The Romantic Style Type.

Style Types: The ROMANTIC

10/1/2019

Romantic beauty is feminine beauty in its mature, womanly form.

It may be the easiest type of visual feminine to spot, because it's the kind of feminine beauty hetero men are most interested in -- so it's a beauty we often see portrayed in popular culture.

Other systems call this type Sensuous, Soft, or Alluring. They're beating around the bush.

The straight truth is this: Romantic beauty is sexy beauty.

Kat Dennings

Jennifer Lopez.

Aishwarya Rai

I've thought for months about a better way to word this, because I have been afraid of coming across as objectifying Romantic women.

Of course, it could be argued that Style Type Analysis is inherently objectifying, because it analyzes women based purely on their physical qualities. I don't believe this is true, though. We're not ranking women, or judging their inherent worth, based on their appearance -- we're analyzing appearance for the purpose of helping all women have tools to feel simultaneously authentic and beautiful, if that's something they want. The point of Style Type Analysis is to empower women in their own authentic beauty.

Yet talking about Romantic women's appearance is difficult for me because, traditionally, all women have been judged by how well we conform to the standard of Romantic beauty. And we're all pretty sick of it, aren't we?

Even the Romantic women, who "win" in that system of judgment, are probably tired of being valued for their sexiness.

Is it possible for us to celebrate Romantic beauty without implying that Romantic women's worth lies in that beauty?

I believe it is. I hope it is.

Because there's no way around it: Romantic women embody sex appeal.

It goes without saying that Romantic women are no more or less sexual than any other women. But visually, they read as pure womanly sexuality.

Romantic women tend to have sensuous mouths, smoldering eyes, narrow jaws, large foreheads, and full hair. A Romantic woman looks mature and powerful, not inappropriate, with boob and butt emphasis and a super-cinched waist.

Christina Hendricks

Liris Crosse

Monica Bellucci

Dark hair reads as Romantic because human hair naturally darkens with sexual maturity. (Just as light hair reads as youthful because prepubescent children tend to have lighter hair than adults.)

Sade	Fran Drescher

A flush in human skin is an indicator of sexual arousal. So palette-appropriate reds, which echo that flush, look perfect on Romantics.

Anita Marshall

Romantics look like themselves with half-closed eyes, a cocked eyebrow, and a knowing smile -- or no smile at all. This "come-hither" face is silly on pretty much everyone else, but on Romantics it's perfect. It looks wise and confident.

Eva Mendes

Sherilyn Fenn

Romantics look great with the impression of cleavage, even if they're small-busted. (While some large-busted women, such as Gamines and Dramatics, look best with de-emphasized chests.)

Feminine beauty is defined by the curving line. Perhaps because a curved line is more visually complicated than a straight line, Ethereals and Romantics look great surrounded by a lot of detail. (While Naturals and Dramatics are unattractive in highly detailed contexts.) A Romantic looks gorgeous in ruffles, gathers, ruching, elaborate hair, and ornate jewelry.

Kate Dillon

Deepika Padukone

Keira Knightley is known for her lean physique, but because she has a lot of Romantic she's gorgeous with the *impression* of cleavage.

Red roses symbolize romance and sexuality, and a Romantic woman is like a red rose: beautiful, delicate, detailed, and composed entirely of curving lines.

The ultimate Romantic flower: delicate, curved everywhere, and passionately red.

So you're a Romantic, but you don't want to be defined by your sexy appearance. As a woman, I completely get that.

But if you dress in a way that doesn't create an impression of softness, curves, and delicacy, the result will be that you look less dignified.

Stiff, structured clothes make your feminine, alluring features look out of place. It can actually create the impression that your intent is for people to stare at you.

And in shapeless clothes, you'll look insignificant and unprepared. (A Natural would look confident in the same clothes. )

Honor your Romantic beauty by creating looks as feminine and sexy as you are. That reads as dignified and self-aware.

Blogger Tanesha Awasthi has a lot of Romantic, and she's so beautiful in lush, draped, sexy, Romantic looks.

If you know what looks good on you, but you don't know your style type, try the Style Identity Calculator.

A version of this post was published in May 2015.

72 Comments

katherine

5/5/2015 01:47:59 pm

I wouldn't necessarily say that the Romantic body type is the one straight men idealize. What straight men tend to idealize is a very specific variation on it -- thin, not fleshy, with large but not fleshy boobs, pronounced but contained hips, no fat or flesh anywhere, did I mention thin; the sort of body that most women simply do not and will never have without surgery and/or Photoshopping, not even Romantics.

Which is what it is, but it leads to a lot of stereotyping of this type as "the one with the T&A." I've been typed as Romantic and I barely have an A-cup. My body is very much far off from anything that could be considered a hetero male fantasy. I'm sure I'm not the only one, and I feel like this sort of stereotyping leads to a lot of women who'd look their best in Romantic-style clothing being scared off, because they don't think they're Christina Hendricks or Beyonce.

I'd also add that while men expect all women to conform to this type, the fashion industry emphatically does not; most designers, and the more the more upscale and/or career-oriented you go, seem yet to figure out that, for instance, lots of women have these things called hips that are larger than their waists, and that skirts and pants should be cut for BOTH of them; or that A does not necessarily come with T or vice versa, resulting in so many dresses being simultaneously too tight AND too loose. Obviously I'm biased, but is it too far off-base to call this one of the harder types to shop for, at least in 2010s fashion?

Kate

5/7/2015 09:05:54 pm

I really like your points about being smaller framed/fleshed, but still being a Romantic. I can think of a few women I know who are definitely petites, but black lace, red roses, silk slips, peekaboo hairdos, red lipstick, sultry facial expressions, look totally right on them. They're sexy and small framed, not girly, not dainty, and they don't look like they're trying to "pull off a look" in clothing etc like this. They look like themselves.
Which is not to knock the post, or your great efforts, Rachel!

5/9/2015 03:42:04 am

Oh no, totally! The post was great - for obvious reasons I'd been looking forward to reading it and I imagine it was really hard to write too.

1/10/2017 01:27:39 pm

I think that is true for white men, not necessarily the other races of men excluding asian males

Katrina Powers

7/2/2018 10:39:51 am

How ridiculous, of you to stereotype men, and I don't know any men whatsoever who like model thin girls, Just as there are few men who like unhealthy large girls, Men have very diverse taste in women just as we do, and it's utterly ridiculous that you would even insinuate that they "expect" women to dress like this. Where I live men if a woman wears a dress the men think she just got out of church or is going to a fancy dinner. Men here expect a woman to be in jeans and a t shirt, fishing, riding horses, with little to no makeup. And not to degrade the women in my town but most of them wouldn't know an a line skirt from a full circle skirt. And they have no shortage of men around them. Men like anything with a vagina. I am a curvy size 0 32D bust 24 in waist 34 in hips, and I am 5ft 2 and weigh anywhere from 115 to 120 pds (depending on if I lift weights) and my husband never liked girls with curves until he met me. his general go to was an a cup, romantic curly sometimes frizzy hair, brown eyes, and pretty stream line figure waify figure with muscle and it wasn't until he got with me that he discovered that he prefers curves (fit curves) which are attainable without cosmetic surgery. As I and many other women in the world are proof of.

There are also men I know who specifically only go for sz 14 and up white girls. My point is your comment is illogical and incredibly uninformed.

However I do wholeheartedly agree with your comment about slender girls being scared off by the stereotyping of romantic clothing in this particular post. This post was extremely uninclusive not a very accurate depiction of fashion or style which is wearable for all shapes and sizes you simply have to know your shape and dress it appropriately.

Taylor Swift circa 2007 is a perfect example of thin waify romantic style and she looks great in it.

This posting depicting Romantic/Dramatic style which is a subtype of the romantic.

Rae Waller

5/28/2023 01:31:57 pm

That's not necessarily what straight men as a whole actually want, it's just a) what's easiest to dress in the fashion industry because very thin women are the closest thing to human coathangers and b) what makes women spend money on the diet industry. Straight men are still controlling those industries but it's not because they find those body types actually attractive, it's because it's easier to make women who don't have those body types hate themselves and thus remain under capitalistic control.

dhest

3/31/2024 09:58:18 am

Great points. Additionally, I note that many examples of Romantics are often in low cut tops, slitted skirts, body sprawled in some fashion, and sexualized. That's a turn off for many women who are romantics and don't want to be portrayed that way. Surely there can be modest, everyday versions of Romantic presentation.

8/19/2024 12:59:18 pm

Try fabrics ruffly enough to wrap around the figure but not be skintight, brightly coloured open/plunge-neck shirt layered over a high-neck one in a less conspicuous colour, focus on prints instead of cuts... It's doable!

Sola

5/6/2015 01:06:43 am

Awesome as always. Please KIC :)

5/6/2015 02:28:53 am

Awesomely informative as usual. Pleas KIC :)

5/8/2015 03:46:13 am

Rachel, I came across style that was defined as "soft natural" and it was Kibbe's characteristic. What does "soft natural"stand for? Is your "ethereal natural" Kibbe's "soft natural"?

5/9/2015 08:43:12 am

Hello!
Using the style calculator, I was typed as an Ethereal Romantic, though it has been suggested that I have far more Romantic than Ethereal. When you are a blended style type with one characteristic more dominant than the other, how do you adjust that in your own personal style? Both the Romantic and Ethereal Romantic style types appeal to me, though some elements of the Ethereal Romantic style do not look the best (bell sleeves, medieval styles, bohemian skirts). Given that I am primarily Romantic, do I ignore the Ethereal element?
Thank You!

Rachel Arnt-Schemmel

5/9/2015 03:00:26 pm

Hi!
I haven't yet identified an easy and effective way to do what you describe.

My best advice is this: once you've identified your primary essences, try to manifest them in whichever garments and accessories correspond to the past of your body where that essence seems to be dominant.

For example, I have a smidge of Romantic. And I feel confident that it's in my face or hair. (Certainly not in my straight waist, flat bust, or big hands and feet.) So when I add a touch of R to an ensemble, it's almost always in earrings or collar detail. I certainly wouldn't do it with a gathered waist or sweetheart neckline. :-)

Can you determine the part of you that's giving off the Ethereal vibe? If you can, assign the Ethereal garment or detail to that location.

5/10/2015 06:52:32 am

Thank you!

5/10/2015 08:55:01 am

I re-evaluated my selections in the Style Calculator and was able to readjust my selections based on the recent updates made to the boards. The calculator weighed me at 75 points for Romantic, and 45 points for Ethereal. So based on the instructions given, I would be a Romantic, yes?

5/9/2015 03:05:16 pm

There's no easy answer to this. In Kibbe, "soft" means feminine -- mostly Romantic feminine. But because Kibbe doesn't acknowledge Ingenue femininity or Ethereal femininity, he has to collapse I and E styles into other types. He mainly assigns them to his Romantic type. So Soft Natural could be Romantic Natural... but it could also be Ethereal Natural or Natural Ingenue.

5/12/2015 08:17:12 am

thanks, that helps a lot :)

5/10/2015 03:31:09 pm

Yes. But I'm surprised you're getting a total that's over 100. Can you email me your sheet with the data entered? If you bought a version that's not my most current version, I'll send you the most current version.

5/11/2015 07:09:16 am

"once you've identified your primary essences, try to manifest them in whichever garments and accessories correspond to the part of your body where that essence seems to be dominant."
Rachel, this really needs a post of it's own. Being a blend of two or more style identities, it can be so frustrating finding examples of what would look good for our specific body and face composition.
My face if very dramatic, but my body would look awful in pure dramatic clothes. Looking at all the examples of blended Dramatic and Romantic clothes I see tons of cowl necklines. I look better in v-necklines because my face is dramatic, but my bust, ribs, and waist look good in the soft dramatic body-con style of draped fabric.
Figuring out which area of your face and body correspond to what style identity and actually finding clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry to match is really challenging. And NOBODY else who does any form of style identity seems to really talk about this or give any practical tips for adjusting style stereotypes to a person's everyday reality.

Tordis

5/12/2015 04:42:11 am

This is such an important point!
Many style systems provide an even mixture (if at all). But they often cause confusion with "mixture people".
Please please write that post - I'm very Ingenue in the face, but my body is very Romantic. I'm TR in Kibbe's system, but while the lines and shapes are right, I can't convincingly wear sexy stuff. Because of my face, I guess. I can't wear typical Ingenue stuff either (too small scale, too cute) - because of my body? The idea of dressing different parts of my body differently could be the missing link. I really look forward to this post!

5/13/2015 09:01:11 am

A lot of this might come down to attitude. It's like what I said upthread -- people are so conditioned by society, and by the male gaze, to only accept a certain subtype of a body type that 1% of people have and 0.1% have without a great deal of work as "sexy," and it's damn near impossible to soak in all that and not have it affect how you view yourself.

I'm also TR in Kibbe's system, FWIW. The descriptions are... a lot to live up to (I mistyped myself at first as SN because I didn't think any of that stuff described me). Even when I wear shapes and styles that I know are best suited for me, and that others who I know to be honest have agreed with, I have to constantly battle voices in my head saying I either look dressup-y or slutty. Which are two things that really can't exist simultaneously! This is the kind of double-bind women face constantly, and it sucks even when you know exactly what is happening and why.

For what it's worth the solution to this problem, for me, has been tights/stockings and fitted turtlenecks, because no one can say anything when LITERALLY EVERY INCH OF MY BODY is covered. Doesn't help much in the summer though!

rainydaze

5/19/2017 11:25:42 pm

I do this too. I am mostly gamine+romantic in my face (very fleshy face but also abit angular, with small-ish and delicate facial features). I do soft gamine or ingenue for make up and jewelry but that's it. My body prefers the cuts of classic romantic styles or even ethereal romantic, because I'm proportionately fleshy with moderate curves (but narrow framed for my height of 5'6), gamine/ingenue outfits would never work for me, I'm too busty and overall too fleshy. However, the extreme opposite like kim-k's style of 'bandage dresses' also look inappropriate on me (looks good on the body but doesn't go with my face or longer arms + legs). I also have a shorter torso with longer legs, so short skirts or ankle length pants (gamine/ingenue styles) make me look awkward and 'unbalanced'. Figure hugging clothes look best, never baggy or skintight. I do have small wrists and delicate hands so ingenue or romantic styles of bracelets are fantastic.

6/24/2015 02:32:18 am

Curious as to why you are typing Deepika Padukone as a Romantic. If you google her in a bikini picture (you have to find a unphotoshopped picture or just watch any of her movies), SHE HAS A STRAIGHT stomach with very little curves. Her face has always confused me. Can't place her, but I disagree with her being a Romantic. What do you think?

Goldie

9/29/2015 11:04:01 am

Pretty convinced now that I'm a "pure" romantic. I have had this "mature, womanly form" since I was about 14. I want to say that I am secondarily gamine or ingenue because I am shorter, just under 5'4", but aside from the height I have no relation with those types. I have quite a similar body and facial features to Kat Dennings, and she is also under 5'4" like me. What do you have her secondary type as?

10/2/2015 09:22:19 am

Hi!

I suspect she has Ethereal and Dramatic in addition to Romantic. I like her in sheer fabrics and fantastical styles, but also on sharp angles.

Andrea

2/27/2016 11:09:46 am

I am so glad to read this article. The description fits me perfectly. It's good be reminded to embrace my feminity because it is who I am!

Sam

1/4/2018 07:53:35 pm

Hi!
Can i have a curvy body and not be a Romantic? i tend to not show my body too much because when i dress more feminine or sexy i get too much attention, and for that i then dress with oversized clothes and look like a boy or just bad. Also, when i wear shirts too tight to my bust(which is big), i look older and fat, and i need to use a loose shirt or a structured shirt to try to cover that part, and i dont look well wearing shirts with sleeves, they have to be long or no sleeves.
Thanks.

Nicole

4/25/2018 03:05:43 am

Hi- I love this blog!!! Like many commenters here, I'm a more petite Romantic (alot of Romantic in my face)! Rachel- What would you say is J. Lo's secondary and/or tertiary type? I'm mixed race (half black) but I've always been told I resemble J. Lo (even as a child)! The only difference is that I have also have a babyfaced-ness about me, which I assume means I have secondary Ingenue or Gamine. The only other person I've ever been compared to once is Yara Shahidi and I was told "Yara doesn't really look like you but she kind of reminds me of you a bit". It could be that we're both Romantic, but if you think Yara is NOT Romantic, then maybe I can figure out my secondary type through her. Interestingly enough, I DO resemble Yara a bit more when she was a youth (tinyurl.com/ydblvust) versus the teen Yara and present tense Yara. I think Yara has grown up into more of a Dramatic/Ethereal type and that might be where we differ. Lastly, I personally feel that I resemble Jasmine Tookes a bit, but I can't put my finger on why... In every other photo, she has this slightly dollish "bobbleheaded"-ness about her that reminds me of myself so much. So overall: J. Lo, a young Yara Shahidi, and a dash of Jasmine Tookes! (Additionally: I have the EXACT same long curly hair texture as Sydney Tamiia Poitier.. which translates as especially striking on me for some reason, perhaps due to the Romantic influences). Thanks in advance!!

4/25/2018 01:46:44 pm

Oh you know what, Rachel! Here is someone I've been mistaken for in-person multiple times (despite her being a model, curvier, and 5 inches taller me): tinyurl.com/yb26npww ... I would say that I still look a little more youthful than her though!

Rachel

4/25/2018 03:49:43 pm

Hey, Nicole!

Style takes longer to ID than color -- for me, anyway -- so I'm hesitant to theorize off the cuff about celebs. Having said that, I suspect JLo has some Natural and some Dramatic too. The women whose Instagram you linked looks like she has a lot of Natural. :-)

4/27/2018 02:42:03 am

Wow, thanks for such a fast reply & checking out that link! That's what I thought too- that really helped me narrow down a lot. Before I head to bed- one more quetsion to help me come to a conclusion: what are your initial impressions of primary/secondary archetype here (I saw there are many more photos on the "tagged in" tab too)? : tinyurl.com/ybllpzdm

Rebecca

4/29/2018 11:55:57 pm

Wow, I am also petite yet have always been romantic and I am in the very same situation as the last commenter. Looking forward to seeing your end results! Your write ups and comments are so helpful for leftbrained folks like me who have a hard time describing aesthetics. You have a gift!

5/1/2018 04:44:38 pm

Hey Rachel! Just realized that my last message doesn't have a reply button (I think I maxed out), so I wanted to start a fresh comment to allow for your final reply :) I'm split between 2 archetypes and your thoughts on the primary/secondary archetype of my last link (tinyurl.com/ybllpzdm) will reveal to me exactly which one I am! So excited to hear back!!

5/17/2018 12:18:14 pm

Hi Rachel.. I completely understand your busy schedule and that my message may have just been simply overlooked, but I have been waiting for response on a message sent a few weeks ago. If I have offended you in anyway, I am very very sorry and I want to ensure you that I truly did not mean to offend. But I'm sure my messages were simply overlooked. I am just looking for a bit of direction, as described in my last 2 messages. (There are many photos on the page and also on the "photos tagged in" page). I see alot of Inguene and some Romantic and I can see a 3rd essence glaring in my face but I just can't put my finger on it. I was hoping to hear your opinion on what archetypes you see initially. Of couse, I understand that it wouldn't be a true full analysis or anything like that, I was just hoping for a bit of help since I'm really clueless. I'm still stuck between 2 archetypes and your response would help me finally determine which one I am :)

Best wishes & endless thanks,
Nicole

7/2/2018 10:22:37 am

While I appreciate what you are trying to convey, I feel as though you kind of dropped the ball on this one. Not all romantic women are plus sized as you seem to be trying to convey on this particular post. Curvy yes but not necessarily plus sized. Also while your post was somewhat enjoyable to read, as much as you kept back tracking and going on about how yiu aren't trying to objectify women etc, was incredibly distracting and had nothing to do with the content at hand. As a woman there is absolutely nothing with being sexy or putting great stock in your appearance and glorifying in your curves or sexuality. Your continual harkening to the fact that a man might find "you" attractive or God forbid "sexy" as being an issue was totally conterintuitive. As though it is a bad thing for a man to find yout to be attractive. You say claim your looks and curves yet in the same breath essentially shame a woman who enjoys showing off her breasts with provocative clothingand basically accuse her of objectifying herself and simply wanting attention.

This post just felt really biased and a subtle attack on femininity, almost anti-feminist, and non inclusive to women who aren't a size 12 and up.

10/1/2018 02:56:44 pm

None of this is in the text.

Kiki

1/15/2022 07:06:08 am

I know this comment is three years old, but I still have to leave my two cents that I have no idea where you are taking your criticism from. One celebrity named as an example is even Keira Knightley, who is nowhere near a size 12. Most of the other examples aren't either.

Meg

8/18/2018 05:05:19 pm

Hi Rachel, I absolutely love your blog! As a personal project I've been trying to type celebrities with the help of your website. Would you say Mila Kunis is a Romantic, perhaps with some Gamine? Your imput would be appreciated!

10/1/2018 02:55:27 pm

I'm not Rachel, but I've often pointed to Mila as an example of Romantic Natural Gamine. Her and Alia Shawkat and sometimes Fergie are big inspo for the sexy tomboy look to me. And Linda Cardellini.

Eve

12/16/2018 03:47:41 am

Hi Rachel :)
You mentioned in this article the importance of lots detail around Romantic and Ethereal faces:
"Ethereals and Romantics look great surrounded by a lot of detail. (While Naturals and Dramatics are unattractive in highly detailed contexts.)"
What about Ingenue? Do they need lots of detail around the face too (albeit smaller, circular curves) as they are a feminine based type also?
Thank you

Valli

6/2/2019 11:01:46 am

Hi! I have a question regarding a model I cannot quite labellin terms of style. What so you think of bar refeali? I feel like she has some romantic in her (she can do sexy) with something quite youthful and playful (she's appealing in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers to me)... Maybe romantic gamine or romantic ingenue? Or am I coplecompl wrong? I would love to read your thoughts on her!

Karina

6/12/2019 05:47:52 am

I found out my Kibbe type to be Theatrical Romantic from watching Aly Art’s video’s on YouTube. From reading your blog here I understand that your system is a bit different so I’m wondering what my essence would be? My body is very petite and slim and soft. I’m 5’3”. My torso is shaped like Christina and Monica’s with the short waist and round hips (I have hip dips though so sometimes it looks like I didn’t even have hips). I usually have to wear form fitting tops to show I have a figure because I’m really small in general so anything not form fitting will swallow me. My legs and arms are long and slim and I have very little muscle. My face is round-ish with small features, I also have those classic romantic cheekbones, and I have a slightly sharp jaw, but I still look very soft overall. I’ve been told I have a very soft face and when I get complimented I usually get called “pretty” or “cute” , and when I wear makeup I tend to look older. I’m guessing I would have ingenue and dramatic romantic essence mixed? I’m 20 years old and look like I’m 15-17 depending on the clothes, makeup, and overall look.

Ami Bell

8/14/2019 01:58:17 pm

I honestly think this is misleading. This is no way romantic style. I would say this is more sexy/femme fatale style. Romantic style in my opinion is more girly and youthful looking this ain't it.

Janice

7/29/2023 09:34:22 am

Romantic is mature and sultry essence. You're confusing romantic with ingenue (ingenue is girly and youthful).

8/15/2019 04:27:14 am

Girly and youthful is more likely to be the ingenue in this classification. I don't find it misleading at all :-)

Marie

8/20/2019 05:20:21 pm

I love everything about this. I have used Kibbe Soft Dramaric for decades but this just speaks to me in every way. Thank you.

Melina

10/2/2019 03:51:53 am

So fitting, that is just about how I'd look in both stiff, structured clothes and shapeless clothes, they are about equally bad for me ;D (Anyone else dislike the saying "she would look good even in a potato sack", as it implies one should look good in shapeless clothes if one looks good at all...? What nonsense! :))

My main essences are Romantic and Ingenue with probably about equal split (plus one or two minor essences), so dressing *purely* R does not do it for me, but I totally agree about respecting your femininity in the way you dress up and having issues with dressing Natural, like everyone is supposed to do nowadays, all this "dressing down" and "casual" stuff, which usually means either shapeless clothes (sweatpants etc.) or jeans, both bad for us with plenty of R. :)

10/2/2019 03:53:22 am

Hi! I’m newer to this blog but I 99% sure I am either RCG or RCI. Leaning towards RCG. Are there there any celebs in this category? Maybe Ashley Madekwe or Rose Bertram for RCG? Maybe Kerry Washington for RCI (though she could be RID)? Does that sound right? If anyone has suggestions for RCG or RCI celebs I would be so grateful (especially mixed race and/or minorities like myself).

10/2/2019 04:00:07 am

Another Melina here..? This is funny, but nice to meet you ;) (I wrote the comment above this one, but not this, we are two different commenters, for all other people here ;))

Melina J.

10/2/2019 01:15:35 pm

Wow I can’t believe I missed that! What are the chances! LOL I’ll add my middle initial in my posts from now on😄

10/2/2019 01:16:59 pm

Nice to meet you too!

10/3/2019 04:23:00 am

Thanks for that, Melina J, I mean for adding the initial, good for avoiding confusion as to which one of has written what ;) Though we seem to have somewhat different style types and possibly seasons too. :)

Megan

10/2/2019 07:52:38 pm

Hey Melina, unfortunately can't think of any celebs who are RCI or RCG. Of the celebs you listed, I think Ashley Madekwe may be EDG (she has the elongated face and otherworldy quality of E/D and looks quite youthful. To me EDG looked better than EDI board next to her). I don't see much sexiness/smolderiness in her face--she's a beautiful combination of youthful/otherwordly, but I don't know if I see large circular romantic shapes in her features.

I think Kerry Washington probably has a good bit of Ethereal too, and Rose Bertram, too (Rose maybe REG).

Are these celebrities that you resemble? If so, you *might* want to consider that you have Ethereal in addition to your other essences. Unless you've totaly ruled out Ethereal, which you may very well have!

Melina J.G.

10/2/2019 09:24:08 pm

Hm... I have been compared to either Romantic celebs or youthful Ethereal celebs before. But I wasn’t super confident in these items which I considered as EG (https://pin.it/awg75l4ehstom7) or (https://pin.it/eob63kevvovs47). Maybe those aren’t good EG tiebreakers items- do they look EG to you? Also none of my most flattering items appear to be EI in my opinion. The only thing I am SURE of is that I don’t have is Dramatic and I have already ruled out RNG. I’m not sure if I have natural, but natural/casual wear reads as sloppy on me pretty quickly IMO... Secondly, I am very sure that my ID is a 50% or more feminine blend, because dressing masculine is something I’ve always had to avoid. Lastly, Romantic is the only essence I am sure I have simply because its the only thing that consistently works when everything else doesn’t. (Plus people always make comments about this to me; I’ve been mistaken for a mother even as a babyfaced teen; my best colors/hair/makeup are romantic jewel tones; when I gained a little weight non-partners went out of their way to say it “suits” me; I have the same “looking frumpy” dilemma as Rachel described above). The frequent comments about the slight Romantic in my features is actually what lead me to this blog- because I know I have more than just Romantic, and I want to express it! It’s crazy though, because I have SO much youth in my face but I just can’t figure out which one!

Here’s a link of my best and most often compliment items! It’s in order from favorite to least favorite. Feel free to look at my face and the colors in my Pinterest profile picture as well! 🤗 https://pin.it/g4pm76f5o3qrg6

Let me know what you think! Everyone, feel free to chime in! I’d GREATLY appreciate it!

10/3/2019 04:44:29 pm

I quickly compared your face (you are very pretty!) to all of Rachel's pinterest boards, and the three boards that I thought looked harmonious on you were Ingenue, Ethereal, and Ethereal Ingenue. I think Ethereal looked a bit more harmonious than Ingenue.

That said, I did this very quickly and I'm no expert and it was from one photo... but I would maybe experiment with Ethereal Ingenue looks, using Rachel's boards for inspiration? I think this may be quite a challenging style to find in stores because there's a LOT of Natural Gamine influence these days, and super-feminine clothes are not as common, but of course really feminine clothing still does exist. Thrift stores and ebay might be helpful too if you're into that sort of thing :)

10/4/2019 04:37:46 pm

Thank you for your kind words, Megan! I went ahead and compared my face to some boards. Even better, I put some Rachel-verified celebs types to their board to compare how their face suits the style vs how my face looks in the same styles. Very eye opening. After practicing that with a few celebs, I realized I’m def not EG (crazy how ppl can pull that off)! Since I know I have youth, I went to the EI board next. TBH I didn’t love my face next to the Ethereal board to begin with, but out of the option of EG or EI... I look much better in EI. Though I’m still pretty sure I don’t have E, just because I didn’t like my face compared to the pure Ethereal board and I’ve tried on an EI item before but ended up having to return it (it looked a bit out of place). I’m going keep playing around with the system, but this experience really helped me narrow down my options! If I’m a Gamine, I’m def not an EG; if I find I have Ethereal then I’d def have to be an EI blend.

Again- ANYONE who reads this, I’d be so happy to hear your opinion (I shared my link in my previous post above). Feel free to chime in! 🙌🏽

10/4/2019 05:32:44 pm

Afterthought--one thing Rachel has written a few times about people with a good bit of Ethereal is that they tend to look most harmonious when they aren't smiling (I guess because a smile is a very human expression, and ethereals are otherworldly looking? And perhaps because ethereals tend to have narrowness in their faces, so the wideness of a smile can look unharmonious on them.)

So with that said, I'm wondering if you've compared a picture of your unsmiling face to the Ethereal and Ethereal blend boards, and if you'd find that more harmonious looking.

Best of luck in your style journey!

10/5/2019 04:48:46 am

Megan, that's intriguing - based on that I have definitely have Ethereal ;) As I don't look my best when smiling, especially not in photos. Though I thought only Naturals look good with a full-on smile?

(I'm the other Melina, not Melina J. :))

10/5/2019 10:40:04 am

And sorry I'm not chiming in to advise as to your style type, Melina J, but I find it really difficult to analyze others, analyzing myself is already hard enough! ;)

10/5/2019 09:17:53 pm

Hi Melina, pretty sure somewhere Rachel wrote that Ingenues look authentic with a sweet, sincere smile. It also seems like gamines look like themselves with a sort of smirk/half smile... but I think you're right that out of all of the types, Naturals look best with a full-on smile.

10/7/2019 02:05:46 pm

I agree with your suggestions for RCI (I don’t see anything intimidating or striking, though she is incredibly pretty, about Kerry, so I don’t see the RDI but ofc I could be wrong)
I also agree with your candidates for RCG but I’d like to add Lily Collins to that, though she’s not a WOC. Rose Byrne is a possibility for RCI, and so is Emilia Clarke.

10/7/2019 07:19:09 pm

Thanks for your response, K.! I’ll have to check out those celebs! Do you have any thoughts about my wardrobe link I posted, or any ideas from my profile picture in the Pinterest link?

Miriam

7/22/2022 10:34:25 am

I agree that Rose Byrne and Emilia Clarke likely also have Classic essence next to their Romantic Ingenue blend. But I don't agree with your assertion of Lily Collins having R. In my opinion, she has quite obviously that innocent sweet vibe about her. Her smile is sweet and innocent rather than being the knowing smile of the Romantic.

I would also argue that transforming a face with a essence with a lot yin (in Lily's case Ingenue) into another might be easier. After all, Romantics and Ingenues already have certain similarities. But if you wash all that makeup off Lily Collins and catch her in a relaxed moment where she is not posing I think her sweetness becomes evident and you rather unsuccesfully search for sensuality in her.

http://www.starstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/lily-collins/571306.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpDuNzO_rwA

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/actors-ken-jeong-jamie-chung-chief-executive-officer-of-the-academy-picture-id1059423264?s=2048x2048

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/charlie-mcdowell-and-lily-collins-attend-netflix-is-a-joke-presents-picture-id1394851455?s=2048x2048

https://www.pinterest.de/pin/159244536812712707/
This is a very obvious mismatch, in my opinion. Yes, her makeup and hair are adjsuted but at least I am damn uncomfortable looking at her here because she quite frankly looks like a little girl playing dress up. She looks more like herself in sweet styles.

https://www.pinterest.de/pin/707487422696105154/
This is an Ingenue look, and she looks so much more like herself. It's truly a stunning look for her.

https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/x0pXteq7q/333x500/2013/08/lily-collins-mexico.jpg
She of course does not have an hourglass figure but if she had Romantic essence, I would assume it would bring out her sensuality more. Sure she has her hair and makeup done for that dress but still I can see sweetness very well.

https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/x0pXteq7q/333x500/2013/08/lily-collins-mexico.jpg
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbs=simg:CAESYQkDOIjmc_1xbkBpWCxCwjKcIGjoKOAgEEhSUAuUl7DfBK7U3wxDkJv0P7hOcCBoa-7yleenIVn4W4VEZkCeow-f_1I6dTbrhMtbIgBTAEDAsQjq7-CBoKCggIARIEKCSeDgw&sxsrf=ALiCzsY4XSmiPraUtTG9lYZQS6tHQTzwTw:1658497873415&q=lily+mexico+&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=325LbjmPnHMw_M%252Cr5eecpBNLfyNVM%252C_%253BAE0JRV4zKSt_EM%252CSFJGE5TDI-S4ZM%252C_%253BvaRHZMED-hnA2M%252CSFJGE5TDI-S4ZM%252C_%253BmJchowY4nrIgvM%252CSFJGE5TDI-S4ZM%252C_%253B86RdDITG5wTMaM%252CJB8r1K7fkDIwJM%252C_%253BM6F5oSPiKelBCM%252Co13hKJ2sm-ZFPM%252C_%253B7KSGqhlB-5SJ2M%252CWV_JyPhrjMLlPM%252C_%253BHtn1kb2PZnYxsM%252CSFJGE5TDI-S4ZM%252C_%253B7z_Dx1w2qVzYkM%252CcJiCpYKgEW9g8M%252C_%253BuCaUICTWsIy5XM%252CWkafpDzujnZ2eM%252C_%253BDzlwQB38RqYlIM%252CXiGQT2hhhAIjDM%252C_%253BhhvJlDrIl27jKM%252C2eeWpAXQp13szM%252C_%253B0d207xfNEiVh2M%252CDmhK5mhB_FjRlM%252C_%253BpD66c35vWDg5GM%252CP3Xfp5H5lpTmvM%252C_%253Bzcu98HsmBkAMXM%252CKMoOLnTmaKA7oM%252C_%253BQ5cn9d7kZCTfoM%252C3yGE06ApSNOyCM%252C_%253B_plpgXJkWty-oM%252CMXsvQmEkP2tBdM%252C_%253BUfji2fyOSmwEwM%252CMXsvQmEkP2tBdM%252C_%253BHTn25xCeWWmjKM%252CdmG_4RB-DXTViM%252C_%253B0ha2QRdPw2exfM%252CRu9o_RWgUN1qbM%252C_%253Bq08riYt08F767M%252C2eeWpAXQp13szM%252C_%253BL5Znb4HpwowKnM%252CZhFziH4QthTcnM%252C_%253B2oZLiCAelvYm5M%252CWkafpDzujnZ2eM%252C_%253BMXh2nt0tuu8hJM%252CqdD0Sz78uI7a6M%252C_%253BWr8i-7TabNihRM%252Cs9hrdwWyMRntBM%252C_%253BLhByUnsQvZabxM%252CMXsvQmEkP2tBdM%252C_%253Bp_NgtH1BFsStwM%252CMXsvQmEkP2tBdM%252C_%253BzxCcrCnN4SGaUM%252CzfYzzBwT1Y02pM%252C_%253BsVBsj2KoNbaLwM%252C6JNhKmbLTZyj7M%252C_%253BB0Ik4Lyd47p9hM%252CZhFziH4QthTcnM%252C_%253BWc3SmXlQLAbfAM%252CHCwbuqvaWAX1SM%252C_%253ByLT_k7p7CSeFeM%252CRwGYGmD9eI3GaM%252C_%253BzvUOm8nCzmvGxM%252CYxYM2tVtJZWeNM%252C_%253BtGpF8_c95RnivM%252CLAWKoEz5j7Nk7M%252C_&usg=AI4_-kS3Zzrdy51U_xiGL_epfgcn_8IX5g&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwia0-uE0oz5AhVNzqQKHSzKDGoQ9QF6BAg4EAE&biw=1422&bih=641&dpr=1.35#imgrc=vaRHZMED-hnA2M

https://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/37900000/Lily-Collins-wallpaper-lily-collins-37990628-6600-3192.jpg
Also if you would just look at the dress what kind of face would you expect to be matched with it? Personally, I think more of Drew Barrymore face. But honestly you would be quite surprised to see sweet Lily Collins gazing at you. But I also think that you get kibda an edgy vibe from that dress too and her being FG makes it damn near impossible to not look sweet in the edgiest things.
And we also know that Gamines often also have Ingenue too. Lily Rose Depp for example who is also FG like Lily Collins.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/17/16/4D555D4900000578-0-image-a-188_1529248697198.jpg
This is a Romantic look too I believe. But I don't see this dress underlining her natural beauty that much. She definitely still looks pretty but some website said that she looks quite dramatic here (https://www.gofugyourself.com/lily-collins-looks-very-dramatic-and-pretty-at-the-cartier-queens-cup-06-2018), and that is quite accurate I believe. You really se

Smith

11/30/2022 06:35:12 am

I disagree with Aly Art being RCG. She obviously has Ingenue essence too, maybe some Dramatic somewhere within her blend.

But still: you don't know what Romantic essence is if you consider that Lily Collins might have it. She clearly is GI with some D, and her trying to look womanly NEVER works. Lily Collins of course has that rail-thin rectangle body shape (she's definitely NOT an hourglass or pear shape despite the bs that some of these bs websites are trying to spew. Especially not with her 32-24-33 measurements, she is TINY, where would still be place for a waist and consequently where would be space to fit ORGANS into her TINY body?? Plus her measurements are so similar to Keira Knightley's, and you're not saying she's an hourglass, do you?). But the reason Romantic style doesn't work on Lily Collins is because Lily Collins looks so childlike (IG). In fact, I would argue Romantic styles are indeed Lily Collins' WORST looks. She is definitely a Yang dominant and therefore masculine beauty. And though she has Ingenue essence she looks better if she combines these looks with something more boyish or theatrical (but not too much of the latter as she doesn't have enough Dramatic and doesn't look mature enough). Even relaxed looks look better on her (maybe she has some Natural tertiary).
She's also the PERFECT example that not everyone should show skin when trying to look sexy. I understand, however, that sexy looks for a very youthful beauty like Lily Collins' is indeed a challenge. the aligned lover actually made a video about a sultry look that WOULD and DOES actually work on Lily ( you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPexxvo4bnE ). Lily looks instantly better than almost all of her red carpet looks, especially those try-hard Romantic imitating looks.

Is the reason you wanted to assign her Romantic that picture of Aishwarya Rai on this website? To that I wanna say: You CANNOT type from one photo alone. And if you would have actually looked up you would see that they do NOT have ANY similarities. Yet again when Lily Collins is compared to a Romantic, she looks like a little girl or looks like she could be their daughter instead.

Buuut funny and unexpected thing I have actually found a GCR who was actually verified by John Kitchener. You will seriously not expect this... it's Maggie Gyllenhaal!

This is so funny, because I think so many people would have been like but urgh, she's not even pretty, ew... 1) you are really superficial, please work on that 2) that's the point, isn't? You think a person is pretty, and that's attractive to you, right? And then when she looks like she has confidence and maturity (Dramatic) to her appearance, or, rather, fit the current beauty standard, you think, "Oh, that's a RoMaNtIc!"

Really? The current beauty standard is NOT Romantic essence. It's Dramatic with varying degrees of softness (yin essences). Kim K is NOT a Romantic. She has a lot of Dramatic essence, with some Ingenue tertiary as I believe. But no Romantic. In fact, NONE of the Kardashians have Romantic essence. They all have varying degrees of Ingenue essence but it doesn't necessarily look like we would expect because most of them don't have it that dominantly in the blend.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, however, does have lushness to her face. I think the reason we get tripped up is because her most dominant essence most likely is Gamine, then Classic then Romantic (it's still a Primary essence though). Romantic styles suit her but of course though as we are all blends of essences we need to watch out for some styles of each essence that we have (because maybe they won't suit us as well as others BECAUSE we are all blends of essences).
I also think Maggie might still have some Natural somewhere within her blend (though that's not verified by Kitchener).

But what do you think of all this? I'd be interested to hear it.

11/30/2022 10:42:37 am

This is so funny, because I think so many people would have been like but urgh, she's not even pretty, ew... 1) you are really superficial, please work on that 2) that's the point, isn't? You think a person is pretty, and that's attractive to you, right? And then when she looks like she has confidence and maturity (Dramatic) to her appearance, or, rather, fit the current beauty standard, you think, "Oh, that's a RoMaNtIc!"

I still wanted to add here: So that's the point. When you think of someone to be conventionally attractive that can only mean 1) a lot of Romantic 2) a lot of Ingenue or 3) a lot of Classic. Pretty is most likely a descriptor for an Ingenue. I've seen Romantic Gamines (like Zoe Kravitz or Candice Patton) called pretty too but Romantics most commonly receive the descriptor beautiful.

They also look more mature and older than Ingenues, and their features are lush and not delicate.

In Lily Collins' case you can see that her features are more small-scale. She's very pretty and she looks EXTREMELY young and delicate. You wouldn't think that she's already 33, right? You would think she's at least 10 years younger. McJimsey describes Ingenues as appearing young regardless of age. And Lily Collins fits the bill 100%.

Whereas Maggie Gyllenhaal is more beautiful. She has lush womanly features. Is she that conventional of a beauty? Not according to our current beauty standards but that would be beside the point (because that's not what determining whether or not someone has Romantic essence is about). She has a lot of Gamine essence, then Classic and Romantic. She does have mature femininity. She does look somewhat young (Gamine) but you Mcjimsey has explicitly written that Gamines "look young" so they don't look as young as Ingenues who look "young regardless of age". Logically a Gamine Ingenue combo, especially if it's very dominant within the blend, would make a person look EXTREMELY young. I see that on Lily Collins but NOT on Maggie Gyllenhaal. I also don't see the Classic age appearance on Lily (poised and mature at any age) because she looks TOO young. However, again this fits Maggie Gyllenhaal.

And lastly (and this is gonna be the killer argument against Romantic for Lily Collins): McJimsey describes Romantics as "not having the youthfulness of childhood but never appears old" or to be more precise as "over twenty but never old". Look up any picture of Lily Collins today without makeup, and she will still have the age appearance of a teenager.

Again I think Maggie Gyllenhaal fits the Romantic age appearance better. And although you can see that she's aging she also doesn't look old. You could argue that's because of her Gamine essence but that's not all there is to it. She doesn't ONLY look young and poised and mature, she also DOES appear womanly and DOES fit the "over twenty but never old" age appearance.

10/2/2019 02:45:36 pm

Hey again guys! I would also appreciate suggestions of mixed race and/or minority RNIs. RNI was my 3rd pick. So glad I found this website!

Lena

10/3/2019 02:59:39 am

Melina J, check out https://www.stylebynature.fi/ Maybe you can find your style type there. There's a lot of celebrity examples (even mixed race) and many pinterest boards.

10/3/2019 12:32:36 pm

This updated post on the romantic is so good -- I liked the original post, but I think this one brought out the point even better than before. This does bring me to a question though:

What is the difference between Style & Line?

The picture of Keira Knightly is fascinating to me. In Kibbe theory, she's a Dramatic. That always struck me as odd, because I don't think of her in the same 'striking' category as Tilda Swinton or Grace Jones. But the second I see her in the picture above, I'm seeing it: She looks best in Romantic *styling*, but using dramatic *lines*.

I notice that Keira's dress is very Dramatic in it's construction: it's a deep, somber color (black), it's got neck emphasis (halter), the fabric is heavy and stiff (satin reinforced with boning), and it's almost entirely constructed of sharp-edged geometrical shapes. I see few curvy lines in the cut of the clothes. The notch between her breasts, the straight lines across her chest -- they all serve the purpose of making her look curvier in contrast to her very severe clothing. Even her hair is pretty 'straight' -- it's undone/tousled, but it's pulled back off of her face to show off her facial bones

So yes, the 'idea' of the dress, the style, is very sexy/womanly. It's intended to show off what curves she does have. So I see a woman made MORE romantic by the dramatic lines of her clothing.

I contrast that with Tanesha, (whom I adore!) The lines of her clothing are nothing BUT curves. There are ruffles, gathers, draping, scooped necklines, rounded necklaces. Her hair (gorgeous!) is this cloud of curls. She honors the very curvy lines of her body with very curvy clothing. The result is that she looks completely at ease with herself.

So I guess what I'm noticing is that there seems to be two things at work here: Line & Style. If a woman has a very romantic appearance (dark hair, as you say, an overall feminine, but 'adult' face, etc.) -- she will be best served by romantic Styling, *even if* her body is straight and/or boyish. But it seems like in order to achieve that, a woman still needs to know the lines of her body, in order to best pull off the styling: In other words, do I play *against* my body lines to heighten my best style (like Keira?) or do I go with the flow of my body lines to heighten my best style (like Tanesha?)

I don't have any answers here, just observing that line & style seem to be different things, and I'm wondering how one ought to go about teasing out those two things? It seems that even if you know your Kibbe type, you'll still need to know if you ought to play to the sterotype (go high power drama?/go soft & sweet) or go counter to it because your style suggest something else?

Kristin

10/21/2021 11:26:48 pm

I wish more had responded to this. Thank you. Your words helped elevate my understanding of style.

10/6/2019 07:34:24 pm

Rachel, I’m trying to purchase the RNI content, but it says the shopping guide AND the infinite generator are to be shipped to my house? I assume that’s a technical issue, because that doesn’t make any sense. And now it won’t let me purchase everything together because it’s saying part of my order must be shipped while the remaining will be electronically emailed. Can you fix this so I can purchase all the RNI content at once?

10/7/2019 03:52:49 am

Oh.. never mind Rachel!

Cassia

10/14/2023 09:41:27 am

I understand how some could become offending by some of Rachel's statements but I do think it was very informative of the Romantic essence and I think it's more clarifying than any other information I have read on this essence. Im SG and i definitely see my face ,curve and what suits me best in this essence shown. It makes sense how people think I look older than my FG sister who is two years older than me. As what has been said I think by kibbie himself Gamine is youthful like a teen and Romantic is youthful like a 20 year old. Although I am gamine myself Soft Gamine is a mix of Romantic and Dramatic and I appear to have a high amount of Romantic. Thank you for your helpful post but I don't agree that Gamines with romantic essence will look better without cleavage as I think I look best with cleavage despite my small chest and C cup, however I don't think super plunging necklines are the best for Gamines or TRs for that matter as there sharp and pull you down and I think they look best on dramatics .

Truth is Beauty

Style Types: The ROMANTIC

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