Discover your color palette and your style type.

Style Identities, Part II: The Truth is Beauty Style Identity System

9/24/2014

I start with the idea that there are seven basic styles essences.

I continue by accepting that any individual might be one essence alone, or a mix of several essences.

I then suggest that for any person to combine more than two primary style essences into a coherent style identity without the help of a paid image consultant is difficult at best.

This is a problem!

My solution is the Truth is Beauty Style Identity System:

7 pure identities
+
21 possible two-identity combinations

I believe most people will be able to find themselves either within a pure style identity or within a two-style identity combination.

In upcoming posts I'll detail what I believe are the defining physical traits of each style identity, based on my study of the currently existing style systems.

I'll also provide the style recommendations I've deduced for each style identity.

In the meantime, here is my list of 28 style identities.

Dramatic
Natural
Gamine
Classic
Ingenue
Romantic
Ethereal
Natural Dramatic
Dramatic Gamine
Classic Dramatic
Dramatic Ingenue
Dramatic Romantic
Ethereal Dramatic
Natural Gamine
Natural Classic
Natural Ingenue
Romantic Natural
Ethereal Natural
Classic Gamine
Gamine Ingenue
Romantic Gamine
Ethereal Gamine
Classic Ingenue
Romantic Classic
Ethereal Classic
Romantic Ingenue
Ethereal Ingenue
Ethereal Romantic

* * * * * * *

Many of you know the seven essential styles as well as (or better than!) I do.

With the exception of the Angelic style, which was first identified by John Kitchener and on which Ethereal is based, the style types go back decades.

So I would love to get your feedback, hear your ideas, see your Pinboards and Polyvores. Please contact me!

(Also, my decision about word order for each style identity was based simply on what sounded better. Disagree with my choice? Let me know!)

35 Comments

Vanessa link

9/24/2014 10:40:35 am

I will definitely be watching this space! I've long had an interest in Kitchener's system, but alas, the only way to know what you are in Kitchener is to have him tell you.

Sarah

9/24/2014 05:20:00 pm

I'm wondering if your system takes into account which of the 2 essences is dominant. In Kibbe's system TR and SD are both Romantic and Dramatic combines, but are 2 very different types. SD lines are closer to SN lines and TR lines are closer to R lines. So I'm wondering how these types are differentiated in your system. I'm fairly certain that I'm SD. I look great in those lines, I look OK in SN lines, I look like ridiculous in TR lines.

Mary

9/24/2014 07:58:32 pm

Very interesting, and thorough... Just so I'm clear on what angelic/ethereal is, though... Is it kind of like, gamine turned inside out? Like gamines are small and somewhat soft on the outside but dynamic personality wise, and ethereal is tall and slim on the outside but soft spoken, vulnerable, etc. personality wise? I guess I think a bit systematically so I'm curious for that reason lol.

Rachel

9/26/2014 12:06:58 pm

Hi, Mary!

I'm a systematic thinker as well (perhaps obsessively so), and I have been thinking for a long time about what dimensions must underlie the style types in order for Ethereal to make sense.

I'll be blogging about this at greater length, but, to nutshell: so far I've most successfully understood Ethereal by contrasting it with Romantic and Ingenue on the more feminine side, and then with Dramatic on the more masculine side.

Thinking about the more feminine style types: we have Ingenue, which is an archetype of pre-sexual, little-girl energy. We have Romantic, which is an archetype of mature, sexual, woman energy. Then there's Ethereal, which I believe circles back to a non-sexual energy, but one that's post-maturity - sort of a *transcended* female energy. Ethereal is wise while Ingenue is innocent; Ethereal is abstracted while Romantic is intensely corporeal. In some ways I think Ingenue-Romantic-Ethereal follows a Maiden-Mother-Crone trajectory.

And I think Ethereal is a corollary to Dramatic, over on the more masculine side. While Natural energy is raw masculinity, Dramatic is refined masculinity. (I think of Natural as the masculine corollary to Romantic: the purely N man as a Neanderthal and the purely R woman as a Venus of Willendorf. KWIM?)

So, getting back to what E and D have in common: D is masculine, but it's a step back from raw, messy masculinity. It's stylized, exaggerated, abstracted. And likewise, E is removed from feminine sexuality; more abstracted. It's as if D and E people emerge in part from our imaginations.

Well, maybe this will be my blog post after all. LOL.

Rachel Arnt-Schemmel

9/26/2014 12:21:38 pm

Sarah, I have been thinking about the TR/SD problem for a while now! Here are some of my thoughts:

I don't think combining the D and the R of McJimsey/Kitchener/every other style Yates out there gives us Kibbe's TR. I think it gives us Kibbe's SD.

Adding McJimsey's Gamine (Kitchener's High-Spirited) to R doesn't give us TR; it gives us something more like Kibbe's SG.

So how do we get Kibbe's TR from these seven style types without adding an additional dimension of asking which type is dominant?...

I think this is the answer: women best described by Kibbe's TR correspond to a mix of Ingenue (Kitchener's Youthful) and Dramatic.

This idea came to me after I saw that Maria S on Pinterest types Dita Von Teese as an Ingenue/Dramatic.

Here's how it makes sense to me: Ingenue +Dramatic would mean combining small, feminine details, circle shapes, and vintage styles with sharp or tapered lines and exaggerated, theatrical statements.

There's not a perfect overlap between D-I and TR as Kibbe describes it.

But between you and me, I've sometimes thought that the distinction between Kibbe's R and TR seemed a bit flimsy, and wondered if perhaps Kibbe's idea of the TR was based less in reason and logic and more in the specific creative vision he had for his very beautiful TR wife. It seems possible to me that he conceived of the type mainly as a way to describe his muse (who might be really be R or SD in anyone else's eyes.)

9/26/2014 01:50:29 pm

Interesting; I see it completely differently--Kibbe doesn't have youthful/ingenue at all. He only has three possible "ingredients" in his system: sharp yang, blunt yang, and yin. For me, there is no confusion about how TR and SD can coexist in one system; SD is sharp yang with a yin undercurrent and TR is yin with a sharp yang undercurrent. Sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether a person is SD or TR, this is true, but I have found that for those who are undecided, if a long vertical line is more important than waist cinching, they are SD and vice versa.

"High spirited" in Kibbe comes from the energy of contrast inherent to gamine. So DC and FG have the same proportion of ingredients, (equal mix of sharp yang and yin plus additional sharp yang and/or blunt yang) but since FG's is put together in a contrasted way and DC's in a blended way, they're completely different types. I think that Kitchener, McJimsey, et al work with essences as separate entities on a scale of yin/yang, and not as yin/yang themselves. So in their systems, you can be classic with some ingenue and some dramatic, whereas in Kibbe I'm not even sure how you would describe the ingenue essence in yin/yang terms, since Romantic is his extreme yin.

April

10/8/2014 06:09:52 am

Kibbe doesn't combine types... I think that is the key difference. He has Natural, Gamine, Romantic, Dramatic, and Classic and each of those types either leans yin or yang. So, a TR is a Romantic who leans yang, *not* a -combination- of Romantic and Dramatic. And an SD is a Dramatic who leans yin, *not* a combination of a Dramatic and a Romantic. If you take out "TR" you would be taking out the Romantic who lean yang and all the types have one that leans yin and one that leans yang. (Plain Dramatic is inherently Dramatic who leans yang and plain Romantic is Romantic who leans yin.)
Seeing people as a combo of types is just a different theory altogether. I don't know which is better, but they don't directly map.

10/8/2014 08:41:43 am

That is incorrect. This is what he says about TR, for instance:
"Your position on the Yin/Yang scale is: soft Yin with a slight Yang undercurrent. Physically, you are delicate in bone structure and soft in body type, with delicate and full facial features (eyes, lips, cheeks). This is your extreme Yin foundation, which is overpoweringly dominant. Your slight Yang undercurrent comes from a slight sharpness to your bone structure, possibly shoulders, jawline, or nose. Innately, you are artistic, sensitive, eerily magnetic, and extraordinarily charming (Yin). As a hidden attraction, you possess steely resolve, unrelenting drive, enormous will, and a bold, creative and innovative outlook on life (Yang). Again, with your inner nature, the Yin is dominant, the Yang secondary. While both must be evident in your appearance, it is vital to keep them in their natural order. This may confuse you at times; the Yang qualities may seem to be such strong characteristics that your might be seduced into believing they are your major qualities as well as the source of your strength. This is not true! The old saying, "You'll catch more flies with honey," was created specifically for you!

Always bear in mind that you are a Romantic first and foremost. Your Dramatic undercurrent should always be used in small doses to theatrically add high-fashion flair to your appearance. It subtly sharpens and focuses your look as an after-thought, while the Yin foundation of delicacy, feminine beauty, charm, and grace provides the cornerstone of your look. It is not a substitution. It is only a slight addition to express that extra bit of Yang present in your being."

It is romantic yin with some dramatic yang. As I said, he has three types in his system, and the "pure" types are R and D, and everything else is made out of some combo of these two and potential blunt yang (n) as well. To think of them as just pure types plus yin/yang is incorrect. Classic is not a pure essence on its own removed from R or D. It is an equal amount of R and D put together in a blended way. And gamine is the same, only in opposition instead of blended. Yes, each individual will lean one way or the other in terms of yin/yang, which is why he has gotten rid of pure classic, natural, and gamine as possible image identities since the book came out, but I think that's something different than what you're talking about.

9/26/2014 01:55:52 pm

By the way, Kibbe considers himself TR :)

Kathryn

9/30/2014 12:48:48 pm

Rachel, this is freakin' awesome!!! I wondered what became of you after we were all trying to figure out our essences on the FB group. I finally came out N/A (your Ethereal Natural), which explains this bouncing around in the Kibbe system. I trust you have narrowed yours down by this time. Thanks for doing this list. Amazing. Over the top. Super brilliant!

9/30/2014 02:30:36 pm

I think you and I actually have the same proportions of Ethereal and Natural per John Kitchener- don't we? I'm 30 of each in his system. Aren't you something like that?

I'll be very interested to hear your feedback on the style recs I present for Ethereal Natural.

:-)

9/30/2014 08:47:53 pm

I did not realize we came out so close. I'm 30N/25A with R and D following very closely. He was surprised that I'm not very tall. Even more interesting is that we don't always carry the traits in the same places.

Laurie

10/1/2014 01:15:37 am

I am fascinated to hear about the Ethereal type and would like to see pictures of the different Ethereal mixtures, in particular the Ethereal Romantic. I would also love to hear a more specific description of Ethereal. Thank you so much for posting this!

10/1/2014 05:56:45 am

I would love to have more feedback about the Ethereal Romantic. I am most likely a Romantic in Kibbe's system but I don't feel sexy enough to be totally at home there. I don't have the youthful energy of the Gamine, either. So I wonder if I have some Ethereal in me, especially since I am drawn to mystery and otherworldliness. (It could be wishful thinking, I know. :) )

I also am curious for examples of an Ethereal who has gained some weight. (Or do they never?)

10/9/2014 03:04:02 pm

Whoo-hoo! I just got off Skype with John Kitchner himself. :) I would highly recommend him--he is amazing. I am 35% Romantic and 30% Angelic, with some Classic, High Spirited, and Youthful thrown in. My clothing choices seem to make so much more sense now!

Melissa

10/18/2014 01:08:33 am

I'm also looking forward to hearing more about the Ethereal Romantic. I believe I am a Romantic in Kibbe's system, and Kitchener typed me as 35% Romantic, 20% Natural, 20% Dramatic, 15% Classic and 10% High spirited. He didn't give me any Angelic, but said I could wear the "exotic" or "gypsy" looks. Those are not looks I would feel comfortable wearing for anything other than a costume party. I never understood the "no Angelic" verdict because when I watched his videos of each type the only type I related to was the Angelic. When I asked my FB friends (not the color and style community, but those who know me IRL) to describe me in one word the one word that came up repeatedly was Ethereal. So, the people who know me all see me as Ethereal, but the man who created the Angelic/Ethereal type sees only androgynous, bone thin women as "the ultimate in femininity." It reminds me of the attitude many fashion designers have that all women should look like young boys with no curves whatsoever. Women and angels come in more variety than that! Thank you for seeing that the Ethereal essence or style can be paired with any of the other types.

Katie

10/2/2014 02:25:29 pm

I hated the Kibbe system so much when I read about it. I was unsure when I first started reading about this, but you won me over. SO much better than the Kibbe system! THIS makes sense. When reading the Kibbe system, I immediately thought I was Romantic, because I have an exaggerated hourglass figure. But it seemed too polished, too controlled by itself. I think I'm a Romantic Ingenue. The Romantic combined with the flirty fun of Ingenue. I still don't completely understand the difference between Gamine and Ingenue? I guess I could maybe be a Romantic Gamine? What are some things that separate them. Also what do you think Brigitte Bardot's type is?

Sile

10/5/2014 04:22:17 pm

I'd love to see more about Dramatic Ethereal! I'm most likely Flamboyant Natural in Kibbe's types, but there is defiantly an "otherworldly" element to me. I'd like to compare the Dramatic Ethereal and Natural Ethereal and see if one fits better.

Sarah Marie

10/8/2014 08:57:40 am

I'm looking forward to reading your descriptions! I collect fashion advice and distill for my own style use. I'm a Light Summer Soft Classic, Probably a Romantic Classic with a hint of Ethereal as you describe it.

Anyway, here's my board for Soft Classic/Romantic Classic: http://www.pinterest.com/sarahmariev/kibbe-classicsoft-classic/
And my board for my own personal style essence: http://www.pinterest.com/sarahmariev/essence/

10/9/2014 03:08:16 pm

Oh, that sounds beautiful!
Would you consider emailing me a pic? Not for the website- just for my own understanding of Ethereal-Romantic. I have some theories about this look and I wonder if you bear them out.
:-)

10/10/2014 02:43:30 am

Certainly. I am sending one through the email address you've attached to your blog. (And I am rather curious to see if I fit your theories, as well.)

Rachael

11/8/2014 02:33:28 am

This is all very inspiring, I'm looking forward to seeing your style system develop. I've been trying to figure out my kibbe type for a year and a half to no avail. I think 'ingenue' was the component I was looking for but could never find in Kibbe's system. Gamine always seemed too yang, too tomboyish. Soft Gamine felt wrong because of the strong R influence. So I hope I can finally find a type that fits!

Silvia

11/9/2014 12:57:38 am

Hi Rachel, I'm studying your system on these days and really think that's brilliant!!! With Kibbe's system I'm a Soft Gamine and seem I'll stay the same with yours. I think Gamine in general is often represented as a too childish style, while seemed to me as a "Fench chic fashion" one. SG to me is badly described in many Pinterest/Polyvore sets, ok with Romantic influence, but all that bows, little hearts...too Ingenue stuff to me!
I'm wondering too if your system takes into account which one of two essences is dominant...I realised that Ethereal is never the dominant one, while Gamine is, except for Gamine Ingenue. Thanks for your so inspiring theories and explanations ;-)

11/13/2014 07:10:28 am

Hi, Silvia!
I don't think I'm going to get into which style dominates in a hybrid, because just by combining styles I end up with 28 types, which borders on becoming an unmanageable number. I hope that if a person sense she's more A than B, she can tweak her personal version accordingly.

Interesting point about the bows and Ingenue. SG would probably translate to Romantic Gamine in my system, and I don't see small bows coming into that. Large bows, maybe. I suspect that Madonna has a big dose of Gamine, and years ago she wore big bows in her hair pretty successfully.

11/30/2014 02:37:21 pm

Hi, Rachel...I'm really glad you have chosen the word "Ethereal" instead of "Angelic". It seems to cover more style territory without conjuring up the same tired images of celestial beings and wings and unicorns, etc. It really has a rich variety of expression, the more I learn about it. Thanks for the hard work you've done!

1/19/2015 02:44:39 am

Hi,

tanks for your posts on style identities. After nailing down my color type to some kind of summer (still working on details) with preference for the darker colors I started the style part.
I think this to be much more complicated since there is not so much information available and I'm still missing a yes/no checklist du nail down the stiles. So I'm looking forward to more of your posts.
While some stiles hat a clear no (ingenue, natural: I'm tall and everything on me is thin and long; you can easily draw a caricature of my nose or big front teeth, so definitely no classic) my feeling for the must-do for other styles is more ... uhm ... I'm overwhelmed by large prints, ruffles, to much jewelery, so I'm rather not romantic or etheral but I'm surely no dramatic person - people tend not to see me *sight* But I said just "wow" when I found my first well fitting pantsuit.

I'm really looking forward to all the mixes styles of classic, dramatic, (romantic ?!) and etheral, I might be a mix of some of them.

sandy

1/30/2015 10:06:57 am

All I know is that I like classic with some Ethnic accessories sometimes. I love your blog. It's one of the clearest on the topic. I've looked at so much that I'm confused. My difficulty is having a leisure lifestyle which calls for more casual dressing, yet straight up casual doesn't make me feel the best. So I've been buying classic lines and using more casual elements. Maybe I'm doing this wrong? Sometimes I just want to drop the whole thing and stick with the colors...LOL.
Thanks for the time you put into this blog.

Johanna

6/2/2015 11:28:13 am

This speaks to me so much. I've felt disappointed and as if I was dragged into a "dramatic classic" category that I'll never fit in with. Being very thin and obviously classic, it seemed like it was my only option. Ethereal classic really speaks to the bohemian side I've been suppressing. (Plus I'm often compared to elves from Lord of the Rings :) )
I'd be really grateful to read more of your thoughts on ethereal (and specifically ethereal classic) traits.

Kate

1/24/2016 07:41:34 am

Hi! Good idea with that thing on different hair styles for those who are a combination of 2 categories! But what about those who are a blend of 3 categories? For instance natural-romantic-classic?

1/24/2016 09:58:33 pm

Hi!

Some ways to arrive at the best hair for a three-essence blend:

- find what's common in the three
- find what's common in two of the three
- go with the essence(s) that you see most easily on your face
- find what all three essences must avoid, and do the opposite of that
- start with a two-essence style, and add one feature from the third essence

For RNC, some points to consider:

- both Rs and Ns look good with longer hair
- both Rs and Cs look good with carefully styled hair
- both Rs and Cs look good with face-framing hair, and Ns look good with layers

So, a style that embodies most of these ^ qualities?

Alternately, you might try

- an RC style, but made more casual
- an RN style, with more control and symmetry
- or an NC style, with some added curls or waves

Daniela

2/2/2016 09:45:07 am

Hello! I am a rng. My question is: am I a soft gamine with some natural influence? Or am I not a gamine at all? Am I instead a blend of 3 different categories? If I am a blend of those 3, is sany of them dominant? Kibbe has soft gamine, but I have noticed that you have romantic gamine instead. Are yout romantic gamine the same as his sg?

2/16/2016 03:01:18 am

Hello! I wonder what make-up an rng should wear. I do not know what essence I see most easily on my face. I see all 3 of them, but maybe the essence of gamine is what I see the least of. I am a soft autumn deep. My hair is brown and my eyes are hazel.

Lilac

6/14/2017 07:47:10 am

Hi Rachel,
I've recently purchased the identity calculator. The result was four identities with equal score, and I wasn't able to dismiss anyone.
However, I'm very happy with the results! I believe the blend of the four identities describe me accurately.
1) I'm obviously an ingenue. I often hear how young I look, and that I look sweet, and that my face is a babyface.
2) Ethereal is accurate as well, I'm tall, slender and fair skinned, I have a thoughtful, calm look on my face, and often compared to elves and fairies.
3) I'm definitely a romantic, too, I have an hourglass body shape, and whenever I try to hide my curves, I just look sloppy.
4) Classic is right as well. I look overall well balanced, I look best wearing less details, and I really like the classic "less is more" approach for myself.
I'm very happy with the results, especially since the Kibbes method didn't work for me.
Thank you very much!

6/15/2017 04:26:11 pm

I'm very happy to hear this! I didn't attempt to define four-essence combos because I thought it would be an impractically large task, and because I think it can be overwhelming for some people to attempt to combine four essences in one look. But I definitely think a motivated person can make it happen. :-)))))

12/15/2021 06:24:39 am

The links do not work anymore! Could you please fix them? Thanks!

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Style Identities, Part II: The Truth is Beauty Style Identity System

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