👙 Why is it so hard to find your body type?
Finding your body type is hard because the Kibbe system is complicated. There are contradictions, nuances, vague descriptions and strange jargon. It can sometimes feel like the body type system is designed to keep you stuck in the loop.
The response I see from many people at this point is “well it’s not real then is it”. I am the first person to say Kibbe is not a science. The way we perceive clothing and interpret clothing, I think there is science involved there, but Kibbe itself? Not a science. It’s a concept. It’s a fashion concept that you can apply to your wardrobe and to your lives. A good example of this is how I want to stop writing that “I have typed you” in the packages for my clients. I prefer the phrase “I recommend x body type for you” as I think this is a more accurate representation of the exchange between us. I think this helps to take the idea of the guessing game out of the equation. There are rules to the system which show how some body type lines wouldn’t be a good fit for you, but I’m no longer sure there is some underlying “true” body type we are trying to dig out.
It is complicated because we feel there is some god-given body type, that there is only one true answer. I am a kibbe-loyalist; I trust his list of verified celebrities and try to learn from it, I read every comment I could when I was in strictly Kibbe, if Kibbe has something to say about his system I want to know what it is. However, even he changes his mind about people as he gains new evidence and information, about the height limits, about the rules. I think this shows there is some flexibility there - not that your body type can change necessarily, but that learning more and growing your experience should allow you to feel free to head in different directions within the system.
I prefer to look at the process of finding your body type as a journey of whittling down the body type options until you find the one which can most bring you to life, which can most reinvigorate your wardrobe and make you feel and look beautiful again. The body type system is a tool we can use: the process of finding your body type is NOT to prove anything to anyone, it’s to help you find what clothes work for you. It’s about what works for YOU, not anybody else says should work for you.
You can disagree with Kibbe, you can disagree with comments on Reddit, hell, you can disagree with me. Does that make any of us wrong? Does the fact that none of us can agree mean none of its real? I don’t think so. But I do think it means there may not be one right answer. That there isn’t one outcome that all will feel happy with. The only opinion on your body type that really matters is yours. After all, you are the one wearing the clothes.
What you will learn today…
🩰 Style Method: How to Find Your Body Type - The L.O.N.G Method
👗3 Lessons I learned about style from David Kibbe
👛 Case study: finding my mum’s body type
Find Your Body Type: The L.O.N.G Method
There are several methods out there for how to find your body type. The most famous, of course, is the Kibbe body type quiz. The problem is that the test was not designed to be taken outside the Metamorphosis book, leading to inaccurate results - even Kibbe says so. There are also resources on the Strictly Kibbe FB group, but it is hard to get in and not everyone feels it helps them find their body type. The following method is the one that I used to find my type, and the one I use for my clients. Out of context, none of these steps work on their own, but when you put them all together you are going to be happy with the end result.
Step 1: LEARN the differences between the body types
I hate to break it to you but there is no easy, simple, 5-minute way to get to grips with the body types. This step takes work. Learn the vocabulary, learn the nuances between the types, and the system will become clearer.
Step 2: get OBJECTIVE about your body
There are two ways to go about this. One is to do a line drawing around a photo of your body, another is to get an outside opinion.
Step 3: NARROW-DOWN
At this stage you will have options. You can start by playing snap with the body types i.e. find the body types with which you have the most in common, and then narrow down by process of elimination. The height limits is a really way to do that, but also key features like width and curve.
Step 4: follow your GUT
The final step is to make a call. This step definitely doesn’t work without steps 1-3. But once you’ve done the work, you can and should trust yourself to settle between the types you are caught between.
3 Style Lessons I Learned From David Kibbe
The capsule wardrobe isn’t the only way; buy outfits as a whole
As part of his makeover process, Kibbe helps his clients to buy outfits rather than individual items. The notion of the capsule wardrobe i.e. to have a collection of pieces you can mix and match only really became a thing in the 1960s. In the 1950s you would have an entirely cohesive head-to-toe look. In the age of having to look like you are wearing a new outfit every day, this feels wild, but Kibbe’s method is interesting - you have key outfits you return to for certain occasions which you know make you shine. For many women, this seems like an easy hack.
Anyone can have a wow moment
On his Facebook page under his wife’s name “Susan Slavin” you can view some of his makeovers of real women. These transformations are so incredible, you can see he really has en eye for fashion and creating a look for somebody to make them pop. I remember some of these makeovers so distinctly, they made such an impression on me as I could see the potential of style so clearly.
Envision your dream life
One of the exercises in Strictly Kibbe is to picture your dream life or your dream job, and create a nod to it in your outfits. For example, mine was that there was always a part of me that wanted to be Jane from Tarzan and go to save monkeys or other animals, and so I could do a nod to traditional safari styles. I think this idea is completely genius; it is such a simple exercise to symbolise the potential of your outfits, and also how the outfit you wear can bring you happiness but also be a driving force in your life.
Case Study: Finding my mum’s body type
I had a strong feeling about my mum’s body type long before I settled on mine. She is much more classic than I am; she is more moderate, she has a slightly more solid build, she is so in-the-middle. She has a straight frame and slightly dominant shoulders, and has a clear yang influence in her frame. However, there was still debate last week when I posted a video of her body type transformation (which got over 3 million views!) about whether she was DC, or Flamboyant Natural, or Flamboyant Gamine. Her yang undercurrent is very clear, but many in the comments were unsure if she was yang dominant or if she had petite. I can see arguments for both, which is wild as the two body types are so different.
She does have strong, square shoulders, which would be the argument for FN but she doesnt’ have width and she doesn’t have the bluntness in her bone structure.
She can look very little - we have a joke about her morning dog walking outfit in her leggings and turtleneck with her wild hair that she looks like a gnome - very gamine-ish. However, I just know her so well and know how terrible contrast, extremely pointed lines, detail and short lines look on her frame.
The fact that there is an argument for both of these almost solidifies my feeling that she is a DC; she is somewhere in the middle. None of her features are extreme enough to make her a convincing FN nor FG, she is balanced.
WEEKLY CURATION
👢YouTube - My 2023 Style Favourites by The Anna Edit | I found this video by Anna so inspiring. It’s so helpful to see what other people found they wore very frequently throughout the year - it can give you a hint as to the kinds of pieces you should be investing in
🎉 TikTok - Millenial makeovers by May | This is the most realistic and exciting makeover series I have found on the internet. May is a millennial who wants to update her style and feel more confident in her outfits. She always makes outfits with her old worn boots and I love that bit of realism on my feed - my boots are also scuffed.
🧴TikTok - Bambi does Beauty | ‘Bambi’ creates amazing videos about how to improve your skincare routine without spending any more money. I feel so inspired to take more care of my skin after watching literally all of her skin videos
📺 TV - Time (2023) | This is a fantastic program about a women’s prison in the north. It has three main storylines following three women in the prison: one fiddled with the electricity meter as she couldn’t afford to feed and heat her kids, one finds out she’s pregnant as soon as she goes in, and the other is in for life for murder of her baby. If you like stories which present women’s stories in a nuanced yet powerful way, you will love this
What’s new
🐦 I am writing on Twitter! - I am so in love with writing at the moment. I have a bit of the bug. This newsletter is one of the most exciting projects in my life at the moment, and that made me think “where else can I write”? Every day I am sharing my best style tips to twitter, so make sure to follow HERE
🎁 Christmas Colour Guide - If you are struggling to make the Christmas colours suit you, this guide is for you. I have created two unique palettes for each of the four colour seasons to help you find your best looks for the holiday season. Read more here
👏 Join the community - I have launched a patreon! If you want live workshops with me every month where you get to ask me your burning questions in an intimate group, this is your opportunity. I also reinvest all the profits from Patreon back into the YouTube channel to make the content stronger and better, so every penny leads to better videos.
New Uploads:
💄 YouTube - Why You Should Stop Trying to Dress “Classic” 🕶️ | Beiges and black and white are the only way to look elegant. In this video, I break down simple steps to look truly timeless by ignoring the trends and focusing on you.
💋 Instagram Live - How I make my features pop using colour | I apply my everyday makeup, breaking down why each element works for my features and answering your questions!
👗 Reels - How to dress as a Soft Gamine | The absolute basics of Soft Gamine clothing recommendations: shapes, silhouette and pattern
😊 Reels - How to dress for no makeup | My simple tricks taken from colour analysis and style theory to help you look your best on no makeup days. your “no makeup makeup” but clothes
Ask Me a Question!
This week’s question comes from Luisa, thank you so much! She asks…
‘When it comes to buying clothes how strict are you in terms of your colour season yourself? Would you always check the item with your specific palette (sub season) or would you rather make sure it's in your overall season (e.g. in the summer category)?’
I am VERY strict with what clothes I buy these days in regards to colour season. I have tried to use colour seasons as a tool not a rule, but every time I buy something out of my palette I find that I am no longer interested in it after a short while. For me, sticking to my colour season has singlehandedly brought cohesion to my wardrobe. I no longer have to think about which pieces to wear - unless I am trying to wear something outside of my season. However, to address the second part of your question, to be honest, I do tend to focus on the summer category rather than the light summer category. As my hair grows out and I gain new information about my colouring, I am reconsidering the other summer palettes, true and soft, to see if they might work better. Even though dying your hair doesn’t change your season, it does open up your palette slightly so that colours that otherwise wouldn’t suit you do at least suit your hair colour - and as my hair grows out, I find that some of the light spring colours I used to play with aren’t so accessible to me anymore. As I am in this limbo period, I am focusing on the summer palette generally, with most of the colours being slightly lighter and brighter.
I would love to use this newsletter to get to know you guys a little and create a little community of style fanatics! This newsletter is a great opportunity to answer some of your biggest questions.
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Until next time…
Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. I post every Friday at 4pm. I am on a mission to make this the best style newsletter in the world, but I need your help. If you have enjoyed today’s newsletter, please share a link with a friend you think might like it to. And if this is your first time reading Curate Yourself, subscribe using the button below ;)
Ellie-Jean x
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