David Kibbe’s book Metamorphosis came out in the 1980s with a new way to identify female body types. While some advice in it might seem dated, the general idea may serve as a helpful guide to finding your own look.
Kibbe revolutionised the approach to body theory by making us look at ourselves not as just bodies with shapes, but as having an essence. This style essence comes from personality as much as our physical characteristics. Clothing should not attempt to make us look a shape other than what we are; instead, it should complement the vibe we give off and look at one with us, rather than separate from us.
Youtubers such as Aly Art and Merriam Style have recently helped bring Kibbe’s ideas to popular consciousness.
Kibbe’s ideology is not about labelling bodies as being pear shaped, apple shaped etc – shapes based entirely on the proportions of the body. This system is, instead, about the general “lines” for your look. From hair to makeup to clothing and jewellery. The idea is to find silhouettes that suit you and enhance your features.
The silhouettes are not intended to define your style. Being curvaceous does not mean you cannot be edgy, and having a slim frame does not mean you are not womanly. On the contrary, the idea is to understand your specific type and combination of femininity/masculity and embrace it in yourself and your look.
Your job is to make the silhouette suit your personality.
The “Kibbegories” offer a general vision of the silhouette, with a focus on overall shape and lines rather than individual pieces. You will not see guidelines such as whether or not you can wear an A-line skirt!
A key element of the Kibbe types is the masculine versus the feminine – the yin and the yang. Features are identified as being more yang or more yin features, and every individual has a unique mixture of both. Your features might evenly blend yin and yang, or be more of a mix.
One of the most wholesome aspects to Kibbe’s system is that it embraces different types of femininity. No body is taught to hide their features – on the contrary, to emphasise what makes them unique. All women are beautiful and feminine, the key is to find how to accentuate and embrace your own style of femininity.
Some women may feel if they wear a lot of makeup, they look more masculine, and a more delicate touch suits them. The same look that looked clownish on you can look fabulous on somebody else.
Maybe very dainty pieces make you look silly and like you’re trying to look like a little girl, whereas somebody else looks amazing in them. Or a very draped outfit makes your friend look like a goddess and you feel like you look sloppy.
Once you find what complements your personal silhouette and essence, you can adapt this to your own style. This is where you pick the pieces you love to build a look that makes you glow like the goddess you are!
We will continue to explore the 13 Kibbe “categories” in the following posts.
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