What is the Kibbe Body System?
The Kibbe Body System is made up of 13 body types. In David Kibbe’s 1987 book Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle As Only You Can, he created 5 style families and sub-divided them into 13 total image identities. These image identities are based on facial features and body characteristics. Each Kibbe body type falls along a spectrum of “yin” (soft) and “yang” (angular) features. Yin energy leans toward more feminine or Romantic types, while more masculine or Dramatic types have more yang energy.
Kibbe Face Types
Dramatics If you’re a Kibbe Dramatic, your face has straight, sleek lines with taut skin, especially around the cheeks and jaw. You have sloe or almond-shaped eyes and narrow, thin, or straight lips. Your bone structure is often angular with sharp edges. Makeup: Try a minimal look with neutral shadow, lip, and cheek colors. Or, add drama for the evening with a sharply defined red lip. Female Celebrities: Faye Dunaway, Claire Danes, Anjelica Houston, Diahann Carrol, Dolores Del Rio, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, Amal Clooney, and Donyale Luna Male Celebrities: Adrien Brody, Mads Mikkelsen, Tom Hiddleston, Richard Armitage, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leonard Nimoy, Hugh Laurie, David Bowie, and Keanu Reeves
Soft Dramatics If you’re a Soft Dramatic, your face is lush, sensual, and exotic. Your eyes are large and dramatic, and you have full lips and soft, rounded cheeks. You tend to have a large, angular bone structure with sharp cheekbones. Makeup: Play up your full lips and large eyes with bolder styles like dark lip colors, dramatic cat eyes, and lengthy false eyelashes. Female Celebrities: Barbara Streisand, Christina Hendricks, Anne Bancroft, Sophia Vergara, Tyra Banks, Ava Gardner, Megan Thee Stallion, Marlene Dietrich, and Rachel Weisz Male Celebrities: Christopher Walken, Peter Steele, Gregory Peck, Jeff Goldblum, Prince William, Kim Woo-bin, John Travolta, and Gerard Piqué
Naturals As a Kibbe Natural, your face is slightly broad, with blunt or irregular edges and open features. You have moderate-to-small eyes and taut cheeks. Your lips are straight and slightly thin. You generally have a bone structure that’s slightly straight and angular with blunt edges. Makeup: Keep your makeup fresh and natural with cheeks and lips that are matte and blended. Make sure to balance the intensity of your eyes and lips. Female Celebrities: Ali MacGraw, Jennifer Aniston, Priyanka Chopra, Kelly Hu, and Meghan Markle Male Celebrities: Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, Jensen Ackles, John Wayne, Heath Ledger, and Michael Ealy
Flamboyant Naturals If you’re a Flamboyant Natural, you have a broad open face with eyes that are either very large and open or straight and small. Your cheeks are taut, and your lips are straight and on the thinner side. Your bone structure is typically large and angular with blunt edges. Makeup: Try a subtle eye shadow and blush with a bold red lip for your perfect everyday makeup look. When you go with heavier eye makeup, choose a light gloss or lipstick with a bit of shimmer for your lips. Female Celebrities: Shirley MacLaine, Amy Adams, Solange Knowles, Michelle Obama, Gisele Bundchen, Lizzo, and Princess Diana Male Celebrities: Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, Joe Biden, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Momoa, Jesse Pavelka, and Owen Wilson
Soft Naturals As a Kibbe Soft Natural, your face is most likely full and rounded. You have full lips and soft cheeks with rounded eyes that give you an innocent expression. Your nose tends to be on the smaller side but slightly blunt, wide, or irregular. Generally, your bone structure is slightly angular and blunt or small and irregular. Makeup: Keep your makeup natural and subtle, choosing to play up only one feature at a time. For example, pair a smokey eye with a muted cheek and lip color. Female Celebrities: Aishwarya Rai, Marisa Tomei, Kamala Harris, Viola Davis, Kim Basinger, Sandra Oh, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Molly Ringwald Male Celebrities: Chris Pine, Tom Cruise, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, and Jake Gyllenhaal
Classics If you’re a Kibbe Classic, you probably have an oval face with symmetrical features that are evenly spaced. Your cheeks, nose, and jawline are chiseled. You often have a straight, symmetrical bone structure with a slight sharpness and angularity. Makeup: Try a well-blended eyeliner right along your lash line to emphasize your eyes. A bold red lip is a great contrast to your minimal look. Just make sure to blend the edges slightly to keep your lips from looking too sharp. Female Celebrities: Grace Kelly, Rochelle Humes, Zhang Ziyi, Diane Sawyer, Cybill Shepherd, Ginger Rogers, and Isabele Hupert Male Celebrities: Ben Barnes, Michael Fassbender, George Clooney, and Justin Timberlake
Dramatic Classics As a Dramatic Classic, you have the even, symmetrical features of a Classic and the sloe eyes and moderate lips of a Dramatic. Your eyes may be on the larger, more Dramatic side. You usually have a symmetrical bone structure with slightly rounded edges. Makeup: Choose natural lipstick, subtle eyeshadow, and angular brow shaping to emphasize your sophisticated bone structure. If you go with a bolder lip and winged eyeliner, balance it with a neutral eyeshadow. Soften a more glamorous look with a bronze smokey eye and neutral lip. Female Celebrities: Tracy Scoggins, Phylicia Rashad, Katharine Ross, Olivia Munn, Courteney Cox, Rosé, Anna O’Brien, and Naomi Scott Male Celebrities: Cary Grant, Hugh Grant, David Beckham, Ralph Fiennes, Christian Bale, and Ryan Gosling
Soft Classics If you identify as a Soft Classic, your face is probably soft and full. You have symmetrical features that are evenly spaced. Your eyes are large, and your cheeks and lips are full and soft. Your bone structure leans toward being symmetrical with slightly angular edges. Makeup: Choose a natural makeup look with pink cheeks, rosy lips, and minimal eye shadow to keep your look soft and pretty. Female Celebrities: Merle Oberon, Olivia de Havilland, Lee Remick, Naomi Watts, Joan Fontaine, Kirsten Dunst, Meryl Streep, Jisoo, Lupita Nyong’o, and Oprah Winfrey Male Celebrities: Paul Rudd, Jesse Spencer, Jude Law, James Franco, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Gamines If you have a Gamine body type, you probably have large, doe eyes. Your cheeks and the flesh on your face are mostly likely taut with delicately sharp contours. You have moderate to thin lips that are narrow and straight but not full. Your bone structure is angular, sharp, narrow, and sometimes delicate. Makeup: Keep emphasis on your eyes or your lips (but not both). Amp up your look for the evening with a small upward flick to your eyeliner at the outside corner of your eye. Then, choose a sophisticated matte lipstick in a color that looks like your lips but better. Female Celebrities: Mia Farrow, Dascha Polanco, and Audrey Tautou Male Celebrities: Usher, Jared Leto, Fred Astaire, Christoph Waltz, Rami Malek, and Elijah Wood
Soft Gamines As a Soft Gamine, your features are usually doll-like, with wide eyes, rounded cheeks, and full lips. Your face is mostly rounded, but you may also have a slightly sharp or strong jawline. You typically have a small, delicate bone structure that’s also slightly broad and angular. Makeup: Emphasize either your large, doll-like eyes or your full lips. Making your eyes pop doesn’t take much, especially if you have full brows. Choose matte colors for your eyes and your lips to keep your features in balance. Female Celebrities: Natalie Wood, Eartha Kitt, Jenna Coleman, Mindy Kaling, Jessica Brown Findlay, Brenda Song, Bette Davis, and Octavia Spencer Male Celebrities: Daniel Radcliffe, Martin Freeman, Gerard Way, Jamie Cullum, Kevin Hart, Bruno Mars, Robin Williams, Josh Hutcherson, and Zac Efron
Flamboyant Gamines If you’re a Kibbe Flamboyant Gamine, you probably have extremely large, beautiful eyes. They balance your long or slightly oblong facial shape. You tend to have taut cheeks with moderate-to-full lips. Your bone structure is broadly angular and slightly wide. Makeup:Combine deeper, sultry colors with more vibrant eyeshadows and liners. Choose mattes during the day and elevate your evening look with a bit of sheer sparkle. Female Celebrities: Nastassja Kinski, Penelope Cruz, Kelly Osbourne, Jennie, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Debbie Allen, Audrey Hepburn, and Tessa Thompson Male Celebrities: Ben Stiller, Eddie Redmayne, James Dean, Mick Jagger, Mark Hamill, A$AP Rocky, Rowan Atkinson, and Pharrell
Romantics If you have a Romantic body type, your face is usually lush, full, and sensual. You have large, luminous eyes, and your lips are full and luscious. Your cheeks are soft and pleasantly rounded. You generally have a very delicate bone structure that may appear larger due to its width or lushness. Makeup: Wear soft and blurry eyeshadow in light colors like champagne, pink, and warm brown with shiny lipstick, lip gloss, or bold lip stain to show off your full lips. Female Celebrities: Arlene Dahl, Jean Simmons, Christina Ricci, Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Condor, Gabourey Sidibe, and Doja Cat Male Celebrities: Colin Firth, Elvis Presley, Billy Dee Williams, Tom Hardy, George Michael, Taylor Lautner, Nicholas Hoult, Jim Morrison, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Luke Evans
Theatrical Romantics Theatrical Romantics like you are soft and lush, including your luscious lips and satiny soft cheeks. You have large, luminous eyes that are either slightly turned up at the corners or have heavier eyelids that give you “bedroom eyes.” Your bone structure is small and delicate, with slightly sharp edges. Makeup: Choose bright or pastel colors (and anything in between) with sheen or sparkle. Try glossy lips in any shade of red or pink. Female Celebrities: Donna Mills, Joan Bennett, Morgan Brittany, Ann-Margret, Rihanna, Tess Holliday, Li Jun Li, and Rachel McAdams Male Celebrities: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Robert Pattinson, Douglas Booth, Robert Downey Jr., and Ville Vallo
Kibbe Body Types
The Kibbe system includes 13 total body types. These types have varying combinations of yin and yang to help you find wardrobe basics, makeup, and hairstyles that highlight your unique features. Just remember, the Kibbe system is helpful, but it doesn’t define you. While the system can help you develop a flattering personal style, it doesn’t have to represent who you are. Dramatic: Fully yang with angularity, sharpness, sleekness, and height. Soft Dramatic: Mostly yang with strong yin features for a balance of angularity and softness. Flamboyant Natural: Yang-dominant with a tall, lean, and blunt body balanced by a natural softness. Natural: Similar to a Dramatic but with blunt edges rather than the sharpness of a body with full yang energy. Soft Natural: Blends yin with softened yang for a straight, angular body and more roundness than a pure Natural. Dramatic Classic: Almost perfectly balanced between yin and yang energies for a symmetrical body with slightly angular and muscular features. Classic: A perfect balance between yin and yang energies, resulting in a refined, understated figure with completely even and symmetrical proportions. Soft Classic: Balanced and refined like the pure Classic but with slightly more fullness and softness to their features. Flamboyant Gamine: Balances the yin and yang energies in a petite frame but with more exaggerated features. Gamine: Blend a yin face with a yang body, creating a gamine’s narrow, petite frame with full and rounded facial features. Soft Gamine: Balances yang energy by scaling it down into a petite frame with delicate, rounded features. Theatrical Romantic: Almost entirely yin with a soft and delicate figure, but a touch of yang gives them broad and sharp facial features. Romantic: All yin and often described as voluptuous with soft, rounded, and curvy features.
How to Find Your Kibbe Type
Take a test to find your Kibbe body type. If you’re not sure what your Kibbe type is, one of the easiest ways to find it is by taking our Kibbe Body Type Test. David Kibbe’s original book has gone out of print, but he has plans to release a new book titled David Kibbe's Power of Style: A Guided Journey to Help You Discover Your Authentic Style. The new book will have updated guidelines to help determine your type, with recommendations for hair, makeup, and clothing styles. Your facial features are only one small part of determining your Kibbe type. In fact, some say that David Kibbe no longer uses faces to determine your style identity. Kibbe no longer uses the pure Gamine, Classic, and Natural body types because he feels no one falls perfectly into those types, but they can be helpful when you’re figuring out your own image identity.
Hire an image consultant to determine your type. If you’re still having trouble deciding where you fall on the Kibbe spectrum or you just want professional help, hire an image consultant who specializes in body typing. A session with an image consultant may include reviewing your best colors, silhouettes, and styles based on your physical characteristics, lifestyle, goals, and preferences. If you choose to hire an image consultant, make sure you set up an interview and check references before hiring them. The Association of Image Consultants International has a directory of qualified image consultants. Image consultants typically charge an hourly rate of $100-$200. The length of your session depends on how much help you need. Some image consultants charge a flat fee between $500 and $2,000 for their services.
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