-to-toe charcoal, vanilla, or raspberry (Light Spring's versions of black, white, and red) to create a Dramatic effect. Or try unusual combinations of your palette's "primaries" and "secondaries": ocean blue with popsicle orange, butter yellow with grape purple, and so on.

Your seasonal coloring does play a small role in your style identity -- people with highly contrasting coloring tend to make a more intense visual impression, and people with very low-contrast coloring tend to make a more gentle physical impression.

But your coloring isn't determinative of your Style ID. Light and Soft seasons are definitely represented among Dramatic and Gamine style types.

Hope this helps!

:-)

First published November 2017

48 Comments

11/6/2017 04:07:44 pm

Don't forget bold stripes and geometric prints :)

Lena

11/7/2017 03:20:02 am

Any celebrity examples of a light spring with a gamine or a dramatic style ID?

11/7/2017 02:53:48 pm

Taylor Swift is a Light Spring with some Gamine in her style ID. Renee Zellweger is also listed on this site as a LSP, and she looks to me like she might have some Gamine. Does anyone know if Michelle Williams (the actress, not the singer) is a Light or a True Spring?

Katja

11/8/2017 02:43:39 am

Taylor Swift is often dressed in black and that doesn't suit her at all. Her colouring is so light. Black is to powerful on her and dosn't relate to her at all. Many women wear black theese days and I find it so boring. And only Winters look good in black.
Renee Zellweger probably have Gamine.
I Think Michelle Williams is a LSP, but I'm not sure.

Nancy

11/8/2017 03:40:46 am

Yes, black is boring. It dosn't make you look slimmer either. And you really can achieve a dramatic or cool look without using black.

11/8/2017 08:50:24 pm

I agree, Katja (you have a really cool name by the way), black is terrible on Taylor Swift. I don't think it helps that she often wears Gamine-Dramatic styles when she needs some Ingenue to really look her best.

Black (along with gray, white, and navy) is my own go-to for neutrals and basic tops, because it's hard for me to go wrong with that color, but I do wish it was easier to find fun colors appropriate for a DW. At least during summer there's hot pink and such.

Alex

11/7/2017 07:10:18 pm

What about the opposite issue - if your season is
bold and high-contrast, but your style ID is gentle?

Katja

11/9/2017 02:40:54 am

KC, thank you!

Rachel

11/13/2017 11:48:09 am

Hi, Alex! The choices you make in your cuts, your fabrics, and your details will go a long way toward gentling your otherwise vibrant and high-contrast palette. And, of course, your vivid colors don't read as vivid on you; they just look appropriate. You could create an Ethereal "sunrise" effect by combining Bright Winter pinks, yellows, oranges, greys, and whites, and on a BW Ethereal it would simply look appropriate -- not shocking.

Here's Bright Winter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who I believe had some Ingenue, in a pink dress. I bet you anything that pink is a neon coral in real life, but on her it simply looks sweet.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/27/fe/86/27fe860412b7155feacef99f90032eb7--sophie-ellis-bextor-winter-makeup.jpg

Katja

11/8/2017 03:05:13 am

Then you do the opposit. Don't use the boldest colours of your palette. Use your softer colours. The Winter palette has some ice colours that are very light for instance. And think about the contrast! Stay away from very high-contrast combos. You can also use your neutrals and go monocromatic.

Katja

11/8/2017 03:17:14 am

No bold colour combinations and prints!

11/8/2017 08:35:58 pm

The icy colors would probably work for dark-skinned Winters, but I'm not convinced they would provide enough color oomph for the light-skinned ones--a Winter's definition of "low-contrast" is probably still bolder than for other seasons. For example, the "Dark Winter Celebrities" page on this site has a picture of Mila Kunis in an icy blue that looks too pale and washed out by itself. Rachel also has a pic on her Polyvore of DW Ingenue clothes that look like the DW version of SSu's berry colors, which makes me think that some low-contrast Winters might have better luck with their palette's medium-light colors than with the absolute lightest ones. And I suspect Bright seasons with low-contrast style IDs might still require a bit of hue contrast, even if they're avoiding value contrast. It shouldn't be too bold if they wear those colors as an ombre/watercolor effect rather than in solid blocks, right?

Katja

11/9/2017 03:01:13 am

A Winter's definition of "low-contrast" is still bolder than for other seasons. Icy colours can be a little light for some Winters if you don't combine them with this palettes medium-light colours.
I like that about watercolour effect!

11/9/2017 04:46:18 pm

Excuse me, I got my pictures mixed up! It's Jaime Murray instead of Mila Kunis on the "Dark Winter Celebrities" page. "Understanding Your DW Look" is the one with Mila--and that icy violet actually looks pretty dang good on her!

Alex

11/8/2017 04:43:57 pm

I've another question (sorry!): Gamine, Dramatic, and Natural are all "ying", correct? But both Gamine and Dramatic are bold and "aggressive" in a way that Natural is not, correct? Could you elaborate on the differences?

Thank you so much!

Katja

11/9/2017 02:33:32 am

According to Kibbe dramatic is sharp yang, Natural is soft yang and Gamine is a combination of extreme yin and yang(Dramatic and Romantic). According to Rachel Gamine is yang.
Dramatic energy is bold and aggressive. Natural energy is not aggressive. Gamine energy is boyish and edgy, but not in an aggressive way. It's more in a playful way.
I hope this helps!

Rachel

11/13/2017 11:35:00 am

Hi, Alex!

I generally use "masculine" and "feminine" instead of "yang" and "yin," because I felt the latter verbiage was a way of pussyfooting around an issue that would be better dealt with head-on. Many women do have "masculine" features, and there's nothing wrong with that, but using euphemistic language felt to me like it was treating the idea of being masculine as taboo. Like, why can't we just say that word?

Anyway!... Dramatic, Natural, and Gamine are all masculine, but in different ways. What they have in common is they're all flattered by triangles and rectangles and squares, *not* by curving lines. Dramatic and Natural also do better with large-sized shapes, and a minimal amount of detail. The main distinguishers between Dramatic and Natural is that Dramatic edges are sharp, while Natural edges are blunted, and Dramatic lines are almost always narrow, while Natural lines can be broad.

Gamine embodies a sort of youthful masculinity -- boyishness, actually -- and as a result, it's more androgynous than Natural and Dramatic. This shows up in Gamine's small-sized shapes, and in Gamine's need for profuse detail (which usually reads as feminine.)

I hope this helps!

11/15/2017 02:06:56 am

Rachel,

I always thought Gamine had an androgynous quality to it--good to know I wasn't imagining things :). It raises an interesting question, though--is one of the feminine style identities more androgynous than the others?

If so, it's obviously not Romantic. I can see Ethereals being more androgynous because their features tend to look comparatively more masculine (longer, broader, blunter, kind of like Naturals') and because they need elongated shapes, which possibly add an element of straightness to the feminine curving lines. On the other hand, Ingenue details are simpler and more geometric than for the other feminine style identities, and it would make sense for both the youthful styles to be the comparatively androgynous ones since there are few to no physical differences between prepubertal girls and boys (excepting genitalia, of course). So which is it?

11/9/2017 12:43:56 pm

I am really loving these 'here's how to make the color season work with the style ID' posts! And with that, a question for you, Rachel, as you do such a great job of describing ethereal:

How do you best make ethereal 'work?' in color ID? I get that ombre effect works, that monochrome or low-contrast works... I think what my mental block is that I am trying for an ENC look, and low-contrast neutrals work fantastic! BUT, I feel like they're a bit... well, boring. :/ As an ethereal yourself, do you have tips for how to keep a low-contrast look going without feeling like you're deliberately trying to blend in with the scenery?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Katja

11/10/2017 08:30:17 am

Hi, W! I'm not Rachel, but I hope you would consider my suggestions anyway...
Neutrals are good, but you don't have to use only neutrals. You can combine your neutrals with colours that are not boring. For instance, you can combine grey with blue, green or purple. Or combine beige with aqua or pink. You will still have a low-contrast outfit if you choose colours with similar value.
Or you don't have to wear neutrals at all. You can make an outfit that is all purple, turquoise or blue. Those colours are not boring!
You can also combine blue and green (some people say you can't) but I don't agree. If you want to you can add a neutral to that, such as beige or white.

Rachel

11/13/2017 11:28:46 am

In this case, my advice is to bring in Natural in your color scheme, and focus on Ethereal and Classic in your lines, details, and fabrics. You can create an exciting Natural color impression by combining the earth and sky colors from your palette -- the blues, greens, browns, and even some reds and yellows.

11/13/2017 06:37:01 pm

Thank you both for the ideas!

11/15/2017 01:00:26 pm

What's really funny is that the more I played around with this suggestion, the more I realized how much natural colors really don't work for me... or natural fabrics... or natural lines... and wow, I look a lot better in dramatic lines than natural ones. I think I had such a mental block against dramatic = / = pretty that I'd inherently skewed my read on the style calculator to avoid those more imposing looks. Now this advice about dramatic + light seasons is super helpful and working really well. So, thanks! Completely opposite result than I expected, but it was eye-opening all the same!

Melina

4/1/2019 12:21:32 pm

It's funny but I'm wondering a similar thing as you now, W, just a little bit, on reading this re-published article... Watercolor effects (recommended for E) are really not good for me, neither are prints, I need bold color, so could it be possible that I actually have some some D rather than E...? Maybe I've also had some kind of mental block against D... Maybe it's time to re-do the calculator, just in case ;)

Melina

4/1/2019 12:26:47 pm

And to add to the "list" pointing to D, I can (and love only too much to) dress head-to-toe in black, especially in cold seasons, even tough I believe I'm a Spring... I've been so confused about that ;)

Jennifer

4/5/2019 09:41:33 am

Melina-- I'm a Bright/Clear Spring, and can also wear black. Although opinion is divided on this, many color systems maintain that Bright Springs can wear some black because of the influence of Winter, and I agree IMO.

Melina

4/6/2019 03:28:11 am

Jennifer, I know, but "some black" just doesn't cut it for me, I can wear all-over black ;) I do feel most color systems are overly negative about black, it's one of best & easiest neutrals, after all, so I do think everyone but the Lights can actually do it!

Anyway, I re-did the quiz and got no D, same as before, but also did the Kibbe test and according to it I'm Theatrical Romantic, which is a kind of mixture of Romantic and Dramatic..! Very intriguing.

11/10/2017 01:08:14 am

Thanks a lot. This post is helpful, als a SSu DC I run into the same troubles.

Alli

11/10/2017 01:51:30 pm

Hi, I have a question! With winter approaching, how would someone with ingenue or ethereal style ID dress for cold weather? Thanks :)

11/10/2017 04:26:55 pm

An Ingenue would look for cute (feminine) sweaters, coats, and hats. She'd wear tights under skirts. I've heard riding boots are a good boot option for Ingenues, so long as they're not too chunky, rugged, or sharp-looking. It is possible to find Ingenue-appropriate pants, though not necessarily easy given the styles that are currently favored. Skinny pants might work so long as they're not too straight or too skintight, and so long as they have a gentle wash if they're jeans. For other pants ideas, look at the Ingenue collection on Rachel's Polyvore (in-vero-pulcritudo) or Google "ingenue style pants."

Ethereal winter wear might be more difficult just because they favor such lightweight fabrics. They might have to rely on layering, so long as the outfit doesn't start looking too Natural. The Ethereal could try long, drapey, billowy coats, capes, shawls, sweaters, and tunic tops. Mysterious hoods and floaty scarves would work for her. Appropriate bottoms include maxi skirts and palazzo pants--if she can find leggings with a bit of sheen or shimmer to them, those could work as well. For winter boots, she would probably look for something tall but very flat-heeled, with a gently rounded or gently pointed toe, in a palette-appropriate light neutral--maybe tan, cream, or light grey.

Hope this was helpful!

Rachel

11/13/2017 11:26:35 am

Hi, Alli! I deal with this issue every year, LOL. As an Ethereal, I own a few soft, flowy capes and cloaks that are great over clothes or even another coat. The fabric is thick, but they still feel Ethereal because the fabrics have a fuzzy surface. I wear knee-high and over-the-knee boots a lot; that helps too. I'll still wear my fine, floaty fabrics, but I layer underneath them. And I have some very furry, magical-looking winter boots that I love. They look a little bit like this: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/19/47/61/1947614a470566fc1c56c9ea84c10d2c--winter-flats-furry-boots.jpg

For Ingenue, you can use knee socks or tights instead of bare legs when you wear skirts and dresses. Sweater sets are awesome for Ingenues, of course. Princess coats are great too. And cute little gloves and beanie-or bonnet-style hats are adorable on Ingenues.

Lizzie

4/1/2019 02:10:51 pm

Hi friends. So, as many of you have probably noticed, I’ve recently joined this blog and have been asking about REG. And I am so grateful for the positive feedback you guys shared with me. With all your help, comments, and a few weeks of testing styles and looking at REG type celebrities, I am now coming to the revelation that I’m an REI. And honestly I’m nervous to even be commenting this, because it seems like a lot of people comment this type despite their personal style description not aligning with REI at all... And I’m not going to lie, I think I initially landed on REG but it looked the best on me but it was fun and engergetic- subconsciously I am fun like Gamine on the inside. But at the end of the day it’s the ingenue with RE that simply melds with my features so. much. better. I’m trying to accept that I’m more traditionally cute rather than fun Gamine cute. I even tried to fit myself into D and C and then I tried go down to 2-essence ID’s only... none of which worked or matched my best outfits. I’m on the journey to accepting myself and accepting REI (and all of the stereotypes that might come with being borderline kitschy or garishly feminine). I’m going to do what works and looks best on me, CONFIDENTLY, without worrying about what others want to say about it. Because everyone *does* always seem to have something to say about my style (men and women alike). Whether it nicer comment or a passive agressive one... today I’m deciding to just honestly not give a f*** about it. :) And I encourage everyone to do the same! LOL.

That being said, I scoured this blog in search of info about REI celebs and stores etc. The only celeb that has came up is Christina Hendricks as an REI (I’m SO grateful for the blogger, Katja, who commented this. A godsend comment!) After commenting previously about the celebs that look most similar to me, someone recently informed me that Kirby Griffin is probably EI, possibly with a dash of Romantic. Which again, is on track for me, because I look like alot like her except my eyes are more upturned and my cheeks are fuller. If any fellow Truth is Beauty readers or the TIB bloggers themselves would be willing to share any REI knowledge, I would be so so so grateful. I plan to purchase the REI style guides soon, but I know the comment section provides such a great wealth of knowledge too!

Lizzie

4/1/2019 02:17:35 pm

Whoops! Made a typo. I meant to say: “And I’m not going to lie, I think I initially landed on Romantic-Ethereal-Gamine BECAUSE it looked the best on me overall but instead it was a bit more fun and engergetic- subconsciously I am fun like Gamine on the inside.”

Janet

4/1/2019 11:05:21 pm

Hi Lizzie, so great to see your comments and to hear about your journey! I'm in the process of learning, so please take what I say with a HUGE grain of salt, but I wonder if Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine from Star Trek) is also REI. Here's a pic: https://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/jeri_ryan/filmography.html

I suspect that the Pyramid Collection and Reformation may both be good places to look for REI clothing, although they both have a lot more than REI.

And I sympathize with thinking you have G and finding out you're I instead. At this point, I believe I'm EDI, with some C, but before I did the style ID calculator, I was convinced I was EG. I suspect I was picking up on the fact that my face is somewhat androgynous, and I look younger than I am. But I know that I also wanted to be G because I'm shy by nature, but I have a playful streak. I'm getting more comfortable showing my playfulness, and I would have loved to be able to show it in my clothing. But hey, it can be fun to surprise people too! I

am so sorry that you've had to deal with unwelcome comments about your appearance. I wish you all the freedom and fun of wearing what you want and not caring about anyone else!

Bridgett

4/5/2019 05:25:41 pm

Hi! I am REI, and had previous stylist consulatations helping me be be quite confident in this judgment, the looks, recommendations, fabrics, way to wear colors, patters, etc. match up. So mybe I could give a few tips and store suggestions - Modcloth, fit and flare or with some waist definition at or above the waist. A lot c9mbine with E and/or R. A lot of tops or cardigans are sheer and E feeling, and could be worn over a more R or straight Ingenue dress or top/with bottoms. Modcloths waistbands, and sashes from a variety of places (or handmade) can define waist more yin than most belts (Kate Spade, J Crew, Ann Taylor Loft can have skinny, often sparkly or shiy belts with bows or interesting delicate hardware instead of more yang belts).

J Crew and Ann Taylor are not just Classic, actually, especially and carry more whimsical pieces too I would habe guessed. They often have oval necklines and cowlnecks of soft material and soft slim pants with slim stretch of different lengths, metallics or shimmer in clothes (you can find this in a lot of stores in any price range if you look), often they have Romantic accent details like flowers sewn on in the same color and material as a detaill or delicate detailng like pointelle or eyelet like Ingenue. At Old Navy at Cjritsmas I even got velvet "jeans" with no pockets amd a side zip that were ankle length, with stretch and slim, and there were other styles quite yin. J Crews skinny velvet jeans are way more, but soft, and I don't know the ruching factor and tjey had pockets and a regular zipper (a lot less REI).

American Apparrel sold high waisted velvet leggings whichcan be a good base for a looser top with a waist shown, and very soft shorter petticoats to add more an R fit and flare. .

Anthroplologie (especially Sweet Pea with watercolor tops with open necklines and fitted, often light fabric and delicate shape; Odille with circle skirts in watercolor patterns, for example of two brands, but lots more, jist low texture items).

Free People often mixes ethereal in, and you can find pieces adding I or R, if not both. Alannah Hill (online if not in Australia), very R amd I, but a lot of delicacy in some pieces. Lauren Conrad used to sell a lot of nice tulle skirts and some dresses that fit rather well, and sometimes Elle, also from Kohls, have things. Occasionally H and M, more for shoes or singlular pieces than dresses. Chicwish (watercolor soft skirts, lots of soft fabrics, etc). Asos (but narrow the search and sift lace is best).

You can find random things often in cheap mall stores and department stores just likely need to pull it together with the whole outfit. I shop a lot looking through ebay or online resale sites. Filigree jewelry and some earrings I often end up on etsy, but a lot of accessories are easy to find online, like hair accessories, lots of delicate jewelry, . lace tights and sparkly tights or poinelle bobby socks...

Ballet flats, including sparkly and with other interest, I het on clearance at H and M, but there are tons of great places for shoes on and offline. Sandals that are intricate and mayne shiny. We have Von Maur where I love whuch is great, amazon, DSW...

Ballet, not the bare restrained looks but the right fabrics and details and soft silhouttes on top of R's stretchy fitted underlayers if that makes sense, might be nice to draw inspo from. Again, pieces can be found at random. Camisoles, bodysuits, tanks, everywhere... Wrap tops all over and I usually get online. I mentioned skirts, and more delicate shorter skater skirts I wear too and wrap ones. Just random finds.

Sorry this is so long.

Lizzie

4/5/2019 08:27:47 pm

Hello Bridgett! Oh don’t apologize for the length- your message was extremely helpful! (I’m a lengthy writer myself :) You have so many great insights! Great to hear from another REI (I’m not alone)! It also makes my heart happy to hear you mention sticking to a ballerina theme as a general rule of thumb. That’s a revelation I recently came to. The style ids closest to REI (which still have youth essence) are RIC and EIC. The title “Ballerina” is used in EIC and no other Style ID. When I was consolidating my beauty drawer (makeup & polishes) to only my favorite/best/most complimented colors, I couldn’t help but notice how many of the color names were ballerina themed!! There was a pattern to my best colors & I hadn’t even noticed it before! Additionally, whenever I go to department store makeup counters, the makeup artists always gravitate towards a ballerina type shade for me too. Even when I ask for a brighter or brownish color. Which always confused me.

I think REI and DNG technically don’t have a hard time finding something to work for them because all items typically have at least ONE of these essences- I’d say REI and DNG can find items at the gas station or Nordstroms alike. The hard part is finding something that actually suits their ID in it’s entirety. It takes a bit of work to find items with ALL femininity or ALL masculinity which they glow in. It’d be nice if I didn’t always have to alter or hodgepodge items/outfits achieve REI. I feel like I always see RNI and RNG outfits ready to go off-the-rack! It’d be nice to have items like that for my Style ID that I can just easily find and purchase. As a rule of thumb, I’m going to try and only purchase items that have at least 2/3 of my ID in it. That way, I don’t have to spend as much time on building my outfit essences-by-essence.

Wow! YES to DSW, Anthropology, & Free People (I just make sure to avoid the Natural in those last 2 stores). I’ll be sure to check out those labels in Anthro you mentioned- never heard of them before. Thank you!!! Occasionally I do have a good find at H&M. And I love Elle and Lauren Conrad at Kohls too! I have some Elle items and something on the L.C. rack always catches my eye! Now, I did always assume JCrew and Ann Taylor were primarily classic stores! I will be sure to actually stop inside and check them out next time! And thank you for the tips on the soft flats, sheer cardis, and leggings with shorter R tops! I’ve recently budgeted to updated my wardrobe for the summer, and I’m going to try going to try the stores and items you mentioned for everyday wear!

As an REI do you have any favorite makeup products, hairstyles/haircolors, or celebrity style icons? Ooh and I’ve been trying to find the right style of purses (there are none on the REI board). Thanks again!

Bridgett

4/10/2019 07:31:01 pm

Sorry, Lizzie, I can't reply directly under your response! I mainly look online for clothes, not in stores, to find exactly what I am looking for. It makes it a lot easier and lots of time to sift and find exactly what you want and at your price point.

Though if I see something in person affordable or discounted I might get it if it is right. I agree it isn't a difficult combination (REI) especially if your coloring is easy (mine is LSu). I find a lot of the range at some of those shops on Poshmark, searching the shops, or narrowing what I am searching for and they show up as having examples of items or details I am looking for -- even if I don't end up buying from there, it is partly how I came to see the range at Ann Taylor/LOFT and J Crew. Yes, and you do have to be careful of the natural at Anthropologie especially, they just have tons of random stuff!

And same on ebay I easily find specific items I came across on Poshmark or Pinterest or ideas I have in mind. And I might search general department stores or clothing stores I think have potential, ones listed or other ones I have seen a few items as examples -- usually opting to try and find items resold if the store runs expensive.

I always buy with at least 2 of those 3 essences in them (I was analyzed by John Kitchener originally with Y/R/C/A, and I'm a Zyla Playful Ballerina lol! So this system just falls right into place for me stylistically and actually feels quite flexible when I shop focusing on REI conceptually!)

For my hair I prefer it past my shoulders, side parted, and if possible soft curls when I make the time. Otherwise just natural slightly wavy. I might pull it in a ponytail/the sides back together with braided or not and then together in back/or wear low pigtails, maybe a bun with a few tendrils loose. Maybe a couple side pieces pulled back with a couple sparkling filigree sparkling barettes. Ribbons around the ponytail/bun/part updo.

With simple hair worn down, curled or just wash and wear, a few decorative bobby pins on the side of my hair. Something like that. Or wear a lacey or slightly glitzy or pearlescent soft hairwrap when my hair is down instead of a traditional headband.

Lindsay

4/5/2019 06:19:45 pm

I believe Amanda Seifred is REI.

Lizzie

4/5/2019 07:16:01 pm

Hi Lindsay! Thanks for your response! I was checking out Amanda Seyfried ID a while ago. She was very similar but, per usual, I noticed that her features (and the styles that were really suiting her) were more masculine than me. Fast forward to this week and I discovered an older blogpost in which Katja (she’s one of the TIB bloggers I think) confirmed to someone that Christina Hendricks was REI while Amanda Seyfriend was EIG. Which I can see def see working great for her. I do try to get a little bit of style inspo from her though! I love seeing her style and I follow her on Instagram!

Jennifer

4/9/2019 12:10:19 am

I'm a newly discovered REI, too, after tons of trials with the style calculator and combing these articles and the TiB Pinterest boards! It was the last thing I expected. It's funny, I too was drawn to G and C identity blends, and I've also always loved the edgy Dramatic style- but try as I may, it just doesn't look nearly as right on me as a ruffled blouse or chiffon skirt does. (Sigh) However, the more I experiment with REI the more I see how much it flatters my features. In fact, what is probably too much feminine styling for a ton of women actually looks normal and flattering on me, not like I'm going to Ren Faire or to have tea with the Queen, lol. I don't have a lot of tips other than Pinterest has really helped me consider ways to put together outfits in ways that feel fresh, current, and elegant. I just search for keywords like ruffle blouse outfit, romantic dresses, etc, and pin everything onto my own board for inspiration. It's a learning curve but I'm starting to really enjoy this style and feeling good in my own skin.

4/1/2019 06:51:03 pm

Rachel, I am so glad you brought back this post. I had completely forgotten about it and was thinking about sending a message to ask "Is it possible to be a low-contrast Gamine?"

And here's the answer! Brilliant!

I feel like I have flailed -- like really, REALLY flailed around in style ID because I kept getting caught between colors that looked amazing (I'm LSu - so ethereal neutrals and ingenue pastels) and lines that looked good. I just could NOT seem to "see" the lines of the clothing. Pale as I am, if I wear (or set my face next to) bold colors, I can't 'see' myself at all. But then I realized the things that look best on me: short hair, slightly cropped sweatshirts in bright LSu colors, slim ankle jeans, and ALL. THE. ANKLE BOOTS (that made me laugh in Rachel's post - also, I didn't realize they were gamine).

Anyhow, I'm surprised to find the one thing I'd convinced myself I *couldn't* do (per Kibbe) is the one thing I was missing. Boy do I feel sheepish about it, too. :/

Ah well, better late than never. And with that knowledge, I am stunned at how much style advice I really need to ignore. I've found that yes, having an Unemphazied waist is vastly more flattering for me. Chopping up the vertical line is really cute. Lots of neat, dapper detail is good. Jewelry is BAD (so bad. I guess I was right when I kept thinking all my outfits look better without necklaces. I'm trying small neat neckscarves as an alternative and they're so cute!)

So, yeah. This is timely. Thank you again for the re-post, because this is absolutely confirming what I had begun to realize for myself. And as always, love this site and all the good info here. Now that I finally know where to dig, I can spend more time mining it. :)

Alex

4/2/2019 03:43:36 pm

This is such a great post!

I think that when season and style ID seem to be at odds with each other, it can make things complicated and confusing, but ultimately it can help you gain a deeper understanding of how all the elements work together.

I'm a Dark Winter and an Ethereal Natural (about 2/3 Natural and 1/3 Ethereal). It took me a long time to feel confident that I'm a Dark Winter, and part of that is because of my style ID. The DW palette is perfect for clothes (I light up in black - I put something black on and everything comes into focus - it's amazing) - but the make-up just doesn't seem right. But I just discovered Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm...in Red Dahlia. I tried all the shades (https://www.burtsbees.com/product/tinted-lip-balm/VM-792850894624.html) and none of them work (the lighter colors as disastrously wrong) - except for Red Dahlia. Red Dahlia is terrific. It's clearly a Dark Winter color - but it's a tinted balm rather than a matte lipstick, so just a hint of sheer color. That's what I need - makeup that is obviously makeup looks wrong on me - not wrong in colors, but wrong in style - but it's important that the makeup I do wear be Dark Winter colors. Red Dahlia is PERFECT. Sheer, subtle, almost not there...and Dark Winter!!!

Victoria

4/3/2019 12:04:39 pm

Ooooooooo! I'm a Dark Winter RNG who also doesn't like lipstick and I was JUST looking at Red Dahlia and wondering if it would work. On a normal day I just put Rosebud Salve on my lips. I wear Buxom French Martini Cream Gloss (cool fig) on date night, but I'd love a middle ground. This sounds perfect! I'll definitely try it now, thanks Alex! :)

Alex

4/6/2019 02:08:58 pm

Oh, I'd love to know how it works for you if you try it!!

Lizzie

4/4/2019 02:08:05 am

Hi Janet, thanks for your reply and sharing your journey too! For some reason the website removed the reply button from your message so I’ll reply down here... hopefully you see this! Also thanks for that rec too- while I certainly see E in Jeri, I do think I’m seeing some Dramatic. She is so refreshingly pretty; very striking! Oh and I think I’ve heard of Reformation before! I’ll be sure to check out those stores.

And yes I’m totally with you on surprising people by just being yourself- so well said!

Charity link

4/5/2019 10:15:31 pm

How did you all settle on your clothing style combos? I'm sure I'm Classic first. I have very soft features like a Romantic (my face is super round, and gets even rounder when I put on weight) but less curves.

I tried an experiment where I put on different outfits, took photos of myself, and analyzed what looks best -- clean lines (classic, I assume), some sweetheart tops (romantic?), and a gamine-ish dress (long sleeves, crazy design, short flared skirt) which did overpower me due to being black, but I thought was really cute on me overall. Can I assume I'm a little gamine too? (I'm a bit taller than most, but kind of straight-bodied.)

Can't afford to ask for a professional consult at the moment, so I'm stuck working it out for myself. Any tips are appreciated.

Charity link

4/5/2019 10:25:30 pm

Oh, I also wanted to say -- I've been watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Spellman on Netflix, and it's been fun noticing the costuming choices and which actresses they suit and/or don't due to their style personalities. I'd say the lead is an Ingenue-Gamine (Kiernan Shipka) because she looks adorable / amazing in the "schoolgirl" / Nancy Drew style clothing and a preppy Gamine haircut (even tho the white hair and black clothes wash her out; and the classic lines don't suit her at all). Some of the other girls at the school can pull off Ingenue, the rest can't (the girl playing Blackwood's daughter must be a Dramatic -- she looks bad-ass in dramatic clothing, but silly with her lace Ingenue collars).

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f4/6e/4a/f46e4a3f23c828a37d6630f93abeaa94.jpg

https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5bd86cfc209e6d2d720d2235/master/w_768,c_limit/sabrina-real-life-pagan.jpg

Betti

7/1/2023 07:10:41 pm

Yay, this will be just a fun comment about being late to my own party! LOL
I´m actually a Light Spring with DGI essence and I felt so silly that I was never able to find nice clothes even when I discovered my colour type ... buuut, now I really don´t feel silly anymore... because this combo is just so what the h... confusing!!! *rofl*

At least I know now that I will look often for items with these twists like a certain sleeve and neckline type, oh and peplum. And I think in pastel with a small all over print. Yeah, this will be so easy... not. XD OMG I hope I can find one of these tops.

I love anchor prints, but somehow I feel it might be too stiff to choose a polo shirt with it. DGI is soo cute baby..
which I totally love and in some way wanted my whole life, but felt silly even considering it.
Maybe if the print covers only one part of the item? There is sth about a high amount of optical break ups... I guess this is the many details aspect from Gamine!!

I could write a novel on this I´m 100% sure, but I´ll leave it to it here.

Truth is Beauty

How do I Combine Light Spring Colors with My Dramatic or Gamine Style ID?

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