Our appearance reflects a lot about our personality, our desires, a moment in our life or how we want to be perceived. But sometimes we may feel that it doesn't really reflect who we are. At such times, it's useful to have a few tools to help us harmonise our reflection and our individuality.
Depending on the era or our environment, there will always be standards that seek to standardise our appearance and make us believe that there is only one ideal. But the more we focus on what suits us and what we feel best at, the less impact these standards will have.
My aim is to pass on the experience and good advice of artists and stylists from different eras. I've taken the liberty of modernising and softening certain recommendations, so I suggest you refer to the books listed below if you want more authentic information.
Kibbe Types
In his book Metamorphosis (1980), David Kibbe creates a system that classifies different body types according to three main factors: figure, bone structure and facial features. His aim is to harmonise clothing with the body. He examines the balance of yin and yang in each characteristic. There are five main categories : Dramatic, Natural, Classic, Gamine and Romantic. Then there are 8 sub-types, for a total of 13 types.
“ People don’t have flaws, only unique characteristics ! ” David Kibbe
Colour Seasons
An analysis of the history of fashion and art reveals that each period has its own color palette, strongly linked to the events and mores of the time.
The Colour Seasons system was created in the early 1900s by painter and art teacher Johannes Itten. He invented four color palettes corresponding to the four seasons, in order to teach his students the nuances of colour.
Since then, the system has evolved thanks to Kathryn Kalisz (artist and colour expert), who developed it over twelve seasons. She created a colour palette that takes into account skin tone, eye colour and hair colour to complement natural features.
Style Essences
In 1936, Belle Northrup wrote an article entitled "Approach to the Problem of Costume and Personality", in which she explained that: "All aspects of personality and every detail of appearance are woven into a whole that must be taken into account. But some of these traits are felt, rather than clearly seen." It was she who coined the terminology Yin and Yang to describe these shifts in balance.
This same idea was developed by Harriet T. McJimsey in her book Art and Fashion in Clothing Selection (1963). In it, she describes different physical traits and creates six Essences: Dramatic, Natural, Classic, Romantic, Gamine and Ingenue.
Later, John Kitchener added the Ethereal Essence to his book, Personal Style Consultants.
