What to do if You Can’t Figure Out Your Kibbe Body Type

Categories Fashion, Kibbe Body Types, Style, , , , , , , , , , , 192 Comments on What to do if You Can’t Figure Out Your Kibbe Body Type

Figuring out your Kibbe body type can be difficult. With 15 questions total, and 5 possible answers to each question, it can be challenging to figure out exactly which answer is the correct one for each of your features.

If you’re having difficulty determining your body type then keep reading, because I’m going to be listing some tips and suggestions that might help you out.

If you don’t know what the Kibbe body types are, and you came to this post to learn more, I suggest you head over to my Overview of the Kibbe Body Types post, which will give you a rundown on the 13 different body types. From there you can take the test to figure out your body type, and then take a look at the signature looks for the body types.

So, now that you’re continuing to read this, it’s time to get into the things that you can try to help you determine your Kibbe body type.

1. Take the test with another person

It can be difficult to be objective when looking at our own bodies, and doing the Kibbe body types test requires objectivity.

If you’re feeling unsure of some of the answers you gave, then try taking the test with someone else, who can be more objective when telling you which answers your features fall under.

2. Take a photograph of yourself

When doing the test, you need to be able to see your body in its entirety. If you used a mirror to do this, but you’re unsure of the answers you gave on the test, then try using a photograph instead.

To get the best angle, place the camera at around chest level, and make sure that it is perpendicular to the floor. Back up a few steps, so that your entire body is in the frame, then take the picture.

If you don’t have a tripod and self timer for your camera, have someone else help you take the picture.

Now that you have the picture, try taking the test again. You might find that you can see your features more clearly and with more objectivity.

3. Put aside any stereotypes or assumptions you have in your head

Sometimes we develop assumptions about the body types, or focus on stereotypes that they have.

For example, a stereotype of dramatics is that they’re really tall. But let’s say you’re a short dramatic, like Lucy Liu (she’s 5’2”). If you cling on to the concept that all dramatics are tall, then you may take a look at yourself and declare yourself a flamboyant gamine, since you’re short.

Then you go and try on a flamboyant gamine outfit, it makes you look severe, and you wonder what happened. Now you’re confused as to why it doesn’t suit you, and you’re unsure of what your body type is.

If all of your other features are dramatic ones, then having one outlying feature isn’t enough to change that.

4. Read the general descriptions for each body type

Sometimes we get so caught up in the details, that we forget about what matters most: the big picture.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether your nose is an A or B answer, if you know that your overall vibe is that of a Theatrical Romantic. And that’s what matters most, the overall vibe, feeling, or aesthetic that our bodies give off.

The Kibbe body typing system isn’t about making sure that every little detail of what we wear is tailored to the individual feature its on. It’s about having the overall lines and looks of our clothing, accessories, hair, and makeup match with the overall lines and looks of our bodies.

So if you’re getting too caught up in each individual answer to the test, try taking a step back and reading the general descriptions of each body type.

Going back to the Theatrical Romantic example, the description for Theatrical Romantics is something along the lines of this:

Theatrical romantics have a delicate, and feminine bone structure, with their bones tending to be on the short and narrow side. Their flesh is soft, round, and very womanly, and they tend to have hourglass figures. They have soft flesh on their face as well, however their facial bones can be a bit sharp.

My mother is a Theatrical Romantic. She’s tall, but she doesn’t look tall, and her facial bones (specifically her nose and cheekbones) are on the sharp side. She still fits the description of a theatrical romantic though, since her overall look is short and feminine, with some slight sharpness and narrowness in the bones.

5. Narrow it down to one of the 5 families

In the Kibbe body type system, there are 5 families or groups for the body types, which are then divided into more specific sub-types, leaving us with 13 body types total. If you can’t figure out which of the 13 body types you have, then try to figure out which of the 5 families you belong to.

If you can narrow it down to one of the five families, then you’ll have a much better idea of what will look good on you, even if you can’t narrow down the specifics.

One way to narrow down which family you’re in is to try on a dress that matches the description for each family of body types. Do your best to make sure that the dresses are all in the same or similar colors, to make sure that your coloration isn’t throwing you off.

Here’s an example of a dress for each family of body types:

Dresses for the Kibbe Body Types

6. Consider Gamine or Classic

There are two body types that often get incorrectly typed as being something else: gamines and classics.

I’ll start with gamines. Gamines are often incorrectly typed because they’re a mixture of opposites. Because of this, it’s impossible to give an example of a gamine and then say ‘this is what all gamines look like’.

What makes a gamine is her mixture of opposites throughout her body, and so it can be difficult to type her.

As an example, Taylor Swift is a gamine, but she often gets typed as a dramatic, since her bones are long and narrow, her eyes are narrow, and she’s pretty tall. However, she also has a soft nose, jawline, cheekbones, shoulders, and flesh.

She’s a mixture of opposites, so she’s a gamine.

Next are classics.

Classics are often incorrectly typed because they’re so moderate, between yin and yang, feminine and masculine. Often when classics are being typed, the slight discrepancies in their features lead people to give them the wrong type.

As an example, because a classics features are so moderate, as soon as something is slightly softer or sharper (but still within the range of being a C answer), it gets misconstrued as belonging to a different type.

That then becomes a cascade, and then so many features that are classic answers are viewed through the lens of them being features of a different body type.

If you’re having trouble figuring out your body type, try testing out some classic outfits and some gamine outfits, and see if either of them suits you well.

7. Wear what you feel you look best in

If by this point you still don’t know which body type you have, just try wearing what you feel you look best in.

You see, people tend to gravitate towards the clothes for their body type, even if they don’t consciously realize it.

If you already have a look that you gravitate towards, then that could be an indication that you subconsciously know what looks good on you.

If that’s the case, then you can try reverse engineering your Kibbe body type. Instead of looking at your body and learning which clothes look good on you, try looking at your clothes and learning which body type they correspond to.

This was how I confirmed my body type when I first learned about the Kibbe body types. At the time I was a soft gamine, and though I already knew that soft gamine clothes looked the best on me, I didn’t understand why.

If you’re still unsure of your Kibbe body type, let me know, and I might be able to help you figure it out.

If you found this post helpful, please leave a like or share it with someone else who’d find it helpful. Thank you, and I hope that I’ll be seeing you around!

Published by Rebekah Bechervaise

I'm a style blogger with a focus on aesthetics and the 13 Kibbe body types!

192 thoughts on “What to do if You Can’t Figure Out Your Kibbe Body Type”

  1. Hey Rebekah!
    I’ve recently discovered your lovely website and have been trying to find my type. From my answers I’d put myself as a Soft Classic but some things have been putting me off a bit. Most pages say I’m too tall (5’8) for a Classic and also it seems there is a lot of “no bright colours” instructions around. I love wearing my autumn colour palette, especially the deep rusts, mustard, reds. Can I really be a SC?
    Would love if you could help!
    Martina

    Bones:
    Vertical Line: C (5’8)
    Shoulders: c (neutral) or maybe d (bit yin)
    Length arms/legs: a or b (definitely long, not sure about narrow or broad)
    Hands: c

    Flesh:
    Shape: d
    Bust: d
    Waist: d (or e)
    Hips: e
    Arms and thighs: d
    (Essentially, I’m a bit squishy overall?)

    Face bones
    Jawline: c
    Nose: c (probably)
    Cheekbones: c

    Face flesh:
    Eyes: b
    Lips: c
    Cheeks: c (maybe d?)

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks for commenting, Martina! You do seem to be a soft classic. I know there’s some division in the community about whether or not height can restrict which body type you have, but I’m on the side of height doesn’t restrict which body type you can have. Also, about the bright colors thing, I totally get that! I think you can definitely wear those colors, even if they don’t supposedly go with your body type. When it comes to colors I prefer to go with the stuff that makes people happy. 😀

      Here’s the link to my SC Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.ca/cozyrebekah/soft-classic-kibbe-body-types-inspiration/

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thanks Rebekah! It’s good to hear I can continue using my autumn colours regardless of my type.
        I’m not quite trusting my own typing at the moment and as I’m sewing my own clothes, I don’t want to invest (sewing time, fabrics) in something I’m not entirely sure about. I’ll take some time for pictures and will probably make use of your consultation service. If just to reassure myself. It’s hard looking at yourself objectively, especially when your body has been made out to be inadequate by other people.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Hi Rebekah,

        Thanks for your helpful post. I’m a little confused if I am a soft natural or a soft gamine. My answers to the test are as follows:

        Bones:
        Vertical Line: B (5’4”)
        Shoulders: B
        Length arms/legs: D
        Hands: A

        Flesh:
        Shape: C
        Bust: B
        Waist: E
        Hips: D
        Arms and thighs: D

        Face bones
        Jawline: E
        Nose: E
        Cheekbones: D

        Face flesh:
        Eyes: B
        Lips: C
        Cheeks: C

        Could you please help determine my type?

        Thanks a lot!

        Best,
        Yasmin

        Like

    2. Hi Rebekah, the body type quiz really confuses me. I really need help to get an expert eye.

      Like

      Reply

    3. Hi Rebekah! I recently discovered your work and I must say, its been very helpful. I do have my body type family narrowed down, I think I belong to Classic. But I wanted to quickly just confirm whether I’m a C or an SC by asking you. Would you mind telling me? Thanks so much! Here’s my quiz result.
      Bone structure: 3B 5C
      Flesh: 4C 2E
      Facial features: 3C

      Like

      Reply

    4. Hello Rebekah! I found out about your blog recently and now I’m kinda hooked :D. Would you mind confirming my kibbe body type for me? My height is 5’4 and here are my quiz results.
      Bone structure: 3B 5C
      Flesh: 4C 2E
      Facial features: 3C
      Thanks a lot!

      Like

      Reply

  2. Hi, I’ve done the test several times and end up with an equal number of b’s and c’s very few a’s and d’s Is there such a thing as a natural classic?

    Like

    Reply

  3. Hello Rebekah
    Thank you for all your work! I find that I am fascinated with how this Kibbee system works. However I am having a very hard time figuring out what I am. I took a picture of myself and tried to be as objective as possible. I came up with my body and mostly Yang and my face mostly Yin. However I am not Gamine. I am 5’9” but appear shorter. People are surprised at my height. However, my totals are A=7 D=7 C1 and E=1. Just body= A=5 C=1 D=2 E=1. Just face A=2 D=5
    According to the numbers it looks like I could be Soft Dramatic, or Theatrical Romantic. I mostly wear soft classic clothing. Maybe I am what you mentioned above. I am a classic looking too deeply at my differences.? Any suggestions?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks for commenting, Rebecca! Since you’re having difficulty with your results, I recommend trying out lines from the types you think that you are. For example, I recommend trying out soft dramatic lines, classic lines, and gamine lines and seeing which ones suit your features the most.

      Here’s the link to my Pinterest, so that you can see image examples of clothes for each type: https://www.pinterest.ca/cozyrebekah/boards/

      Like

      Reply

    2. Hi Rebekah! I’m commenting this because no matter what I’ve tried, I just can’t seem to figure out if I am a soft dramatic or flamboyant gamine. The two seem pretty similar and I haven’t been able to get an objective view of my features so hopefully you can help me out here. My test results are (in order of catergory):
      Body bone structure- B B A A A A C A
      Facial bone structure- C C C/D
      Flesh of the body- A A A
      Facial features/flesh- C D C/D
      I am also fairly tall (almost 5’8) and pretty young so maybe that helps? Anyway, I feel like even though my body seems to have a lot of yang in it based on the test I look a little bit more yin so once again I don’t know where that places me. Love your website and any help would be greatly appreciated.

      Like

      Reply

  4. Thanks Rebekah!
    Your website is really helpful for me, especially when i ve got totally confused from ‘around-the-world’ websites containing Kibbe’s informations.

    I always knew that i have natural body features…by the way, i felt like i look a little bit better in natural flamboyant style.

    I’ m 5′ 6″ tall…which is pretty tall at my region.
    I have longer limbs than normal South East Asian women.
    But my height and vertical line would be nothing if i stay in USA.

    How can we distinguish between this 2 natural types?ู^^

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for asking, Enith! I would say the easiest way to figure out if you’re a soft natural or flamboyant natural is to try wearing very light, flowy, soft fabrics, and then try wearing stiffer, more tailored fabrics. If you find that the stiffer fabrics look better on you, then you’re a flamboyant natural.

      Since you’re drawn to FN lines already, here’s the link to my FN Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.ca/cozyrebekah/flamboyant-natural-kibbe-body-types-inspiration/

      Like

      Reply

  5. Hello!

    I took the test and am having trouble decoding the results.

    Bone Structure: E A E E

    Flesh: A A C A D

    Face: D E D C C C

    Thoughts?

    Thank you, loving your blog!!

    Like

    Reply

  6. Hi Rebekah! I took the Kibbe test with the help of my friends, and while I got the dramatic type. I’m not too sure how well it fits me.

    12/15 of my answers were A, according to my friends, which puts me in dramatic. However, when I search for dramatic celebrities and clothing I can’t help but feel like it doesn’t suit me 100%.

    My facial features (particularly nose) are much softer than, say, a Tilda Swinton or a Cate Blanchette, and my cheeks are quite squishy.

    When it comes to the style, I agree that I should try and avoid super flowy clothes and look for a little more structure, as it suits me best, but some dramatic fashion such as triangular/square accessories, uber-long tops, and structured-yet-not-fitted items looks unnatural, make me look short (despite my noticeably long bodyline), and swallow up my body respectively.

    Can I receive some guidance? Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Thank you for breaking this down! I’m hoping you can help me figure out my body type. I’m 5’9 but look taller with long legs, hands, and feet. I have a full, evenly proportioned hourglass figure (at every weight). I can’t really tell the shape of my hips and rib cage because of all the padding! I have some muscle definition in my upper arms and thighs but they’re also fleshy from being slightly overweight. I have a sharp jawline and cheekbones that have been softened from my weight, but I have a rounded nose and mouth. My eyes are pretty even. I have some fleshiness in the skin over my cheekbones that is very pronounced when I smile. I’m getting a mix of A, C, and E answers. I think my overall look is either a soft dramatic or theatrical romantic because I’m long but curvy with a lot of roundness. But it’s hard to tell! I’d really appreciate your input!

    Like

    Reply

  8. Hi Rebekah,

    Thank you for your post. I am 5″7 with long legs and arms, but with curvy hips and bottom. I don’t really fit easily into a Kibbe body type, I think. Can you help me figure out which I come closest to?
    Bone structure:
    1B
    2C
    3A
    4A
    Flesh:
    5D
    6C
    7C
    8E
    9C
    Face:
    10D
    11E
    12A
    13A
    14E
    15A

    Like

    Reply

  9. Hi Rebekah! I took the test and I got TR but I’m not super curvy. Everyone describes TRs as having small shoulders and wide round hips, and I have small boxy hips with very curvy thighs and my shoulders aren’t broad, but they are the widest part of my body. I feel like I fit but don’t at the same time, so now I’m wondering if I could be an SG or SC instead?

    Here’s my answers –
    Bones:
    Vertical Line: E (5’4”, but I’m East Asian so maybe D)
    Shoulders: D
    Arms/legs: D
    Hands: E

    Flesh:
    Shape: C
    Bust: IDK, my breasts are small but my ribs are very small and curved
    Waist: C
    Hips: A
    Arms and thighs: D

    Facial bones:
    Jawline: C or D
    Nose: E
    Cheekbones: B

    Facial flesh:
    Eyes: Also IDK, I have small asian eyes that are rounded but tapered at the same time
    Lips: D
    Cheeks: D

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks for commenting, Mimi! Based on your results, I’d say that you’re a theatrical romantic. I know that theatrical romantics are said to mostly be curvy, but there are some exceptions. For example Mila Kunis is a theatrical romantic, but her body isn’t super curvy but her bone structure still has the delicate quality that characterizes theatrical romantics. Here’s the link to my TR Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.ca/cozyrebekah/theatrical-romantic-kibbe-body-types-inspiration/

      Like

      Reply

  10. I can’t really tell if I’m a dramatic or gamine.
    Bone:
    1B
    1D
    2A
    Flesh:
    3C
    1A
    1D
    Face:
    2C
    1D
    1A
    1E
    1B

    Like

    Reply

  11. Hey Rebekah, thanks for this! Both this specific post and your whole page are very helpful. I still can’t seem to figure out my type though. I’d really appreciate any help!

    Each time I do a test, I get slightly different results, albeit mostly As and Cs. I’d say my skeleton is pretty much a Dramatic. But my face probably isn’t. I only have prominent cheekbones but otherwise my features are softer, I have soft cheeks and big round eyes. Also my flesh isn’t taut. I’m relatively skinny, with long legs and arms but my flesh is softer. My hips are also wider for a Dramatic. Although I’m too narrow for a Soft Dramatic – especially in the bust area. Oh and I’m 5′ 8.

    Here are my latest test results:

    Bone structure:
    1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7C, 8C

    Facial bones:
    9C, 10C, 11A

    Flesh of the body:
    12A/B, 13D, 14D

    Facial features:
    15E, 16C, 17D

    Thanks!

    Like

    Reply

  12. Hey Rebekah, I loved the way you explained the kibbe system and have gotten a lot of help because of it! But I am still a bit confused on whether I am a SG or a TR. I am 21 and pretty short (156 cm) and my test answers are –
    BONE Yang
    BDAA
    FLESH Yin
    DBDDD
    FACIAL Bones Yin
    EDE
    FACIAL Features  Yin
    DDD

    Like

    Reply

  13. Can I be a Theatrical Romantic if I have thin lips and a smaller bustline? Or does the Yang in the Theatrical Romantic body type only come from the bone structure, not the flesh? I think I’m either a Theatrical Romantic or a Soft gamine, and I can’t decide!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Hi! So, I took multiple kibbie tests with picture examples and I am still not sure if I am a Romantic, Soft classic, or Gamine even. Its been pretty hard for me to know which one I am. My results for my Bone Structure are (B,C,D,D,E,D,C)
    My Flesh and Features are (E,D,D,C,D,C,A,E). I think I might be a romantic but I don’t full lips and my jawline is a bit strong. I know Romantics are known as petite and I am 5’1. So can you please help me, Thank you! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  15. Hey Rebekah,
    I must disagree with you with typing Taylor Swift as gamine. David Kibbe classified her as dramatic and you can’t tell that she is NOT dramatic, because its not your theory but the David’s. So he is expert in this.
    And why you say that Taylor Swift is gamine? She is very tall, with long limbs. How gamine clothes can hang well on her? Height is very very important in Kibbe typing, tall women have lot of powerful yang. In my opinion, in gamine stylizations Taylor look like she try to fit in child clothes.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I actually agree that Taylor Swift is a dramatic. I wrote this post over a year and a half ago, and since then I’ve continued to study Kibbe’s theory and have expanded my knowledge, and I’ve learned why height is an importance to body typing. Thank you for your comment though! ❤

      Like

      Reply

  16. Hello! I’m a little confused as to whether I fall into the romantic or theatrical romantic type. I am heavier now than I have been previously (size 14) but my waist is still 16 inches smaller than my hips and relatively the same ratio to my bust. I think in relation to my curves my bone structure for my shoulders and ribcage in particular is quite of small and I am only 5′ 3″. I did get a fairly even combination of d and e answers when I did the test which I know would put me into the theatrical romantic realm but I don’t know that I look delicate despite being petite in structural width. I have been told a lot that I look smaller than my size but having some body dysmorphia makes me struggle to access this on my own. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thank you so much!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for asking, Elsa! This is something that I’ve given thought about. If people tell you that you look delicate, than you probably are. For example, I have short parents and I’m quite short myself (I’m 5’3″ as well), but I forget about this. I get comments sometimes on how short I am, which reminds me that other people see me as quite petite.

      Dealing with body dysmorphia can be tricky, and I hope that it gets better for you! Based on what you said, you’re probably a Theatrical Romantic.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thank you for your fast response! Its really helpful to get some affirmation on this and I can tell you put a lot of thought into your platform. It can be difficult to view ourselves objectively and I appreciate the guidance. ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Dear Rebekah!
    I did the test so many times, and I still dont know which type am I. I looked your pinterest boardgame, and I think the outfits for soft classics fit me the best (or it feels somehow right) but im also quite petite (159-160 cm and 52 kg) so I was wondering maybe I’m a SG. I only gain weight around my butt and thights. Or is it possible that I am a romantic? Sorry I’m very confused 😀 I also did the test with my sisters, to get a more objective result, but I’m not sure.
    My results in the “renewed“ (2020) test from your blog:
    1D
    2C
    3D
    4D
    5D
    6C
    7A
    8C
    9C
    10A
    11C
    12A
    13C
    14B
    15C
    16E
    17D

    I’d be really grateful for your help and answerm because you’re the expert! 🙂
    And thank you for the inspiration-boards for outfits! They are amazing!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks for commenting, Anna! Based on your results, I’d say that you’re a Soft Classic, since you have mostly C answers, and your softer answers (D+E) outweigh your sharper answers (A+B). I’m so glad that you like my Pinterest boards! ❤

      Like

      Reply

  18. Hii I’m a bit confused about my result, I’m slightly underweight so idk if it affects anything,I seem to have a more romantic face which contrasts against my classicish body??

    Bone Structure: 1C 2D 3A 4D 5A 6C 6A 7C 8C
    Facial Bones: 9D/E 10E (half asian so i hv a wider nose in that sense) 11E
    Body Flesh: 12B 13C 14D
    Facial Features: 15E 16C 17E

    Thank you for your post!! I appreciate the time and effort you put into providing all of this info ❤

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment