An adult who seems always to have a youthful or childlike quality, regardless of age, likely has a strong dose of Ingenue or Gamine. Boyish Beauty
Big eyes, a large forehead, a small nose, and a round or square face all help to create an impression of youthfulness.
One way to think about the seven style types is to think about the words we use to describe the type of beauty each identity embodies. Which isn't to say Gamines aren't incredibly attractive. They are incredibly attractive. Women who have a "yang" or masculine quality to their beauty are no less attractive than their more "yin" counterparts. They only appear unlovely when they're placed in a clothing context that's more stereotypically feminine than they are.  Michelle Williams. The boyish, short hair is so much better. You can see the boyish quality of a Gamine in the following ways:
 Gwen Stefani
Which isn't to say that Gamines need little detail. They look great with a lot of detail in the clothing -- pockets, buttons, cuffs, etc. But the jewelry is best when it's minimal. A lot of jewelry reads as feminine, and feminine context around a Gamine will make her look masculine. The effect of clothing context on our apparent masculinity or femininity is analogous to the effect of color on our skin. The apparent color of your skin changes, for better or worse, depending on what color is next to it. That's because of simultaneous contrast. And the apparent qualities of your face and figure, including the apparent masculinity or femininity, change depending on the context that surrounds it. If almost everything in the frame reads as boyish, then the viewer mainly notices what's not boyish - and so the Gamine's feminine qualities actually stand out more. The more boyish the context, the more beautiful Gamines look. Surround them with traditionally female decoration like long locks, ruffles, and lavish jewelry, and they become less lovely.
|
 It doesn't matter that Leonardo DiCaprio is 6 feet tall; he looks better in youthful styles because he has a youthful face. |  A long tie is clearly not as good for Leonardo Dicaprio as a cute little bowtie. That's because his face is cute. His height is irrelevant. |
Leonardo DiCaprio is 5'11". (Some sources say 6'.) But that baby face looks better in a bowtie than in a standard necktie.
Audrey Hepburn - Gamine despite being 5 foot 7.
Isn't it surprising to learn that Audrey Hepburn, practically the definition of Gamine, was 5' 7"? She looks little.
Big eyes, high foreheads, round heads, slender necks, and heads that look large relative to the size of the body are characteristics of children. So these features read as youthful.
Dress a person with these features in similarly youthful clothes, and it will look right.
So if you're petite, you might consider Gamine and Ingenue first. For some reason that I don't yet understand, petite people seem often to have Gamine or Ingenue facial features.
But don't assume Gamine (or Ingenue) based solely on small stature, and don't rule it out just because you're not petite.
But don't assume Gamine (or Ingenue) based solely on small stature, and don't rule it out just because you're not petite.
Classic or Gamine?
Both Classics and Gamines need well-tailored clothes. Classics look their best with very little detail, and Gamines look their best without a lot of feminine frill. How do we tell them apart?
For one, Classics literally need every hair in place, while Gamines can pull off a little tousle.
(Tousle suggests motion in the hair. Details that makes us think of movement -- such as zigzag lines, nautical themes, running shoes -- are generally good on Gamines. That comes from the boyish quality. For better or worse, when think of boys, we traditionally think of bodies in motion.)
For one, Classics literally need every hair in place, while Gamines can pull off a little tousle.
(Tousle suggests motion in the hair. Details that makes us think of movement -- such as zigzag lines, nautical themes, running shoes -- are generally good on Gamines. That comes from the boyish quality. For better or worse, when think of boys, we traditionally think of bodies in motion.)
Both Classics and Gamines look good in fitted, tailored pieces. But the overall Classic vibe is elegant and ladylike, while the overall Gamine vibe is spunky and playful. A Classic isn't her best in sneakers, rolled-up jeans and a striped sweater. A Gamine isn't great in a sweater set, pearls and high heels.
And Classics are particularly lovely in their palette's neutrals and understated colors, while Gamines are particularly lovely in highly contrasting color combinations from their palette. (Again, it's about an impression of movement. Neutrals feel still; contrasting colors feel energetic.)
If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style ID Calculator! It's so affordable, you may as well!
A version of this post originally ran in May 2015.
And Classics are particularly lovely in their palette's neutrals and understated colors, while Gamines are particularly lovely in highly contrasting color combinations from their palette. (Again, it's about an impression of movement. Neutrals feel still; contrasting colors feel energetic.)
If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style ID Calculator! It's so affordable, you may as well!
A version of this post originally ran in May 2015.
109 Comments
Cora
12/5/2014 11:34:25 am
Hey there-
I read with an open mind your explanation of why you feel that it's better to use "feminine/masculine" or "girlish/boyish" than what you feel to be euphemisms like "yin/yang", and I still see it differently.
One reason it troubles my brain while reading is that this approach depends on very Western beauty ideals. Some of the features you're talking about link up better with people of specific types of European ancestry and seem to not really work for anyone else. If being tall with broad, blunt shoulders is "masculine", most women in certain ethnic populations in Western/Northern Europe are "masculine", but many men in parts of Southeast Asia are "feminine". Which seems perplexing to me.
I also think there are just pretty rigid stereotypes about how it's not actually neutral for women to be "masculine" or men to be "feminine" that come into play even if you or another author believes they should not. For a woman in Western culture, being "boyish" is just not as acceptable as being "girlish". So it's really hard, while reading, to keep in mind that you're using these terms (at least I assume so) in a totally neutral way. Saying that "Natural beauty" is "friendly and handsome" makes the brain think of men, which makes the brain think that Natural-type women are not as attractive as Romantic-type women, who after all are "sexy and womanly". (Are Romantic-type men also "sexy and womanly"?) I ultimately remain unconvinced that "yin/yang" are "euphemisms" in the way you seem to feel they are, or that your preferred terms are more helpful. To me, yin/yang seem no more than attempts to talk about fundamental issues of build without getting into culture.
I really tried to open my mind to your perspective on these terms, but it just isn't working for me. The writing ends up sounding non-neutral, like it's saying "this type of body and face is okay, these other types are not - except it's reversed for men". I understand that your intention is not to say things like that, but it's very difficult - perhaps impossible - for readers to tune out all of their absorbed culture and see "masculine" for a woman or "womanly" for a man as completely neutral ideas. Plus, as above, it's almost impossible to divorce seemingly neutral ideas like size and breadth of body or facial features from "average" bodies in different populations. Overall, I continue to prefer yin/yang, while understanding that people find those terms to be imperfect. They get closer to the truth for me, however.
LC
3/22/2020 08:17:53 pm
You are not alone in your discomfort with the yin/yang m/f and other descriptions of type...and how easy it is to feel biased based on the words. Merriam Style Youtube channel has helped fix that for me to a large degree. She analyzes the original Kibbe types more neutrally, and calls it Body Geometry - Dramatic is sharpened, Natural is Beveled, Romantic is Rounded, Classic is Blended, Gamine is Mixed. Each type has variation, and each type manipulates the details of their lines to create the look they want, whether elegant, sexy, fun, lady-like, casual, professional, romantic, etc. depending on preference and situation.
Anne
10/20/2020 03:50:49 am
For goodness sake, does everything have to be politicised. I knew exactly what she meant by the terms she used. She’s trying to explain a concept in the widest way she can.
patrick sullivan
4/25/2021 04:15:27 pm
I am with you on this. Everything nowadays has to be made into a big deal. So sick of it.
Gina
6/28/2023 11:23:53 am
As a natural gamine (maybe with some ingenue), I have absolutely no problem with the language of describing a woman's beauty as masculine or boyish. I've always felt beautiful, so it doesn't matter to me which gender it is, especially because I LIKE looking boyish because it works on me. I think some of the ladies that think that would not feel good may actually have very feminine beauty so for them it would feel bad to be described as masculine or boyish because that's not a match for them.
Lois Garnier
2/20/2024 11:38:18 am
I think you will find that Rachel explains that every type has its own, unique beauty. She concentrates on the face and not the body so the argument for body types doesn’t really hold true. Also of course, as she frequently points out, many women are a blend of 2 or even 3 types. I think you will see that the examples shown of the more ‘masculine’ women show very attractive women. Doesn’t seem to be any negativity going on here. I am a woman with no feminine aspects in my face and I am still considered attractive so it’s obviously not a draw back.
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
12/5/2014 12:15:16 pm
A problem for me with "yin/yang" is that it doesn't remove the gendering of the traits -- it just conceals it under coded language. So the gendering is still happening, but since it's coded, it's harder for people to think critically about it.
Another problem for me with "yin/yang": giving in to that coded language for the sake of avoiding calling women masculine just reinforces the taboo. As long as we politely refer to masculine features as "yang" features, we allow it to continue being not-ok for women to be described as masculine.
I have thought a lot about the fact that this system is Western-centric, and I've concluded that it's inevitable for it to be. Both I and the majority of my readers are products of Western culture, and -- perhaps more relevant -- we're costuming ourselves to appear in Western (mostly American) contexts and be viewed by Western (mostly American) eyes. So for the system to work in Western contexts, it must rely on on Western aesthetic reference points. For example, in America, a man who's 5'5" is quite petite. He may have recently emigrated from a community where his height is average for males, but he'll look the best in American eyes if he wears Gamine lines. In those lines, American eyes will judge him as well-proportioned instead of dismissing him as "short."
I appreciate your points. I'm happy to have a thoughtful reader. :-)
Kirsten
12/5/2014 12:46:34 pm
I'm glad to see your new blog about style--specifically gamine style, partly because Audrey Hepburn is one of my all-time favorite celebrities. Each one of your blogs about styles give me plenty to think about! As for yin-yang versus feminine-masculine designations, I like yin-yang better because they don't mean as much to me as the alternative. When I think "yin" or "yang" I think of physical stature, nothing else. Feminine or masculine has specific meanings other than physical stature. I can't wrap my head around the idea of Audrey Hepburn--to some a fashion icon but to many people including me the epitome of a cultured, gracious, lovely lady--as boyish! When I think "boyish" I think "tomboy"! Not what Givenchy had in mind, I don't think. I do recognize that she had Gamine characteristics in her purely physical being, but if they are "boyish" she transcended them.
Anyway, I do enjoy your posts and this discussion too--it's stimulating.
Kathryn
4/8/2016 05:14:08 pm
Think of Audrey in Funny Face and in Sabrina... in both films she played a tomboy who transformed...In fact think about y Fair Lady...another transformation (but that's another story!)
Trishatr
5/11/2018 11:23:59 am
Interesting that women often find Audrey Hepburn there feminine ideal, partly due to her being small and neat?On the other hand, few men I know (including my husband) find her particularly attractive as a woman. I do know a couple of men who do find her attractive, and these are the ones that also go for petite,cute, boyish figures, often oriental women without very obvious curves.
Katie
12/5/2014 03:03:11 pm
Hey Rachel, is there any chance in the future you can do a post distinguishing:
True Autumn and True Spring (this one especially)
Dark Autumn and Bright Spring
True Winter from other seasons
Amy
12/6/2014 03:43:02 am
Your write-ups on the style types are so informative, common sense and to the point. I can't wait to see what you say about the Ingenue category.
Shirley
12/6/2014 05:01:59 am
Common sense, exactly. Making sure nobody is hurt by your choice of the words would inevitably lead to something like Romantic is beautiful, Ethereal is beautiful....Gamine is beautiful, and zero new information. Thank you.
inge
12/17/2014 06:44:45 pm
Shirley, you may need to read the article again...
Nouveau22
12/6/2014 06:22:10 am
I agree - I love your informative style analyses. I especially like that you don't go overboard with the strict "rules" for each style (for example, the traditional "rule" that gamines have to be under a certain height), which often makes people feel like none of the styles fit them.
I'm equally comfortable with yin/yang or masculine/feminine as the nomenclature. I understand what is meant by either, and whichever one is used, it enhances my learning about this fascinating topic!
Thank you for your great blog posts, Rachel! You've really helped me pinpoint my style.
Will you be doing individual posts on each of the blended style identities (I'd love to request Ethereal Classic and Classic Dramatic)?
Abir
12/7/2014 03:34:54 am
I understand where Cora is coming from, but ultimately agree with all your points Rachel.
Recently I was floored when I saw Rihanna dressed as a teenage mutant ninja turtle for Halloween. She looked stunning and I didn't understand how it could be possible, especially in green face paint. I now realize that as a gamine, the tomboyish costume emphasized her beauty. It would have never occurred to me that this sexy girl had boyish qualities.
I have always been curious about the Kebbe system but was intimidated by the whole thing. You have done an amazing job explaining it, I immediately understood a lot of the basics. I can't wait for you to write about the Ingenue. I have a strong feeling that's who I am.
Silver Roxen
6/1/2018 11:15:33 am
I'm surprised that Rihanna is typed as being a Gamine, when I've seen her typed elsewhere as a Theatrical (Dramatic) Romantic. Funnily on a website about feminine archetypes she's a Gamine.
Natari
5/11/2020 03:27:54 am
She could be a Theatrical Romantic as she is quite rounded and a lot of the time, theatrical romantics can pull off soft gamine lines too which would make sense as to why she could be confused as a gamine type
Zora
12/7/2014 08:05:09 pm
Hi!
I really appreciate your way to compare each style and to give practical clue to separate them.
I think I'm a Dramatic Ingenue. Will you later also do this category, or only the Ingenue?
I also have a little question, do you know one or two colors that could help me tell apart light summer from true summer?
Thanks =)
Zora
Kirsten
12/8/2014 01:49:25 am
Light Summer here, originally self-analyzed as a Summer (back in the days of four Seasons only). The Summer colors that I found make me look older and tired are burgundy and soft fuchsia. Hope this helps.
Zora
12/9/2014 12:57:25 am
Thank you Kirsten! Same for me with burgundy and soft fuchsia =) so Light Summer! =)
Abir Sandoval
12/9/2014 05:55:53 pm
I had to comment again because I forgot to mention that the examples that you use to get your point across are so good. You definitely have an eye for style.
When I saw the two pics of Leonardo DiCaprio I could see he looked spectacular in the pic with the bowtie and boring in the tie. But I didn't think it was a result of the bow tie that he looked great, I thought it was just a good pic.
So I grabbed a piece of paper and covered the bow tie and the tie and studied the two pics. He looked the same, which surprised me. Then I looked at the pic of him in a tie and pictured him wearing a bowtie instead and it was crazy how his face transformed and he suddenly looked amazing.
Morgan
12/9/2014 07:59:33 pm
How do you know, if you are short, that you are NOT a gamine or a ingenue? For example, Salma Hayek looks Romantic to me; she is sexy and that´s what you see first; then, you discover she is very petite. But nobody thinks about herself as sexy, so... if you are remarkably short, how do you know if your TMT is your stature, or if you have another trait which is most important to your style identity.
Rachel
12/11/2014 04:28:06 am
Morgan, I am still working on making self-diagnosing tools operational. In the meantime, I honestly think it's really difficult for people to type their own lines accurately. Most of us just have little idea how we appear to others.
The good news is that other people are often really good at typing us. :-) So my advice is to get a friend involved. (*Not* a romantic partner. It's often hard for them to be objective.)
Rachel
12/11/2014 07:27:07 am
Let me add to that:
It's helpful to think about compliments you've received in your life. I'll use myself as an example:
I'm an Ethereal Natural. I didn't know this until I visited John Kitchener in 2013. But when I look back over my life, I remember being called unusual-looking (many times), delicate (also many times), ethereal, and even magical. I've been playfully called woodland fairy, wood nymph, mother earth, and earth goddess by different people over the years. All of this was pointing to EN but I didn't know to notice it.
What I'm not: I've rarely been called "hot" (which was disappointing in middle school) or "sexy" (except for by my husband.) That makes sense, because I don't have much Romantic. I've probably never been called "cute" or "adorable," which makes sense because I have no Gamine and very little Ingenue.
I hope this helps!
Samantha
11/15/2016 02:18:16 pm
Hi Rachel how can you tell if you are gamine or ingenue? Are gamines just better in boyish styles?what abouts curves? Also though they are associated with smaller people (usually but not always) what about if youre short-does that automatically mean youre one or the other?
Great info! Thanks
April
12/10/2014 10:01:33 am
I'm going to have to agree with one of your other readers- calling any woman "womanly" and another woman "boyish" makes no logical sense. There must be another way to refer to differences in looks that actually relate to biology. May I suggest looking at evolution and how humans have evolved to look more baby like over time: neoteny. When you say women look "womanly" you seem to refer to woman who have similar characteristics to babies. Your "manly" women look more like adults of the species.
I agree that "Yin" and "Yang" don't work, but it's not because they are coded words, it's because the concepts are incorrect. It is totally incorrect to say that women look masculine. It's just non-sensical.
What are some descriptors that are actually rooted in biology? Or art?
Rachel
12/11/2014 03:33:57 am
I would disagree that these descriptors do not derive from biology.
It is a fact that humans are sexually dimorphic. It's absolutely inarguable. On average, woman are smaller than men. On average, men have broader shoulders than women. On average, women have a larger difference between their hip width and waist width than men do. On average, women have larger breasts than men. Men's faces, on average, differ from women's faces in multiple dimensions... I mean, a complete list of all the observable physical difference between average males and average females would be really long. I feel pedantic even attempting to create one.
When I describe a feature as masculine or feminine, my reference point is the theoretical physical mean of each sex. For example,a wide jaw is more typical of male faces than it is of female faces, so a wide jaw is a characteristically masculine feature. (Or "yang," others might say.) Wide hips relative to waist size is more typical of female bodies than male bodies, so it is a characteristically feminine feature. That does not mean no women have narrow hips. It does mean that wide hips and a narrow waist characterize the *average* female body, relative to the average male body.
I'm not sure what this - "When you say women look 'womanly' you seem to refer to woman who have similar characteristics to babies" - refers to. I haven't posted an article on the Romantic type yet.
LC
3/22/2020 08:49:25 pm
Our increasingly plant-based diets and weird chemical exposures are feminizing men, and doing weird things to people in the sexual area, possibly related to the type of exposure we have.
Solania
12/10/2014 04:05:15 pm
Finally! I'd been patiently waiting to read about this style type and again your article has helped make things clearer. I look forward to devouring all your future articles on the style identities (including blended types I hope)!
I have one question though. The inclusion of the Ingenue style identity has totally got me confused it seems, being new and different from Kibbe's system, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I keep myself open to new ways of looking at things. Is Ingenue/Youthful the same thing as Kibbe's Soft Gamine? Or something else entirely? If the case is the latter then how do Ingenues differ from equally feminine Classics? Thanks :)
Rachel
12/11/2014 04:54:16 am
Hi, Solania.
As of now, the best way to learn more about Ingenue is to Google "Ingenue" and "McJimsey." You'll find a few sites that describe what H. McJimsey wrote about his type.
Ingenue might be thought of as a corollary to Gamine, but Ingenue's overall vibe is girlish rather than boyish. If someone seems flattered by traditionally feminine styles, fabrics, and accessories, but comes across as more sweet than sexy, she may be an Ingenue.
Ingenue's not the same as Soft Gamine. Kibbe actually doesn't have a category for people whose femininity reads as youthful rather than mature. (Nor does he have a category for the feminine beauty that's transcendent.) Soft Gamine is a combination of Gamine and Romantic.
You can see Pinterest boards for Ingenue and all of the other types here:
http://www.pinterest.com/coloranalysis/
Erin
12/11/2014 08:25:07 am
Hi Rachel! I'm having a hard time determining my type.
My body type is more toward Dramatic (I'm 5'9", long limbed/lanky, sharp shoulders, not muscular or sinewy, or even overall particularly sharp looking- just long and tall and not very curvy).
My face isn't dramatic, though- it's oval with big round eyes and looks youthful and is not angular or sharp, so I believe I have a dose of gamine, but am not actually gamine. My head is too narrow and small.
People generally think that I'm younger, more delicate, and thinner than I am. I've been told numerous times that I look "elfin"- as in Lord of the Rings elves, not like a pixie, and I do think I have a girlish (but not girly, like Ingenue) vibe. I know I'm def. not ethereal, though.
If I had to pick a celeb that I share similarities to in both body and face, it would be Alexa Chung. What category fits a tall, lanky, girlish, but not quite gamine woman who has a somewhat dramatic body but none of the dramatic essence or facial features and for whom Gamine is often a bit too cute (I can handle some of Gamine's tailoring, though)?
PS- I'm a Bright Spring, so my youthful vibe works very well with my seasons palette :)
Ragnhild
12/16/2014 01:36:15 am
Hi, Rachel! I read your posts with great interest! I really like the way you describe the types - it makes a lot of sense to me. I tried to take a Kibbe test here, http://expressingyourtruth.blogspot.no/2013/02/kibbe.html, and ended up answering D on half, and the rest mixed, and didn`t get much wiser. After reading this post, I do think I`m closest to Gamine type, though, despite the fact that I don`t fit into many of the descriotions of Gamine. I don`t have big eyes, and my body is not thin and small. I`m medium height, medium weight, Im curvy, muscular, lush and compact (all at once), and my hands and feet are wide and small. What makes me believe I`m gamine, is that I`m often described as cute, and I have a childish quality. Too much jewlellery and feminine frill is not good on me at all, despite having a quite feminine figure (moderately lush, small waist, big butt, but not wide hipbones). I also feel that I need som color and contrast within my seasonal pallette, which is light spring. I also feel I need a little bit of quirky in my style. I feel that a classic style would crash with my dimples and the gap between my forteeth, and that natural style does not fit me because my compact and curvy figure requires fitted clothing, especially a fitted waist. I love a high waisted skirt with a striped and fitted top in my colors and my shoulderlength hair in a fuzzy ponytale.
By the way, I wonder if you consider Tyler Swift and her style Gamine?
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
12/17/2014 10:10:47 pm
Oh, I think Shirley's describing a hypothetical article that I did not write. :-)
Billie
12/18/2014 04:06:02 am
HI Ladies, I just have to contribute one more thing to the ongoing conversation about terminology: wether you prefer to use terms masculine or feminine, versus yin and yang is one thing. whatever you choose is your personal choice. However it is a misapprehension to think that yin means feminine and yang means masculine. Yin and Yang are not synonyms for feminine and masculine. The terms yin and yang are much much more broad. everyone and everything contains both. There are lists of qualities that are considered yin or yang, such as for yin: dark, soft, yielding, flowing, etc.
Tanja
12/20/2014 07:35:30 am
Dear Rachel,
I love your site so much! It's super informative and helpful and I'm so eager to learn more about those style types. I hope that there will be a quiz to find out your style type...? :) That would be amazing!!!
Solania
12/21/2014 09:09:35 pm
I think I'm getting it now.
Ingenue is the polar opposite of Gamine:
Pretty, adorable, girly versus cute, boyish.
Ethereal is the polar opposite of Natural:
Otherworldly versus earthly.
Romantic is the polar opposite of Dramatic:
Voluptuous versus strapping.
Whether you use "yin" and "yang" or "feminine" or "masculine" I'm fine either way. I still get it. It doesn't bother me honestly. And because of the insights I've picked up recently I'm actually glad you sorta called these traits out for what they are. Human faces after-all are on a continuum between masculine and feminine.
I read some very interesting studies years back about how both men and women rated the attractiveness of both sexes by choosing between more masculine and more feminine versions of different faces.
Reading back to a previous commenter's comment, I honestly don't get what her beef is. If you're not allowed to use "yin/yang" or "feminine/masculine" then what are you allowed to use? Perhaps she ought to suggest a useful alternative and if not then "yin/yang", "feminine/masculine" will have to do.
Joanna
12/22/2014 11:20:33 pm
Is it possible to be ethereal - gamine? :)
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
12/23/2014 10:16:23 am
Heck yes!
I call that Style Identity "The Sprite." I think Bjork is one example.
Here's a pin board of Ethereal Gamine elements and looks:
http://www.pinterest.com/coloranalysis/ethereal-gamine/
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
12/23/2014 10:19:55 am
Tanja, I am thinking hard about it.
I hope to post some helpful resources soon. :-)
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
12/23/2014 10:22:49 am
I haven thought thoroughly about Swift, but I think she is almost certainly a Romantic or Ingenue blend. The clothes she actually wears (which are sometimes great, sometimes not) often look Gamine or Ingenue.
Solania
1/9/2015 02:21:19 am
Hi Rachel. You have a really good eye for typing people I wonder if you could tell me which type of men look exceptionally good in ponytails. I asked Christine Scaman the same question since she analyzes men's image type on one of her pinterest boards but for now she doesn't know. I remember what you wrote on the concept of simultaneous contrast. If gamines look lovelier with more boyish details I thought there has to be a male counterpart for this concept. In particular men who look manlier with more feminine details. I think one example could be Kim Bum aka Kim Sang-Bum or Kim Beom who I find looks manlier with a ponytail than without. I noticed too that the ponytail had the effect of pulling hair away from his face. And when he had bangs that covered his forehead and brows he seemed to look more like a girl. What could his type be?
Rachel
1/25/2015 05:14:25 pm
I've been thinking about this, and here are some of things I've come up with:
Though it's usually women who wear ponytails, I think that's mainly because women are more likely than men to have long hair. I think the effect of wearing a ponytail is actually a rather masculine effect: completely pulled-back hair brings attention to the planes and angles of the face. And the hair being completely gathered and controlled, shaped into a long, straight line, echoes the tailoring and straight lines of the Dramatic silhouette. So I don't think we can say a ponytail is a feminine style. Soft curls around the face -- that's feminine!
David Beckham pulls off a ponytail, I think, and he has a lot of Dramatic. Gosh, he's gorgeous. :-)
Johnny Depp also pulls it off, and again, a lot of Dramatic.
Penn Jilette - little to no Dramatic, and the ponytail looks really bad, IMHO.
Colin Farrell has a good bit of Romantic, I think, and I love him with longer hair -- but not with a ponytail.
Solania
2/19/2015 07:25:07 pm
Hi. Thank you for answering my question. I'm pretty sure you're right about ponytails being a masculine effect rather than a feminine one. I see it working so very well on Dramatics but not very much on other types.
Hmm. But Kim Bum though, I don't see him being Dramatic. He's more of a pretty boy!
Melina
2/1/2020 07:00:43 am
"The effect of wearing a ponytail is actually a rather masculine effect" - this is so interesting, and explains why I've never really suited a ponytail (at least not after childhood.), even though it's usually considered a very "girly" hairstyle (for some reason)! (I'm REIC, by my current estimation.) Even though I prefer hair down, I can flatteringly do other updos, but not a ponytail. Or only a very low side ponytail, with the hair in front, which probably can't even be considered a proper ponytail. ;) And I noticed it was included in the hairdo post for E, R and I blends. Telling ;)
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
1/9/2015 12:46:27 pm
This is a really interesting question, and I think I can answer it. But I'm having a hard time thinking of male celebs who look good in a ponytail! :-). Can you suggest a few more?
Solania
1/9/2015 06:46:51 pm
OMGosh River Phoenix, of course! Especially when it's longer than chin length.
Layla
12/5/2023 12:03:51 am
What kibbe Type is River Pheonix?
Solania
1/9/2015 07:18:40 pm
Sorry, I just realized that my example of River Phoenix may not count because although he's had long hair it's never in a ponytail, plus I really don't think he looks good with his bangs pulled up and away from his face.
Solania
1/10/2015 07:23:24 pm
Tom Mison is very similarly baby-faced and effeminate without the facial hair and ponytail I find.
Tanja
1/19/2015 01:53:34 am
I really like Solania's question and I'm curious what your answer will be, Rachel. I'm writing because I think, that Orlando Bloom could be an example as well. To me he looks much more manlier with long hair, while he has quite a baby face with short or middle lenght hair.
Susan R
2/6/2015 07:10:33 am
Wow, I love what you said about the comparisons! I never thought of it like that, but it explains why I look better in short hair and also explains why wearing anything more "girly" looks ridiculous on me! I just never really thought of it this way. This site is the most helpful that I've seen with all the style stuff. I am supposedly a natural, but I have a smaller head, smaller eyes and narrower face, so I've been told I'm a Yang Natural, which does make sense to me, but the styles always seemed weird. Back on your page for naturals, explaining it in the way you did by defining is as everything we're not actually made sense to me. Even the differences between classic and gamine is helpful here too, because I always thought I was "classic" in my style, but I now know I am not. At almost 53, it is odd that I would still be exploring all this, but when I decided to let my hair go naturally gray, I guess it was kind of a renewal process of trying to find a style again. The thing is, I am so a jeans and tee shirt girl, even if they are embellished with chunky necklaces or scarves or whatever, it's like my basic costume is some sort of tee shirt or simple chunky sweater with jeans, shorter skirts and pants.
Tara
10/5/2015 02:24:18 pm
Has anyone ever typed Julie Andrews? To me, she appears quite gamine. But, I was shocked to learn last night that she is 5'7" like Audrey Hepburn. Fascinating!
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
10/5/2015 03:29:54 pm
She looks great with short hair. That's certainly suggestive.
Corinne
1/22/2016 06:54:37 pm
Does a youthful look always mean ingenue or gamine? I'm fairly certain I'm mostly ethereal and natural, but I do regularly get comments about how young I look (I'm in my late 20s, but I look more like early 20s).
Rachel
1/23/2016 11:18:01 am
It's tricky to say "always" about anything, but youthfulness defines Ingenue and Gamine, just as womanly sexiness defines Romantic. So I would feel pretty confident in diagnosing G or I in someone with a youthful appearance.
Rachel
1/23/2016 11:19:13 am
It may be a small portion, though. I've also been told that I look younger than I am, and I do have some Ingenue, but just a smidge.
Corinne
1/23/2016 08:34:07 pm
Thanks! I can pull off some ingenue type styling (bows, etc.), but since I don't look particularly cute or girly overall, I wondered whether that could really be my third essence.
Stephanie
9/15/2016 08:10:03 am
Hi!
I have a small question: I have realised recently that I look quite younger when I wear short hair, which is not the case when I have longer hair. I have also realised that I look weird when I have a large smile as if I had forced it. Would this rule out Gamine? I think I have a lot of Classic in me and I am not sure if I am a "pure" Classic or if I am a blend of other IDs... Thanks!
Cindy
10/13/2016 10:03:45 am
Wonderfully written piece, thank you so much for writing this! Interesting that although many gamine women are small and short, it doesn't necessarily mean that tall women can't be gamine. Does this also apply to petite women? I've noticed that many ethereals are very tall and willowy, but can short women be ethereal?
Rachel
4/25/2017 02:19:08 pm
Sure they can. It's really more about the face than anything else. (I have a blog post about this!) I think Ethereality is a little less common in petite women because, for whatever reason, they seem less likely to have the elongated and narrow features typical of Es. But it's not impossible.
K
12/28/2017 05:02:24 pm
It's interesting because based on face alone, I would have mistaken all the Ethereals I know as being much taller than they actually are. Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska both have strong E in my opinion, so I was surprised to find out that they were only 5'4. Not short, but not tall. Sissy Spacek has a lot of Ethereal in my opinion, and I envisioned her as being a lot taller than her petite 5'2. I think tallness helps with making someone think one is Ethereal, but in my experience it's hard to predict.
G
12/28/2016 10:25:47 pm
Is Winona Ryder considered a pure Gamine? because she has an otherworldly Ethereal quality to her. In some pics in her younger years she had a very delicate, waifish look, and she looked gorgeous in the period films she did.
G
8/23/2018 01:33:23 pm
Sorry for replying to my own comment but I realized that something just doesn't look right when Winona has long hair and drapey dresses. Watching Reality Bites, she looks effortlessly perfect in thrifted menswear and short, shaggy hair.
Jamie
4/23/2017 05:00:52 pm
gigi
6/9/2017 03:36:12 am
I really disagree with Gwen Stefani being representative of the 'gamine' type. She may have a gamine component to her (mostly due to her body shape and her style), but she has a strong romantic component too (her face). She looks gorgeous and sensuous/womanly in pin-up romantic styles (like in the movie Aviator). I would guess her to be more of a Romantic Dramatic Gamine.
gigi
6/9/2017 12:35:29 pm
oh and the same goes for Janet Jackson. Though I really don't see anything gamine about Janet. Nothing gamine about Halle Berry either. Both women look quite tall/heavy-boned and voluptuous, and neither have that gamine 'baby-face'. It seems like all the women who get pixie haircuts get lumped under gamine, it's silly.
Kels
7/19/2017 08:48:43 pm
I think they have romance in their body frames, but neither Janet nor Halle is muscular, strong-looking or heavy boned. They are 5'4 and 5'5, and have rounded faces, big eyes, and large foreheads, as per the guidelines for gamine. Romantic gamines, maybe?
Kitty
1/20/2018 07:46:50 pm
I agree. Both women are very curvaceous and womanly. Nobody would ever mistake them for waifish little boys or impish pixies. Both seem heavily romantic to me , no sharp lines
Milly
1/28/2019 07:21:35 pm
I feel the same about Rihanna. Just because a celeb goes through a style phase doesn't seem it's what actually suits them in their essence. Currently, in an SD look she looks incredible and has always suited long curly/hair. Same with Michelle Williams, just because she decided to go for a pixie cut, I don't actually think she has the sharpness in her features for such a full blown gamine look. It looks at odds with her softness.
Kate
8/18/2017 07:23:38 am
Hi Rachel,
My name's Kate, I am a young italian girl who's trying find her own style. I thought I might be a mix of gamine, dramatic and ethereal. People often call me cute, delicate, ladylike... I am neither tall nor short, I weigh 100 pounds and I am 5'5 inches tall. My eyes are not narrow at all, they're more oval/rounded (not very big though), my mouth is tiny, my face is oval, my features are not very sharp, but I have some angles😭... I don't why so many people describe me with "gamine" adjectives... Could you help me?❤️
LC
3/22/2020 08:57:49 pm
I suspect your round eyes and small mouth give you a more youthful look than your peers...would you say that you are more gamine or ingenue? And have you seen Aly Art on YouTube? She is a feminine looking soft gamine.
anastasia
9/29/2017 09:16:02 pm
HeyRachel Do you know if this polyvore set https://a-birago.polyvore.com/?filter=sets looks Theatrical Romantic?
I completed the kibbe quiz and got mostly A answers which came out as dramatic. I also did the Mcjimneys quiz i think and got soft natural. For some reason i feel drawn to dramatic clothing but not all the way. As for soft natural i just don't feel like it resonates with me at all not even the jewelry.
Rachel
10/3/2017 09:51:19 am
Hi! When I paste that URL, I get a page full of sets, not one individual set. Which one do you mean?
anastasia
10/3/2017 09:58:46 am
Hey sorry it was this set https://www.polyvore.com/casual_girly/set?id=217521847 i'm not sure what type of style this would be.
Rachel
10/4/2017 09:38:10 am
I see a lot going on here! That bomber jacket reads as Gamine with some Natural. The top looks sexy and uncomplicated -- that's Romantic and Natural.The bag is pretty Classic, perhaps with some Natural. The jeans read as Natural Gamine. The heels are sexy and minimalistic, with a sort of sinuous effect -- they have Romantic and Ethereal, then, along with either Natural or Dramatic. Those flat sandals are severely minimalistic (that's Dramatic, usually) but they also look simple and comfortable with that low stacked heel (that's Natural),
anastasia
10/4/2017 10:36:08 am
thanks and how about the girl with the red dress on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNPCTHUP10E
at 3:00 min
Shawna
5/20/2018 10:07:37 pm
I know this is an older post but I often re-read and I want to comment on something I experienced recently. I am tallish-5'9 1/2" and have always believed this made me seem less feminine. A friend recently expressed surprise when I said this and stated that I am the most feminine woman she knows. She may happen to know a lot of very tomboyish females but it was still an interesting comment to me. I think it's true that we really don't have a very good idea of how we appear to others.
anastasia osei birago
5/20/2018 10:51:55 pm
I noticed the people that have trouble knowing their Kibbe type are actually soft dramatic. I’m a soft dramatic except with narrow arms. At first I thought I was an ethereal dramatic but something didn’t seem right. On Pinterest I would see celebs who were typed as soft dramatic dressed in other types and they looked incomplete and the clothes hid their figure and didn’t make them look womanly. You want to be able to see all their dimensions that make them the chosen Kibbe type. I feel like you would know your type if you find yourself having fun searching for the clothes you want.
Avril
10/29/2018 11:52:41 am
Hi! So I read your posts a few times and, looking at the images of Gamine and Dramatic women with VERY short hair, I have to argue that more 'boyish' isn't necessarily better for most of the women featured on your site. For example in the case of Winona Ryder, I wholeheartedly agree the shorter hair is absolutely gorgeous for her. Notice however, that I said shorter....her hair is not spiky, or cut super close to her head, or in any way 'boyish' to my eye. Her hair reminds me more of the shorter cuts for women during the 60's...wherein the hair appears more full as well as longer on the sides and back of the head, as opposed to most of the hair being piled on top of the head. With the haircut she has, she seems elegant as well as feminine. Another thing I wondered about was if you are a gamine with naturally curly hair, keeping it very short doesn't seem to make too much difference....it still is not as flattering because it is still curly, and curly= feminine. In short, I would really like to see more examples of short women's haircuts that are not overly masculine. IMO most little boys with gamine faces don't look their best with super short hair either....but perhaps all of this is due in part to a feminine aspect to their faces that has been overlooked? Thank you for all of your posts, they have been helpful and quite fascinating to me. :)
Emme
3/16/2019 04:57:12 pm
What style identity would a truly androgynous face fall under? With long hair, none of my friends could ever imagine me looking boyish, even without makeup. However when I had short hair, people had a hard time believing I was girl, as I was so convincingly boyish. I'm often thought to be much younger than I am, and I'm offered crayons at restaurants! What identities and combos include young looking, androgynous girls? I know you can't tell what I fall into if you can't see me, but if you could give me some ideas I might be able to narrow it down on my own.
Tracie
8/6/2019 12:25:20 pm
I think even though I am 5 ft 10, I am gamine in style. I look better in "cute" looks rather than the sweater set type classic looks, though I can see how classic influences me. I am slim and do have that boyishly cute approach, and I like how Audrey Hepburn did in her style. I think definitely the simple cute looks, like striped tops and ballet flats are very me. If I look in my closet, a lot of things i can see are in the gamine vein. I don't think the fact that i am tall should automatically exclude me from the style. I also look my best in a long pixie or short chin length bob style. I never get compliments on medium to long hair but always do with short hair. I am very pale and have large eyes and definitely don't look good in frilly styles, or neutral classic looks, and ingenue is too youngish a look for me, and natural is too flowy for my figure and I drown in fabric and look shapeless. Dramatic I think is too angular, or sexy, or too much drama when I am more casual than that.
I feel that gamine fit me best.
Melina
2/1/2020 06:51:53 am
Interesting (re-)post, I think I missed this one before, probably because Gamine is the one essence I'm sure I have absolutely none of ;) (I'm REIC, by current estimate.) Never in a million years would I look good in short hair, and anything boyish doesn't suit me in the slightest (and the discussion above about ponytails above confirmed it even more), so it's been dead easy for me to exclude this one. ;)
T
2/2/2020 04:00:01 pm
Can anyone point me in the direction of Spring or Autumn Romantic Natural Gamines? (Especially clearer Springs, but Light Spring references are great too!) I have a medium contrast and I’m trying to get an idea of how to make outfits that are gamine but won’t overwhelm my coloring. (I look best in a neutral + 1 or 2 colors rather than a fully multicolored outfit.)
I’m just so tired of seeing Ingenue colors and Ingenue colorschemes when I search for outfits and items in my proper Spring colors! Thanks in advance🤗
Liz
2/2/2020 11:00:56 pm
Julia Roberts and Jessica Alba could be good places to start! They both look warm in coloring--I'd guess autumns, maybe dark autumn. They do both have strong bone structure, especially Jessica, that could make you think they have dramatic--but I think that might be the combination of the strong bones that tend to go with N and the pointiness of G, which I think in combination might look like D? I think they look more friendly and spunky (N and G) than intimdating and otherwordly (D).
Another possible warm RNG is. Selena Gomez, though it's definitely possible that she has Ingenue instead of Gamine, or Ingenue instead of Romantic, which for me are often quite hard to tell apart...
T
2/4/2020 10:45:13 pm
Hi Liz! Thanks for your reply! I am pretty confident that Jessica alba is RCI (and a deep autumn). As for Julia Roberts, I don’t think has Romantic but she does has an eye for style. Whatever her ID is, she is aware of it (whether consciously or unconsciously). She is able to oscillate between a lot of styles successfully because she keeps her ID as her base (either that, or she has more than 3 essences.. but not romantic). Now, Selena is a deep winter, but she looks like a possible RNG to me! Definitely gamine.
I should’ve clarified in my original post that I meant suggestions of Spring & slightly lighter Autumns (like soft autumn/muted autumn). But Selena is a great suggestion! Thanks again
Liz
2/5/2020 03:57:26 pm
Glad it was helpful! Hm that's interesting about Alba, I hadn't considered Ingenue for her. I would think that an RIC would look great with short curly hairstyles, given that R and I look great in curls? To me, curls can make Jessica look a bit masculine. It seems she looks most harmonious in straight hair or slightly wavy hair, which might be more suitable for someone with R and at least one masculine essence... just a thought! Always fun to see people's different perspectives on types :)
Liz
2/5/2020 04:12:31 pm
Afterthought--On this poll, 71% of people preferred Alba with straight compared to curly hair:
https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/photo-gallery/16498617/image/16498634/Jessica-Alba
T
2/5/2020 06:08:51 pm
Hi Liz. Yes, that poll is just more proof that she’s Classic! Rachel mentions on the Classic page & the hair posts of how straight is immensely better than textured/curly on Classics. She also says that -to look their best- Classics must have literally have every hair in place, no what hairstyle. The only type of classic that could handle some messiness is a Natural Classic. At most, a Romantic Classic would be able to handle some sexy tousle but not messy, laidback, or naturally undone. Just compare pics of RCG Emilia Clarke in straight hair here (tinyurl.com/to93724) versus the squiggly textured hair here (tinyurl.com/wce4hxv). Jessica tried to fix it with a symmetrical center part, but that textured/squiggly hair isn’t great on her either (tinyurl.com/rg66uaf). As for the short hair, an RCG like Emilia will pull that off better than an RCI like Jessica because Gamines do well in short hair (even the more feminine Gamines). If RCI wants to do shorter look, it needs to be something like a bob/lob + it needs to be a clean/neat and more medium length than short. Finally, RCI of course does well curls well, but it has to be in a neat & unnatural manner. Rachel has mentioned that Ingenue curls are sweet round curls + slightly longer length while Romantic curls are more full, soft/touchable, voluminous, & has some length. So for Romantic Classics think of more neat, old school glamour barrel curls like this (tinyurl.com/vl9jkph). Symmetrical hairstyles and teased crowns like this (tinyurl.com/s8whvxq) and this (tinyurl.com/tmjjc9x) are also great for Romantic Classics.... Jessica is rather feminine (she looks terrible is androgynous/masculine looks), but she does have a lot of classic which might be the masculinity/sharpness you’re talking about. Classics have extremely clean, balanced lines in their feature (which is why they look good is classic outfits that mirror that). But compare Jessica’s Romantic look & style to RNGs like Zoe Kravtiz’s or Mila Kunis look and you’ll see what I mean. They are all R, so none of them look over the top in a glam dripping-in-jewels look. But Jessica pulls off Classic Ingenue’s perfectly balanced buns (tinyurl.com/wahwrl3) and bows (tinyurl.com/yxyjz85q) and headbands (tinyurl.com/tlaqn6r) that would look silly or over the top on Zoe or Mila. Meanwhile, Zoe & Mila do the oversized look, smudgy eyeliner, boyfriend jeans/shirt, & “just rolled out of bed” hair soooo much better. If you compare romantic classics to romantic naturals, you’ll really get a feel for what I mean & see the different vibes they give off (Jessica Simpson & Naya Rivera also examples of RN/RNI). TBH, I am *always* intrigued by non-Natural blends! They get really creative with style to me😄
T
2/5/2020 06:19:08 pm
Oh! Another though- even will all that femininity as an RCI, if you compare Jessica Alba in curly hair to Christina Hendricks (REI) in curly hair you can really see the difference. Hendricks has a lot more room to play around with that using the strange/unusual/unearthly qualities from her Ethereal, while Jessica must keep some restraint to her curly hair. Yet neither of them look great in Natural curls/messy hair. Isn’t that wild? Just another reason I’m glad to have stumbled into the world Style Analysis!
Liz
2/5/2020 09:20:33 pm
Hi T! I appreciate the thought you've put into this. It's fun to hear how people assign different types.
My short reply is that you could be right about RCI. Style analysis is subjective, and it can be hard to tell.
Slightly longer answer is that ultimately, style analysis is about what lines are actually in your face. If you look at a picture of Jessica straight on, she has STRAIGHT (i.e., masculine) lines in her jaw. You can trace the oultine of her jaw with your finger. It is straight. It's a fact that she has straight lines in her face. They are somewhat blunt, somewhat sharp. I think maybe she has both N and D. She looks pretty harmonious next to both of those boards. I'm now thinking RDN for her.
You could argue that this straightness is classic, but it's definitionally not classic, because classic represents the average female, and the average female doesn't have those straight lines in the jaw. Romantic and Ingenue also wouldn't account for those straight lines. So that's why I respectfully have a hard time seeing RCI for her.
Liz
2/5/2020 09:27:42 pm
Not seeing much Romantic, Classic, or Ingenue about this bone structure:
https://favim.com/image/2359287/
Melina
2/6/2020 03:35:59 am
That's intriguing, about Classic needing to have every hair in place (though I don't think it's possible for anyone to *literally* have *every* hair in place! ;D), and doing better with straight hair, as I'm max. 25% Classic, but my other essences, R, E and I, do much better curly / wavy, and not so controlled. So that leads to quite a conflict...! ;) Well, I guess that's why I do very well in big bouncy curls (if they only lasted longer in my fine, naturally straight hair!), but frizzy tight curls are not good at all.
(Can't comment about the Jessica Alba issue as I'm clueless about typing celebrities, but an interesting discussion, anyway.)
Melina
2/6/2020 12:23:39 pm
Actually, contrary to what I said above, I *am* now going to comment on Jessica Alba, or the pic Liz posted above ;) I think that specific photo just emphasizes her jawline, so it looks really prominent (and very straight); in other photos I've seen of her, it's not that prominent at all, and looks much more feminine, e.g. https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5744a9f755f979a31fa989bd/3:2/w_768,c_limit/hive-contributor-profile-jessica-alba.jpg , or https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1065455403046076416/8F4b6lMk_400x400.jpg.
So I could second the view about RCI. :)
T.
2/6/2020 01:08:36 pm
Hey Liz! Loved hearing your perspective! Jessica def leads with Romantic, and that’s the only essence I have seen consistently work for her. I’m totally open to considering other IDs for her. It just that, when I compare RDNs to their RDN board (like Ilfnesh Hadera and Jennifer Lopez- Rachel has verified J. Lo as RDN).... the board works for them beautifully as it should. But then it falls flat when I go and compare Alba’s face to the RDN board. Each person should reach that point of “looking their best” when their next to their board. That’s a big part of what this system does. With how great J Lo & Ilfnesh looked next to their appropriate RDN board, if feels almost disrespectful for me to ID Jessica as RDN! There’s something off. Again, I’m open to seeing her ID-ed as something besides RCI. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable personally ID-ing Jessica as an RDN, after seeing how well & appropriately that board worked on other verified RDNs. There’s just a disconnect between how it made JLo & Ilfnesh look versus how it sat on Jessica. And yes, features indicate our essence, but kinda like Rachel has mentioned Color Analysis, it truly comes to what colors look best on you to determine your season. Visually ID-ing can only to point in the correct direction- we can’t know the ID until be “drape”. (Rachel has done a post debunking the “dominant trait” theory using Lupita Nyogo as an example). Perceived race is another factor that Rachel has mentioned affects Style Analysis, and Jessica is multiracial so I have to consider that might be adding to the confusion... And of course for Hollywood celebs, plastic surgery is another entire factor to consider 🤣😅
If you want, you can forward me images of her in RDN vs other IDs. (But don’t feel like you have to!) Otherwise- thanks for the enlightening conversation! Love the convivial convos on this blog (like this one :)
Liz
2/7/2020 11:40:17 pm
Yeah, I actually agree that RDN isn't amazing on her--I did the style calculator on her and now I'm thinking RDC. I think elements of RDN and RIC work for her but that RDC is probably better than either. Thanks for spotting the Classic in her!
Mary
2/3/2020 09:41:44 pm
So, I’ve just come to the realization that I DON’T have Ethereal or Dramatic although I’ve been dressing that way for years.
After reading this post, I’m curious... would you all say this swimsuit is Romantic Gamine or Classic Ingenue? www.target.com/p/women-s-shirred-macrame-strap-one-piece-swimsuit-kona-sol-8482-navy-white-stripe-xl/-/A-53761286
And these glasses? https://poshmark.com/listing/KATE-SPADE-KASSIACRX51-EYEGLASSES-5cd5bb60b81fcac4b26fb033 ?🤔
Melina
2/4/2020 03:15:08 am
As for the swimsuit, I'd say it's actually Natural Gamine, or that's what first came into my mind. ;) (As for the glasses, no idea.)
L
2/4/2020 01:28:28 pm
That swimsuit looks pretty classy and sweet, definitely not flashy or overtly sexy. I'd say classic ingenue.
Though I also see Melina's point about N or G, with the casual feel and the stripes.
Those glasses also seem to be a blend of those above essences--glasses in general don't have a connotation of being traditionally sexy (R) or otherwordly (E and D). Although glasses in general are confusing to me (I think that would be a great topic for a blog post!)
Solania
3/9/2020 04:01:34 am
Hi Rachel
I bought your Ethereal-Natural-Gamine shopping guide last year and I can't seem to find the file on my computer though I vaguely remember downloading it, I am hoping you can help me.
Also how does an Ethereal-Natural-Gamine do formal wear or corporate work wear?
Thanks
Jema
3/22/2020 05:52:56 am
I was typed as a Classic Gamine and have always struggled a bit with this as the advice for Classic is the opposite of the advice for Gamine (as illustrated by the section of your article 'Classic or Gamine'?). How can I reconcile these opposites?
LC
3/22/2020 08:37:44 pm
Have you thought of. Using more gamine elements for casual situations and classic for more formal events?
Or looked for commonalities that work for you? Gamine and dramatic classic often share color blocking, for example.
Then there is the hard work of self-evaluation, observing details.
I have been trying on a lot of different lines and elements, and trying my hair in different ways and using the mirror and selfies to analyze what I like best on the unique combination that I have. I have evaluated accessories and jewelry. I have also done this with different shades and tints and tones of colors, different fabric weights, different sheen to the fabric, different prints, specific types of stripes and other geometric prints and polka dots (yes to tiny and random, no to anything larger or anything in a regimented diagonal pattern of polka dots...that is how specific I am getting). I used stuff in my own closet and have spent numerous afternoons in stores, quietly recording voice notes on my phone to reflect on later. My understanding is evolving, and it is helping me a lot.
Good luck! It is hard to figure this out if you don’t feel like the preppy class president or whatever style identity one’s combo has been christened with.
6/23/2020 03:04:12 am
Gamine has been so underrated for a style that has been already out for many years that have passed. I agree with the "YinYang" explanation, yet I also think not many people have realized or even considered this way of thinking. Even though there are many style identities of Gamine, one thing is for certain, it's only for risk-taker women or those who are already so confident and feel beautiful and brave about themselves whenever what look they feel to try for themselves!
Inappropriate question
7/28/2020 11:56:41 pm
Would you say actresses like Luise Rainer and Carole Anne Ford are gamines (they where considered gamines back in their heyday)? Despite their long, almost heart shaped faces?
Also I think Yiddish singer, Nechama Lifshitz is a gamine with her square face and high round forehead, yet her nose is not small, but long and hooked (which I find an attractive feature as I hate little noses, but it's certainly a challenge to describe such a feature in a way that doesn't stigmatise). However could it be argued that her nose is small for her ethnicity (atleast in comparison to Shira Gorshman, who was dramatic-romantic) which is why it's still a gamine nose?
Arletta
10/13/2020 11:59:46 pm
Well, thought I'd look around and see how the other body types are fairing. It seems like you were slightly kinder to Gamines than to Naturals, but not near as kind as to Dramatics.
How come you have all these different blends of Dramatics listed but I can't find any Gamine or Natural blends, anywhere? No wonder you can't find much nice to say when you've lumped all the different beautiful sub-types together!
Diane
10/2/2021 11:39:06 pm
Rachel has posted exactly as many Gamine blends and Natural blends as Dramatic blends.
In the navigation bar on the left hand side of this website, click the "style analysis" button. That will take you to a page with single style types and blends of 2-style types. Scroll further down and there's a link to the page with 3-style blends.
Without exception, each of the 7 style IDs participates in a 'blend' exactly as many times as the other types do. Every single possible way of combining the types (up to blends of 7) is posted here.
Isa
12/5/2022 06:24:53 pm
Are Zoe Kravitz and Morena Baccarin gamine? What type of blend??
7/1/2024 07:47:57 am
The post explores style identities, focusing on the gamine aesthetic.
eclipsea
9/24/2024 07:49:42 pm
Hi, I recently interest myself with the concepts of aesthetics, as i want to find which aesthetics suits me, and I've been told to look like gamine-natural. Its probably thanks to my face as i have soft features, but im also quite tall (1m75, idk if its tall?) and im not that uncurvy, specially with chest, i have a normal size i suppose. What i mean is, i feel like i have some traits which will never completely related to this gamine aesthetics, and at the very end, im even more lost about what can suit me.
I feel like im unattractive, average, looks "young" and not mature when ive been told to look gamine and natural, and i ultimately ask to people which styles will suits me because i have low self esteem, i dont know if i will looks pretty in some outfits compared to other pretty girls, where i find myself to be inferior to them.
I kinda like the dramatic style, as i find it very elegant, but im always afraid it will never suits me. I'm kinda hopeless of how i can like myself
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