šFind Your Best Lines: The Body Matrix
After working with various body systems for the last two years, I began to realise I was seeing a new way of dressing bodies which is more simple and more inclusive. I love Kibbe body types, but I began to feel the system canāt decide within itself if itās a vibe system or a silhouette system - is it that the clothing feels right on them because it matches their vibeā¦ or their frame?
I noticed there are two groups of people who feel they donāt belong in the Kibbe system: people who have features from two or more types without neatly fitting into one, and people who can find themselves frame-wise in a type but donāt relate to the āfeelā of the outfit recommendations.
My solution to this is the body matrix. I found three key factors in silhouette: width, length and shape. The idea is simply that you echo your features in your clothing, so if your frame is narrow you would wear clothing that is also narrow. This addresses complications such as people who have width, curve in their frame and are long who are not sure if theyāre FN or SD and have to choose essentially based on their āvibeā. In the body matrix, you might be wide + long + round or wide + long + medium with your own set of outfit recommendations.
The body matrix is designed to be used in conjunction with your style roots - your matrix type helps you find your silhouettes, and your style roots decides the vibe of the look. Alternatively, you might use your essence blend to guide the vibe - and you might switch these around as they seem fit at any one time.
To help you get a better idea of how the body matrix works and where you might fall, I have been working on boards for the 27 types which categorise a variety of celebrities with outfit examples that work for their type.
Framework: The Body Matrix
In each outfit there are three dichotomies:
wide vs medium vs narrow
short vs medium vs long
straight vs medium vs round
The idea is to make the process of finding your best silhouettes simpler and more intuitive. For example, my lines are narrow + short + round (NSR). My mum is medium + short + straight (MSS).
If you are in the middle, try as hard as you can to lean one way or another, for example, I know I feel slightly short, so short is the best fit - you donāt have to be extreme of any of the categories. If you feel completely in the middle, choose medium e.g. narrow + medium + straight. There are 27 combinations of body lines.
If you are unsure, trace an outline of your frame in procreate and note down what you see
To find your body matrix type, fill out the body matrix type. The darker colours are the ones which will most strongly matter to your type, and the others are less important.
How to dress for your body matrix type
Dressing for your type involves echoing your features in your clothing.
Your width is reflected in your necklines, sleeves/hems and accessories
Your length is reflected in the length and size of pieces
Your shape is reflected in the shape of the pieces
If you circled āwideā, you would wear necklines, sleeves/hems and accessories which areā¦
flared
open
wide
flowing
chunky
If you circled ānarrowā, you would wear necklines, sleeves/hems and accessories which areā¦
closed
narrow
sharp
cinched
little
If you circled ālongā, you would wear pieces which areā¦
long
large
If you circled āshortā, you would wear pieces which areā¦
short
small
If you circled āstraightā, you would wear pieces which areā¦
straight
structured
stiff
geometric
pointed
If you circled āroundā, you would wear pieces which areā¦
round
soft
open
lush
curvy
hourglass
If you are 'mediumā for any of the dichotomies, you would wear pieces which areā¦
medium
moderate
balanced
even
simple
In other words, if you sit medium, slap-bang in the middle between wide and narrow, you would have neckline which are neither particular open nor closed, in other words it would be moderate and even
Learn your type
Get REAL examples to compare the different body matrix types, understand the differences in more depth and break down your own features with my guidance
Want to learn more about the body matrix?
My book āHow to Dress Your Bestā breaks down the body matrix as one part of a journey from finding what you love ā”ļø what looks good on you ā”ļø create outfits that work
