Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, probably have seen at least one of my Kibbe body types posts.
If you haven’t yet, the Kibbe body types are a group of 13 body types, that are holistically determined based on your bone structure, flesh, and facial features. If that sounds interesting to you, then I suggest you try out the test to figure out which body type you have.
One of the topics that I’ve seen discussed alongside the Kibbe body types is the concept of Ethereal Essences. A blog post discussing Ethereal Essences was also requested by one of my readers. Thanks for requesting this, Dafne!
I’ve been doing some research into the Ethereals, which are a typology created by Olga Brylińska, and so I’m going to discuss my thoughts in this post. This post will be a lot less analytical, and more free form, than my other posts, as this is just me exploring my thoughts on the subjects of Ethereals, aesthetics, and the Kibbe body types.
Before I begin, I must also thank Merriam Style and Olga Brylińska, for the information that I’ve learned through their materials.
Kibbe Lines = Delivery Method for Style
So to begin, I view the Kibbe lines not as a specific style, but more as a delivery method for style.
Similarly to how an artist can use all different kinds of mediums to convey a message, be it oil paint, wood carving, or pencil sketching, a person can use their Kibbe lines to convey a message about their personality and style just by considering the way they dress.
Now that being said, pretty much any example of clothing, accessories, makeup, or hairstyles I give as examples for the Kibbe lines are going to be biased by my own personal tastes.
My Kibbe Pinterest boards are much the same way, since when finding images for my boards, my eye is caught first by what I consider to be beautiful. Then I analyze the lines and figure out which Kibbe body type would look best in it.
Because of this, it can be difficult to differentiate style from the Kibbe lines, however it’s much easier to do so if you view the Kibbe lines as a delivery method for style.
Ethereal Essences = Aesthetics?
When analyzing Olga’s Ethereal Pinterest boards, I noticed that her collections of images reminded me a lot of the concept of aesthetics.
Maybe it’s more of a Gen Z thing, but I’ve noticed that a lot of fashionable teenagers categorize their styles based on aesthetics. Some popular ones are art hoe, grunge, retro, e-boy, and Insta baddie.
(If those names don’t make sense to you, don’t worry. I’ll be diving into aesthetics in some posts soon.)
One of my favorite aesthetics, the art hoe (I’m not fond of the name, but the style is beautiful), doesn’t really fit into any of the Ethereal labels. And yet, it is a fully formed aesthetic style, one that, if you’re familiar with it, can be identified in just one outfit or photograph.
So in my mind, I view the Ethereals in the same way that I view aesthetics. Because of that, I think there a lot more than just 18 categories.
Where to Go From Here
Now you might be wondering what to do with this information. How can you learn about more kinds of aesthetics? How can you utilize different trends in fashion and aesthetics to convey your personality?
Well, a good place to start is my Pinterest, where I’ve started making boards for the aesthetics. There you can get an idea of what some of the current aesthetics are, and you can find ones that interest you.
I would also recommend checking out Olga’s Pinterest boards, so that you can see her boards for the Ethereals.
Lastly, please take a look at Merriam Style’s YouTube channel, where she has some wonderful videos on the Ethereals, style, and Kibbe body types.
Before you go, it’s important to note that what was written in this blog post is just my opinions on these topics, and that since I’m human, my opinions will be biased because of my experiences and tastes. It’s alright if you disagree or agree with me.
Cozy Rebekah 
Can you explain what a Ethereal Essence is, please? You said it was a lot like an aesthetic, but it seemed as though you assumed that all your readers would know what it was. I know a lot of different aesthetics but I’m fuzzy on the idea of an Ethereal Essence. Thanks.
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Yeah sure! Sorry that I didn’t go into an explanation, that’s my bad.
So the concept of an Ethereal Essence is that we all have at least one essence to our look, that can be influenced by our personality, facial expression, and style of dress. For example, Cate Blanchett is a common example used to show the concept of Ethereals, since she tends to have an otherworldly look, which when combined with her striking features makes her look quite regal, angelic, or commanding.
So Olga’s concept of Ethereal Essences, as I understand it, is that we all have one or more of 18 Ethereals in our facial features and the way we express ourselves. You can see examples of Ethereals on her Pinterest and website.
Personally, I have difficulty making an exact analysis of Ethereals, because I find the essences can be so easily changed by the way we present ourselves in the way we walk, talk, and most importantly, in our facial expressions. Ethereal Essences are a way to express our personality in a way that aligns with the vibe of our faces and expressions, but to me, going with the general concept of aesthetics is a more productive way of doing so, since you’re not limiting yourself to just 18 of them.
I realize that this description is kind of vague, so I would recommend watching this video by Merriam Style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjmYG5Yrtmw She has some great videos on Ethereal Essences, and she’s really good at explaining things in a concrete and analytical way, so I’d recommend her channel to anyone wanting to learn more about Ethereals.
I hope that helps!
Edit: I also find aesthetics to be a more productive way of expressing ourselves, since there tends to be a tie between aesthetics and other interests or hobbies. For example, many people who dress or express themselves using the art hoe aesthetic practice sketching, painting, music, or other artistic activities on a regular basis.
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Thank you!
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Interesting post! Your blog is such a gem 💕
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Thank you! I really appreciate it. ❤
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Great post, thanks! I also like the “art hoe” even tho the name makes it kind of hilarious. 😀
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Thank you Dafne! Yeah, the name is definitely an interesting one lol
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What about ingenue? I fit mostly into that category, more than romantic or soft gamine.
Tanks
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Ingenue I find is a tricky thing, because to me, it’s really about the overall balance of the body + face, not just what the facial features look like. I’ve seen some people who have a lot of ingenue in them, but have a large or long bone structure, so dressing to more of an ingenue style wouldn’t suit them.
I’m also not a fan of using ingenue to describe someone, because of the meaning of ingenue (the original meaning is an innocent/unsophisticated woman), so I prefer to go by the overall body type.
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So in the traditional kibbe system I type as a soft natural; I am only 5’0 tall, with small bone structure- however I am carrying about 25lbs extra, so i look rather soft. I physically look like a teenage-a teenage with curves (big bum not hips, big breasts) my smile is cutesy, I would get called cute over sexy for sure. So would that make me a natural ingenue?
I also am extremely drawn to the ethereal aesthetic, i want flowy, lacey, soft, dreamy aesthetics. Its what I feel most comfortable in,but not sure if it suits me or not. I cant wear pants…i despise pants unless linen haha.
Do you have any images of a natural ethereal ingenue?–i am a true warm autumn season—i think.
thanks again!
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Hmmm… I’m not super familiar with the ethereal essence, but I’d suggest taking a look at Selena Gomez. She’s a soft natural with definite ingenue essence, and I think she can really pull off ethereal looks as well (such as in this photo: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/672443788098605741/).
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