I want to introduce the seven pure style identities by starting with Dramatics. People whose style identity is purely Dramatic create an overall visual impression of dignity, intensity, and theatricality. They may remind us of big cats, or birds of prey. The physical features in a woman that tend to create this impression include:
But don't get wrapped up in trying to figure out the style essence of each discrete body part. In other words, it's not about whether or not your nose is Dramatic. It's about whether your overall impression - the gestalt of your parts and manner - is unusual, intense, and even intimidating. Dramatic energy is generally called "yang" energy. Belle Northrup originated this use in the 1930s, I suspect because she sensed women wouldn't want to identify with an energy described as "masculine." But can we get real here and cut the euphemisms for a moment? Dramatic women look masculine. And they are stunning. Dramatics look good in sharp-edged, man-tailored clothes because those clothes repeat the stunning masculine beauty of the physical appearance. Now, Dramatic woman, this doesn't mean that your personality is masculine or theatrical or intense. The idea that appearance = personality is bull***. Inside, you might be a wallflower, or a fairy princess, or a clown. When there's a contrast between the truth of your exterior and the truth of your interior, the contradiction just makes getting to know you even more delightful. * * * * If you're a Dramatic, you probably look great with your hair pulled back severely from your incredible face. If you're a Dramatic, you probably look great when you're not smiling. If you're a Dramatic, we can probably see your cheekbones even when you're not smiling. Pure Dramatics don't look innocent. Pure Dramatics don't look traditionally sexy, though they are gorgeous. Their eyes don't say "Come hither;" they say "Watch out." Pure Dramatics don't come across as approachable. (Though they might be the sweetest people you'll ever meet.) Pure Dramatics are, by all accounts, rare. Please let me know if you can think of some. :-)
51 Comments
Anne
9/26/2014 11:29:40 pm
I don't know their names, but pure dramatics are not that rare in high fashion modeling. Maybe because models are often selected for their rare looks. Jamie Bochert.
Reply
Sonny
9/27/2014 12:42:23 pm
Kibbe types are really interesting to me even though the original material is so dated and I hate the "horoscope" aspect of assuming looks match personality. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series!
Reply
Jacqui
9/27/2014 11:22:01 pm
When I think of the Dramatics, I tend to think of Tilda Swinton, and Cate Blanchette. By the way, I love your site!
Reply
anon
9/28/2014 05:06:55 pm
how about keira knightly?
Reply
Rachel
10/3/2014 08:46:19 am
She does have those intense eyes. And yet she also seems flattered by a little softness near her face, which would suggest some feminine element as well... So the question is, is it innocent-feminine? Sexy-feminine? Or alien-feminine?
Reply
Haydn E.
11/30/2015 02:32:29 am
I would say alien-feminine (ethereal)
Miriam
8/20/2022 02:47:52 pm
Definitely sexy-feminine. She doesn't have that otherworldliness about her nor does she look sweet and innocent. She looks flirty which is used for example in the film Anna Karenina where her character is flirting with Vronsky. The vibe really comes naturally to her.
Deb Benjamin
9/29/2014 04:16:27 pm
Hi Rachel,
Reply
Rachel
10/3/2014 08:47:02 am
Oh, thank you! Yes, perfect!
Reply
Anna
10/1/2014 06:35:19 am
"The idea that appearance = personality is bull***." YAY!!! Hear, hear! YES! :)
Reply
Sand Welch
10/2/2014 06:06:06 pm
YES. Completely agree about Tilda Swinton. I consider her as the epitome of a Dramatic. I'm thinking Maggie Q might also fit:
Reply
Laurie
10/3/2014 07:19:16 am
If I understand correctly, both Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett would not be Dramatic under this system, or at least not purely Dramatic. Kitchener uses them as epitome examples of Angelic (Ethereal, here).
Reply
Rachel
10/3/2014 08:54:23 am
Tilda's an interesting case. JK considers her the epitome of the Angelic (Ethereal) essence, and he considers Angelic the epitome of femininity. But I always wonder - can Tilda really represent the ideal of a rather feminine essence? She's pretty androgynous.
Karen
10/3/2014 10:52:18 am
Isn't it possible for age to soften or influence the overall effect of body type and style? I know I fit the Dramatic Ethereal category in my teenage years, but at middle age my body is more lush and the more angular lines of my face have blurred somewhat so that I look much more realistic in Dramatic Romantic (or Yin Dramatic).
Reply
Laurie
10/3/2014 12:30:56 pm
The trouble I have with the Angelics is that there are so few examples. So you could very well be right about Tilda. Daryl Hannah is another example, but while she feels fragile personality wise, her face holds drama and her build is stronger. I wonder if she isn't a better example of Dramatic and Ethereal? Would Cate Blanchett be more of a pure type? Or is that Bryce Dallas Howard?
Reply
Kirsten
10/4/2014 03:45:10 pm
Cate Blanchett does seem otherworldly in her appearance, but I've seen her looking quite imposing, so she doesn't strike me as pure Ethereal. Could she be Dramatic Ethereal too?
Reply
April
10/8/2014 06:03:56 am
I like reading your take on this. I don't think that "yang" is a euphemism for "masculine" though. Although, I do think we need a more descriptive word, "masculine" is not it. There is no reason that one female type of body should be described as typically female when there are obviously all kinds of female bodies. Feminine = like a female. Therefore, all of these Dramatic women are quite feminine.
Reply
Linda
10/19/2020 07:42:49 pm
If that is the case, then why do trans women try feminize their face? Why are those surgeries called feminization surgeries? Often those surgeries attempt to reduce features on the face that are described as "angular, sharp, long" while trying to enhance features so that they look "soft, rounded". These terms obviously relate to the concept of femininity and masculinity to me.
Reply
Billie
10/8/2014 08:41:57 pm
Excited that you are exploring this subject matter, thank you! been following and enjoying your blog for years now.
Reply
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
10/9/2014 03:15:29 pm
I don't love these terms for two reasons:
Reply
Rachel Arnt-Schemmel
10/9/2014 03:53:59 pm
Feminine can certainly mean "like any female," if someone wants to use it that way. I hear you. All these types are feminine because they're all what women look like.
Reply
C
1/24/2017 08:11:54 pm
This assumes that "yin" and "yang" were just being used as euphemisms for "feminine" and "masculine". When I read Northrup's work I don't get this impression. Yin and yang refer to much more than just traditional femininity and masculinity, and I think that Northrup recognized that there was more complexity to appearance than just femininity and masculinity. I think she chose those terms to try to encompass that complexity, not as euphemisms.
Reply
Tina
10/19/2020 07:46:12 pm
Yin - small, round, delicate
Diane
1/8/2015 02:12:12 pm
I think Marilyn Manson could be pure dramatic.
Reply
Diane
1/9/2015 01:27:48 pm
Does anyone else think he is pure dramatic?
Reply
Karen K
1/22/2015 04:09:58 am
How about Christine Baranski, she seems nice in interviews but is type cast as cold and unapproachable. She has Classic beauty but I like her with standout jewelry and unique suit detailing on The Good Wife.
Reply
Rachel
1/25/2015 04:50:51 pm
I see her as mainly Dramatic and Classic. Her close-set, somewhat oblique eyes and sharp jawline give her the predatory look of a Dramatic, but I also see that she's flattered by controlled, face-framing hair and traditional lines -- which suggests Classic.
Reply
Salla
2/2/2015 12:12:41 am
So what do you do if your face and body are mismatched? My face ticks all the Dramatic boxes in this post but my body is very curvy and soft, big boobs, significant waist to hip ratio, the works. Angular man styles look DREADFUL on me. For my body, I have found that Kibbe Soft Natural works best. But how can I ignore the Dramatic face?
Reply
anastasia
10/3/2017 11:35:30 am
i think you could be a dramatic ethereal.
Reply
Ewa
5/11/2015 02:49:46 am
I think Dionne Warwick has a lot of Dramatic in her.
Reply
Jennifer
11/11/2015 06:52:33 pm
Angelina Jolie!
Reply
Liz
1/28/2016 09:35:10 am
Imo Angelina is much more romantic than dramatic--she has full lips, wide eyes, a small nose, a short, feminine chin and wide forehead. And she looks best with medium/long romantic hair. I definitely see dramatic as a secondary type tho
Reply
Haydn E.
11/30/2015 02:39:22 am
Lucy Liu, Katherine Hepburn, Bonnie Aarons, Barbra Streisand, Lauren Bacall, Iman Mohamed (model), Linda Evangelista, Carmen Dell'Orifice
Reply
Liz
1/28/2016 09:27:26 am
What do you think of Jillian Michaels (fitness expert) as being purely or mostly dramatic?
Reply
Rachel
1/28/2016 04:35:17 pm
Wow, good call! She has a ton of D. Wouldn't she looks fantastic with super-short hair? Show off that bone structure. As it is, it's obscured by her mane.
Reply
Liz
1/29/2016 10:12:07 am
Yes, absolutely! or at least styled differently so its not falling over her amazing face
l
1/28/2019 02:36:52 am
Rachel, you said it all ---that's why you would be a Dramatic -- good bone structure now obscured by your mane, possibility of short hair..., great cheekbones to add, slim, tall... remarkable face.... Go for it!
Kim
5/18/2016 10:37:34 pm
Siouxsie from the band Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Reply
anon
7/1/2017 12:01:15 am
I would say Cher is pure romantic.
Reply
Rachel
7/2/2017 11:15:50 am
That's an interesting idea! Can you link to pics of her with cleavage emphasis or lots of draping, maybe?
Reply
Anon
7/4/2017 01:34:21 pm
Lemme try... (I'm terrible at these things :))
Rachel
7/7/2017 11:26:15 am
Hey, Anon!
Reply
anastasia
10/28/2017 10:21:07 am
how about anja rubik milla jovovich and river phoenix
Reply
W.
4/11/2018 02:51:07 pm
(years after this post went up)....
Reply
ruy
4/18/2018 11:35:30 am
I am a pure Dramatic :) maybe I have a little bit of Ethereal, but my basis is really D. I'm very tall and thin, with big narrow black eyes. The only thing that isn't dramatic are my lips, they aren't thin
Reply
l
1/28/2019 02:34:02 am
Rachel, are you sure you are Ethereal Natural?
Reply
Nicole
11/20/2020 12:57:04 pm
Hi!
Reply
elizabeth
8/25/2021 10:08:06 am
What about Robin Wright as dramatic (thinking of House of Cards)?
Reply
Aarya
2/27/2024 09:32:14 pm
The terms yin and yang you use seem to be used to define modern or western stereotypes of femininity and masculinity where feminine is bright, warm, happy, sunny and masculine is cold, dark, intimidating, dramatic. But if you actually read literature on the yin/yang polarity, yin is classified as cold, dark, old, evil, quiet, negative etc…They are emotional about the self-displaying more insecurity and percieved offenses to their ego, but are also more introspective and understanding in general. It is associated with night time, anxiety, depression, introversion and destructiveness. Yang energy is warm, light, outgoing, nourishing, morally preoccupied. They are self confident, rational and radiant, but can be a bit aggressive in asserting themselves. In yin/yang relationships, the yang person supports and provides the yin person with light and positivity, bringing out the potential in the yin person for them to follow their dreams.
Reply
Susan
6/2/2024 03:44:09 pm
Anya Taylor-Joy seems to be very dramatic with those stunning wide set eyes, maybe ethereal too. Before her plastic surgerys she also looked very ingenue. Same goes for many other celebrities who removed their baccial flesh or changed their chin and cheekbone area to more yang.
Reply
Susan
6/2/2024 04:05:35 pm
I wonder if an essence combination can change by just changing the form of the eyebrows, because facial expression really depends on them. With plugged eyebrows i look more innocent or ingenue, but without plugged ones i have more of a dangerous vibe :-)), much more yang, because they are so straight, thick and heavy.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
About Me...I'm passionate about helping people become their most authentic and beautiful selves. Categories
All
|