The Romantic True Autumn Part 1
April 2, 2012 by Christine Scaman
You can tell I’m really warming to this Kibbe topic when the length of my posts are no longer under my control.
The best part of this one was reading his description of the person. I have the world’s most wonderful facialist, say Angie. We do Guided Facials (my term). I see her often, so incredibly cognitive is she of what I need to hear and practice to keep ascending. She is not telepathic. What she hears for me from her own voices aren’t in my head to begin with. As Mr. Kibbe says about Romantics, she has an ability to see my higher self and show me very clearly and practically what to strengthen and how to release to attain the next height. It’s as amazing as it sounds. I read the words describing this type several times, so accurate were they, like I couldn’t believe the print was on the page and I wasn’t placing the words there as I read. She is a Winter, probably True. Not floaty, ethereal, or dreamy. She’s quite philosophical, fairly blunt, and not a bit sweet.
Like the situations in life that you can’t think your way through, very much where I find myself at this time, the Romantic embodies that which can only be received and never held, let alone taken. True to their position at the highest physical Yin type, the Romantic lives life in the Yin way that gathers energy slowly, rather than Yang’s fast&hard. She lives in faith, trust, and love, more than the Yang’s impulse and industry. Romanticism is an extreme form of sophistication, that word meaning ‘to become more complex and less straightforward’. Romance is about suggestion and attraction. She’ll be alluring beyond words but you still have to come to all the way to her, as the bumblebee to the bloom. She settles and allows, living the truth that in giving, and perhaps only in giving, do we know what it means to receive.
As we try on various Kibbetypes to test their fit, I find this one a little easier to see in a person than some of the others, probably because one shape is predominant in bone and body and face. The Yang aspect of a Romantic type doesn’t make its visual presence felt. There is no traditional ‘masculine’ or ‘dramatic’ element, no straightness of brow, no density of bone, no bluntness of nose.
I bet I would have mistyped Lisa, the R model in the book, especially before her transformation. I probably would have said SC except that the Before outfit looks aging. Today, we are so fortunate in having a real woman to imagine, one who epitomizes the very Yin features to perfection. We’ll call her Roseanna. I am grateful to her for use of the photos and to Sci\ART analyst Maytee Garza of Reveal Style Consultancy in New Jersey who draped Roseanna a True Autumn.
Every time I see Roseanna’s face, I’m reminded of a Persian Linda Rondstadt (don’t assume Linda is a Kibbe certified R, she just looks like one to me).
Here’s some time travel for you to see how an R body looks as it moves. Indeed, look at the bodies of all three women. Fascinating what you see when you look.
Which Linda has found herself? To me, not the one in jeans and a shirt, not the one you sometimes see in Mama Cass dresses. It’s this one:
Note: the great women of our Facebook group, whose generous advice I have such respect for, have helped me to see that Linda is actually a Soft Gamine, so a Gamine with a Romantic drift. I’ll show you some pictures of why and a better body model in Part 2.
Autumn and Romantic
A priceless part of these Polyvore exercises is having let go of every attachment I have regarding preconceived Season shapes, textures, or persons, while only holding the colours and this particular shape. These collections come together like an act of faith, like driving directions that make you wonder why you’re going through this neighbourhood and exactly where you’ll get at the end. I now approach my own shopping that way, just buy everything DC DW and put it together after because it works in Polyvoreland. The styles mix and match automatically just as well as Sci\ART based colour palettes do.
In my head was ultra-ultra feminine with a round shoulder. I set out to dress a modern day Marie Antoinette meets Pin Up Girl. No, too corseted. Victorian meets PinUp Girl worked till Victorian became floppy. Once it pulled together, I had more feeling of luxe boudoir, almost a sultanah effect at times, a lot to do with the colour palette.
But also, what should she wear to work? What would Roseanna pull on for a casual day? If she has two children and a job, she doesn’t carry a tiny round purse to the grocery store, so bigger purses got hourglass shapes. We all get closer to Natural on our days off. Keeping one frilly fancy item, a shoe, a bracelet, sets the tone for the whole oufit.
How to combine a Season of natural/earthy/textured/functional/square with a body line of soft delicacy?
Find the common ground:
- plush, ornate, lavish, antique
- belts, boots, leather, suede
- luxurious colours named for foods, antique, knits (for the fluffy/clingy/drape)
- pale neutrals, Autumn has many neutrals
- jewels
- hair around the face (good on Autumn)
- colourful makeup with bit of sparkle (metallic good on Autumn)
- “you have to touch it to know it” – this beautiful quote from a reader says it all
Romantic Design
Whether it’s a shoe, a party dress, a sofa, or a living room,
- round, circles, flow, swirl, curve, fluid
- hourglass waist definition
- fold/drape/sash/gathers/ draping to hug those curves a little
- detail intricate
- sparkle and pearl
- clingy/fluffy/short if it’s a sweater
- prints large floral/feathery
- the shoes you’d slide on Cinderella’s foot
Why They Were Not R
In knowing where we went wrong, we learn. Here are some close calls. This would be Poly 1 because I forgot to number it, of course.
Clockwise from upper L:
- The belted gold sleeveless – that V neckline, is it severe when the face is rounded? All edges should be rounded so V seemed not the best neckline, perhaps better for the Modigliani faces among the Dramatics. Might it also be too blousy and not respect the hourglass enough? Still, I find beautiful fluidity of line when I’m trying for no straight lines.
- The bow shoes – the bow is good but edges are sharp – perhaps an Soft Dramatic or Theatrical Romantic shoe.
- The wood circle earrings – shape and shiny hanging center piece good but too chunky.
- Brown shoes – good strappiness and tapered toe but heel too solid, should be slender and tapered.
- The pink dress says baby doll to me. I felt that tiers of ruffles is not what he meant and better for TR, though that is how he dressed the R model. The right ruffle for R looks like the petals of an iris, deeper, rounder.
- Maybe for the same reason as the ruffles, I couldn’t deal with bows of any size, like the gold Ferretti top.
- The red feather dress wouldn’t work if it were straight across the top, but this neckline (sweetheart, is it?) is good. The skirt is too stiff and the feather effect feels flamboyant, seeming better to balance a Yanger body.
- Green dress: neckline too plain, sleeves too straight, the shirtdress hem looks sloppy on the Roseanna in my imagination.
- The brown Valenti dress -many variations of this dress exist. Is it a problem when the top is neither draped or softened? Would this be just too fitted and not hug the curves with Yin’s grace and ease?
- The brown empire waist – I learned from Zandra’s very useful commentary on the D TSu to think about where a garment waist would sit on a body. This would miss the best part of the woman and look heavy, like if you hung it on half of a butterfly, you’d have no idea what the shape underneath was.
- Antique gold Marni dress on L side – skirt not swirly enough, needs more waist emphasis. Sleeves could work.
The R Choices
Poly 2:
There are two more Polys to show you! Are these purses too heavy?
I am all over that nail polish.
Comments
10 Responses to “The Romantic True Autumn Part 1”
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Very pretty. Love the colors, too!
I admire and applaud your willingness to leave your comfort zone and to walk out into unchartered territory like this….it’s almost like learning a new language and being willing to make mistakes and blunders on the road to ‘getting it right’.
any romantic true autumn woman would be blessed to have these outfits in her closet!
on the other hand, if you are inviting suggestions for tweaks (translation: my gut responses to these items as being Romantic as per Kibbe) – here are my very respectful thoughts…..
blue ensemble (top left) – Yes – but purse too theatrical perhaps?
cream and blue ensemble (top right) – yes and no – blouse too ‘downward’ or vertical in its overall line? but the soft edges and drape is working for it. skirt/shoes – yes, earrings – although made up of independent circles, the bevels (or whatever the stones are sitting in) are giving me points (angles) – purse, maybe – not liking the very flat bottom line of it
khaki ensemble (bottom left) – great! especially the shoes and purse
wine color ensemble (bottom right) – love it, except for the jacket – I’m reading too many straight lines – the cuff edges, the collar edges and v shapes…., necklace – love the idea – but if it was more swirly instead of angular
Oh Christine – that 2nd polyvore brought a tear to this R’s eye! The feel is so right! I opened your post and looked quickly at the first polyvore thinking it was for recommendations and felt disappointed – your sense of what is NOT right was absolutely spot on for me. The addition of elastane to clothing is a godsend for us romantics, it allows tops and dresses to hug our lines and allows for subtle adjustments to perfect the line, especially if a stretchy top is RUCHED over the tummy as well.. Stretchiness is also fabulous for our short waist. It is next to impossible for me to buy anything for my top half off the rack and have it fit without lots of bunching up at the back (that doesn’t have stretch). But give me a tight stretchy top (I buy a size or two smaller) worn over a pretty flared skirt and add a finer shrug that can be pulled into a little bow tie at centre front (highlighting our smallest point) and you have that old world “fitted to perfection” look that is perfect for us. Deep waistlines and lower necklines are so complimentary and I do love the empire line on me if the item is pulled in TIGHTLY under the bustline (this point is actually smaller than true waistline) and the fabric must be floaty/clingy enough to skim the hips -a top like so worn over floaty elastane infused flared bottom pants is my idea of easy wear/casual
(tummy concealing) heaven! Christine your work is such a gift. . .thankyou!
I probably shoud just add that I’m an almost 50, getting curvier as the years go b,y bright winter Romantic and my ideas of what is perfect for me will probably differ from all the young and lithe romantics out there! X
“I now approach my own shopping that way, just buy everything DC DW and put it together after because it works in Polyvoreland.”
I love this! I’ve had a similar thought but wondered at times if I dared try it. Yet when I imagine myself wearing something and see myself in a photo, the images don’t match. But Polyvore seems closer to the truth about what works.
FWIW, I have seen Linda Ronstadt typed as a Soft Gamine. But close enough for government work, don’t you think?
Thank you, dear ladies,
late – I read something similar to this: “We should not be afraid of flying. We should be afraid of not trying.” I don’t need wealth or fame, though I’m ready to take them if they come. My 80 year old self will only need to know she tried, she helped, and she came as close to her best self as she could. You know what happens when you’re wrong, 99% of the time, I’m certain you do. Nothing. That’s what happens. At least nothing bad. You make some good internal adjustments and you keep going. Please, more comments, as much as you have time for. There are 3 more Polys to get through! I wondered if that necklace bottom right had too many points. I liked its intricacy but it felt wrong. And the jacket! Of course you’re right. I was so busy thinking about “shawl collar, no notches” that I missed all the straight lines. So right about the flat bottom purse too.
Heather – lovely and useful comment. I knew that tie front small sweater would look fabulous. Does it tie at the waist or above, because I notice the smallest point is above the waist as you say. What does it mean “deep waistline”? Do you mean a high rise?
Kathryn – so right you are about Linda. I attempt a fix in Part 2. I figured that if colours mix and match in an accurate palette, and they mostly do, then line should be the same. There is a common denominator, an underlying theme, that unites all the elements. That’s the point really. For my DC, I’m supposed to shop head-to-toe, which was causing me to lose the fun. We have seen colour get stressy and that’s not the intention. It can’t be with Kib either. The intention must always be Grace and Ease.
Hi again Christine – yes the type of sweater I find so useful (and I have a collection of same sweater in my colours) is sold on au and uk ebay under “gringo” or “bali knit”. It has a pretty lacy knitted effect and is very versatile in that worn open, the sheerness shows the shape beneath, or the ends can be pulled up and tied very high and tight just above the waistline which gives a cropped and very fitted effect or can be tied more loosely lower down but the extreme clingyness still allows the shape to be “showcased” while hiding those fleshy armtops. By deep waistline I was thinking of a dress where the waistline shaping to the body begins right under the bustline and may continue down to belly button level ( to disguise the short waist) where the skirt might then flare out. Fabric might be a fine cotton or silk – like the iconic Marilyn Monroe white halter dress.
Just adding that with these fine knit lacy shrugs, if I tie the ends they are tied in a precise sort of bow and on me the whole effect is very, very fitted and elegant with no bunching of fabric anywhere and the look is not casual at all on my shape, as the ebay photos may appear.
Thank you Christine for this great article! Heather thank you for you comments on this and the other article. I am a bright spring who has just discovered she’s a romantic. I still feel a little stunned. Your insight is very helpful. I always have bunching and twisting and look dumpy in my boxy clothes. Thanks to kibbe and all you lovely ladies, I now know it isn’t me it’s the clothes. I too have a short waist and it has always frustrated me, but instead of hiding it in baggy stuff, I need to highlight it. Not to mention I look thinner when I do show it. If you have any more tips, I’m all ears!
Christine, your words-above the first picture- have brought me tears. Your analysis and description of the Romantic, have answered my internal question about some things in myself that puzzled me for a very long time.
Romantic, at last, at peace, and at home.
Lovingly,
Ima.