This post is all about the body typing and personal style system created in the 80s by David Kibbe, referred to as “Kibbe” by those who use it. It is easily my favorite wardrobe planning subject and I hope I can get everyone here excited about it as well :D

I’ll be explaining how the system works and how to figure out someone’s type (including your own!). In future posts I will discuss how each type dresses, and I’ll also share interesting links; I want to give everyone a chance to digest and discuss this information before adding even more. At the end there are links to the official Kibbe quiz, please read the entirety of this post before you take it! I’m hoping that people learn about the system itself instead of only looking at information that pertains to them, that way we can discuss it throughout the community :)

I wrote awhile ago about matching your clothing to your appearance. The Kibbe system categorizes women based on their physical features and then prescribes each group different outfits, colors, and accessories. He also describes different the personalities and “essences” of each type. I think it is fascinating how closely appearance correlates with personality, but I chose to have this post center on the physical aspect just to keep the length semi-reasonable. We can totally talk about the essences in a different post, or in the comments!


So many modern style systems require you to type yourself based on what is wrong with you (or different) and then all advice is geared towards making you average and like everyone else. Kibbe stresses harmony, not perfection. Other systems only consider your tastes, without teaching you what is flattering for your body. Kibbe starts with your appearance and then you have freedom within your category (aka Kibbegory in the wardrobe planning community lol).

There are 12 distinct Kibbe Types each falling somewhere along two axes: “Yin” vs “Yang” and “Contrast” vs “Blended”. The face is especially important when assessing your type. 98% of the time the size, ratios, proportions, and general impression of your facial features match the size, ratios, proportions, and general impression of your body. The clothing recommended will always share the same properties as the women in each group.

Yin And Yang

The terms “yin” and “yang” can be found all over the wardrobe planning community and that is largely due to Kibbe’s influence (of course he wasn’t the first, more on this subject in a different post!). To understand their use in style discussions we must first look at their actual definitions; this link is a very informative overview for those who are unfamiliar with the concept. When we apply this to physical features:

  • “Yin” can be short, soft, smooth, small, round, delicate, tapered, fair, or feminine.

  • “Yang” can be tall, sharp, angular, large, broad, harsh, exotic, distinct, square, or masculine.

Every attribute falls somewhere along the yin and yang spectrum. But we must be thoughtful when assessing our traits. The same feature can have both yin and yang properties. For example large eyes are yin but they could be closely spaced, which is yang. Fleshy arms are yin but they could be longer than average, which is yang. We are all combinations of both!

Please keep in mind as we discuss Kibbe both in this thread and throughout the sub that there is no hierarchy to the types, no ideal or best category. You can be beautiful in any type or ugly in any type. It’s all about your natural features and how well you choose to present yourself. This isn’t a platitude, I have included tons of photos in this post that show the variety and beauty to be found in all Kibbe types. Please don’t get hung up on wanting to be mostly “yin” or feeling like your type is boring!

Contrast vs Blended

The other dimension we look at is how consistent your features are and the impression you leave. A person with high contrast has a mix of features - both yin and yang - and their appearance can feel more high energy or even startling. A blended woman has even features and she seems more solid, soothing, and sometimes boring. Everyone falls somewhere on the spectrum and again, there is no “ideal”. Being exactly “even” is not the goal nor can you change this aspect of your appearance (short of surgery). This concept is probably a bit hard to imagine but there are picture examples coming!

A Note On Kibbe And Celebrity Examples

For every type Kibbe lists a number of celebrities from before the 1980s, many having their heyday between 1930 and 1960. This choice makes sense because at that time stars had a more consistent image. Today celebrities wear plenty of outfits just because they are paid to, or for sheer spectacle. There is also pressure for famous women to reinvent their image to stay relevant, and many of these women adopt personas that aren’t necessarily reflective of their true selves or Kibbe Type. It is possible to type modern celebrities and so in addition to sharing some of the classic stars I’ll also include photos of women you may be more familiar with.

Kibbe Types - An Overview

There are 5 Kibbe families: Dramatics, Naturals, Gamines, Classics, and Romantics. Each family has it’s own subtype(s), distinct Kibbe Types that share the properties of the main type with a little more yin or a little more yang. It is not possible to be more than one type of halfway in between two types.

If you find yourself gravitating to one type even though it isn’t remotely like you, consider that you may be conflating the personality and style with the Kibbe type. Often these go hand in hand but it is not a requirement to have the exact same personality as all others within the type. For example if you are a Soft Gamine and really connect with the sexual aura of Soft Dramatics, that just means that your personal style should be sexy, not that you are an SD. This will make more sense as you read I just wanted to preface this section to limit the amount of confusion! Another note, the illustrations linked for each type are from the original Kibbe book, just thought it’d be a fun addition :)

Dramatics

Naturals

  • Naturals are yang as well but while Ds are sharp and angular, Ns are broad and more balanced. N women are characterized by their straight and slightly muscular body type; and their slightly wide facial features that tend to be blunt-edged. Kibbe actually got rid of this category and has advised Ns to chose one of the two sub categories but I (and many others in the wardrobe planning community) disagree with this. N women are distinct in that they are softly Yang - there is a freshness to them that isn’t as structured or as sweet as the two subtypes. Jane Fonda is a Natural. Look at how effortless she looks in this photo. If we study her a bit we can see that she has horizontal lines and a bluntness to her shape, which contrasts greatly with the severity of the Dramatics. She also has a lightness to her, she doesn’t require a lot to really shine. Other examples of Ns: Ali MacGraw, Christie Brinkley. I’ve seen Ns described as “down to earth” and “the girl next door” and I think it’s fitting!

  • Flamboyant Naturals (FN) are “strong Yang with blunt edges “. Farrah Fawcett is a great example of an FN! She is clearly more yang than the Ns but she still feels more horizontal, blunter, and lighter than the Ds! More examples: Princess Diana, Linda Evans. FNs are “free spirits” and “boldly unconstructed”.

  • Soft Naturals (SN) are “Soft Yang with a Yin undercurrent”. They are also halfway between “contrast” and “blended”. Like SDs they are basically angular in bone structure, although this is softened by a fleshy body type and full facial features. But like Ns, they are more horizontal, blunt/broad, and lighter in impression, than women in the D family. [Goldie Hawn] (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/10/ae/cc/10aeccb1eaaa1a9619d50af5db096c24.jpg) and Molly Ringwald are SNs. It was hard to find full body photos that show their SN-ness. Posing and shapewear really alter the frame! But their facial features point to the yin/yang ratios of their entire bodies. There is a softness that separates them from the other Ns that Kibbe labels “fresh and feminine”.

If you can’t tell any of these types apart at this point don’t worry, I have a lot of examples comparing people side by side after I finish the overview. :)

Gamines

  • Gamines (G) are high contrast. They have equal parts yin and yang and feel the most vibrant of all the types. Often they are Yin in size (petite), Yin in facial features (full and rounded), but Yang in body type (straight and narrow) and in bone structure (sharp and narrow). Like Ns, Kibbe wants Gs to relabel themselves as one of the subtypes, but again, many disagree with this decision. Mia Farrow is an excellent example of a Gamine! More examples: Coco Chanel and Paulette Goddard. Many G women have large foreheads like Paulette (yang), with the rest of their features a bit closer together than the norm (a mix of yin and yang since the features themselves are large), and small chins (yin). The face alone illustrates how Gs are “natural contradictions”.

  • Flamboyant Gamines are still a combination of opposites but they have a strong Dramatic undercurrent. While the FG description Kibbe gives is very wild, many women are FGs that don’t have as crazy of a sense of fashion. Audrey Hepburn is an FG, but people are quick to type her as something else because she doesn’t fit the wild mold. But look at her face - she is clearly part of the Gamine family. The sharpness (yang) of some of her features only underscores the lushness (yin) of others. Another example: Tina Turner - it might be harder to tell due to ethnic differences but she is definitely a combination of opposites with a strong yang undercurrent. Liza Minneli is also an FG!

  • Soft Gamines are a combination of opposites with extra Yin. They are Yin in size (petite) and shape (curvy flesh, rounded features), and slightly Yang in bone structure (angular). Judy Garland is an SG. Even though there is a Yin undercurrent, she still looks very animated. More examples: Bette Davis, Betty White, and Linda Rondstadt. On Pinterest for some reason a lot of people have conflated SG with twee, overly childlike fashion. It’s a weird trend so don’t let it color your opinion of the type. SGs are described by Kibbe as youthful, but also sassy!

Classics

  • Classics (C) are the most “blended” of all the types - they are an even mix of Yin and Yang. Their bone structure is symmetrical and their features are balanced. Grace Kelly is the epitome of this type. Most features fall squarely between yin and yang but even if there is a feature that is slightly more to one side, there are an equal amount of features that fall to the other side. More examples: Catherine Deneuve, Diane Sawyer, and Ginger Rogers. Even without knowing it, a lot of women today consider “Classic” the ideal and many style systems try to get you to look more like a Classic, which makes sense because Classics have “average” features. Kibbe describes them as refined and understated - I agree!

  • Dramatic Classics are Balanced, with a Yang influence. DCs are symmetrical with slightly angular edges (bone structure and features). In a nutshell these women are tailored and chic. Jackie O is a Dramatic Classic - balanced in many of her traits but you can sense the yang undercurrent. Other examples: Polly Bergen, Maria Shriver and Philicia Rashad.

  • Soft Classics (SC) are balanced with a yin influence; they are symmetrical with slightly rounded edges (soft body type and features). Like all Classics, SCs are refined and understated, but there is an additional softness and grace. Kibbe’s main examples is Olivia de Havilland. It may be hard to believe but Meryl Streep is an SC. I think her makeup enhances the yang present in her bone structure. In some less made up pictures of her in her youth you can see the softness another example, final photo.

Romantics

  • Romantics are extreme, soft yin. R bodies are soft and voluptuous, and while they have delicate bone structure, they often feel wide. Marilyn Monroe is the best example of a Romantic. Elizabeth Taylor is also an R! Kibbe describes these women as “enchanting, sweet, and radiant”.

  • Theatrical Romantics are soft yin with a slight yang undercurrent. TRs have delicate bone structure, soft body types, and full facial features. The slight Yang undercurrent comes from the sharpness in TR bone structure. Vivien Leigh is Kibbe’s example of a TR woman. Other examples: Ann- Margret and Heddy Lamar. According to Kibbe, TRs are a combination of “arresting magnetism and feminine delicacy”.


To help understand each type I have some charts and graphs that show how they relate to one another!

  • Here are modern examples for each Kibbe type, all right next to each other! (Edit: I only just noticed this but Michelle is included as a DC when she is actually a D!)

  • This handy table shows the yin/yang ratio of each type.

  • This graph shows where each type falls on the two spectrums. The x axis is yang (left) vs yin (right). The y axis is high contrast (top) vs blended (bottom). Ignore the red dot, the creator of this chart pinpointed where she fell.

  • This image illustrates the body types of the 5 Kibbe families. It is NSFW!

  • This is a fun image that takes iconic women and puts them in order by height, which is representative of the average heights of each Kibbe type.

Differentiating Between SubTypes

Differentiating Between Different Kibbe Families

Now let’s take a look at types that are often confused for one another!

  • Theatrical Romantic vs Soft Dramatic. SDs are larger and the angles are sharper. While both have hourglass frames, the TR’s curves are softer. Some other differences to point out: TR shoulders are narrower and rounder, SD jawlines are more square, TR arms are shorter, and SD looks more mature. Both types are innately sexier than other Kibbe types but SD is more aggressively sexy.

  • Dramatic vs Flamboyant Natural Tilda Swinton is a Dramatic and Cate Blanchett is a Flamboyant Natural. Tilda’s features are sharper and straighter. Cate’s features are a bit more rounded and horizontal. Cate has more yin and so her cheeks and lips are fuller; FNs often feel more robust than Ds.

  • Soft Natural vs Soft Classic. It’s actually really hard to find photos comparings SNs and SCs. Scarlett is an SN and Laura Linney is SC. SCs are more symmetrical and fleshy whereas SNs seem more angular and muscular (but still soft).

  • Dramatic vs Dramatic Classic. Ds are more angular and less fleshy especially when it comes to the cheeks. DCs feel more balanced due to their even mix of yin and yang.

  • Soft Classic vs Theatrical Romantic TRs are less blended and look more sexual than SCs due to the slight yang undercurrent that gives a sharpness to their delicate bone structure.

Different Types Side By Side

Kibbe Types And Ethnicity

Everyone can fit into a Kibbe type, regardless of racial background! Most of the examples that are available are of white women but that doesn’t mean that the system is exclusive. Compare Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - so different!

Asian women tend to be more petite, so the overall impression is more important than literal heights when making an assessment. For example, Lucy Liu is a Dramatic, but she is only 5’2! This isn’t a bending of the rules or anything - Lana Turner is a Dramatic and she is 5’3 - it’s just that the average height for dramatics is not the best metric to use specifically for Asian women.

Black women can also be found in all Kibbe types. I shared a few above but here are more confirmed types: Kerry Washington is a Theatrical Romantic, Beyonce is a Romantic, and Michelle Obama is a Flamboyant Natural.

Taking The Kibbe Test

The official Kibbe test can be found in his book or online. I’ve seen a few automated tests that assign points to each answer and then tally up the points to give your final category. Those are designed so that more points = more yin and different ranges correspond to different Kibbe types. I dislike these tests because each feature is weighted equally, so having full cheeks is as important as having an hourglass figure. And look at the chart, it’s not going to produce accurate results! There is a 1 point difference between Soft Gamine and Soft Classic when the types are so opposite (contrast vs blended!), and only two points between SD and DC...

If you take the tests I’m going to link, you actually get to write down your answers and see how your features relate to each other. The written tests allows for variety within the types. If you’re a romantic but happen to have a fuller nose, you’re not going to be put into a different category just because the nose size altered your total score. Please keep in mind that if you are significantly overweight you’re going to seem more “yin” but that isn’t accurate. Don’t take the test if your weight changes how you look significantly! Another note - if you’re over 50 you might have more “yang” just due to the natural aging process, think about how you were between 20 and 40 when taking the test!

Here is part one of the Kibbe test, and here is part two. They have images that show examples for every option but definitely look at a mirror as you take this!! Feel free to research your type but know that I have another in depth post that synthesizes and simplifies a lot of the tips and guidelines that are written across blogs and forums (plus more links and images!)


Thanks for reading! Let’s discuss results as well as the system in general within the comments :)