Discover your color palette and your style type.

What's the First Thing You Think?

12/30/2018

In order to create a particular impression with your appearance, you have to put yourself in the shoes of a viewer, and work backward from what that person sees.

This is easier to do if you notice what your own brain is thinking when you look at an outfit for the first time.

An image like the one below contains a ton of information that a viewer processes almost instantaneously, and largely unconsciously. All of this information will register to the viewer's conscious mind as one, two, or perhaps three main emotions or ideas.

When I look at this outfit, I ask myself, "What's the first thing I think?"

What I come up with isn't necessarily a single word; in this case, it's a single feeling or concept -- something like "polished/expensive/pulled-together."

That impression tells me that this outfit has a lot of Classic.

(If I challenge myself to identify which details are creating this response in my mind, I come up with these: the structured, expensive-looking bag; the gold jewelry; the neutral color scheme. But I'm not starting with the details and working outward to the Classic impression; I'm starting with the Classic impression, and only then figuring out which details are creating that impression.)

I then ask myself, Is Classic the only impression I'm getting? What else do I immediately notice?

Or, put another way: Is this a completely Classic outfit?

It's not! Now that I am looking at this outfit through a Classic lens, the baggy top, the elongation of the necklace, and the size of the bag really stand out.

Baggy + elongated + oversized = Natural. So, this outfit has Natural and Classic.

I'll go back one more time and ask myself, Is this completely a Natural Classic outfit?

If I look at this outfit through the lens of Natural Classic -- "The Prep "-- there's one more element that stands out: sexiness.

Check out the cleavage, the high heel, the peep toe effect. Those aren't preppy; those are sexy.

Sexy is Romantic.

So, I call this ensemble Romantic-Natural-Classic.. Also known as "Alluring L.L. Bean," or "Sexy Prep," or "Today's Southern Belle."

I'll double-check this determination by asking myself, "Is this outfit refined (Classic)? Is this outfit comfortable (Natural)? Is this outfit sexy (Romantic)?"

Yes, yes, yes.

I may take an extra moment to rule out the other four essences by asking myself, "Is this outfit otherworldly (Ethereal)? Is it innocent (Ingenue)? Is it avant-garde (Dramatic)? Is it playful (Gamine)?"

No, no, no, no.

* * *

I find selfies really helpful; for me, and perhaps for many of you, it's very difficult to see a mirror image objectively. If I'm not sure what impression my ensemble creates, I take a selfie, sit down, open the picture on my phone, and ask myself, "What's the first thing I think when I look at this woman?"

I'm an Ethereal Natural. Here I am in a top I recently bought and returned. I loved the top when I first saw it, and I wanted it to be right for me, but a little voice in my head told me something was off. I was only able to identify what was wrong after I took a selfie of the top and went through the mental exercise I describe above: "What's the first thing I notice?"

"Loose and comfortable" -- that's Natural. Check.

"Delicate and kind of Renaissance-y" -- that's Ethereal. Check

Anything else?

Oh, I see it: There is sweetness, a preciousness, a childlike quality. That is Ingenue. And Ingenue is what's not working for me.

(I do have a tiny bit of Ingenue: enough for a single delicate necklace, as you see here, but not enough for a strongly Ingenue top.)

Is my room painted in Soft Autumn colors? You bet it is.

If I press myself with the question, "What makes it sweet?", I can articulate that it's the flowers, the wrist emphasis, and the overall babydoll-dress-like impression. But I can say that this top is sweet and girly without being able to say why.

Does an ensemble ever send more than three main messages? Occasionally, but it's very, very rare. The only time I ever encounter this is in some haute couture designs. Some designers are expert at sending multiple messages simultaneously in a single outfit. I can't remember encountering that effect in an outfit put together by a regular woman.

So, if you're not sure whether an ensemble is creating the effect you want to create, take a picture of yourself in it and ask yourself, "What's the first thing I think?"

If you're not sure what your style type is, check out the Style Identity Calculator, or consider a Virtual Analysis.

27 Comments

Agnes

12/31/2018 05:21:00 pm

Any ideas for those of us living in the north? Or those of us who need sensible shoes? Or those of us who need to wear pants often but can't tolerate restrictively tight ones?

Rachel

12/31/2018 09:58:24 pm

HI, Agnes! I'm not sure of your style type, but every type has options for warm, comfortable clothes and flat shoes. Some types have to be more creative than others, it's true. (Naturals have it very easy in this regard.)

1/1/2019 01:56:34 pm

Unfortunately, mostly ethereal. Not much available for a STEM career or anything else in the Northeast.

1/2/2019 11:18:17 pm

Hi Agnes, I have a lot of Ethereal too. Palazzo pants are usually good for Ethereals; gaucho pants over ethereal-ish boots might also work. If neither of those are up your alley, maybe try light-colored, wide-leg pants in a fabric that's soft (and preferably drapey) instead of stiff--that should be close enough for government work, or in your case, STEM work.

If you're in the market for jeans, I'm personally fond of boot and flare cuts :).

Shoe-wise, you could try t-strap heels or flats with long, tapered toes, i.e., almond toes and snip toes. Boot options include tall lace-up boots (feminine, not dominatrix wannabe), but I think most tall boots that are light colored and soft/delicate looking, preferably with fur, lace-up, or braid detail and low to flat heel, could work for you. I have a pair of light taupe, flat-heeled suede boots with a braid hanging from the top that I love.

1/3/2019 12:31:46 am

Forgot to mention: Often when you're trying to find style ID-appropriate clothes for a situation they don't naturally lend themselves to, it helps to come at the question from the other direction. Instead of asking how you can find Ethereal clothes appropriate for the office, try looking for officewear that's as Ethereal as possible.

Christy

1/3/2019 11:16:48 am

Agnes, I would echo both Rachel's and KC's thoughts on this. I have 30% ethereal, so I try to strike a balance between my other essences (D & C) on days or in situations where those other essences have to dominate my look. I work in a very traditional field (law), so I know it can be a stretch to to incorporate those otherworldly elements. On days when I have to go that way, I try to make sure my hair has some wave to it, or my makeup ad jewelry have that ethereal shimmer and delicacy. Cold weather is obviously going to be rough, but maybe you could use a lot of light, flowy layers to project the ethereal essence. Or go with light colors in your palette. I have an angora beret that I have worn in cold weather to stay warm that I think has an ethereal quality to it. Fabrication is a big part of each essence, so maybe look at that as a way to project your ethereality?

Victoria

12/31/2018 08:48:03 pm

I found this to be super helpful. I occasionally go down the rabbit hole and doubt my RNG-ness, but comfortable, sexy, and playful describe me - and what looks best on me- perfectly. None of those other descriptors would improve my appearance in the slightest. This exercise will definitely help me in the future. Thank you Rachel!

Trina

1/1/2019 03:48:11 am

What is the difference between ethereal delicate and ingenue delicate?

Amke

1/2/2019 05:20:18 pm

I'de probably describe ethereal as light and flowy, and ingenue as cute, petite.

Megan

1/2/2019 05:37:39 pm

Ethereal delicacy also looks otherwordly, mystical, mysterious, whereas ingenue delicacy looks more sweet, literal and earnest.

1/2/2019 09:05:05 pm

Delicate for Ingenue equals “dainty” (think dolls and teacups), and delicate for Ethereal equals “gossamer” or “will blow away in a strong breeze.”

1/1/2019 09:36:41 am

The style struggle is real! I have spent years just trying to get clothes in my size and my colors. As a Dark Autumn, it is tough to find colors that work. Adding these style elements makes it that much harder, given that I am EDC (mostly D) AND only 5’4”. When I saw the first outfit, I got the classic immediately, but some part of me saw some E (color and drapey-ness) and D (monochromatic) in there. The fabrics are clearly natural, and the peep toe romantic, but the deep v neck would not be romantic on me, since I don’t have massive cleavage. It would read D on me. So in different fabrics and with different shoes/bag, I could make this work for me, right?

Except that the gut check words I need to go by would say no. Avant garde? Practically nothing I own reads avant garde to me, and that is my biggest essence (50%). Otherworldly? My second essence (30%), would only be present here if the top was sheer and floaty. I have one top that fits that bill. One. So the classic part, which is my smallest percentage (20%) is the only one I could count on here.

The gut check is making me review my style choices. It is tough to get this right, and like everyone else I still have to get dressed every day. Getting the balance right is hard.

It is reassuring to me that Rachel struggles with this, too. I can see what she means about the ingenue in that shirt. Ethereal detail has a knowing, otherworldly quality, while ingenue is sweet, innocent and child like. I think my daughter is quite ethereal, but her style choices lean more ingenue. It’s tough because she has a sweet personality, and she is just a teenager, so I am not going to argue with her, but it is interesting to see.

1/1/2019 11:24:38 am

I feel like I need to clarify my thoughts on the ethereal essence mentioned above. By “knowing” I don’t mean the earthy possibly sexy knowingness that would be Romantic. My understanding of ethereal knowingness is more of a sublime, serene, world weariness. I think what is sometimes misleading is that the otherworldly icons we associate with ethereality are sometimes portrayed in a kitschy way. Like mermaids or elves. There are the Lord of the Rings elves and the Keebler elves. There are serene looking Pirates of the Caribbean mermaids and there is the cartoony Ariel mermaid. I think the color palette can make or break this idea. Would love Rachel’s thoughts on this.

1/1/2019 01:00:15 pm

I would love Rachel’s thoughts on the hair line subject :D. Is it possible that the hair line can determine a specific style?

Elizabeth

1/1/2019 02:46:27 pm

I’m an ENI, and I love your top! I own something very similar in cream. One thing I noticed was how it clashed with your very N jeans. I’m not sure if it’s the I or the E in the top, but I didn’t feel like this was a combination of identities working together.

I’d love to hear thoughts on Soft Autumn vs Light Spring. Because while I’m generally happy with SA, that gray would be too heavy on me, but LSp is washes me out.

1/2/2019 10:29:59 pm

Not Rachel, obviously, but may I chime in?

Judging by the ENI board, your style identity very much favors lighter colors, so it might be that the gray of Rachel’s top is too dark for your style ID. And coloring can be quirky among individuals in the same season—all the colors go together, but two individuals may not be able to wear the same color as a big block under the face. For instance, maybe the gray above would work better for you as shoes than as a top.

1/3/2019 11:23:50 pm

I think Ingenue influence might also incline a person towards more color and less neutral. And there is definitely an individual component! I have red hair and blue eyes, and I look very unharmonius in monochromatic neutrals because I just need more color especially near my face. My theory is after season and style ID, the next most important thing is knowing your level of value and color contrast.

1/4/2019 04:52:00 am

Oh yes--color and value contrast are more important at the individual level than they get credit for. I'm a True Winter with a very high value contrast (dark brown hair, black eyes, and porcelain skin), and Ethereal color schemes of light, low-contrast colors somehow look too wishy-washy on me. I also have Gamine and possibly a little Natural in my style mix, so I prefer to use high-contrast Gamine color schemes with unconstructed Ethereal or Natural fits.

On the other hand, one of my sisters is also a True Winter, but her coloring is deceptively low contrast to the point of "mousy" (I thought she was a Summer for sure until I used the draping cards on her), and she is flattered by light pastel-type hues, while the black-and-white combos I can pull off tend to look too stark on her. (She may have Ingenue in her style mix--she definitely has at least one of the youthful types.)

And your observation about Ingenues needing more color than neutrals is interesting. The Ingenue board supports your theory--by far the most common instance of a neutral is white trim! There is one light gray dress among the images--maybe because gray can read as demure and modest? I could see navy working for the same reason; that, and it doesn't go as dark and heavy as black. I also read on a different internet source that cocoa/chocolatey browns can work as neutrals for an Ingenue, perhaps because Ingenues are so strongly associated with sweets and desserts. Even then, I think all those neutrals would still work best for an (pure) Ingenue if trimmed or accessorized with white or a pastel color.

1/4/2019 09:56:20 am

You exactly hit my neutrals! I only wear cream (my version of white), browns in the taupe to milk chocolate range, medium grey, and navy (and denim that is functionally navy). But those are only bottoms or things that get layered over. My closet is very colorful within SA bounds ;). And finally getting rid of TA and TSp camel and cinnamon brown was so freeing after being told for years that that’s just what redheads have to wear.

That’s interesting about your winter sister looking good in icy pastels! I’ve heard of a light winter category before.

Sonia

1/2/2019 08:42:59 pm

The style identity calculator gave me Gamine Ingenue, (after assuming I had to be Romantic Ingenue for a long time after doing the older Kibbe test, and the fact that I'm curvy/borderline plus size) When I look at selfies, the first thing I usually see is "sweet and innocent", and sometimes "sarcastic and sassy" but with a heavy dose of innocence still. I think I'm primarily ingenue with some gamine. Looking at selfies was a great exercise!

1/4/2019 11:35:39 am

Do you think that cheek dimples are ingenue? or maybe gamine and romantic can also have it?

1/4/2019 12:16:13 pm

I bet any type can have them, but they'd certainly lend a bit of youth to the face. So maybe they read I,G, & N? I'm a RNG and I have one big cheek dimple.

1/5/2019 10:09:37 am

Victoria, so you confirmed my observations, thanks for that :) I think cheek dimples are not possible for E or D. Miranda Kerr has cheek dimples and she seems to be Ingenue.

Elisabeth

1/5/2019 02:48:00 pm

I think this is another groundbreaking article, like "Dress for Your Face," especially for readers like me who lose the forest for the trees trying to match clothing qualities to mental checklists. For me, that's been a long, winding path to a random place via too many opportunities to make a case for some cut or detail without even checking the mirror.

Taking in the gestalt first, then referencing the mental checklist and gut-checking alternatives--so much better. I've noticed that this is actually what women I think have great style do, now that I think about it. Visuals first.

I think the reader who wrote that amazing testimonial about her experience with your style analysis said something about this, too (you and she are both terrific writers, btw, and terrific writers do not get to hear that enough). You mentioned here that you're resolved to be a little more comfortable accepting your gifts these days, so I'm going to offer you a challenge and say that I think you're the smartest and most innovative writer on style today, and a terrific, absolutely natural teacher.

TL;DR: This is super-helpful Thank you.

1/6/2019 05:43:46 pm

Thanks to all who offered help [first comment]. Some ideas were excellent, but, unfortunately, still too fashionable to be credible in a male-dominated career. So, clothingwise, I've opted to stick tightly to traditional classic. However, not being truly classic myself, I can add a bit to try to lend beauty to my mostly odd, ethereal face. An old cream silk blouse for tomorrow has faint paisleys woven in. And I added a circle pin to the blazer lapel [Thanks, Aunt Alice!] that has crescents around the circle and an off-center circle of tiny pearl beads near the top. I had worried about the off-centeredness of the beads making me look offcentered, but it doesn't. I assume I can judge that as well as my coworkers . The paisleys and crescents look perfect together.

So maybe I can keep my credibility with classic and add bits of ethereal beauty on top with little things.

Monica

1/8/2019 02:02:53 am

Hi Rachel,
When you look at someone like the actress Doris Day as they styled her in the late 1950s/early 60’s her clothes still look like they could be worn today. I see Classic & Romantic & either Gamine or Ingenue. What do you think? Maybe not Romantic as she was considered as sexy in her time (like Elizabeth Taylor) but wholesome.

Danielle

2/15/2019 10:02:48 pm

Whew, this gut check guide is awesome. And also... scary. I'm not sure I entirely understand how to put an outfit together that reads 'otherworldly' and 'avant-guard' AND 'comfy!'... oh, infinite outfit generator, I think I need to spend some time with you.

Truth is Beauty

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