I think the most important is to accentuate your waist. Being a soft classic, I own a lot of belts and my dresses are usually more gathered towards the waist. If I don't accentuate my waist, I look rectangular totally.
I remember asking a male worker in a store which accessories looked the best on me. Matter of fact he said "You don't need any of that stuff." I thought" Well, that wasn't helpful." Now I know he was right.
This video cemented my status as a soft classic. I CONSTANTLY get compliments on my clothes but I always feel like it’s because my clothes are wearing me. I finally tried wearing some soft classic lines and was given several compliments of “you look nice!”. I thought it was just me but I love that she addresses that
Messy hair looks terrible on me and now I know why! In fact, I've noticed anything that's natural looks bad. A lot of clothes, makeup and hair styles these days advocate for naturals and they always looked a weird on me. Also love the point about matching eyes and lip intensities, so true. You've changed my style game, thank you.
this video absolutely blew my mind. now I understand why my grandma would always get on my ass about my shirt being wrinkled or my skirt is too short (she didn't do this to my sister). it's cause on me, a soft classic, it was more visible
This explains SO MUCH about my style struggles - ALL. MY. LIFE. There always seemed to be something off about my overall look. I thought there was something wrong with my body! Of course, being a classic made things more difficult bc there aren’t many celebrity examples of Classics. But since applying these principles, only learned about in the last couple of weeks, my whole look has fallen together amazingly! I’ve had this paradigm shift in my understanding of clothing, hair, makeup, and my body! Thank you Merriam!
That's so wonderful to hear, thank you for taking the time to write up this comment! It makes my day to hear that the body typing system is getting out to more people because it really is so good for self-image, saving time, and saving money! I can't tell you how many people felt the way you did (including myself) before they found Kibbe body typing, and now can work with their own bodies and finally feel like they're in their own skin when they put a look together. I hope this becomes more mainstream!
Merriam Style It would be really great if one day we can shop for clothes online “by body type” instead of “by store”. Presently, you have to look through allllll of the clothes offered by a specific store/website to weed out the wrong fits and wrong fabrics, etc. This can be exhausting. But a body type shopping experience would show you only the clothes for your selected body type. I’ll keep dreaming.
I have a soft classic shopping page on my website! Under ‘shop your body type’ that links to real soft classic items you can buy. That’s why I made it.
Merriam Style Yes! What you have done is exactly what I was talking about! I must have overlooked your shopping page link somehow. But yes, and hopefully this option for shopping by body type continues to grow. It makes things so much easier.
Eyes and lips must match intensity just changed my life! Conventional makeup wisdom is to balance bold eye with nude lip or visa versa and I couldn’t figure out why I never felt like I could pull off either...I need to do both. Also, using one piece to push the style a direction without looking overdone or trying too hard was a revelation I needed. Thank you for this video!
I would do a heavy eye and then wipe it off because it looked so garish. Now I know I just need to finish putting on my heavy lipstick! All that wasted time and effort hahaha😅
I did the test and think I’m a soft classic, at least some kind of classic. For some reason I’ve been thinking my whole life that my body was UN-balanced and disproportionate. Turns out that I was frequently dressing like a natural or a soft gamine, because those were the styles I was drawn to. It’s such a revelation to discover that it was the lines in my clothes that was off, not my body in itself. Now I understand why in the past I sometimes looked better on days when I wore a simple outfit with minimal accessories, than when I put in effort to look fashionable, extra feminine or extra ”fun”. It used to irritate me so much, and made me think my face and body was boring and NOT feminine. I think I’ve been compensating for my ”boring” appearance with dressing up a bit too much, or hiding it. I’m also starting to think that my overall balanced lines made my percieved imperfections stand out more to me, with the sad consequence that they got too much negative focus and somewhat distorted my view of myself. I’m so happy that I found your channel! Looking forward to exploring what happens when wearing my own lines is my new normal.
Oh my GOSH, relate 1000% to this!! It's all about the soft understated subtle beauty, yet precise rounded lines. It's a difficult one to master as balance is never really easy to achieve in any aspect of life, but we'll get there! With the help of this info & some experimentation & intuition we will shine 😉
Too true about the jewellery and the natural lines. Natural lines kill me, messy hair looks horrific on me. Everything has to be neat, and as much as I love jewellery, I can't really wear much of it lest it wears me. Anything busy wears me.
@@kremenakrumova1561 Soft classic as I have softer lines, at least I can add some romantic touches to my clothes as I do love them, just look like I'm off to dance the can can if I put on too many frills!
Yeah, I quite often get compliments on earnings/flowery skirt/fury west/bold suit colour etc. Now I understand what it is, it just wears me;). I think I will still sometimes wear something bold just because it is a form of self expression and even if it wears me I chose it and it sends a message of some sort. But I think I'll be more aware now:). (Soft classic myself, Merriam confirmed)
I'm sorry, I don't want to come of as rude, classic types are my favourite types to look at, so balanced! But when I see a classic wearing natural lines it often works against their serenity and calm, sophisticated vibes and I sometimes find it quite funny to look at. Sort of like a swan trying to rock a ducks feathers.
I think that was the most useful phrase I've ever heard as far as trying to figure out my look and how to present it... "understated doesn't look understated on YOU, as a classic.". THANK YOU, MERRIAM!
There needs to be more Kibbe stylists in the media. I don't like the Marion has little looks that work for her in photo shoots and red carpet. I'm so glad Marion and Kirsten are celebrity role models for us soft classics. Thank you for the depth of knowledge, Merriam!!! I struggled with dressing myself since puberty because I look strange in gamine (youthful, dolly; look tired in contrast) clothes I used to wear, in natural (most clothing stores sell for natural bodies, model types; looks unkempt), and in romantic (frilly; looks silly, too much). There is so much balance that I have to carefully maintain. Subscribed!
I could not agree more with you. I feel it. And that's why I tried so hard to understand what kinds of clothes I can actually throw on. Like you said: too romantic looks clownish on me. Or costumy. Dramatic looks so harsh. Natural looks sooo homeless on me. Bright colors and accessories don't blend in. It's just soo much on me. So I dedicated myself to collecting suiting clothing based on how I feel in them. I threw away those clothes that made me feel strange, too much, not enough, etc. And even with this wardrobe, sometimes, I get to notice that I can easily imbalance my outfit just by wearing the wrong accessories or even choosing the wrong texture or color of my lips (matte or glossy). 😅 And I specifically struggle when my makeup in my lips fade away and imbalance again the look. 🤭
This is amazing. You have a gift for understanding Kibbe's body types and demonstrating the principles with contemporary examples. You also have a gift for color. Thank you for your hard work. I look forward to supporting your work by using your services! I want you to continue!
I have no idea how but I figured out most of this on my own. The only thing that I had no idea about was the hair. I realized when it was pulled back and I exposed my face I looked more representable than usual and the fact that I have 4C hair just emphasized the point more. I end up looking more put together when I pull it back or braid my head in lines (I am confident that I look beautiful even without pulling it back ). The make up has to be all out (you do lips you do eyes ) or all natural (I prefer this). I also came to notice that if you are wearing sth tight at the bottom and top, use a belt to tie the whole look together. Show off the collar bones since they make you look more feminine and if you are bold enough, wear an off the shoulder
I relate to this! I have always been proud of my collar bone, my arms and thighs are flesh but my collar bones always brought that balance to the fleshiness and made look more feminine.
I was at the gym and took a good full look at myself. I realized that I’ve been struggling with seeing myself as romantic because I’m not romantic. I kept seeing that I didn’t quiet fit anything until I was wearing tight clothing at the gym, and decided to do the Kibbe rest. I’m a soft classic and I love this video. I always struggled with balancing sexy and vulgar. This video is really helpful.
I am a soft classic and I struggle with shopping because stores are following trends that dont suit my body type ... whether its the color, cut, quality, texture, and form ... none cater to me ... thats why I keep wearing my mom's vintage dresses and hunt for classic vintage pieces to compliment my figure ... its always a thrill when I actually find an item i can wear from mainstream stores :P
My mum always said I should shy away from very dramatic dresses with saturated colour palettes. That pastel, feminine but most of all minimalist clothing looks the best on me. Only found out about Kibbe 2 days ago, I can't believe she was so... right?? I'm a complete Soft Classic!
I've always had wild, untamed hair, non asymmetrically parted. Explains a lot..i remember that once, somebody told me that i looked so good when my hair was parted in the middle. Side parted hair brings asymmetry to the face and body!
This is literally me! I try to look casual and I just look homeless... I try to look a little seductive and I look full on whorish lol it's so extreme!
The classic type is lucky in that they can add just one element from another type to appear a different way. I'd love to see a video like this for flamboyant natural. Thanks for the great videos
Yes, I'm trying to convince them they're lucky and not boring!!!!!!!!!!!! Because it's really the truth! Other types can also include other elements of other types to achieve different looks. The difference is while a classic can include any element so long as it's understated, other types can include elements from some (but not all) body type's lines, but they don't have to be understated. So I guess the flexibility is sort of conserved. You could check out my Artistic License video for Dramatic and Soft Dramatic if you haven't seen that already for some examples!
Classics have this thing where they can basically pull off any attire style without looking too separate from it (you're right about the symmetry), yet doesn't look more stunning in anything. When I think of classics, I sometimes imagine the electromagnetic spectrum, the waves seem to take fluctuating form until it reaches the magnitude of visible light, though it's a really small portion, it's the one part that has it all in balance, and it's eye catching more than any other range. That's the classic-oriented style, it's elusive. My sister and I are both classics, she's a Classic and I'm a Soft Classic, we look almost similar to one another, but the symmetry is undoubtedly more pronounced in her. When we walk together and if you were to label us, you'd probably tell that she's graciously balanced, while you'd tell that I'm more delicately ladylike. We're both soft in coloring, she's Autumn and I'm Summer, now that I see your video I can clearly see the connection.
11:42 wow this makes SO much sense!!! I’ve always wondered why I look so incredibly ridiculous and uncomfortable in photos where I’m consciously *trying* to look “cool,” or “alluring,” even something like crossing my arms to “look tough,” putting my hands in my pockets and leaning like the pic on the right @ 14:48, or pouting my lips to look more “sensual” makes me look like I’m going for a humorous, joking effect. And in contrast, I always love the photos of myself where I’m not conscious of how I’ll pose and smile! When I feel one with how I’m posing, I really do enjoy the final effect! Much more learning to do on how to accomplish this consistently, on how to add a little touch of a mood but not knock off that Soft Classic balance... but wow! Thanks Merriam!
This may sound weird, but classics reminds me of a squircle. It's neat and symmetrical, but it's unambiguous. You don't know if it's a square (a yang shape) or a circle (a yin shape).
This is depressing, I have to burn all my wardrobe and start from scratch! Nothing should be too much! In my teens I looked good in preppy style neat looks, but it was so boring to me! So pixie cuts, weird hair color, oversized items was my way of avoiding that classic looks. No wonder I never looked good in that, what a waste of time and money. It's time to accept that I'm a classic lady..
I can’t tell you how much this has helped!! I thought I looked frumpy in everything but I was just overdressing!!! I’m completely changed my wardrobe because of you and have never looked better 😭🙏
This explains so much!!! Especially the visual around 7:25 (Kirsten's 'messy' casual looks vs the neat ones). That's exactly what I wear (oversized shirts) and now I know why it doesn't work on me! Excellent video, thank you so much!!!
Love this! The bit about classics needing balance between their lips and eyes while gamines look great with one emphasized over the other blew my mind. All my life I've been hearing that if you're going to do bold eyes you need an understated lip or vice versa, but it always looked so weird on me (I am dramatic classic) and now I know why! Hoping you do a dramatic classic video soon!!
Great point on the balance between eyes and lips, before I started watching Make-up tutorials I used my own intuition about what looks good on me and I always put on lipstick on same level as my eyes and I felt great, but in all tutorials they mislead to believe that if your eyes are the focal point then you should use very soft or almost none lipstick and vice versa, so I started doing that but I never feel that was right on me but had conflicting thoughts as thought people will notice and think I was overdoing my make up by having same intensity of eyes and lips, but now I will enjoy wearing my bright lipstick as I did before!!! 'Knowledge is power!!!!
That was great - I am now convinced I'm soft classic as I naturally gravitate towards all these styles. It explains explains why it's hard for me to find clothes to look "exciting" in - I tend to end back in classic clothes. I can now own this instead of being critical. Meryl Streep is a soft classic and she looks great.
I always dressed in more gamine lines and colors and so I felt strong resistance to being a classic (soft classic) because they seemed boring and not a proper expression of how I felt inside. I always thought that I had to add detail and visual interest to my outfits. Recently, I started to dress in more simple and classic lines and colors and I look so much more elegant and feel like I am seen more for who I am rather than what I’m wearing. I still like to express that gamine quality through color and accessories here and there like a scarf, purse, or hair piece…but just not overdoing it. Less is more!
I'm always late to this, because I live in Europe and you upload in the middle of the night here. Merriam, I think this might be my favorite video of yours! The examples are incredibly well thought out, the pictures almost explain themselves and make your points so clear! I loved the thought of a classic body type almost being a canvass, you showed it really well with the pictures you chose, and somehow you always manage to find something great and positive about having a certain body type. And what's so great about your videos is that you explain the broader picture so well, with the yin/yang balance, not just each body type as separate entities. Even when it's not my body type I always learn new things and since you explain everything in detail, it's easy to kind of replicate with other bodys as well. You're an inspiration!
Thank you Elin, I'm so happy my ideas were communicated clearly. I'm constantly working on improving my explanations and examples, and I'm happy it's paying off.
Really interesting! I’m a soft classic, and was always taught to never play up both eyes and lips with makeup, but like in your examples, it always looks like something is missing. Now I know it’s okay.
Yes it's common makeup advice that everyone has heard before! It doesn't work for everyone. :) I'm happy it makes sense for you now and you can go on wearing balanced intensities as you intuitively knew would look better!
I am a soft classic and it is hard for me to see any examples of curly (not waivy) hair style. All soft classic seam to have strait but waive-iron neck-lenght-shy cut with few layers. Yet I found this sophisticated and beautiful, my everyday style is more not-put-together or free or casual or a bit rocky.... could anyone give me some examples of that? Thank you beautifuls !
I am a gamine, and people NEVER compliment me. Of course, it could very well be that they just don't like what I am wearing, but still, I am not as overwhelmed by things.
Your video analysis is amazing because I don't think I look like any of the examples of Soft Classics, but every single one of the clothing, makeup, hair, and posture points is true for me. Also since I am a little thinner/less curvy than a typical Soft Classic example (but not sharp/angular enough to be Gamine), I can get away with a little softer details in my clothing, or clothing that is a little more flowy but not oversized. I want to call it Petite Soft Classic!
I’ve curls also and work used to with DevaCurl (not anymore) and Not Your Mothers gel (still using) to help define them. It’s curly neat. Unique to me and us as curly gals. 02/14/2020 Update! Please don’t use Deva Curl. It’s possible my curl and scalp damage is from using their products.
The healthier and more hydrated your curls, the more tamed curly hair looks. Frizz = a curl begging for hydration. Heat and chemically damaged hair will also frizz. A good cut matters too, go to a person who is trained to cut naturally curly hair. It's a process to get your curls to a good place, but it's so so worth it and possible! P.S. I am in cosmetology school, and have been self-studying curls for a decade. 🤍
My tip to tame my curly mane is by using eco styler gel for my wash and go’s. The hair feels crunchy when dry but as the days go by, it gets softer and gains some volume little by little while still looking curly with minimal (visible) frizz
Soft Classic new to here today!! One word besides the minimal detailing you mention is: SYMMETRY, symmetric--very important!. Thank you for this post today!
It is taking time for me to accept I'm a soft classic cause I confess at first I didn't like it that much, but this helped me a lot in my way of selfdiscovering (not only physically but also mentally). It had change my lifestyle and give me a new perspective, one way more simple and "classical". Sending you good vibes from Uruguay, take care and continue on working hard👏🏼❤️🇺🇾
We really need to find more examples of soft classic women because it seems like it's just Kirsten lol, I don't identify with her at all so it's really hard to get the message re lines/style, or maybe I'm just dense, because this vid confused me even more. Omw to look for more soft classic celebs
BrownWhiteCat hey I’m so sorry but dita von teese is absolutely not a soft classic she’s a theatrical romantic all the way. So I hope looking at her won’t confuse you cause us TRs do a lot of ornate detail and are about as extra as classics are simple. She’s definitely not going to be the person to use for inspiration as her looks are the furthest thing from simple, symmetrical, and balanced. She is elegant yes but in the TR way-retro and femme fatale. It’s very different than a soft classic. If you check out Aly Art she has style recommendations for every Kibbe body type so that might be a good resource? Hope this helps! ^^
You’ve explained so much. Believe I’m a soft classic and have worn the simple style and follow the mantra “less is more.” When younger I modeled and easily found work. Now I know why, my classic symmetrical look made the clothes look good. Thank you very much!!
Thanks for this video, I was in doubt and now I know I'm soft classic, it all fits: open necklines, small prints and accesories, belts and whenever I try something with large prints or too straigh lines, heavy cloth it overwhelms me. And you nailed it with make up. Love, Sol
I always insist on wearing teenager types of clothes and they always look like shit. now I know why lol. AND whenever there is a party i wear minimal detailed dresses and it looks so good.
I once received a feedback from my boyfriend that the more "plain" my clothes are, the better I look. Now I see where it is coming from.
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Thank you so much! For some time I thought I was TR but my waist isn't that defined and my facial features are softer than in most TRs, so the line between TRs and SCs can be very thin. I always noticed how simple clothing with a yin element looks much better on me than ornate and geometrical patterns. This video settled it for me 🙌🙏 thank you!
Íris Santos you sound exactly like me, I thought I was a TR too but have realised I’m a SC now. Totally agree about there being a thin line between the two .
Yay, thank you! You could check out Are Classics Boring and Gamines Fun? as well as Kibbe and Personality. Those are similar kinds of topics, showing the effects of different lines on different people!
This was super SUPER helpful! Thank you! I keep landing with half half C and D+E answers (with one or two A and B) and kept swaying between Soft Classic and Theatrical Romantic. Classic seemed kind of off and boring and Romantic is just "too much". But this video solidified Soft Classic for me. All my best looks that I thought were Theatrical Romantic "but gentler" were actually Soft Classic. And now I also understand why this make up rule "either the eyes or the lips" never worked for me. Thank you so so much! :)
Theatrical Romantic has very few has C answers, usually 1 or none. I'm so glad you got your answer. My Soft Classic friend is so stylish with very little effort and few accessories. I get a tiny bit jealous sometimes as she looks so pulled together at work!
Hi! I really like your videos! Can you please make a video about winter cloths for the body types? :) In Sweden it's cold most part of the year ^^ It would be nice to look good and be warm at the same time
Hey, can you do a video explaining how to do the kibbe test specifically... Like what constitutes 'small hands/broad hands' etc. Show some examples of each answer on the test. Ive done it so many times but I often don't know what to choose because the descriptions of the options aren't clear
She already got this request and she answered that it was a planned video so stick around :) But in the meantime you can binge on all her other kibbe videos she always makes comparisons, at least it has been helpful to me
If people haven't commented you probably have average hands. I find people who have larger/smaller hands get commented on over and over by other people. Another trick is you try on gloves, do you fit small or medium or large? Or when you buy watches or shoes do you have to get extra holes put in to make them fit tighter or larger, or does how they come always fit? I'm average height but wear smaller gloves than my shorter friends who wear medium. My 6 foot tall friend wears medium gloves but she gets comments her hands are small as she has smaller hands relative to her height.
Measure your hand on your face; put it over it and see how its size is in comparison. If your hand is the same size of your face or bigger = big hands. Average hands are smaller but not so much. And small well... are noticeable small haha. The comment thing mentioned in another comment also works... though small aren't really commented because girls "are supposed to have small hands".
Rebecca Pinto the TH-camr Aly Art has several playlists full of info on the Kibbe body types, style, etc, and has a video that is a detailed quiz to find your type with picture examples. She’s actually where I first came across this topic. Hopefully that’s helpful! =)
This is amazing work! Would you consider doing one for theatrical romantic? It’s kind of frustrating hearing that they have to be sexy all the time. How do the romantics look edgy or relaxed? Anyways, I love this series! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. It’s so fun watching these.
The makeup thing really resonated with me! I naturally pick very soft classic clothes and jewlery, but I was always so confused why i could never pull off the dark lip and minimal eye look. This makes so much more sense!!!
Omg, this video, especially the makeup portion, has validated so much for me. They always say, "Dramatic eye or dramatic lip. Never both," and my face has always said, "No ma'am." 😂 And the winged liner. I can only do it if it's soft and blended.
Thank you for your videos, they are so accurate and so helpful. I like how you don't follow Kibbe to the core because I feel like his teachings are lacking in a few places. I've been lurking the "official" Kibbe groups on Facebook and the admins are really passive-aggressive or downright rude to those who don't completely agree with everything Kibbe says. According to them you can't be a yin type if you're taller than 5'5". I think that's so narrow-minded and I loved your video on Lily Cole (who's tall) and why she's soft gamine.
I have been in the facebook groups too, and yes. They barely explained anythign to me (which is necessary because Kibbe's/Susan's writing is very...Vague) and then said I didn't listen. There were no good examples of some of those exercices and yet they said I was doing it wrong. What do you expect, when it's barely explained???? I got away from there. Too much toxicity.
@@gittevandevelde2208 heh I think I remember seeing you posting there. I have respect for Kibbe's work but he and his followers need to realize that you need to be more pedagogical when trying to teach people this stuff. He should start a TH-cam channel of his own lol. If other people using his work bothers him so much then he needs to get out on here and set the record straight and not hide in his New York apartment and wait for people to visit him.
7:20 natural looks worst on classics Wide sweaters look bad on me, too tight neither. 9:2710:2013:55 easily overpowered by the dress or earrings (oh that's why I tend to just basics) 12:30 knowing the effect of clothing
This was so helpful! It’s true that soft classics look dress down much quicker. If I don’t brush my hair I look a mess. Also when u said a basic lip with powerful eye look looks bad 😐😐😭 some customer at my old job told me to put lipstick on because I didn’t look well kept! I’m glad I know most of other rules when it comes to my type tho 🥰
My life makes sense now! This put into words everything I kinda new but didn't know why. I'm keeping it simple and understated now because that's what works. Proof!
Do you have any shoe / boot recommendations for soft-classics who live in colder countries? I love those elegant open shoes shown in the video, but I'm afraid they are not suitable for snowy weather.
Is there any chance you would do Kibbe types of athletes/more muscular women? Aside from the plus size video (which was super well done) I noticed a lot of the women in the style videos tend to be thin, and I'm wondering if muscle may change the lines.
@@aphr0d No, I'm actually thinking of all of the types aside from Natural since they are generally on the muscular side. I'm more interested in the Ying leaning types but would appreciate an analysis of all of them. I was specifically thinking of mixed martial artists, and how two women who are both muscular and the same weight can be totally different types. If you compare Ronda Rousey to Holly Holm, for example, you can see how much softer Ronda is in both her body and face, and how much more delicate her frame and features are than Holly's.
@@emschlef That is a very interesting question. I know-or think I know-that certain exercises broaden the shoulders, but I wonder if that would change the answer for one's shoulders (from A to B, for instance) or if we would just have to look through the muscle as we do excess fat. I think more muscle would perhaps add a bit of horizontal-ity to a person made up primarily of vertical lines. A dramatic would look less long, for instance.
Em Shef check out the video she did on Priyanka - I think it was soft dramatic vs soft natural. She delves into different musculature among some of the body types.
Wow, this has been THE MOST helpful video I have found on this subject. Thank you for being so detailed because I felt so lost. I realized I’ve been Dressing more natural and I look SO Frumpy. I’m so happy to see that skinny jeans and pants look best on my body type😅 I kept trying to make this trendy straight leg baggie jean work and it always made me look super short and even more round.
This was so so helpful! I’ve just found out I’m a soft classic and this has been fab for me to get my head around all the different styling tips and the reasons why! Thank you! 👏🏼
I was struggling all my life with my style. I was always a bit overweight. Although instinctively I would always be fond of minimal looks I would lose myself in comparison with a soft dramatic mom and mostly dramatic and natural friends. As I grew older I become more and more in tune with myself but I still struggle with hair and my overweight issues. I mostly try to “hide” myself in the clothes that I wear and be minimal to “invisible”. Point is, psychology plays a huge role on our style. However in this video I found out that my instincts are correct! I can feel much more sophisticated and even sexier with very minimal outfits. I always try jewelry and accessories before going out but always end up wearing nothing instead. I used to buy so many accessories that I never wore, but now I know myself better. Very helpful video, of course not the only one, thanks ❤️
I’m SO thankful you showed what you SHOULD do instead of not just what you shouldn’t do! Everywhere I looked, it always just told me don’t do this blah blah blah without showing me what stuff WOULD look good. Thank you for that :)
Thank you Saira! I completely understand why, out of all the types, it can be most difficult to find classic recommendation examples. Classic lines are best described by what they're not (not long not short not lightweight not stiff) so it can feel like there's nothing 'left' after all the descriptions! Classics are like the goldilocks of the types--moderate. So this could be why it's so hard to find actual examples (and in my opinion a lot of people still don't quite get it right, thinking that classic style means classic lines, but it doesn't always!) I'd recommend taking a look at Cate Middleton for someone who wears classic lines often. her lines are a bit longer for her body, but she wears classic lines all the time.
I appreciate your work! I know it takes a lot to time to compile. I would love to see examples of older women and styles for them. They don't have to be from Hollywood, or even from the West. Your examples are useful but I keep adjusting hemlines to make your looks more age-appropriate and suitable for different work settings. You are so gifted at seeing these lines at play; I'd much rather defer to you than guess! Thank you.
thank you so much, even though i'm not a soft classic i'm super interested in kibbe's theory and i learn so much from your videos! everytime i receive the notification i click and watch. love your work
Merriam Style i’m a soft natural!!! loved all your videos about them too, so so accurate (even if i have short legs and i feel like your advices on pants for soft naturals are for those who have long legs)
Excellent analysis! Great work! Thank you! The first time I did the test, I was actually surprised and then a bit disappointed that I'm this type. Then I watched a lot of videos on Kibbe body types and redid the test to see since I knew more that maybe my result would be different because I really don't like tailored looks and neat hair! But your presentation really helped me see how beautiful this type is when following Kibbe guidelines. I have to check these looks on me. Although recently I've put on weight a bit and only thing I've been wearing is sports clothes...I definitely have always loved the minimalist look, never been wearing jewellery much or strong make-up...I'm just worried how to achieve this neat look when having more roundness due to putting on weight.
I'm (or I think I am) a soft classic. This video has made the most sense to me out of all I've read and watched. When you say that a soft classic can wear one item from another style/body type it makes sense to me. So many times I tried on items from other body types and they still suited me in an outfit has left me totally confused!!!
It's crazy, I have always thought I was a gamine because I am petite. Took the test and I am soft classic. And white watching this video, I get to understand why I look awkward in certain gamine clothes. Then comes the make-up. I have tried my best to incorporate smoky eyes with nude lips and it never works! But I always look good when I have full eye make-up and lips! Oh wow. Thank you so much for this series, Merriam!!!
I relate to the posing problem too much! When I put even the smallest effort into posing for photos it looks horrible. While most of my best photos were candid and usually taken from a lower angle. And I can never smile in photos! The only pose I can pull off is the one where I look like I'm going to punch the camera.
I'm soft natural and the compliments part is *so* true. I used to get so many compliments about my clothing. Or my friends would always so dang why did you get all dressed up I feel like a slob. Because I used to wear really trendy clothes and people *always* would notice my outfit. I couldn't even wear the same thing twice. It was that serious lol. Ioved the compliments though so I kept switching it up. Now my outfits are way more refined and minimal and the focus tends to be more on me.
Have you checked out my SN video? Aly Art has a great video about glasses for the body types. I would say for SN, something without harsh edges and more smooth and rounded, slightly oversized, and with a thinner-mid sized thickness of outer frame might look nice. :)
I have just found out about the body types, I'm soft classic and I couldn't believe that a body type could define what makeup looks better on you but I have to admit that everytime I wear dark eye makeup I begin wearing something similar to a nude (never a nude because I look ill with them) because of what we have always heard about choosing between bringing eyes or lips out but I always have to add more colour to my lips because I look much better 🤣 Regarding my clothes, I wear very similar clothes to what you show in the video without knowing why, now I know, great video! Thanks!
I have always gotten compliments on how I dress, and I was lucky in being born with a good eye for this stuff. So when I took the test and have been looking into this, it’s interesting how this type (classic and/or soft classic) is how I already dress and what I know I look best in. When I shop I try to look for things that are typically minimalistic, *timeless* and balanced.
I love this video!!! Would you consider doing a video on which type of fragrances go well with each of the types? I know it's not a visual aesthetic, but it is part of our style . Sometimes a "look" matches a personality which matches a scent, at least it does in my case. Anyone out there have any suggestions for soft classic perfume?
Anything soft and powdery. Think Prada's Les Infusions line, Lancome's Poeme, Guerlain's Vol de Nuit, Givenchy's Givenchy III, Chanel's Allure edt, Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs. Or soft florals, such as Chloe's Chloe edp, Oscar de Renta's Oscar, Estee Lauder's Pleasures.
omg the hair thing is so true. i have naturally pretty untamed curly frizzy hair and it just always throws off my entire face and body if i dont style it correctly or have a bad hair day. i usually just straighten it because i always thought it went so much better with my face structure and body type.
Loved this video!! But also definitely not going to abandon my combat boots hehe its my pop of "im a soft classic but low-key princess diana shoes be damned"
Since I was young girl, my Dad always told me less is more with makeup. It irritated me and I always thought, what does he know? Now I’m 30 and yea I’ve finally decided to wear minimal makeup and pair down my wardrobe. I prefer clothing that fits not to tight but not too loose where I don’t get lost in the fabric. I’m 5 ft 8.5 wear a size 6 but people think I look 6ft because my arms and legs are long. It’s taken awhile for me to find my look, so I’m glad to learn about this page and the Kibbe test.
Hmm....From what I've been told, wavy hair can get quite frizzy (especially in humid weather), and I suppose that would take away from the neatness of the look. But, I wonder if you could use a serum, leave-in conditioner, oil, etc. to smooth the hair and keep it from frizzing? You would have to use something lightweight-and then not too much of it-because you have fine hair.
Unneighborly Arcades Thanks for your suggestions! Yes, it does get crazy in the humidity. I live in humid Hong Kong too, so my hair is a constant poof! I’m currently using an oil serum and it helps a little. I also live on a mountain, with lots of wind that wrecks my hair every time I walk outside. It’s rough, but I do my best lol.;)
Emily Pinkerton look into the curly girl method by Lorraine Massey. It’s not exactly ‘neat’ but it helps beat frizz, gives the hair definition and beats ironing the crap out of your hair with a curling iron...
After more than a year of thinking I was a TR, it turns out that I'm SC and it feels like I'm back to square 1 trying to educate myself about my body type. Fortunately there's some overlap between SC and TR due to the shared Yin. I never considered Classic seriously because I don't feel as elegant, poised and beautiful as these actresses so this comes as a big surprise to me.
Методом проб и ошибок я приняла себя как софт классик. Тоже всю жизнь в 38 лет думала, что классик это скучно. Я была всеми типажами, кроме своего. Сейчас приняла свой. I’ve embraced my Soft Classic type, it’s not boring, it’s exquisite ❤
I think the most important is to accentuate your waist. Being a soft classic, I own a lot of belts and my dresses are usually more gathered towards the waist. If I don't accentuate my waist, I look rectangular totally.
good point!
I am exactly this way, I need waist accentuation or it's definitely lost in the fabric!
Same!
Yep
Yes!!
I remember asking a male worker in a store which accessories looked the best on me. Matter of fact he said "You don't need any of that stuff." I thought" Well, that wasn't helpful." Now I know he was right.
Damn he was honest. His job is to sell his stuff! Lol
Me: That looks wonderful on her
Merriam: The outfit is overpowering her
Me: ... The outfit is overpowering her
Random CARAT?? ヽ(｡◕o◕｡)ﾉ.
@@relaxingsounds996 carat as in seventeen ?
Same
Same, I even saved the picture for myself and then heard the verdict
Always look at the face, NOT the clothes. If the face looks great, it means the clothes work well.
This video cemented my status as a soft classic. I CONSTANTLY get compliments on my clothes but I always feel like it’s because my clothes are wearing me. I finally tried wearing some soft classic lines and was given several compliments of “you look nice!”. I thought it was just me but I love that she addresses that
I tend to get more compliments with minimal effort. I used to wonder why so many things looked bad on me. :(
me too ):
Same
Messy hair looks terrible on me and now I know why! In fact, I've noticed anything that's natural looks bad. A lot of clothes, makeup and hair styles these days advocate for naturals and they always looked a weird on me. Also love the point about matching eyes and lip intensities, so true. You've changed my style game, thank you.
Lauren Kallio you’re really pretty ♥️
yeah, I remember that "messy bun" hype xD
this video absolutely blew my mind. now I understand why my grandma would always get on my ass about my shirt being wrinkled or my skirt is too short (she didn't do this to my sister). it's cause on me, a soft classic, it was more visible
That sounds really funny lol. And your grandma is cute
Interesting, Olga...😉
Grandma often knows best. 😊
That makes sense!
This explains SO MUCH about my style struggles - ALL. MY. LIFE. There always seemed to be something off about my overall look. I thought there was something wrong with my body! Of course, being a classic made things more difficult bc there aren’t many celebrity examples of Classics. But since applying these principles, only learned about in the last couple of weeks, my whole look has fallen together amazingly! I’ve had this paradigm shift in my understanding of clothing, hair, makeup, and my body! Thank you Merriam!
That's so wonderful to hear, thank you for taking the time to write up this comment! It makes my day to hear that the body typing system is getting out to more people because it really is so good for self-image, saving time, and saving money! I can't tell you how many people felt the way you did (including myself) before they found Kibbe body typing, and now can work with their own bodies and finally feel like they're in their own skin when they put a look together. I hope this becomes more mainstream!
Merriam Style It would be really great if one day we can shop for clothes online “by body type” instead of “by store”. Presently, you have to look through allllll of the clothes offered by a specific store/website to weed out the wrong fits and wrong fabrics, etc. This can be exhausting. But a body type shopping experience would show you only the clothes for your selected body type. I’ll keep dreaming.
I have a soft classic shopping page on my website! Under ‘shop your body type’ that links to real soft classic items you can buy. That’s why I made it.
@@teresabruneau7843 Here's a direct link to the soft classic shopping page!! : merriamstyle.com/shop_sc.html
Merriam Style Yes! What you have done is exactly what I was talking about! I must have overlooked your shopping page link somehow. But yes, and hopefully this option for shopping by body type continues to grow. It makes things so much easier.
Eyes and lips must match intensity just changed my life! Conventional makeup wisdom is to balance bold eye with nude lip or visa versa and I couldn’t figure out why I never felt like I could pull off either...I need to do both. Also, using one piece to push the style a direction without looking overdone or trying too hard was a revelation I needed. Thank you for this video!
me too!!
I'm the same!!
I would do a heavy eye and then wipe it off because it looked so garish. Now I know I just need to finish putting on my heavy lipstick! All that wasted time and effort hahaha😅
Soooo, this is what I understood: less is more for us soft classics
My taste in clothes is diametrically opposite of what looks good on me 😭
Same, my wardrobe is full of flamboyant gamine clothes and this is so far from my aesthetic :/
Just throw in some classic clothes. Don't change your whole wardrobe if u don't want to
Same I’m really upset about it😂😭
I'm here a little late but I'm exactly the same, my entire aesthetic is soft gamine
Same here!! It's frustrating
I did the test and think I’m a soft classic, at least some kind of classic. For some reason I’ve been thinking my whole life that my body was UN-balanced and disproportionate. Turns out that I was frequently dressing like a natural or a soft gamine, because those were the styles I was drawn to. It’s such a revelation to discover that it was the lines in my clothes that was off, not my body in itself. Now I understand why in the past I sometimes looked better on days when I wore a simple outfit with minimal accessories, than when I put in effort to look fashionable, extra feminine or extra ”fun”. It used to irritate me so much, and made me think my face and body was boring and NOT feminine. I think I’ve been compensating for my ”boring” appearance with dressing up a bit too much, or hiding it. I’m also starting to think that my overall balanced lines made my percieved imperfections stand out more to me, with the sad consequence that they got too much negative focus and somewhat distorted my view of myself. I’m so happy that I found your channel! Looking forward to exploring what happens when wearing my own lines is my new normal.
Purple Daisy wow I feel you, I could have written this comment =0
Oh my GOSH, relate 1000% to this!! It's all about the soft understated subtle beauty, yet precise rounded lines. It's a difficult one to master as balance is never really easy to achieve in any aspect of life, but we'll get there! With the help of this info & some experimentation & intuition we will shine 😉
Yessss
This is exactly what İ felt all my life before İ knew İ'm SC! So true!!!
Ditto!
Too true about the jewellery and the natural lines. Natural lines kill me, messy hair looks horrific on me. Everything has to be neat, and as much as I love jewellery, I can't really wear much of it lest it wears me. Anything busy wears me.
Then u are probably classic.
@@kremenakrumova1561 Soft classic as I have softer lines, at least I can add some romantic touches to my clothes as I do love them, just look like I'm off to dance the can can if I put on too many frills!
Ha ha I was alway jealous of my soft classic friend, who always looked so put together with just one piece of jewellery and minimal clothing.
Yeah, I quite often get compliments on earnings/flowery skirt/fury west/bold suit colour etc. Now I understand what it is, it just wears me;). I think I will still sometimes wear something bold just because it is a form of self expression and even if it wears me I chose it and it sends a message of some sort. But I think I'll be more aware now:). (Soft classic myself, Merriam confirmed)
I'm sorry, I don't want to come of as rude, classic types are my favourite types to look at, so balanced! But when I see a classic wearing natural lines it often works against their serenity and calm, sophisticated vibes and I sometimes find it quite funny to look at. Sort of like a swan trying to rock a ducks feathers.
I think that was the most useful phrase I've ever heard as far as trying to figure out my look and how to present it... "understated doesn't look understated on YOU, as a classic.". THANK YOU, MERRIAM!
There needs to be more Kibbe stylists in the media. I don't like the Marion has little looks that work for her in photo shoots and red carpet. I'm so glad Marion and Kirsten are celebrity role models for us soft classics. Thank you for the depth of knowledge, Merriam!!! I struggled with dressing myself since puberty because I look strange in gamine (youthful, dolly; look tired in contrast) clothes I used to wear, in natural (most clothing stores sell for natural bodies, model types; looks unkempt), and in romantic (frilly; looks silly, too much). There is so much balance that I have to carefully maintain. Subscribed!
Aww thank you Angel and welcome! I'm really hoping Kibbe will be more widely used by celeb stylists too!
I could not agree more with you. I feel it. And that's why I tried so hard to understand what kinds of clothes I can actually throw on. Like you said: too romantic looks clownish on me. Or costumy. Dramatic looks so harsh. Natural looks sooo homeless on me. Bright colors and accessories don't blend in. It's just soo much on me. So I dedicated myself to collecting suiting clothing based on how I feel in them. I threw away those clothes that made me feel strange, too much, not enough, etc. And even with this wardrobe, sometimes, I get to notice that I can easily imbalance my outfit just by wearing the wrong accessories or even choosing the wrong texture or color of my lips (matte or glossy). 😅 And I specifically struggle when my makeup in my lips fade away and imbalance again the look. 🤭
This is amazing. You have a gift for understanding Kibbe's body types and demonstrating the principles with contemporary examples. You also have a gift for color. Thank you for your hard work. I look forward to supporting your work by using your services! I want you to continue!
Aw thank you so much Angela for taking the time to leave this comment, and for all your support!!
I have no idea how but I figured out most of this on my own. The only thing that I had no idea about was the hair. I realized when it was pulled back and I exposed my face I looked more representable than usual and the fact that I have 4C hair just emphasized the point more. I end up looking more put together when I pull it back or braid my head in lines (I am confident that I look beautiful even without pulling it back ).
The make up has to be all out (you do lips you do eyes ) or all natural (I prefer this). I also came to notice that if you are wearing sth tight at the bottom and top, use a belt to tie the whole look together. Show off the collar bones since they make you look more feminine and if you are bold enough, wear an off the shoulder
For natural hair I found this channel. Hope you find it helpful.
th-cam.com/video/5Df3fS_GymA/w-d-xo.html
I relate to this! I have always been proud of my collar bone, my arms and thighs are flesh but my collar bones always brought that balance to the fleshiness and made look more feminine.
I was at the gym and took a good full look at myself. I realized that I’ve been struggling with seeing myself as romantic because I’m not romantic. I kept seeing that I didn’t quiet fit anything until I was wearing tight clothing at the gym, and decided to do the Kibbe rest. I’m a soft classic and I love this video. I always struggled with balancing sexy and vulgar. This video is really helpful.
Omg i also thought i was a romantic
I am a soft classic and I struggle with shopping because stores are following trends that dont suit my body type ... whether its the color, cut, quality, texture, and form ... none cater to me ... thats why I keep wearing my mom's vintage dresses and hunt for classic vintage pieces to compliment my figure ... its always a thrill when I actually find an item i can wear from mainstream stores :P
My mum always said I should shy away from very dramatic dresses with saturated colour palettes. That pastel, feminine but most of all minimalist clothing looks the best on me. Only found out about Kibbe 2 days ago, I can't believe she was so... right?? I'm a complete Soft Classic!
I always wondered why my eyes seem to disappear whenever I wear bold lipstick!!
Yes same here I like to wear a kinda... Washed out ( not the best word) and glossy lips
Me too!
Same here!! And I would just ignore all the make up rules and did what I thought looked good :)
Literally me with lipstick
. 👄 .
Me too
"Soft Classics look best with neat, tidy hair"
*Laughs in unruly head of curls*
I've always had wild, untamed hair, non asymmetrically parted. Explains a lot..i remember that once, somebody told me that i looked so good when my hair was parted in the middle. Side parted hair brings asymmetry to the face and body!
Literally same
But it makes SO much sense now, because I always get a ridiculous amount of compliments when my hair it tucked neat into a low bun
Same! I guess my hair will always have to be my one element that isn’t classic because there is no way I will ever go back to straightening it.
Agreed! My natural lions mane contrasts the rest.
Explains why I look homeless in the same airport casual outfit I saw someone else in!😩
So relatable
This is literally me! I try to look casual and I just look homeless... I try to look a little seductive and I look full on whorish lol it's so extreme!
😂😂😂
So relatable 2
The classic type is lucky in that they can add just one element from another type to appear a different way. I'd love to see a video like this for flamboyant natural. Thanks for the great videos
Yes, I'm trying to convince them they're lucky and not boring!!!!!!!!!!!! Because it's really the truth! Other types can also include other elements of other types to achieve different looks. The difference is while a classic can include any element so long as it's understated, other types can include elements from some (but not all) body type's lines, but they don't have to be understated. So I guess the flexibility is sort of conserved. You could check out my Artistic License video for Dramatic and Soft Dramatic if you haven't seen that already for some examples!
Classics have this thing where they can basically pull off any attire style without looking too separate from it (you're right about the symmetry), yet doesn't look more stunning in anything.
When I think of classics, I sometimes imagine the electromagnetic spectrum, the waves seem to take fluctuating form until it reaches the magnitude of visible light, though it's a really small portion, it's the one part that has it all in balance, and it's eye catching more than any other range. That's the classic-oriented style, it's elusive.
My sister and I are both classics, she's a Classic and I'm a Soft Classic, we look almost similar to one another, but the symmetry is undoubtedly more pronounced in her. When we walk together and if you were to label us, you'd probably tell that she's graciously balanced, while you'd tell that I'm more delicately ladylike. We're both soft in coloring, she's Autumn and I'm Summer, now that I see your video I can clearly see the connection.
11:42 wow this makes SO much sense!!! I’ve always wondered why I look so incredibly ridiculous and uncomfortable in photos where I’m consciously *trying* to look “cool,” or “alluring,” even something like crossing my arms to “look tough,” putting my hands in my pockets and leaning like the pic on the right @ 14:48, or pouting my lips to look more “sensual” makes me look like I’m going for a humorous, joking effect. And in contrast, I always love the photos of myself where I’m not conscious of how I’ll pose and smile! When I feel one with how I’m posing, I really do enjoy the final effect! Much more learning to do on how to accomplish this consistently, on how to add a little touch of a mood but not knock off that Soft Classic balance... but wow! Thanks Merriam!
This may sound weird, but classics reminds me of a squircle. It's neat and symmetrical, but it's unambiguous. You don't know if it's a square (a yang shape) or a circle (a yin shape).
yes!! That's basically what a classic would be if they were a shape. :p
I love that!
Unambiguous?
That’s exactly my face! I never know if it’s a rectangle or a circle!!! Im either C or SC
lol I thought you said classic is like a squirrel which confused me so much
This is depressing, I have to burn all my wardrobe and start from scratch! Nothing should be too much!
In my teens I looked good in preppy style neat looks, but it was so boring to me! So pixie cuts, weird hair color, oversized items was my way of avoiding that classic looks.
No wonder I never looked good in that, what a waste of time and money.
It's time to accept that I'm a classic lady..
Yes! same!!
Check out Freddy My Love, she is some blend of classic and gamine in my opinion.
👏👏👏👏👏😊🌹
I can’t tell you how much this has helped!! I thought I looked frumpy in everything but I was just overdressing!!! I’m completely changed my wardrobe because of you and have never looked better 😭🙏
Love these videos! I even watch the ones that aren’t my body type
Can you do a video about posing in pictures for the different body types?
I second this!
This explains so much!!! Especially the visual around 7:25 (Kirsten's 'messy' casual looks vs the neat ones). That's exactly what I wear (oversized shirts) and now I know why it doesn't work on me! Excellent video, thank you so much!!!
Love this! The bit about classics needing balance between their lips and eyes while gamines look great with one emphasized over the other blew my mind. All my life I've been hearing that if you're going to do bold eyes you need an understated lip or vice versa, but it always looked so weird on me (I am dramatic classic) and now I know why! Hoping you do a dramatic classic video soon!!
Great point on the balance between eyes and lips, before I started watching Make-up tutorials I used my own intuition about what looks good on me and I always put on lipstick on same level as my eyes and I felt great, but in all tutorials they mislead to believe that if your eyes are the focal point then you should use very soft or almost none lipstick and vice versa, so I started doing that but I never feel that was right on me but had conflicting thoughts as thought people will notice and think I was overdoing my make up by having same intensity of eyes and lips, but now I will enjoy wearing my bright lipstick as I did before!!! 'Knowledge is power!!!!
That was great - I am now convinced I'm soft classic as I naturally gravitate towards all these styles. It explains explains why it's hard for me to find clothes to look "exciting" in - I tend to end back in classic clothes. I can now own this instead of being critical. Meryl Streep is a soft classic and she looks great.
I always dressed in more gamine lines and colors and so I felt strong resistance to being a classic (soft classic) because they seemed boring and not a proper expression of how I felt inside. I always thought that I had to add detail and visual interest to my outfits. Recently, I started to dress in more simple and classic lines and colors and I look so much more elegant and feel like I am seen more for who I am rather than what I’m wearing. I still like to express that gamine quality through color and accessories here and there like a scarf, purse, or hair piece…but just not overdoing it. Less is more!
I'm always late to this, because I live in Europe and you upload in the middle of the night here. Merriam, I think this might be my favorite video of yours! The examples are incredibly well thought out, the pictures almost explain themselves and make your points so clear! I loved the thought of a classic body type almost being a canvass, you showed it really well with the pictures you chose, and somehow you always manage to find something great and positive about having a certain body type. And what's so great about your videos is that you explain the broader picture so well, with the yin/yang balance, not just each body type as separate entities. Even when it's not my body type I always learn new things and since you explain everything in detail, it's easy to kind of replicate with other bodys as well. You're an inspiration!
Thank you Elin, I'm so happy my ideas were communicated clearly. I'm constantly working on improving my explanations and examples, and I'm happy it's paying off.
These videos could be 2 hours long and I would still watch until the end lol
Really interesting! I’m a soft classic, and was always taught to never play up both eyes and lips with makeup, but like in your examples, it always looks like something is missing. Now I know it’s okay.
Yes it's common makeup advice that everyone has heard before! It doesn't work for everyone. :) I'm happy it makes sense for you now and you can go on wearing balanced intensities as you intuitively knew would look better!
Just lipstick looks dreadful on me... I’ve always found that I need my eyes done to balance it. I’m glad I ignored the ‘rules’ on that one.
I am a soft classic and it is hard for me to see any examples of curly (not waivy) hair style. All soft classic seam to have strait but waive-iron neck-lenght-shy cut with few layers. Yet I found this sophisticated and beautiful, my everyday style is more not-put-together or free or casual or a bit rocky.... could anyone give me some examples of that? Thank you beautifuls !
This explains why people always tell me they love my dress, or my necklace 🤨
Yes I had a lovely soft classic colleague who got compliments on her soft dramatic earrings!! I was like 'nooooo!!'
I am a gamine, and people NEVER compliment me. Of course, it could very well be that they just don't like what I am wearing, but still, I am not as overwhelmed by things.
Omg, so true!! I noticed that people compliment on something when it looks totally out of balance, not when it looks good.
dress where you going with that girl?!
Your video analysis is amazing because I don't think I look like any of the examples of Soft Classics, but every single one of the clothing, makeup, hair, and posture points is true for me. Also since I am a little thinner/less curvy than a typical Soft Classic example (but not sharp/angular enough to be Gamine), I can get away with a little softer details in my clothing, or clothing that is a little more flowy but not oversized. I want to call it Petite Soft Classic!
Now I'm sad because I have super big curly hair and even at their best they can't really look perfectly kept, so I guess I will always look messy lol
Same
I’ve curls also and work used to with DevaCurl (not anymore) and Not Your Mothers gel (still using) to help define them. It’s curly neat. Unique to me and us as curly gals. 02/14/2020 Update! Please don’t use Deva Curl. It’s possible my curl and scalp damage is from using their products.
same
The healthier and more hydrated your curls, the more tamed curly hair looks. Frizz = a curl begging for hydration. Heat and chemically damaged hair will also frizz. A good cut matters too, go to a person who is trained to cut naturally curly hair. It's a process to get your curls to a good place, but it's so so worth it and possible!
P.S. I am in cosmetology school, and have been self-studying curls for a decade. 🤍
My tip to tame my curly mane is by using eco styler gel for my wash and go’s. The hair feels crunchy when dry but as the days go by, it gets softer and gains some volume little by little while still looking curly with minimal (visible) frizz
Soft Classic new to here today!! One word besides the minimal detailing you mention is: SYMMETRY, symmetric--very important!. Thank you for this post today!
Welcome!!
It is taking time for me to accept I'm a soft classic cause I confess at first I didn't like it that much, but this helped me a lot in my way of selfdiscovering (not only physically but also mentally). It had change my lifestyle and give me a new perspective, one way more simple and "classical".
Sending you good vibes from Uruguay, take care and continue on working hard👏🏼❤️🇺🇾
omg the best explanation I got so far on sc now I finally understand why I look overdressed so often!
We really need to find more examples of soft classic women because it seems like it's just Kirsten lol, I don't identify with her at all so it's really hard to get the message re lines/style, or maybe I'm just dense, because this vid confused me even more. Omw to look for more soft classic celebs
Anna K same!! Kirsten and me literally have nothing in common besides being soft classic but we look completely different.
dakota Johnson is also a soft classic , dit von teese is a soft classic too
Ninki Minjaj thank you!! I love dita this is very helpful!
I think Naomi Watts and Jessica Alba are soft classics too.
BrownWhiteCat hey I’m so sorry but dita von teese is absolutely not a soft classic she’s a theatrical romantic all the way. So I hope looking at her won’t confuse you cause us TRs do a lot of ornate detail and are about as extra as classics are simple. She’s definitely not going to be the person to use for inspiration as her looks are the furthest thing from simple, symmetrical, and balanced. She is elegant yes but in the TR way-retro and femme fatale. It’s very different than a soft classic.
If you check out Aly Art she has style recommendations for every Kibbe body type so that might be a good resource? Hope this helps! ^^
You’ve explained so much. Believe I’m a soft classic and have worn the simple style and follow the mantra “less is more.” When younger I modeled and easily found work. Now I know why, my classic symmetrical look made the clothes look good. Thank you very much!!
ahh i needed this when i over-did my outfits, but i naturally calmed down and im getting more compliments which is nice
Thanks for this video, I was in doubt and now I know I'm soft classic, it all fits: open necklines, small prints and accesories, belts and whenever I try something with large prints or too straigh lines, heavy cloth it overwhelms me. And you nailed it with make up. Love, Sol
I always insist on wearing teenager types of clothes and they always look like shit. now I know why lol. AND whenever there is a party i wear minimal detailed dresses and it looks so good.
I once received a feedback from my boyfriend that the more "plain" my clothes are, the better I look. Now I see where it is coming from.
Thank you so much! For some time I thought I was TR but my waist isn't that defined and my facial features are softer than in most TRs, so the line between TRs and SCs can be very thin. I always noticed how simple clothing with a yin element looks much better on me than ornate and geometrical patterns. This video settled it for me 🙌🙏 thank you!
Íris Santos you sound exactly like me, I thought I was a TR too but have realised I’m a SC now. Totally agree about there being a thin line between the two .
This video was so good, and I'm not even soft classic. It makes me want to go back and watch all of your videos.
Yay, thank you! You could check out Are Classics Boring and Gamines Fun? as well as Kibbe and Personality. Those are similar kinds of topics, showing the effects of different lines on different people!
girl!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this kind of videos. please keep doing them😭😭😭 we all need body type tips from you!
Oh my gosh this explains why when I try so hard to make outfits, it still looks off on me! I need to get back to the basics. 😩
This was super SUPER helpful! Thank you! I keep landing with half half C and D+E answers (with one or two A and B) and kept swaying between Soft Classic and Theatrical Romantic. Classic seemed kind of off and boring and Romantic is just "too much". But this video solidified Soft Classic for me. All my best looks that I thought were Theatrical Romantic "but gentler" were actually Soft Classic. And now I also understand why this make up rule "either the eyes or the lips" never worked for me. Thank you so so much! :)
Theatrical Romantic has very few has C answers, usually 1 or none. I'm so glad you got your answer. My Soft Classic friend is so stylish with very little effort and few accessories. I get a tiny bit jealous sometimes as she looks so pulled together at work!
Hi! I really like your videos! Can you please make a video about winter cloths for the body types? :) In Sweden it's cold most part of the year ^^ It would be nice to look good and be warm at the same time
Hey, can you do a video explaining how to do the kibbe test specifically... Like what constitutes 'small hands/broad hands' etc. Show some examples of each answer on the test. Ive done it so many times but I often don't know what to choose because the descriptions of the options aren't clear
She already got this request and she answered that it was a planned video so stick around :) But in the meantime you can binge on all her other kibbe videos she always makes comparisons, at least it has been helpful to me
If people haven't commented you probably have average hands. I find people who have larger/smaller hands get commented on over and over by other people. Another trick is you try on gloves, do you fit small or medium or large? Or when you buy watches or shoes do you have to get extra holes put in to make them fit tighter or larger, or does how they come always fit? I'm average height but wear smaller gloves than my shorter friends who wear medium. My 6 foot tall friend wears medium gloves but she gets comments her hands are small as she has smaller hands relative to her height.
Measure your hand on your face; put it over it and see how its size is in comparison. If your hand is the same size of your face or bigger = big hands. Average hands are smaller but not so much. And small well... are noticeable small haha. The comment thing mentioned in another comment also works... though small aren't really commented because girls "are supposed to have small hands".
Rebecca Pinto the TH-camr Aly Art has several playlists full of info on the Kibbe body types, style, etc, and has a video that is a detailed quiz to find your type with picture examples. She’s actually where I first came across this topic. Hopefully that’s helpful! =)
This is amazing work! Would you consider doing one for theatrical romantic? It’s kind of frustrating hearing that they have to be sexy all the time. How do the romantics look edgy or relaxed? Anyways, I love this series! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. It’s so fun watching these.
She already has one on her channel
Maryvera Horsefall I haven’t seen any previous ones regarding changing up your style, but she uploaded a video today for TRs and I loved it!
The makeup thing really resonated with me! I naturally pick very soft classic clothes and jewlery, but I was always so confused why i could never pull off the dark lip and minimal eye look. This makes so much more sense!!!
yay!
This is the most informative video on Soft Classics I have ever seen! Thank you!
Omg, this video, especially the makeup portion, has validated so much for me. They always say, "Dramatic eye or dramatic lip. Never both," and my face has always said, "No ma'am." 😂 And the winged liner. I can only do it if it's soft and blended.
Thank you for your videos, they are so accurate and so helpful. I like how you don't follow Kibbe to the core because I feel like his teachings are lacking in a few places. I've been lurking the "official" Kibbe groups on Facebook and the admins are really passive-aggressive or downright rude to those who don't completely agree with everything Kibbe says. According to them you can't be a yin type if you're taller than 5'5". I think that's so narrow-minded and I loved your video on Lily Cole (who's tall) and why she's soft gamine.
I have been in the facebook groups too, and yes. They barely explained anythign to me (which is necessary because Kibbe's/Susan's writing is very...Vague) and then said I didn't listen. There were no good examples of some of those exercices and yet they said I was doing it wrong. What do you expect, when it's barely explained???? I got away from there. Too much toxicity.
@@gittevandevelde2208 heh I think I remember seeing you posting there. I have respect for Kibbe's work but he and his followers need to realize that you need to be more pedagogical when trying to teach people this stuff. He should start a TH-cam channel of his own lol. If other people using his work bothers him so much then he needs to get out on here and set the record straight and not hide in his New York apartment and wait for people to visit him.
@@Swoopiify Indeed. Be freaking clear yourself instead of letting else doing it and then criticizing them...
@@gittevandevelde2208 exactly
7:20 natural looks worst on classics
Wide sweaters look bad on me, too tight neither.
9:27 10:20 13:55 easily overpowered by the dress or earrings (oh that's why I tend to just basics)
12:30 knowing the effect of clothing
This was so helpful! It’s true that soft classics look dress down much quicker. If I don’t brush my hair I look a mess. Also when u said a basic lip with powerful eye look looks bad 😐😐😭 some customer at my old job told me to put lipstick on because I didn’t look well kept! I’m glad I know most of other rules when it comes to my type tho 🥰
My life makes sense now! This put into words everything I kinda new but didn't know why. I'm keeping it simple and understated now because that's what works. Proof!
Do you have any shoe / boot recommendations for soft-classics who live in colder countries? I love those elegant open shoes shown in the video, but I'm afraid they are not suitable for snowy weather.
Like a lightbulb coming on! Thank you so much. So many unanswered questions finally answered!!
Is there any chance you would do Kibbe types of athletes/more muscular women? Aside from the plus size video (which was super well done) I noticed a lot of the women in the style videos tend to be thin, and I'm wondering if muscle may change the lines.
Em Shef do you mean naturals/flamboyant naturals? They tend to have more athletic body shapes.
@@aphr0d No, I'm actually thinking of all of the types aside from Natural since they are generally on the muscular side. I'm more interested in the Ying leaning types but would appreciate an analysis of all of them. I was specifically thinking of mixed martial artists, and how two women who are both muscular and the same weight can be totally different types. If you compare Ronda Rousey to Holly Holm, for example, you can see how much softer Ronda is in both her body and face, and how much more delicate her frame and features are than Holly's.
Oooo yes! This would be interesting!
@@emschlef That is a very interesting question. I know-or think I know-that certain exercises broaden the shoulders, but I wonder if that would change the answer for one's shoulders (from A to B, for instance) or if we would just have to look through the muscle as we do excess fat. I think more muscle would perhaps add a bit of horizontal-ity to a person made up primarily of vertical lines. A dramatic would look less long, for instance.
Em Shef check out the video she did on Priyanka - I think it was soft dramatic vs soft natural. She delves into different musculature among some of the body types.
Wow, this has been THE MOST helpful video I have found on this subject. Thank you for being so detailed because I felt so lost. I realized I’ve been Dressing more natural and I look SO Frumpy. I’m so happy to see that skinny jeans and pants look best on my body type😅 I kept trying to make this trendy straight leg baggie jean work and it always made me look super short and even more round.
Sleeveless or any fitted knitted high neck tops looks amazing on soft classics
yes!!! turtle necks are very flattering on me
I'm a soft classic and have curly (almost frizzy) hair, so I can never make it look put together unless I straighten it, which I don't wanna do 😩
Yoi can try silk hair wraps before sleeping, it works for me!
Maybe your hair can be that one element. We are all different...
This was so so helpful! I’ve just found out I’m a soft classic and this has been fab for me to get my head around all the different styling tips and the reasons why! Thank you! 👏🏼
I was struggling all my life with my style. I was always a bit overweight. Although instinctively I would always be fond of minimal looks I would lose myself in comparison with a soft dramatic mom and mostly dramatic and natural friends. As I grew older I become more and more in tune with myself but I still struggle with hair and my overweight issues. I mostly try to “hide” myself in the clothes that I wear and be minimal to “invisible”. Point is, psychology plays a huge role on our style. However in this video I found out that my instincts are correct! I can feel much more sophisticated and even sexier with very minimal outfits. I always try jewelry and accessories before going out but always end up wearing nothing instead. I used to buy so many accessories that I never wore, but now I know myself better. Very helpful video, of course not the only one, thanks ❤️
I’m SO thankful you showed what you SHOULD do instead of not just what you shouldn’t do! Everywhere I looked, it always just told me don’t do this blah blah blah without showing me what stuff WOULD look good. Thank you for that :)
Thank you Saira! I completely understand why, out of all the types, it can be most difficult to find classic recommendation examples. Classic lines are best described by what they're not (not long not short not lightweight not stiff) so it can feel like there's nothing 'left' after all the descriptions! Classics are like the goldilocks of the types--moderate. So this could be why it's so hard to find actual examples (and in my opinion a lot of people still don't quite get it right, thinking that classic style means classic lines, but it doesn't always!) I'd recommend taking a look at Cate Middleton for someone who wears classic lines often. her lines are a bit longer for her body, but she wears classic lines all the time.
I appreciate your work! I know it takes a lot to time to compile. I would love to see examples of older women and styles for them. They don't have to be from Hollywood, or even from the West. Your examples are useful but I keep adjusting hemlines to make your looks more age-appropriate and suitable for different work settings. You are so gifted at seeing these lines at play; I'd much rather defer to you than guess! Thank you.
Thank you so much Merriam! I ' m a soft classic really I have been hopping for such a complete video , your voice is angelic !
That's the most helpful series about kibbe types that I've come across so far! Thank you so much! 😊
It would be very helpful to have a lookbook on pinterest, so you can keep adding outfit ideas there❤️
thank you so much, even though i'm not a soft classic i'm super interested in kibbe's theory and i learn so much from your videos! everytime i receive the notification i click and watch. love your work
Hi Camille, you're so kind!!
Merriam Style i’m a soft natural!!! loved all your videos about them too, so so accurate (even if i have short legs and i feel like your advices on pants for soft naturals are for those who have long legs)
Excellent analysis! Great work! Thank you! The first time I did the test, I was actually surprised and then a bit disappointed that I'm this type. Then I watched a lot of videos on Kibbe body types and redid the test to see since I knew more that maybe my result would be different because I really don't like tailored looks and neat hair! But your presentation really helped me see how beautiful this type is when following Kibbe guidelines. I have to check these looks on me. Although recently I've put on weight a bit and only thing I've been wearing is sports clothes...I definitely have always loved the minimalist look, never been wearing jewellery much or strong make-up...I'm just worried how to achieve this neat look when having more roundness due to putting on weight.
I'm (or I think I am) a soft classic. This video has made the most sense to me out of all I've read and watched. When you say that a soft classic can wear one item from another style/body type it makes sense to me. So many times I tried on items from other body types and they still suited me in an outfit has left me totally confused!!!
It's crazy, I have always thought I was a gamine because I am petite. Took the test and I am soft classic. And white watching this video, I get to understand why I look awkward in certain gamine clothes. Then comes the make-up. I have tried my best to incorporate smoky eyes with nude lips and it never works! But I always look good when I have full eye make-up and lips! Oh wow. Thank you so much for this series, Merriam!!!
I relate to the posing problem too much! When I put even the smallest effort into posing for photos it looks horrible. While most of my best photos were candid and usually taken from a lower angle. And I can never smile in photos! The only pose I can pull off is the one where I look like I'm going to punch the camera.
I'm soft natural and the compliments part is *so* true. I used to get so many compliments about my clothing. Or my friends would always so dang why did you get all dressed up I feel like a slob. Because I used to wear really trendy clothes and people *always* would notice my outfit. I couldn't even wear the same thing twice. It was that serious lol. Ioved the compliments though so I kept switching it up. Now my outfits are way more refined and minimal and the focus tends to be more on me.
What about eyeglasses though. My glasses always overpower my face.
Have you checked out my SN video? Aly Art has a great video about glasses for the body types. I would say for SN, something without harsh edges and more smooth and rounded, slightly oversized, and with a thinner-mid sized thickness of outer frame might look nice. :)
Thank you! This was the next step in styling for me. And I appreciate all the pictures to aid the explanations.
I have just found out about the body types, I'm soft classic and I couldn't believe that a body type could define what makeup looks better on you but I have to admit that everytime I wear dark eye makeup I begin wearing something similar to a nude (never a nude because I look ill with them) because of what we have always heard about choosing between bringing eyes or lips out but I always have to add more colour to my lips because I look much better 🤣 Regarding my clothes, I wear very similar clothes to what you show in the video without knowing why, now I know, great video! Thanks!
I have always gotten compliments on how I dress, and I was lucky in being born with a good eye for this stuff. So when I took the test and have been looking into this, it’s interesting how this type (classic and/or soft classic) is how I already dress and what I know I look best in. When I shop I try to look for things that are typically minimalistic, *timeless* and balanced.
I love this video!!! Would you consider doing a video on which type of fragrances go well with each of the types? I know it's not a visual aesthetic, but it is part of our style . Sometimes a "look" matches a personality which matches a scent, at least it does in my case. Anyone out there have any suggestions for soft classic perfume?
Perfumes are more about body chemistry no body lines, style or personality
Anything soft and powdery. Think Prada's Les Infusions line, Lancome's Poeme, Guerlain's Vol de Nuit, Givenchy's Givenchy III, Chanel's Allure edt, Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs. Or soft florals, such as Chloe's Chloe edp, Oscar de Renta's Oscar, Estee Lauder's Pleasures.
omg the hair thing is so true. i have naturally pretty untamed curly frizzy hair and it just always throws off my entire face and body if i dont style it correctly or have a bad hair day. i usually just straighten it because i always thought it went so much better with my face structure and body type.
Loved this video!! But also definitely not going to abandon my combat boots hehe its my pop of "im a soft classic but low-key princess diana shoes be damned"
Since I was young girl, my Dad always told me less is more with makeup. It irritated me and I always thought, what does he know? Now I’m 30 and yea I’ve finally decided to wear minimal makeup and pair down my wardrobe. I prefer clothing that fits not to tight but not too loose where I don’t get lost in the fabric. I’m 5 ft 8.5 wear a size 6 but people think I look 6ft because my arms and legs are long. It’s taken awhile for me to find my look, so I’m glad to learn about this page and the Kibbe test.
Just watched this again for the umpteenth time and, as always, learned something new. Your videos are so tremendously real, grounded, and helpful.
thank you so much Patrice. Also happy to hear your favorite food is still olive.
Imma cry. I love oversized sweaters so much but I can’t wear em. Gotta fill up my closet with LBD’s ig 🤷🏻♀️
Anastasia Galkina try wearing them with a belt around your waist 🙂 i‘m doing this with the big sweaters i bought during pregnancy
BrownWhiteCat I’ve tried but they don’t lol very good :(
As a classic type with naturally wavy hair (and delicate fine strands) the hair section stings a lil, lol. Natural waves never look neat.
I think you could do wavy hair if it's primarily neat (doesn't have to be perfect), take a look at my example of Kirsten at 26:24 of this video. :)
Hmm....From what I've been told, wavy hair can get quite frizzy (especially in humid weather), and I suppose that would take away from the neatness of the look. But, I wonder if you could use a serum, leave-in conditioner, oil, etc. to smooth the hair and keep it from frizzing? You would have to use something lightweight-and then not too much of it-because you have fine hair.
Unneighborly Arcades Thanks for your suggestions! Yes, it does get crazy in the humidity. I live in humid Hong Kong too, so my hair is a constant poof! I’m currently using an oil serum and it helps a little. I also live on a mountain, with lots of wind that wrecks my hair every time I walk outside. It’s rough, but I do my best lol.;)
@@merriamstyle Oh, and I really appreciate this video too. Not a lot of videos for classics, nor are any as well done as yours.
Emily Pinkerton look into the curly girl method by Lorraine Massey. It’s not exactly ‘neat’ but it helps beat frizz, gives the hair definition and beats ironing the crap out of your hair with a curling iron...
After more than a year of thinking I was a TR, it turns out that I'm SC and it feels like I'm back to square 1 trying to educate myself about my body type. Fortunately there's some overlap between SC and TR due to the shared Yin. I never considered Classic seriously because I don't feel as elegant, poised and beautiful as these actresses so this comes as a big surprise to me.
Very insightful. Please a video on dramatic classic . Thank you .
Flamboyant Natural 🙏
I don’t know what to do about my frizzy curls!! 😭😭
Own it!
Методом проб и ошибок я приняла себя как софт классик. Тоже всю жизнь в 38 лет думала, что классик это скучно. Я была всеми типажами, кроме своего. Сейчас приняла свой. I’ve embraced my Soft Classic type, it’s not boring, it’s exquisite ❤