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Where Do Our Ideas of Ethereal and Dramatic Beauty Come From?

2/19/2018

Last week, I explained that Romantic, Natural, Ingenue, and Gamine characteristics come from physical traits that actually distinguish women from men and adults from children.

I didn't address Ethereal and Dramatic, though. That's because those beauty archetypes don't arise wholly from what's true about actual human women and men.

I believe that the archetypes of Ethereal and Dramatic arise instead from our fantasies of supernatural or inhuman women and men.

More specifically, I propose the following:

We humans like to imagine magical, superhuman, and supernatural forces.

We like to give these imagined forces physical forms.

We generally ascribe feminine physical qualities to those beings we imagine as helpful.

We generally ascribe masculine physical qualities to those beings we imagine as dangerous.

Ethereal: The Feminized Supernatural

I believe our idea of the Ethereal quality derives from the feminine physical qualities that we project onto onto imaginary, superhuman beings we see as peaceful or helpful.

The most obvious example is our idea of an angel. But this archetype also shows up in saints, aliens, and deities; whether they're male or female, we tend to give them feminized physical traits.

Our fantasies of such creatures generally depict them physically as having narrow and smoothly ovoid faces; high foreheads; large, widely spaced, oval eyes; high, rounded eyebrows; long noses; unearthly but low-contrast coloring; narrow jaws; and small, tapering chins.

The overall physical impression of these beings is rather feminine, but some traits that characterize average human women, such as a relatively round face and relatively small nose, are missing.

These are feminine faces, but it's an imagined femininity, not a mortal, "estrogenized" femininity.

From this imagining, I believe, emerges the archetype of Ethereal beauty.

See the similarities between the faces above and the Ethereal faces below. Faces are elongated and oval-shaped, gently sculpted but without harsh angles. Eyes are penetrating, wise, and peaceful, more almond-shaped than round, and often heavy-lidded. Noses are long and narrow. Lips are a bit fleshy and feminine, but not voluptuous. Eyebrows are narrow, long, and gently arched. Foreheads are high. The hairline is rounded.

Dramatic: The Masculinzed Supernatural

As for Dramatics:

I believe our idea of the Dramatic archetype derives from the way that we ascribe masculine physical traits to superhuman or imaginary creatures we view as dangerous.

The obvious example of this is a devil, but other examples include vampires, dragons, witches, sorcerers, and deities of war and chaos. Even when these characters are female, we tend to give them masculinized features.

The masculine physical qualities we project onto dangerous characters include an angular, sharply sculpted face: narrow, angled eyes that are closely set; a heavy or protruding brow; prominent cheekbones; a sharp nose; and extreme coloring.

(It's not a coincidence that predatory animals often have close-set and angled eyes, heavy brows, and overall narrow and sharply chiseled features. I think these features of nature's predators actually serve as part of the inspiration for our fantasy of supernatural masculinity.)

The overall impression of all of these creatures is masculine, but some features, such as prominent cheekbones and somewhat narrow chins, are not characteristic of average human men. These are masculine faces, but it's an abstracted masculinity, not a human, "testosteronized" masculinity.

And it's from this archetype of "inhuman + intimidating," I believe, that we derive our idea of Dramatic beauty.

See the similarities between the faces above and the striking beauty of strongly Dramatic people: Faces are elongated and sharply sculpted. Cheekbones are prominent. Noses are long, prominent, and flared. Brow ridges project out over the eyes. Eyebrows are prominent and sharp, or rather horizontal. Eyes are piercing, narrow, and often close-set. Mouths are rather horizontal. The hairline is horizontal or sharply peaked.

Compared to Ethereal, the face overall is more sharply chiseled and more square or rectangular, with few circle or oval shapes.

Dramatics are incredibly striking, and more likely to be called "beautiful" or "stunning" than "cute" or "adorable." But, of course, that doesn't imply that they're evil, any more than pure Ethereals are good. They simply resemble, in their geometry, the intimidating creatures of the human imagination. The heart of the Dramatic is power, and power can be frightening.

It's probably obvious to you at this point that Ethereals and Dramatics actually have some overlap. I think this is because there are certain features -- facial elongation in particular -- that read as "otherworldly," whether they're masculine or feminine.

A key distinguisher between Ethereal and Dramatic may be your answer to the question, "Does this beauty feel pacific and still, or active and intimidating?"

Some amazing people, such as Tilda Swinton, possess a good bit of both:

Is she approaching or receding? Will she hurt you or help you? It's hard to say. That's the combination of Ethereal and Dramatic. It's no coincidence that Swinton has been cast as a madonna, a deadly angel, a witch, a vampire, and an immortal sorcerer.

So, to synthesize this week and last week:

Our ideas of Romantic, Natural, Gamine and Ingenue beauty derive from real, human physical characteristics that signal biological sex and age.

Our ideas of Ethereal and Dramatic beauty derive from gendered fantasies of inhuman or unearthly  beauty: Ethereal represents an archetype of supernatural beauty that's feminized and benevolent, while Dramatic represents an archetype of supernatural beauty that's masculine and dangerous.

* * *
A final comment that I really hope doesn't need to be made, but that I will make anyway, just in case:

By noticing that angels and aliens are generally rendered as feminine, while devils and dragons are generally rendered as masculine, I am in no way saying I think it's right that femaleness is identified with virtue and purity, while maleness is identified with malevolence.

Description is not prescription.

Personally, it drives me nuts when people trot out that tired old idea of women as the gatekeepers of morality.

Plenty of women are evil. Plenty of men are good. Almost all of us are a mix of both.

If I could wave my magic wand, we'd live in a world where "feminine" =/= gentle and passive, and "masculine" =/= aggressive and predatory.

Alas, that's not our world, and these archetypes do exist.

For the purposes of helping all of us look amazing, I see it as my job to accurately describe the archetypes.

For better or worse, "Dramatic" features read as masculine and intimidating, and look the most beautiful with sharp, straight, intimidating clothes.

For better or worse,  "Ethereal" features read as feminine and peaceful, and look the most beautiful with long, sinuous, delicate lines.

If you're not sure of your Style Identity, try the Style Identity Calculator, or consider investing in a virtual style analysis.

73 Comments

Rosetta

2/19/2018 10:32:44 am

As an Ethereal blend, I must say I do like the idea of "the Feminized Supernatural" ;)

2/19/2018 01:38:57 pm

Same here! I've found a lot of ethereal & dramatic descriptors to be unflattering -- this is maybe not what I expected, but it's not inherently off-putting. Just like "oh, so that's what I'm seeing!"

For myself, I disliked my ethereal features all my life. I thought they made me look old, weird, slightly inhuman. When someone told me I resembled Tilda Swinton I was insulted.

Now, I'm completely rethinking that reaction. I find this information helps me with objectivity and acceptance about myself. (Also this helps me understand why people often treat me as an advisor, but not as a boss. Hazard of ethereality, I guess.)

So again, thank you for the post. I imagine many ethereal / dramatic types will find this helpful. I find this really reassuring and useful.

Miranda

2/19/2018 04:26:48 pm

That's a good point about being treated as an advisor! I have been cast in that role since I was a kid, even though I look much younger than I am (Ethereal Natural Ingenue) and so has an Ethereal Dramatic guy friend.

Hannah

2/21/2018 07:45:39 am

Yess! I've always complained about the role of advisor people have put me on since I was a little girl! Your words made me feel understood and less alone! It's not that bad in the end :)

2/19/2018 10:37:08 am

Wow. This was not at all what I expected as a description of ethereal/dramatic. You make a compelling argument!

I especially appreciate the point that description is not prescription. Looks =/= reality. But it is curious how ethereality and drama read cross-culture here.

A further question: you noted in the post on ethereal that ethereal often is associated with mature/aging signifiers (greyed/faded coloring, don't eyes go more hooded as they age?) -- but here that is not mentioned? Is this still true? Or does that simply play into the way imagined helpful beings are often cast as grandmotherly?

2/19/2018 04:23:37 pm

Because of the aggressive, dangerous perception of Dramatic, I know two men who are Dramatic blends that I don't know what to do with - okay, they probably wouldn't let me do *anything* about their clothes, but I'm fixing all my friends up with suitable clothes in my head (just in case). Both of them are perceived as more aggressive than they are and for the most part, they hate it. Usually they both wear jeans and a plaid button-up to soften their impact. I've seen photos where the Ethereal Dramatic friend dressed closer to his style ID and man...he is totally lost in the inoffensive dad clothes.
They both worry that dressing more Dramatic would cause problems, but am I right in thinking that dressing to their faces would help? Otherwise there is a mental jump from soft, unassuming clothes to the powerful impact of their faces, and I think that is adding to the problems they are experiencing.

Candle

2/19/2018 08:32:45 pm

I am also interested in this, though in a more broad way. I know a lot of people who dislike certain physical characteristics they have because, like it or not (I don’t), people use their appearance to base their first impressions on. For example I know a very gamine looking guy who struggles to be taken seriously and his preferred career kinda depends upon it. And a very romantic-type woman who is usually left out on things because people see her as a threat to their relationships.

I agree people generally will look the most striking when playing to their strengths appearance wise. But would down playing certain characteristics be possible?

Anastasia

2/19/2018 09:45:49 pm

This is a very interesting question to me also. I have tried to overcome the stereotype I have been characterized by for so long (ethereal ingénue type). I am either not taken seriously or am just "so sweet" passive and gentle that I don't often feel very respected or heard. Others want me to listen to their problems and think it's just my role. It's unfortunate that people have such a hard time overcoming these stereotypes when they are typifying others and can't seem to view them another way. Not that it's always bad to be sweet and innocent, it has its perk sometimes, but it's not great to be like a sweet little pet when you're an adult with ideas. Anyway, I tried to dress classic and business-like to overcome this. It did help but also was a little harsh on me and didn't make me look my best, like a little girl try to be a lawyer. So I guess the answer might be yes, you can overcome this stigma to some extent but you sort of lose yourself in the process, so it's a sacrifice and won't be your best. I think it's better to be you and you will attract the people who appreciate you for being you and take the time to get to know you instead of having to compensate just to please those that judge a book by its cover. It's hard to please everyone and it's better to use these disadvantages as strengths rather than trying to change something you cannot and ceasing to be at your best in either category of : who you really are and who you want to be. You end up being a mix of two things that are at odds with each other/ cancel each other out and play against each other to mock you and point out that you are insecure or wishing to be like someone else. To answer your question, I would say for a dramatic that can't hide it because it's so strong but really wants to, make it softer by wearing dramatic styles in a softer version that's got a little ethereal in it for example or soft colors but dramatic styles. Find a complementing style that's not totally dramatic but closely complements it and add that in.

2/20/2018 09:37:18 am

In my personal experience, you're right that their wearing softer clothes is making it worse. When I dress opposite my type, the negative connotation of my type is what people see in my face (classic becomes forgettable, ingenue becomes childish/incapable, etc.). If I wear a sharp black blazer, I look like a lost little girl. I bet for your friends there's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing effect: who's this sharp, powerful man in friendly dad clothes? He's not fooling me. What's he hiding?

2/23/2018 01:33:13 pm

As a woman with dramatic essence, I would like to give a comment on this: Rachel wrote in my style analysis that it will actually make me look MORE feminine, if I DON'T wear too feminine clothes. I think it porbably works the same way with D-men: If they dress in non-D-clothes it will only highlight their manly features (in an unflattering way), while the fitting D-Clothes would create harmony (making them look more authentic and in peace with themselves, therefore more readable, meaning more comfortable to be around).
I imagine a D-Man looking otherwordly strong and sexy, if he dresses right. This contrasting with a warm and nice character... sounds pretty exciting to me. ;)

2/21/2018 03:37:25 am

Hi Miranda--I agree with the other commenters that, in a hypothetical best-case world where your guy friends let you dress them :), it would be best for them to embrace their style ID. Trying to dress contrary to your natural appearance only ever results in you looking confused, awkward, or vaguely dishonest, and it always seems to distort your features somehow. Psychologically, it can also be oddly freeing to accept your style ID.

Of course, this advice isn't helpful to everyone--how do you learn to feel comfortable with a style ID that projects an image to the world that you don't feel truly represents you? This is where I think word associations and exploring lesser-known aspects of a style are useful--you might find a more positive quality associated with your style ID that you can embrace. For instance, "intimidating" is actually far from the first word I think of when I see Dramatic features (granted, that may be because it's the primary style ID of both my father and my youngest sister and I'm just used to it). Words that come to mind for me include "larger than life," "assertive," "confident," "protective," "alpha," "strong," "powerful," "capable," and, for smiling Dramatics, "jovial." "Jovial" is particularly interesting because it derives from Jove, another name for Jupiter the king of the gods, and means "characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship." Jove was certainly not a god you wanted to offend, what with the authority and the thunderbolts and all, but when he was in a good mood, he was boisterously cheerful and magnanimous and a capable leader, someone that you wanted to stay on the good side of. Dramatics come off as people who need to be approached with respect and caution, but I think it's accurate to say that as social creatures, we humans feel good when we gain the approval of a powerful authority figure. Your Dramatic friends may never be seen as inoffensive or nonaggressive, but they could certainly be jovial. I think people would be drawn to their magnetic, larger-than-life presences and their perceived magnanimity, protectiveness, and capability.

Also, dragons are awesome, and they should be honored to resemble such magnificent creatures ;D.

2/21/2018 09:32:21 pm

Yes, a great comment KC, I like the idea of changing those word associations. I think of dramatic also as magnetic, a very charismatic individual who others are drawn to for their "larger-than-life" persona as you put it. They can be very intriguing to others, which I think of as a good trait that I wish I had at times. I heard someone say that a lot of people in Hollywood have this to some degree and that high fashion has a very dramatic element often times. And M- I think that's a great way to explain the effect it has often times to dress away form your type, making it even more of a negative.

2/23/2018 04:05:13 am

KC, you just made it click with me what reimagining the words means. I was thinking of it as more of mindset, and I think it's more what I've been doing when I pick elements that I like from my style ID and discard others, and make sure that the elements I chose still give the impression that I want. I'm an ENI and don't like to look like a fairy or a child, so the words I try not to lose are sweetness, effortlessness, and a sense of the angelic.
I think that's the same thing?

As for my Dramatic friends, it's funny that you mention capable because they both have been in positions of authority and in uncertain situations, I have seen groups of people follow them like ducklings.
One of them can definitely pull off jovial. I like that. He's the one who has the most difficulty and also is the most likely to want advice - he's an old Goth and appreciates the power of presentation.
The other one would have to play up the Ethereal influence because smiling does *not* look right.
(I wonder if that's a common element that Ethereals and Dramatics tend to share? I look ghastly when I smile.)

My sister is also a Dramatic blend (Dramatic Natural), but she doesn't have quite the same problems, though I suspect it's because she compensates with an incredibly submissive manner. She is learning to dress well and I'm excited to see what that does for how she sees herself.

3/1/2018 11:57:13 pm

Apologies for the very late reply, but I just wanted to share my own experience to this. I am not male, nor is my main type D, rather, I am a woman with mostly Ethereal essence, some Dramatic, and a little bit of Classic.

There was an instance where my friend and I were at a thrift store, and she handed me a flowy, 70s empire waist dress with gauzy, fluttery sleeves and tiered skirts as a joke. I thought that the floral print looked a bit like an old couch, and that the faded coloring made it vaguely resemble an old white bra I had that had turned grey from overuse (weirdly specific, I know, but that's the first thing I thought).

I am about 5'2, and my worst fear is looking stumpy and stubby. I gain most of my weight on my stomach and my bustline, my shoulders are straight, and I am often self conscious that they make me look bulkier than I actually am. So that dress, theoretically, would be the most unflattering thing I could ever wear. It stopped right below my bust (I have heard many horror stories about the empire waistline), had a square neckline, and was very long. I thought it would only emphasize all the flaws I was insecure about.

I tried it on, figuring that at least I could joke about how terrible it looked, but when I slipped it on, it felt right, and I never wanted to take it off. It was an incredibly ethereal dress, and seemed to harmonize with the ethereal quality of my face. I didn't look stubby at all, in fact, it was quite the opposite--it actually elongated me, which coordinated with the elongation of my face.

In contrast, before, I would try on Romantic or Natural styles, looking to create either the illusion of curves or casual elongation. They only served to make me look more stubby and broad, and only unflattered my body and face. I don't think that dressing in another type is bad at all, because everybody is different--I myself stick to a mostly Gamine/Natural wardrobe because it's convenient for my lifestyle, and finding Ethereal clothes for casual wear is hard--but when a person dresses to their type once in a while, it's perfect and harmonious, and just looks right.

Rachel

2/19/2018 08:52:13 pm

Oh, this is so interesting!
This reminds me: years ago, I was watching the DVD extras for the movie Signs. (Spoiler alert!)
The director was creating aliens via special effects, and used motion-capture of women to create its walk. But it wasn’t inherently scary—it just came across as otherworldly. Same alien, but then animated by motion-capture of a man walking, and it was instantly, viscerally scary.
So interesting!

Lauren

2/20/2018 10:12:17 am

Hey Rachel! Thank u for sharing these amazing informations. As far as i read, im getting pretty convinced that im an ethereal-dramatic-gamine. And, correct me if im wrong, i guess that is very rare that someone fit in just one pure archetype. Most people are a mix of 3 (or at least 2 types). what do u think?

2/20/2018 11:20:48 am

I am friends with a rare "pure type ethereal" (typed by JK as such). Her appearance is alike to the statues and paintings in the ethereal category. The human examples have far more human like qualities when compared to her so you could only place her within the paintings. I enjoyed your representations of these and comparatively the dramatic animals. It made it very clear. Your blog is very informative.
What about ethereal and dramatic ageing? My friend doesn't appear to age at all. Dramatics have a grander facial bone structure to support their ageing process, so also age well possibly?

2/20/2018 06:56:03 pm

Is Uma Thurman a mixture of Ethereal and Dramatic? I think that her role as Venus in Baron Munchausen was 100% Ethereal, but she also looks very dramatic as well sometimes (especially in her older roles). Either way, she definitely looks "Supernatural" and not of this world.

Katja

2/21/2018 02:38:29 am

I don't know if Uma is a mixture of Ethereal and Dramatic. I think she has Natural and Ethereal. Kate Blanchet is a mixture of Ethereal and Dramatic. Her second essences are Natural and Classic.

vanessa

9/10/2023 08:26:48 pm

yes!! she is id'd as E D on pinterest!

2/21/2018 04:00:37 am

Well, this confirms that I have at least one of the "inhuman/abstracted" essences in my style mix--long, narrow, and sculpted are the first things I notice about my own face. Other people seem to notice one of the youthful types first, probably because I have big, rounded eyes and a narrow chin. Having either Ethereal or Dramatic (or possibly even both) pleases me, I must say--I love all things supernatural and fantastic!

All this talk about which style IDs have which facial characteristics has left me with a question, though. Rachel, do you know if eyes that tilt downward at the outer corners are associated with any particular style ID(s)? My eyes droop downward and give me something of a perpetually woebegone quality, and I was wondering if that trait might help to confirm one of my style essences. While I'm on the subject, my eyes are also quite close set--does that automatically point to Dramatic, or is there another style essence that can have close-set eyes? I'm confident at this point that I have neither Romantic nor Classic (I like Classic in and of itself, but it's the only style essence that makes me physically flinch when viewed next to my face--no harmony at all!), but I'm having trouble being objective enough about myself to accurately sort through the rest. Any help is appreciated!

2/21/2018 10:35:20 am

I think that close set eyes can also be Natural.

2/21/2018 01:30:36 pm

I went back and read the post about Naturals, and you are right--thanks, Katja. Now at least I know I have either Dramatic or Natural in my mix.

2/22/2018 03:05:01 am

Kc, do you think you have Gamine or Ingenue in your style ID? Do you look young for your age? Do you look sweet or boyish? Are you tall or short? If you are short you might have Gamine or Ingenue.

2/22/2018 03:45:38 pm

I'm average height--but this site has mentioned several times that height is a poor indicator of style ID. It's more about the impression of sturdiness or petiteness or imposing-mess you give off. I come off as delicate above all, so I know I have at least one of the feminine essences, and it's not Romantic; whether I come off as tall or petite (or, most often, in between) tends to vary according to who I'm around and what I'm wearing.

I'm pretty certain I do have one of the youthful types in my style mix because people have often mistaken me for being younger than I am (at least since adulthood--paradoxically, when I was a minor, I was usually mistaken for older). I was once accused of not being old enough to drive soon after graduating from college! I assumed for a long time that I must have Ingenue because people usually treated me as sweet and innocent rather than playful or mischievous, but I recently started wondering if people were actually seeing youthful Gamine + delicate Ethereal and getting their wires crossed.

I don't know--as I mentioned before, I have trouble seeing myself objectively. I just don't seem to see myself the way others see me. Others apparently see "young" first when they look at me, but I see one of the "inhuman/abstracted" types first and would likely not have considered one of the youthful types for myself if not for how others reacted to me. All I can tell at this point is that Classic and Romantic are right out; I have at least one feminine and at least one masculine type; I have at least one youthful and at least one inhuman type; and I must have Dramatic or Natural in my mix because of the close-set eyes. At least this narrows my choices down to about ten, but still . . .

2/23/2018 07:36:10 pm

In narrowing down styles, have you tried Rachel's style calculator? I found it took me a few (okay, several) times through to figure out what ID worked, but the combination of looking at my own features in phots AND comparing those features to clothing styles was what helped me see myself more clearly. Example, I thought ingenue would work until I saw how old it makes me look & also saw a pic of me at 14 looking pretty much the same as I do now - realized I got ethereal-looking early, not that I'm staying ingenue as I age. At the very least, it helped me completely rule out what styles would not work at all. I found that simple calculator to be hugely useful in settling out what clothes I prefer and why.

2/25/2018 03:41:05 pm

Hi W.--I have been meaning to try the Style Calculator again when I get the time (though something always seems to come up). I'm not sure how much it'll help because I have such a hard time objectively comparing myself to the style boards. Last time I tried the calculator, my results said Dramatic-Natural with neither of the youthful types at all, which can't be right--other people definitely seem to see one of the youthful types (most likely Ingenue) when they meet me, not Amazon Queen.

2/26/2018 04:32:46 am

It is difficult to be objective about yourself. Maybe I could help you if I knew how you look like. Do you want to link a photo of yourself?

2/26/2018 09:50:17 am

My comment above was ment for you, KC. I forgot to write your name.

2/26/2018 10:56:51 am

Gotcha. I hear you. I found I went back to that style calculator many times. There are some good tips on this blog for using it, but I agree, it's hard to be objective. -- I had to give up on *liking* my style IDs clothes as represented in the boards. The lines are good, but it's not what I'd wear on a daily basis. Hence the struggle to translate the ID into useable clothing. I think I was being influenced by what I find "normal" for my region, not what actually looks best on me (and they are miles apart). Best of luck!

2/27/2018 11:37:02 pm

Well, if you think it would help. I have a few photos of myself from last year at the top of my FB photos, plus one from five years ago with a different hairstyle (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to link a single photo individually):

https://www.facebook.com/kristin.choruby/photos_all?lst=100000894190195%3A100000894190195%3A1519680732

3/1/2018 02:16:11 am

Hi Katja--I saw your reply on the other comment thread about me possibly being an Ethereal-Natural-Gamine. That combo does look like a strong contender. I did what another commenter suggested sometime ago and went through old photos of myself to see what clothes looked best on me, and Ethereal at least is a definite winner, which is great because it's my favorite of the seven essences :). I'm not yet decided on the other two. I like Natural in and of itself, and it would certainly be a comfy, convenient style to have, but it sometimes looks like it blurs my features a bit. I've never been attracted to Gamine clothes (G's my least favorite), so old photos are of little help there. I'd have to take a day to play dress-up in a store to see how Gamine styles looked on me. Oh well--if I do have Gamine, I can just look at it as an opportunity to meet a challenge creatively :).

Funny thing is, as I was going through those old photos, I realized there might be another factor complicating my attempts to figure out my style identity. I was born with a facial defect and had a series of corrective surgeries until I was 21. I felt like those surgeries made only minor changes to my features, but when I looked at frozen images of myself over time, I realized my face actually changed a LOT through my teens and early twenties (I used to have a long, blunt roman nose!), and the features that medical intervention gave me may or may not match the lines God and Nature gave me. Oy :P. I'm going to try style analysis on a photo from before my last round of surgeries and see if that gives me a clearer picture. Thanks for all your help, Katja :).

3/1/2018 03:13:10 am

Hi, KC! Glad to help! I didn't know about your corrective surgeries . But I don't think that matters because style analysis is based on how you look now and not how you looked years ago. We all change. Even our colours can change as we age. Some people even change their season when they age. As we age we become cooler and more muted.

3/1/2018 03:25:01 am

KC, try not to focus so much on how you looked before. It is your current you that has to be flattered by the right outfits and lines.

2/21/2018 03:42:40 pm

So... I keep thinking about this post, because it's so helpful for an understanding of etheral/dramatic faces. And having done the style calculator and looked at the style guides, I absolutely see the influence of the clothing you recommend and how it helps flatter the faces.

However, I'm left with a puzzle: the styles that flatter Dramatic and Ethereal types are more like costumes than clothing. So how do you actually wear this stuff without looking like you stepped off a Hollywood set?

I mean, it sort of makes sense: ethereals and dramatics are people who resemble these made-up archtypes. It stands to reason that their best clothing would also be extremely conceptual. Tilda Swinton looks amazing in editorial clothes, ethereal models look stunning on runways in couture, dramatics look great cast as movie villains in those wild costumes where you think "Where did they GET that outfit?"

But to make it walk down the street....? Is this just a case of 'add natural'?

I guess what I'm really asking is that I've got a lot of ethereal, and I am struggling to find a practical winter coat. (lol!) I mean, it is really, REALLY tricky to dress these styles without looking completely absurd, so while I've got the style guide (which is wonderful!!), if there's additional advice to be had about how to live with these styles, I would LOVE to hear it!

2/21/2018 04:09:41 pm

Maybe come at it from the other direction--instead of asking how to make theatrical Dramatic and Ethereal styles more casual, ask how everyday clothes could look as Dramatic or Ethereal as possible. Elongation goes a long way for these style essences, so if you keep an eye out for long, narrow pieces, you've made a good start.

My youngest sister is a Dramatic who usually dresses very casually, and she accomplishes it by simply wearing long, tight-fitting shirts over jeans with low waistbands and long, straight, narrow legs. She also usually wears rather masculine boots, or sleek flip-flops in the summer.

For Ethereals, try long tunic tops in drapey or fluttery fabric; pants that are either legging-like, flared, or billowy palazzo style; and either tall boots, barely-there slipper styles, or gladiator sandals, depending on the season. For practical coats, try waterfall styles or something with magical-looking fur trim. Mysterious hoods can also work well. Ethereals usually look good with some waist definition, so try belted wrap coats. And as always, go for the long styles--the longer the better on these women!

2/21/2018 05:28:22 pm

Yeah! I like these suggestions - especially the idea of looking for 'normal' clothing in as ethereal a way as possible. I will be honest though, the coat thing is killing me. The only thing that looks ethereal to me that is also warm enough is fur, and ... ??? I will continue to struggle to find a floaty coat for sub-zero temps.

2/21/2018 05:30:41 pm

Oh, and I completely missed the thought you had on coats. Yes, I think something waterfall or with fur trim. I will have to keep looking the spring sales. Ethereal+winterwear is tricky.

2/21/2018 08:50:40 pm

Ah, so by "practical" you meant "appropriate for subzero weather"--that does make a difference. Fur would definitely work, but I'm not sure waterfall styles or even ankle-length wool would be enough (otherwise, great suggestion, M!). Hmm . . . maybe your best compromise would be a long parka-style coat with fur; a pale, low-contrast color scheme; and as shiny, iridescent material as you can find. Google "long parka coat womens" and see if anything speaks to you. The search also turns up some long fur-lined coats that might work.

2/25/2018 10:29:36 am

Thanks a lot. This long tight fitting shirts thing is what I do to dress down. (I'm mostly DC). A blazer type jacket helps, too. I like a jens jacket in a blazer cut, which is kind of dressed down on me.

Warm clothes are absolutely hard (depending on the brand I am just sized out at the smaller side of warm stuff) Pullovers - plastic material or kind of oversized. Coats - same. I cannot even go for layering.
Every year there is the point of "I don't care what it looks like, its warm!"

I would read some of those styles as Ethreal and at least a few of them as warm.
https://www.etsy.com/search?q=%20fairy%20coat

2/21/2018 06:21:04 pm

W, you gotta check out the Pyramid Collection catalog, lol! Seriously though I agree with KC on the coat that length is key: I'm picturing ankle length wool. Wool as a fabric would work provided it's cut with drape and flow. There's also a seller on Etsy I don't have the name of, but who does almost medieval looking coats without it being silly. Might be worth a search!

2/22/2018 01:08:19 am

Medieval style coats that don't look silly sounds promising. Thank you for all the tips! Seriously though, ethereal is no joke when you're forced to dress like a Stark.

2/22/2018 05:43:14 pm

I think there are a lot of great suggestions here re: coats. I'm 30% Ethereal and I wear a lot of faux fur trim in the winter-- especially faux fur that's long and tendril-y, almost like ostrich feathers.

I'll try to respond to the more general issue (how to make E and D wearable) in a bit. :-))

2/22/2018 11:51:33 pm

Looking forward to it! I really appreciate these posts on ethereal especially, as the style-phile world generally overlooks this type. This blog is my go-to on ethereal advice!

(Speaking of which, thanks for the coat tips. Found a good deal on an ivory fur-trimmed parka! :) )

One last thought (because all the thoughts on this post) -- I really love seeing all these unusual and long noses as ethereal & dramatic and having that look so interesting. I think of all these celebs who do surgery and lose their unusual noses - losing so much natural, but also ethereal or dramatic uniqueness in the process. It's beautiful to see these long, imposing noses get some love!

2/23/2018 01:44:48 am

Yes! More love for the long, striking noses in the world!

2/26/2018 12:33:38 pm

Hi, W.!

If you have a lot of E and/or a lot of D, those "costumey" clothes will ultimately be more flattering on you than "everyday" clothes. Try Googling

Tilda Swinton street style

and check out the image results. Even Swinton's everyday clothes are super-elongated, with both a lot of sharp edges and a lot of flow, and it doesn't look weird; it looks perfect. Her least successful looks are her most "normal" looks; here, where her clothes are not ED, she looks less normal to my eye than she does in her avant-garde choices:

http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/swinton-makeover/tilda-swinton-ditches-her-makeover-for-day-out-with-sandro-kopp-04.jpg

2/27/2018 04:08:16 pm

Wow. That pic. Um... Not a good look for Tilda. But boy, I recognize a lot of my own look in that. And I can see why it's not working.

Thank you for the reply. I've struggled with the style ID quite a bit. I think ENC or EDC is my 'home' (still waffle there), but I was raised on a steady sartorial diet of all things gamine and often got teased when I tried to dress ethereal (sounds weird, but it's true.) It's really hard for me to pull in airy elements. I've got this bizarre mental block against it, but I'm trying to learn. :) Posts like this help me feel more comfortable about it. So thank you!

Laura Berridge

11/3/2022 03:48:16 pm

I'm Ethereal-Natural ... so I can relate to your Winter Coat dilemma ... the way I've got round it is ponchos and shawls (with tassle fringes) and when it's really cold layer them over long cardigan-coats or faux-fur coats. The finer weave the better for the pure Ethereal. Hope this helps a bit x

2/23/2018 04:20:53 am

I like knowing that Ethereal and Dramatic are related like this because it helps some things make sense. A former friend and I both have a good deal of both Ethereal and Ingenue. We used to do our makeup in ways that purposefully played up the uncanny valley aspect to counteract Ingenue. It was a conscious aggressive move to weird out people who were being condescending. Now I think we were calling on the relationship to the unearthly in order to use Dramatic elements with reasonable success.
I wouldn't do that anymore. I don't feel like I need the armor because I have acquired a glare that can kill at twenty paces and I can do it in beautiful flowing clothing with ballet flats, thank you very much.

2/25/2018 03:34:38 pm

"I have acquired a glare that can kill at twenty paces and I can do it in beautiful flowing clothing with ballet flats, thank you very much."

ROTFL

2/26/2018 12:34:33 pm

LOVE this!

Karen

2/27/2018 11:10:19 am

I have a heaping dose of both dramatic and ethereal with a smaller measure of romantic thrown in. I’m also a bright winter. I never understood before I found this website why I could wear the most outrageous, theatrical clothes and jewelry and look totally normal. I’ve lost count of the people who have said to me “I could never pull that off, but you look great in it” or “you’re the only one I know who could wear something like that.” From little kids to adults and total strangers to close friends, the comments are the same. I don’t look benign, though. I’ve come to grips with the fact that I will never win the first impressions award for miss congeniality. lol. My only continued difficulty is trying to deal with theatrical lines and coloring in a very casual society. Dressing like an evil queen isn’t very practical for my day job, which involves cleaning toilets and washing dishes.

3/1/2018 02:53:07 am

Wow, you should link a picture of yourself so we can see your rare unicorn awesomeness!

As for dressing for your day job, you might try what's been suggested before about picking everyday clothes that look as Dramatic or Ethereal as possible. For example, you could try wearing long, narrow, tight-fitting t-shirts (short or long sleeves) with jeans or leggings of a similar cut, which would honor your Dramatic essence and keep your clothes out of your way while working, and then add Ethereal and keep your hair out of the way with a long, flowing headscarf. You might also be able to add Ethereal earrings--you're the best judge of whether those would get in the way. For practical but style-appropriate shoes, try tennis shoes or slip-ons that are as slender and minimalistic as you can find. And of course, wear all this in Bright Winter colors.

3/1/2018 12:01:24 pm

This makes me wonder, because of the respective natures of ethereal and dramatic, is it harder to spot E in somebody because of the softness/delicate nature and easier to spot the D because it's more noticeable? I am speaking as somebody with both of these types, and I've noticed people say that I look like an even split between the two, before they found out that Kat Dennings and Daryl Hannah have some ethereal to them (which they originally didn't see)--they then determine that they probably underestimated the ethereal in me. My friend mentioned that she thought dramatic features were the easiest to spot in her opinion, even if people were blends.

3/1/2018 03:02:35 pm

Makes sense to me--visually speaking, Ethereal recedes and Dramatic advances. The masculine essences in general advance more than the feminine essences, but D and E take these tendencies to the extreme. I've also noticed from practicing style analysis on pop culture figures that Classic can also be hard to spot in blends, probably because it's so understated and averaged out by nature. Personally, I usually have the easiest time spotting Gamine, but other times, Gamine can look very different under the influence of other styles in the mix.

3/7/2018 12:16:17 am

Gabiella - Huh. My Dramatic Natural sister is gorgeous and striking. My ex (mentioned above) is also Dramatic Natural and my years-long crush is Ethereal Dramatic, and I find both of them heart-stopping in the best way. It's almost like beauty has personal and cultural context :|

Anon

3/7/2018 12:29:50 am

Miranda--I agree. Ethereal and Dramatic features are so fascinating to me, and as somebody who's an amateur artist, whenever I see somebody with either of those types I just want to draw them right away!

I knew a girl with Ethereal and Natural a while back. She reminded me of those exquisite women in Pre-Raphaelite paintings. I could imagine her in both a medieval tunic and dressed down in jeans and a t shirt. Dramatics are gorgeous as well, they look regal.

3/7/2018 12:32:31 am

Just realized I clicked reply to the wrong comment. Apologies!

3/7/2018 01:08:18 pm

I think they're both gorgeous, with the caveat that I think Marilyn didn't suit the ways she had to dress for her career. Romantic, yes, but a blend and pure Romantic on her looks disjointed to me.
Yes, it is an opinion and so is yours, and you can present your opinion how you like. One thing I really like about this blog and this system is how positively the different essences are discussed so that everyone can find the beauty in their faces.

Kamila

3/7/2018 04:45:59 pm

These are both my favorite style identities.
Ethereal is considered an "old soul" essence. I wonder whether this applies to the Dramatic, too? As it is an abstract essence like Ethereal.

3/7/2018 04:52:32 pm

By the way, I think the Ethereal is the least favored essence by society. I can't count how many times I've heard people say "this person looks strange" or something similar about Ethereals. Makes sense as it is the rarest essence and rare things are not popular, obviously. This type of beauty needs more recognition!

3/8/2018 02:30:59 am

Hi, Kamila! Dramatic is a mature essence, but I wouldn't call it an old soul. Dramatic and Ethereal essence are the most mature of all essences.
I agree with you, the Ethereal essence need more recognition. It is the "newest" essence and people don't know so much about it. Maybe it's true that rare things are not popular in our society, but I really see and appreciate the rare Ethereal beauty .

3/9/2018 05:58:15 pm

I wonder how much of the "ugly" reaction to ethereals & dramatics is due to poor styling?

I mean, some people will simply look at the unusual features of an ethereal or dramatic and turn up their noses. Fair enough. But I look at Cate Blanchett, for example, an ethereal dramatic classic (IMO) who very much knows how to style herself.

I realize my own best looks come from wearing what makes my features look most harmonized with my clothes. Maybe the problem for so many ethereals and dramatics is that we try to wear t shirts and jeans and thus don't give ourselves a context of otherworldliness. Compared with buildings and offices and restaurants, the ethereal looks weird. Put her in a misty glen and she looks ratiant. Put her in misty-glennish clothes in an office and she'll look like herself, just visiting from fairy land.

I think the key is to embrace ourselves, regardless of what other people think about it. What I like about this site is that it's helped me do just that. :)

3/14/2018 03:26:53 pm

W., I think you're right -- context is everything, with lines and with color. (The grossest, baby-diarrhea, greenish-yellowish-brown can be absolutely beautiful in a painting of a riverbank, right?)

I am reminded of this regularly, when I do virtual analyses for individual women. In the end, in the context of her correct clothes, every single woman I study is beautiful to me. It never fails. :-)

3/20/2018 01:25:39 pm

@rachel - I like that! And I think that's what makes this site so helpful - that your ability to see the beauty in all types shines helps people find the beauty in themselves.

As I come back to this post (again! - really find this post so interesting) - this post really stuck in my head over the past weeks. I'd been sure I had a masculine element to my face & style. I kept thinking (hoping!) it was natural. Natural is so nice! So friendly! So comfortable and easy and inviting. And love natural clothes so much when I see people wearing them.

But no such luck for me. It's definitely dramatic that I'm seeing. The tip about Tilda Swinton helped me admit it. :) I'd determined that ethereal & classic were a must, but I needed more 'weight' to my looks, I want to say. This post had me going back to the shopping and style guides (I'd gotten both) and the calculator & comparing. Several hints in the shopping guide helped (shorts don't work well for the EDC, omg, yes. i can never make them work, despite having long legs). I tried to push my styling more dramatic over the past month, and it worked like a charm. Avant garde jewelry, monochrome, always thinking 'make it look delicate + sleek'. Such a difference. And I had to give up on looking 'casual'. Even my casual looks are not casual (unless I'm at home in sweats, but who cares then?)

Knowing that the clothes that look best for me are highly conceptual & not based in human reality is startling. I mean, who wants to think 'my best look is fantastical + not exactly human'? While the EDC suggestions are AMAZING (the ralph lauren! the escada! victoria beckham! yes!) it's seirously intimidating to think... uh... will that really work for me?
But... it does? How strange. It is very striking, though, which kind of terrifies me. As a personality, I often feel like I don't fit in. Dressing to deliberately *not* fit in is going to take some getting used to. I often feel very self concious as I notice people noticing my clothes. On the other hand, there is something kind of delicious about wearing imposing, beautiful things in unusual ways. I guess the lesson is, so long as you're going to stand out, make it count!

Point of long post: I found this description really helpful to better embrace a style ID that had me nervous. I can see how much you love your EN id Rachel, and how much other people love their id. For me, it's taking a bit of getting used to, but it definitely feels better to just own what's unusual in me. :)

3/14/2018 02:54:03 pm

Thanks, Katja, for the information, and W., I had many similar thoughts!
"she'll look like herself, just visiting from fairy land." I like that. :)

3/23/2018 01:18:48 pm

:D thanks! I'm trying to keep my own advice in mind as I'm leaning into ethereal-dramatic. It definitely works really well, but it's SO intimidating while shopping!

Nicole

4/4/2018 06:55:51 pm

Interesting read! You're so talented in colour AND style analysis!! What would consider Jennifer Lopez's facial appearance in Style ID? She has classic feminine (yet not thin) lips with a STRONG philtrum. A triangle "base down" shaped face, which typically would have a masculine jawline but (lucky for her) her hairline makes it appear almost an oval. Flatter, smoother forehead. Carved out nose bridge that widens into a more bulbous tip (which translates into a button nose appearance). Girl-next-door gender-neutral eyebrows that sit lower on the browbone (closer to the eyes). Oval shape eyes, which are similar to almond but less intense and less feminine. A warm skintone & coloring. Rather youthful countenance overall! Haha, it might just be me, but for some reason she's always reminded me of a Punky Brewster personality (when she's not wearing heavy make-up)!

Shawna

6/1/2018 11:36:36 pm

Thanks to you I am really digging in to the Ethereal concept. I read about it on your blog before and thought it probably applied to me and then set it aside. But Kibbe just hasn't been working for me. It almost gets me there but not quite and so I became convinced it was due to the missing Ethereal. After much investigation, reading, looking at images, looking at carefully taken photos of myself, I now really think that Ethereal is something necessary in my style idea. At first I thought Ethereal Natural Classic but I now think it's the second best and that Ethereal Dramatic Classic is better. Though. ENC might be easier translated into my very casual lifestyle. Although I am not likely to be a pure Ethereal I am surprised at how pure Ethereal elements really do look quite good and possibly just as good or better than any other category does purely including Classic although Classic is my best Kibbe. It may be that I have a Classic body and Ethereal face. Another challenge with Kibbe is that I am 5'9.5" and I really think he would want to make me a Flamboyant Natural. I know from trying it on that FN is too much on me. Too much texture, pattern, volume and floppy hats are bad! Sorry if I am rambling. I am excited and there is a glass of wine involved. Thanks Rachel, for what you do. Thanks for bringing Ethereal to my attention. I will now happily indulge in my love of Art Nouveau and Celtic jewelry as I think they are good for Ethereal. Might grow my classic wavy bob into something longer too.

Bee

11/16/2018 10:29:19 am

What if someone has ethereal (fairy essence) but long lines aren’t particular best on them since they are more curvy and petite? I know we dress for our face, but I don’t see many examples of fairies with long billowy clothes so this idea is a challenge for me. Thanks for any input!!

Elizabeth Phillips

9/25/2020 06:02:18 pm

How about an article about where "Classic" comes from?

Melina

10/19/2020 03:35:46 am

Rachel already told this is this article: https://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/the-physical-characteristics-of-different-style-identities-correspond-to-real-visual-signifiers-of-age-and-sex

"Classics are easy: Imagine that you averaged all male features and all female features. Beauty in a female Classic represents a face that's slightly to the feminine side of that perfect average, and beauty in a male Classic represents a point that's slight to the male side. In Classic men and women both, nothing's noticeably big, or small, or sharp, or round, or high, or low, or full, or thin, or wide, or narrow."

10/19/2020 03:30:25 am

I'm mesmerized by this article, as I realized my face, when fully made up, is very much like the female face (Maleficent?) above the red devil mask... Except for the headgear, obviously ;) But I do have a widow's peak, too... Lately I've been trying to determine whether I have Ethereal (as I had previously thought) or Dramatic, and my features do resemble the latter more than former. Intriguing! :)

Truth is Beauty

Where Do Our Ideas of Ethereal and Dramatic Beauty Come From?

Ethereal: The Feminized Supernatural

Dramatic: The Masculinzed Supernatural

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Where Do Our Ideas of Ethereal and Dramatic Beauty Come From?

Ethereal: The Feminized Supernatural

​Dramatic: The Masculinzed Supernatural

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Dramatic: The Masculinzed Supernatural