Cultivating your appearance and honing your personal style is an important lifelong endeavor.  Yet for so many women, identifying with any one particular “style type” is an ambiguous and arduous task.
Perhaps you love very feminine styles with intricate details and flowy fabrics; but you also love a good Victoria Beckham esque structured ensemble with sleek silhouettes and heavy fabrics. With options many, how does one develop a style of dressing that suits them best? A style type that suits your lifestyle, body type, and personality? Â
Arbitrary fashion advice and superficial style types liken themselves to a “one size fit’s all” model and are a dime a dozen. But what if there was a system that was different? Instead of trying to force you into a box, or disregarding your distinct uniqueness, instead, recognized you as an individual and aimed to accentuate your individuality?
David Kibbe, author of the book Metamorphosis devised a system to do just that.
The Kibbe type system, as it’s known, aims to help you find your identity image theme, based on your unique balance of Yin and Yang.
Here is a brief overview of all the 13 Kibbe Types and Subtypes.
I. Dramatic
Extreme, sharp yang.
Characterized by a straight body type, extremely sharp bone structure, and very straight, narrow, facial features. An overall combination of strong, sharp physicality, a cool reserve, and charismatic power.
Height: Moderate to tall, usually 5’5 and above.
Body type: Straight and angular, may tend to long or sleek muscle structure.
Bone structure: Angular, with sharp edges. Usually have square shoulders, although may be narrow. Hands and feet are usually long, and narrow. Facial bones are sharp or prominent (nose, jawline, cheekbones).
Facial features: Straight, sleek lines. Sloe or almond eyes. Narrow, thin, or straight lips. Taut skin, especially around the cheek and jaw.
Soft Dramatic
Extreme bold Yang with a pronounced Yin undercurrent.
This is a Dramatic who borrows an undercurrent from the romantic.
Bone structure should be yang dominant while your body type and facial features should be primarily yin.
II. Romantic
Extreme, soft yin.
Characterized by a very soft and curvy body type, with a more rounded bone structure and very rounded lush facial features. An overall combination of of extreme, soft yin; soft physicality and magnetic essence.
Height: Moderate to petite, usually 5’5 and under.
Body type: Soft and voluptuous. Hourglass figure; curvy bustline and hips, with a small waist (in proportion to the curves). Fleshy arms and legs.
Bone structure: Delicate and smallish. Usually on the wide side. Rounded or sloped shoulders. Small hands and feet (may be slightly wide). Facial bones are small, delicate, and may be slightly wide or lush (nose, cheekbones, jawline).
Facial features: Lush, full, and sensual (rounded). Large, luminous eyes. Full lips. Fleshy cheeks.
Theatrical Romantic
Extreme, soft Yin with a slight Yang undercurrent.
This is a Romantic who borrows a slight undercurrent from the Dramatic.
Facial features should be Yin-dominant while bone structure should be slightly yang influenced.
III. Classic
Balanced between the extremes of Yin and Yang.
Characterized by a symmetrical body type, with a tapered, even bone structure, and very regular, evenly spaced facial features.
An overall combination of the perfect balance between yin and yang extremes; symmetrical physicality and cool, reserved essence.
Height: Moderate, usually between 5’4 and 5’7
Body type: Evenly proportioned bust, waist, and hips. Slightly lithe and sinewy (strong) muscle structure. Moderate to slightly long limbs.
Bone Structure: Symmetrical, with a tendency towards slight sharpness. Slightly angular. Slightly straight. Tapered shoulders. Moderately sized hands and feet.
Facial Features: Chiseled, symmetrical, and evenly spaced.
Dramatic Classic
Balanced, with a Yang influence.
This is a Classic with a slight undercurrent of Dramatic.
Body type and features should be primarily balanced between the extremes of Yin and Yang while your bone structure should be more yang influenced.
Soft Classic
Balanced, with a Yin influence.
This is a Classic with a slight undercurrent of Romantic.
Bone structure should be primarily balanced between the extremes of Yin and Yang while your body type and facial features should be more Yin-influenced.
IV. Natural
Soft Yang.
Characterized  by straight and slightly muscular body type, an angular but slight broad bon structure, and angular, slightly wide facial features that tend to be blunt edged. An overall combination of soft yang; slightly broad and angular physicality, and fresh and open spirit.
Height: Moderate to slightly tall, up to 5’8.
Body Type: Straight and muscular. Lean and slightly lithe. Flat hips and slightly flat bustline. Slightly long arms and legs. Possibly long waisted.
Bone Structure: slightly straight. Slightly angular with blunt edges, as opposed to sharp. Slightly squarish. Broad shoulders. Bluntly angular facial contours; nose jawline, and cheekbones. Hands and feet are moderate to slightly large and squarish.
Facial Features: Slightly broad, blunt, or irregular. Moderate to small seyes. Taut cheeks. Slightly wide features; open. Straight, slightly thin lips.
Flamboyant Natural
Strong Yang with blunt edges; not sharp.
This is a Natural who borrows a strong undercurrent from the Dramatic.
Bone structure should be extremely Yang dominant while body type and facial features will be moderately Yang-dominant.
Soft Natural
Soft Yang with a pronounced Yin undercurrent
This is a natural who borrows an undercurrent from the romantic.
Bone structure should be moderately Yang while body type and facial features will be Yin-influenced.
V. Gamine
Combination of opposites. Yin is size and facial features. Yang in body type and bone structure.
Characterized by Yin is size, yin in facial features, but yang in body type and bone structure. An overall balance of a combination of opposites on the yin and yang scal; sharpley delicate physicality along with a fresh and spicy essence.
Height: Petit 5’5 and under.
Body Type: Straight. Lithe and lean, tends toward sinewy muscle structure. Tends toward flatness in bust and hips. Maybe very leggy. Possibly slightly long waisted.
Bone Structure: Angular. Sharp. Narrow; sometimes described as delicate. Square or tapered shoulders; ten to narrowness, as opposed to broad. Delicately sharp facial contours; nose jaw, and cheekbones. Hand and feet are moderate to small and tend to narrowness. Arms and legs tend to be long.
Facial Features: Large eyes Moderate to thin lips; narrow or straight, as opposed to full. Taut cheeks and flesh.
Flamboyant Gamine
Combination of opposites, with extra yang.
This is a Gamine who borrows an undercurrent from the Dramatic.
Bone structure and body type should be yang dominant while your features and stature are Yin-dominant. Facial bones will be from the strong, Yang side.
Soft Gamine
Combination of opposites, with extra Yin
This is a Gamine who borrow a pronounced undercurrent from the Romantic.
Bone structure should be Yang-dominant while your body type should be Yin-dominant. Facial features should be extremely Yin-dominant.
What do you think of the Kibbe Types? Do you feel you know what your Kibbe type is?
