Kibbe Body Test: Answers Explained

Well done on completing the Kibbe Body Types Test. In this post, I will be discussing your results, specifically how to read and understand them and how to use them to identify your Kibbe type.

Start by recording your answer for each of the 15 questions. Then, group your answers (per letter) for each section. In the end, you should have an answer sheet that should look something like this:

Sample answer sheet:

Skeleton: 4B

Body flesh: 4B, 1A

Facial features: 3B, 2E, 1D

Double-check that the number of answers adds up to 15. Then analyze what the answers are saying.

Look to see if your answers have a clear majority for each section, this is the best-case scenario which will make finding your type pretty straightforward.

How To Interpret Your Kibbe Test Answer Sheet

In the example above, the person in question is clearly a Natural type because they have mostly B answers (11 total). Of the last four answers, one provides additional sharpness in the flesh (1A), so this person's body is frame-dominant with muscular/taught flesh. All the 'soft' or yin answers belong to their facial features: 2E, and 1D.

So, taking all this together, I think this person could be a Soft Natural- a Natural structure and flesh with some softness in their face. However, there is also a strong case for a Flamboyant Natural (because of the additional sharpness in their flesh) who just happens to have additional softness on their face.

In this case, this person would be able to narrow down their potential body types to just two: Soft Natural or Flamboyant Natural. From here, they would then wear the clothing line recommendations for each to see which is more harmonious with them.

This is the exact process you should replicate in reading your results.

It is possible to have some outlier answers and still see what kibbe Id category you fit into. If your answers are all over the place, or almost equal parts yin and yang, you may be a Gamine type. More on that later. Below is a list of what category the majority of your answers put you in.

insert chart

Majority A answers- Dramatic

Pure Dramatic

If you got mostly A answers for all three sections then you’re a pure Dramatic (D). This ID has a yang dominance and is long, lean, and angular.

Pure Dramatic Example: Tilda Swinton

Soft Dramatic

If you have predominantly A answers with a few E or D answers then you’re a Soft Dramatic (SD). Your E and D answers are probably in the flesh and facial features categories. Your body and face are yang dominant and angular, but you may have some yin or softness to the flesh on your bone structure or your facial features.

Soft Dramatic Examples: Bella Hadid ; Zendaya

Majority B answers- Natural

If you have predominantly B answers under all three sections then you are a kibbe Natural (N). Your bone structure, facial features, and flesh are all elongated, broad, and blunt in comparison to one another. Your body has a yang dominance but is not as extreme and angular as the dramatic kibbe ID.

Flamboyant Natural

If you have mostly B answers with a few A answers then you are Kibbe’s Flamboyant Natural (FN). Your bone structure is long and lean but your flesh and facial features have a broad and blunt look to them.

Flamboyant Natural Examples: Gigi Hadid; Kendall Jenner; Hailey Bieber

Soft Natural

If you have predominantly B answers with a few D or E answers then you are considered a Soft Natural (SN). Your bone structure will be broad, slightly blunt, and overall elongated. But your flesh and face lean more towards the yin side and have a softness to them.

Soft Natural Example: Jennifer Lopez

Majority C Answers- Classic

If you have predominantly C answers under all three sections (bone structure, flesh, and facial features) then you are a Classic (C). Your features are blended and very balanced. For more information on blend versus contrast, check the kibbe Id system here.

Dramatic Classic

If you have predominantly C in the body flesh and facial features sections with a few A or B answers for bone structure, then you are a Dramatic Classic (DC). You have a very proportionate, even face and body flesh, but your bone structure has some yang dominance.

Dramatic Classic Example: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Soft Classic

If you have predominantly C answers for the bone structure/skeleton section but have several D or E answers under body flesh and/or facial features, then you are a Soft Classic (SC). Your bone structure is very balanced and proportionate but you have some softness and yin to your face and flesh.

Soft Classic Example: Kirsten Dunst

Mostly D or E Answers- Romantic

Romantic

If you have predominantly E answers under all three sections then you are a Kibbe Romantic (R). Your skeleton, flesh, and face all have yin dominance that exhibits softness, and rounded edges, also known as lush yin.

Romantic Example: Beyoncé

Theatrical Romantic

If you have predominately D answers, you are a Theatrical Romantic (TR). Your bone structure, flesh, and face all lean towards the yin side of the spectrum, but not as strictly as the pure Romantics.

You can also be a theatrical romantic if you have predominantly E or D answers with a few A answers. Your A answers will mostly show up in the bone structure or facial features but you will maintain softness in your flesh and shape.

Theatrical Romantic Example: Selena Gomez

Mixture of A/B answers and D/E answers- Gamine

If you got a generally even mix of opposite answers A/B and D/E, then your kibbe ID is Gamine (G). You are a combination of yin and yang and can display these traits in different parts of your body, flesh, and face.

Flamboyant Gamine

If your results have a mix of A/B and D/E answers but with slightly more A or B answers then your kibbe ID is a Flamboyant Gamine (FG). Your individual features can be placed distinctly in the yin or yang category (not blended) but overall your body tends to have some angles and sharpness. Your body becomes toned easily which highlights your angular silhouette. No matter your weight fluctuations you never really have curves.

Flamboyant Gamine Example: Zoe Kravitz

Soft Gamine

If your results have a mixture of answers but you have more D/E answers than A/B then you are a Soft Gamine (SG). You have a mixture of yin and yang across all three sections- skeleton, flesh, and facial features. You could have a bit more roundness/ softness in your facial features. You may get more rounded from weight gain and working out doesn’t overly define your muscles.

Soft Gamine Example: Reese Witherspoon

Can Your Kibbe ID Change?

According to David Kibbe, your ID cannot change. Weight loss and weight gain will not alter your Kibbe ID, but it can make it more or less obvious in some cases. Kibbe recommends evaluating your body ID after the age of 25 to get the most accurate results.

Conclusion

I hope this post was helpful in finding your kibbe ID. If you're still confused, please keep in mind that this is meant to be a journey of self-discovery, and more specifically of discovering your personal style. As such, it will take time.

If you're stuck, start by choosing your most beloved clothing items- the ones that just fit right- and try to figure out what their lines and properties are. They fit right and compliment you so beautifully because they are harmonious with your natural lines. So be curious about those lines.

Are the lines of the garments soft and drapey (yin) or hard and stiff (yang)? Are the items long or short? It's not a sure fix, but if you're really stuck, answering these questions will help you to reverse-engineer your kibbe type. Plus, it will help you to attune to the properties of both your clothes and your physical lines, which is a big part of seeing things in a 'kibbe way'.

Have you figured out your Kibbe ID yet? In case you're wondering, I'm a Flamboyant Natural.

Talk soon,

Nonjabulo

Complete Kibbe Body Types Test with Pictures: Find Your Kibbe Type

What is the Kibbe Body Type System?

The Kibbe system is a body type and style essence system that was developed by David Kibbe in the 1980s and focuses on five main categories: Dramatic, Classic, Natural, Gamine, and Romantic.

The Kibbe system essentially evaluates the balance of a body's yang (sharp, angular) and yin (soft, rounded) features to determine to which category it belongs. Each of the five main categories has a more yang or yin version, resulting in 10 body types.

Note: There were originally 13 total types when Kibbe acknowledged pure types. However, he no longer does this as he feels each person leans either more yin or yang within their body type category. If this is all new to you, I suggest you read this post first to better get a lay of the Kibbe land.

How Do I Figure Out My Kibbe Body Type?

By taking the body type test based on the original developed by David Kibbe. However, over time the test has proven to have some limitations and David Kibbe has now said not to use a quiz to figure out your type and that the only way to be “properly” typed is to book an in-person consultation with him. This is obviously not a viable option for most people and while it can be confusing, I think the test is still a great resource.

What's important is to remember that the test is not a mathematical formula. There is more to interpret than just the number of B answers you get, for example. Understanding the test and its answers requires a holistic approach to your lines (bone structure, flesh, and features) as well as your essence.

Kibbe Type Test Preparations

1. Get a pen and paper ready to record your responses. Or you could use the 'notes' function on a digital device. This quiz needs you to be exact about your responses, and it'll be nice to take notes in case you're unsure about an answer or you're between two answers. We will discuss how to record your responses shortly.

2. Take a full-length picture (head-to-toe) of yourself- take the photo at chest height and at a 90-degree angle (not tilted) to allow for your true proportions to be clearly visible.

   • Stand naturally with your shoulders back and head up.

   • Wear something that either clearly outlines your body (like a thin full leotard or leggings and a vest) or showcases your body (such as underwear or a swimsuit.

   • Wear a lightly lined, semi-supportive bra that doesn’t tweak the shape of your chest (nothing overly tight or confining or padded).

   • Avoid distracting colors and patterns, make it easy to focus on your body.

3. Take a back camera (non-selfie) face photo. Selfies and front-facing cameras can cause distortion and you want a true representation of your facial lines.

   • Make sure to prop your phone up in line with your face (not lower or higher, ensure the camera is not angled) and get a natural face shot.

   • Take a few photos, some smiling (these might help you with the facial flesh questions later), and some neutral ones so you have options.

   • You should have little to no makeup on.

   • Make sure you have good light and no strong shadows.

Camera considerations:

• You can either get a friend to take a picture of you or you can use your phone's self-timer function to do it yourself.

• A tripod helps ensure a steady, straight photo, but if you don’t have a tripod, then you can stack some level items (like books or shoeboxes) on a table or counter until you get to the desired chest-level height.

• Be sure to use the rear-facing camera. The front/ selfie cameras have more distortions and generally take a lower-quality photo from a distance.

Mental/ Emotional considerations:

• Be open to the test. If you've been reading up on the different body types, do your best to release any bias you have about any of them. No woman wants to be described as 'masculine', for example, so the Kibbe language can sometimes create a psychological barrier for many test takers who don't (and don't want to) see themselves a particular way. While I can easily understand why people do this, it is nonetheless a barrier that will hinder you from getting the full benefit of the test.

• Accept that the test is not perfect. This method is not definitive and your answers as well as your body type may require some tweaking as you learn and understand more. There is a lot of misinformation out there on the Kibbe system (with some contradictions from David Kibbe himself). This is a fun rabbit hole, but it's confusing and it's a lot. So, take the data you get from the quiz and see if it fits. Try out the clothing and style suggestions, and then tweak them as needed.

• You might not get it right the first time. For most of us, finding your Kibbe body type is a journey, not a 'one and done' type of thing. Knowing this upfront can save you some frustration (I hope).

What Does the Kibbe Test Examine?

The kibbe body test is made up of 15 questions that analyze four main components of your body:

• Skeleton (bone structure)

• Body Flesh (how your flesh sits on your bones)

• Facial Bones/Structure

• Facial Flesh

For each question, refer to the pictures you just took and compare them to the pictures in the test to choose the answer that is the closest match.

Do not tweak your answers to match the celebrity you want to look like. Just answer honestly for the body you have and not the one you wish you had. You're perfect.

Recording your answers:

The questions are grouped into sections, so group your answers the same. For each section, record the question number and your answer.

A sample answer sheet may look as follows:

Skeleton: 4B

Body flesh: 4B, 1A

Facial features: 3B, 2E, 1D

I'm sure at this point you're just dying to take the test, but I highly recommend you read this post first. As you'll quickly discover by scrolling down to the test questions, the test has a lot of 'Kibbe language'.

The very first question asks about your 'vertical line' and the entire test is designed to ascertain your exact 'yin' and 'yang' balance. If you have no idea what this means, then this post will get you up to speed and I think it will make the test-taking a lot smoother.

Kibbe Body Type Test

Part 1: Bone Structure/ Skeleton

In this section, we will be looking at your skeletal structure which directly relates to how clothes hang on your body. This is arguably the most important aspect of the kibbe body type system. Everything rests on your skeleton, both in real life and in Kibbe.

We will be looking at the shape of your bones as well as their length and proportions.

1. How long is your vertical line?

Your vertical line is your height in relation to your horizontal lines. For simplicity, it can be described as how tall you appear (not how tall you are).

So, for instance, you can have two people of the same height whereas one actually appears taller (when standing separately). The one who looks taller has a longer vertical line.

Let’s look at the example below:

The height of all these women is listed as 5'5, however, they don't look to be the same height. I think the two on the right, Miley Cyrus and Thandiwe Newton look taller than the two on the left. Lupita Nyong'o, and perhaps even more so, Selena Gomez looks shorter. This means that the two on the right have a longer vertical line.

My vertical line is:

A. Long ( I look taller than I actually am)

B. Moderately long ( I look slightly taller than I actually am, but not by much)

C. Moderate ( I look to be my actual height)

D. Smallish ( I look slightly shorter than my height)

E. Petite ( It is very obvious that I am small in stature)

Tip: If you’re struggling with this question, ask someone to guess your height from a photo and see how close they are.

2. What is the shape of your shoulders?

When evaluating your shoulder shape, make sure you stand up straight and don't slouch.

My shoulders are:

A. Narrow, Sharp

B. Blunt, Broad:

C. Even

D. Sloped, tapered

E. Sloped, rounded

3. How long are your arms and legs, and what shape are they?

Note: You're evaluating the length of your arms and legs in relation to the length of your torso. This does not involve actually measuring your arms and legs and it is not dependent on your height. Look at your body as a whole and evaluate the length of your limbs in relation to that whole.

It is possible to be tall and have short arms and legs proportionally speaking, and vice versa.

Tip: Refer to the full-length photo you took and note where the fingertips hit your leg in relation to the knee.

My arms and legs are:

A. Elongated, narrow

B. Elongated, broad

C. Moderate, evenly proportionate to your torso and height

D. Small, somewhat short

E. Small, very short proportionally to height and torso

4. What are the size and general shape of your hands and feet?

My hands and feet are:

A. Long and narrow

B. Large and broad

C. Moderate, neither large nor small

D. Small, narrow, delicate

E. Small, slightly wide

Part 2: Body Flesh

In this section, we will be examining how your flesh lays on your body. It is important to note that when we discuss flesh we are not discussing weight or “fat”, but rather how your skin looks over your flesh/ muscles and bones.

This part of the test will also examine how your bust, waist, and hips compare to one another. It will also further investigate the balance of yin (soft, rounded) and yang (sharp, angled) in your flesh.

A tale of two sisters:

The Hadid sisters are a great example of how a different Yin /yang composition can play out. Despite being very thin, Gigi Hadid has very 'pinchable' flesh and a round face with full cheeks. While her skeleton is yang, Gigi's flesh is more yin.

On the other hand, her sister, Bella Hadid is thin and her flesh is also thin. It's taut and sinewy on her body and her face is sharply chiseled with hollow cheeks. Both Bella's skeleton and flesh are yang.

Read the detailed comparison I did on Gigi and Bella Hadid here.

Have your photo ready and let's dive into the nuances of your flesh!

5. What is the overall shape of your body?

The overall shape of my body is:

A. Long and lean

B. Broad and tends to have a muscular look

C. Moderate, proportionate

D. Shapely, soft hourglass (not extremely defined)

E. Rounded edges, lush, clearly defined hourglass shape

6. What is the shape of your bust/upper torso?

When discussing your bust line it is about the overall shape of your chest and the flesh around it (upper back flesh, and side flesh). What outline does it create? The cup size is irrelevant and should not be considered a defining characteristic. Just because you have a larger chest does not mean you have 'yin'. Likewise, a small bust does not mean you have 'yang'.

Please read the descriptions carefully to see which answer you best fit into.

The shape of my bust/upper torso is:

A. Flat, taut, small

B. Wide and broad, but still small

C. Moderate, even

D. Curved and shapely, full

E. Prominent, busty

7. What is the shape of your waistline?

The shape of my waistline is:

* Use the same graphic as question 6

A. Elongated, “boyishly tapered” ( weight gain will not change this)

B. Elongated, but broad

C. Moderate, slightly defined

D. Very small in comparison to your waist, hips, and shoulders

E. Slightly defined, but still broad and has a round quality

8. What is the overall shape of your hips?

(Remember this is in relation to the rest of your body)

The overall shape of my hips is:

A. Straight, narrow, tapered

B. Fairly straight, slightly tapers in, but also slightly wide

C. Moderate, in comparison to bust and hips

D. Rounded and shapely, more pronounced than waistline

E. Extremely soft and rounded

9. How would you describe the flesh on your upper arms and thighs?

The easiest way to test this is to pinch the skin around your upper arms.

I can describe my upper arm and thigh flesh as:

* Use the same graphic as question 8

A. Long, slender, and lean for your weight (if thin there will be no flesh to pinch, if heavier you may have some flesh but it will be minimal for your weight)

B. Elongated; looks muscular. There is little flesh to pinch and it feels lean/ muscular)

C. Moderate: You fall somewhere in the middle. You might be able to pinch some flesh but not much and it feels neither lean nor fleshy for your size.

D. Soft, but with some definition, You will have some soft flesh to your upper thighs and upper arms that is easily pinchable and still has some definition to it.

E. Very soft, slightly wide, fleshy: Your upper arms and thighs feel fleshy and soft. You can pinch a fair amount of skin despite your weight.

Part 3: Facial Features

For this section, we will be examining your facial features. Make sure you have your face photo ready.

We will examine the shape of each of the features of your face, both their structure and how the flesh lays on it.

10. What is the shape of your jawline?

My jawline is:

A. Sharp; either very pointed or angular and square

B. Blunt and slightly wide, can feel broad

C. Moderate; neither wide, sharp nor distinctly round

D. Delicate, tapered/sloped, slightly narrow

E. Rounded, softly broad

11. What is the shape of your nose?

My nose is:

Kibbe Body Types Test: nose shape

A. Sharp or prominent

B. Broad or Blunt, can be on the larger side

C. Moderate

D. Delicate, tapered, narrow

E. Rounded or softly wide

12. What is the shape of your cheekbones?

For this question, we are looking at the shape of the actual bones (not the flesh). Referring back to your photo should help you see the shape, but you can also feel your cheekbones to see how prominent they are compared to your cheeks and how rounded or sharp they feel.

The shape of my cheekbones is:

A. High and prominent

B. Wide, blunt

C. Moderate

D. Delicate, narrow, with slightly rounded edges

E. Rounded, full, soft

13. What is the shape of your eyes?

The shape of my eyes is:

A. Narrow, straight, closely spaced

B. Narrow, straight, widely spaced

C. Evenly Spaced, Moderate Size

D. Rounded or upturned, slightly close together

E. Very round and very large

14. What is the shape of your lips?

My lips are:

Kibbe Body Types Test: lips shape

A. Straight, narrow

B. Straight, strong broad

C. Moderate

D. Slightly full and has some roundness

E. Very full and very rounded

15. How would you describe the flesh on your cheekbones?

This is not the same as the shape of your cheekbones (question 12). This question is about the flesh you have on top of your cheekbones (which can alter how prominent they are and the overall shape of your face).

For this question look at a picture of yourself smiling to see how much volume your cheek flesh creates. You can also smile and feel your cheekbones and see how much flesh you can pinch.

The flesh on my cheekbones is:

Kibbe Body Types Test: cheekbone flesh

A. Flat, taught (even when overweight)

B. Fairly tight or muscular; can get puffier if you put on weight

C. Moderate; can be gently soft

D. Soft and fleshy, if you gain weight your cheeks seem to get even fuller

E. Very round and fleshy ( no matter weight fluctuations)

Congratulations- You Did It!

You completed the Kibbe body type test! Take a breather, celebrate, and then meet me over in this post to discuss your results.

I hope this was helpful and I'll talk to you very soon.

Nonjabulo

How To Find Your Color Season | Style Analysis

I've been doing a deep dive into the science and art of dressing well using the body typing system developed by famed stylist David Kibbe. I like this system because its approach to style is not corrective (as so many have been), it's rather about highlighting each person's natural lines.

The style recommendations mimic an individual's natural lines to create a wardrobe that is cohesive with their body geometry and helps them communicate their true essence. This creates a style that is centered around making people look more like themselves, and encourages them to show up as the most authentic version of themselves.

Related: Complete Kibbe Body Types Test with Pictures: Find Your Kibbe Type

In this way, it's very inclusive and I think it's the kindest system in how it makes space for each person's beauty. I like it very much. That said, it is very (VERY!) confusing, and if you've ever tried to type yourself you may have found yourself in between two (or more) body types, I know I did. In (this post), I discuss how I used a process of elimination to get down to my most likely body types so that further analysis would be easier to determine my exact type.

Aside from knowing your lines, another very important element of great personal style is knowing your colors. I would argue it's even more important because even the most perfectly fitted dress in a clashing color will look terrible. In this post, I'll briefly discuss what the Seasonal Color System is and how I came to determine my type as Soft + Muted or Autumn.

Like the season Autumn, a person who falls into this category has an overall coloring that is rather muted, deep, earthy, and warm.

What Is Seasonal Color Theory?

There have been many color analysis systems and they can be quite overwhelming. The reason I lean toward this particular system is that it feels the most intuitive and simple.

The theory is that everybody's natural coloring is either warm or cool, and bright or muted. Here bright or muted refers to the intensity of the person's natural coloring or 'chroma', and warm or cool refers to their undertones.

What are the four seasons?

With the options of either warm or cool and bright or muted, there are four main categorizations that can form. These form the four seasons. A person can either be:

• Warm + Bright - Spring

• Warm + Muted - Autumn

• Cool + Bright - Winter

• Cool + Muted - Summer

Now, while this four-season model forms a great base for color analysis, it is also quite limited. For one, it doesn't account for people of color, who just don't fit neatly into these groups. Thankfully, over time, these four groups have been expanded to include a new category of 'light and dark' such that each season breaks into three, creating a total of 12 classifications.

That said, this is not what I'm here to discuss as it's quite detailed and I'd much rather send you to (this great resource) that breaks it down beautifully.

How To Find Your Coloring

This analysis helped me to determine that I am Warm and Muted, which makes me an Autumn.

1. Determine If You Are Warm or Cool

Undertones are the subtle natural color below your skin’s surface. They can either be warm, cool, or neutral. There are a few tests that help you to determine which you are:

Vein Test- One quick way to determine a person's undertones is to look at the color of their veins. Green veins indicate a warm undertone, whereas blue veins indicate a cool undertone.

Metals Test- Another quick test for undertones is to wear silver and gold jewelry to see which one looks better and more harmonious on you. If you have warm undertones, the gold jewelry will complement your skin tone, whereas the silver will highlight your imperfections. If you have cool undertones the silver jewelry will compliment you and the gold will look off. If both look equally good, then you have neutral undertones.

White Paper Test- If you hold a white sheet of paper to your face, you'll be able to see what color comes through on your face. If your face looks yellow against the paper, you have warm undertones. If your face has a pinkish hue against the paper, you have cool undertones.

Am I Warm or Cool?

I have warm undertones. I look better in gold jewelry (rather than silver). I have green veins, and when I place a white piece of paper next to my face, I pick up clear yellowish pigment.

Verdict: Warm

2. Determine If You Are Light or Dark

The best way to determine this is to take a facial photo and set it to greyscale.

I chose this picture because I’m wearing a white top (which is one end of the greyscale special), so I can see just how far my skin tone is from white.

Am I Light or Dark?

My overall coloring is dark, as can be seen in my greyscale photo. I have dark hair and dark eyes and, although my skin is relatively light when compared to my hair and eyes, my skin is also med-dark (this is clear when you compare it to the white of my shirt). My eyes and teeth are very light, which provides contrast. So I have an overall dark coloring.

Verdict: Dark

b. Understanding My Level of Contrast

This is the contrast between their (natural) hair and skin, the pupil to the whites of their eyes, etc. The level of contrast that we have in our natural coloring determines the level of contrast that we can handle in our clothing. As stated, I have an overall deep/ dark coloring with medium to high contrast. This means that I can handle both light and dark colors, though I look my best in medium to dark colors since that‘s where my natural coloring falls.

Let’s take a look:

I think I look good in all of the different depths of colors, from the very light cream white, though the medium green to the dark navy. That said, I think the medium to dark colors are my best because they are closest to my coloring (so least contrast).

The white is the furthest from my coloring and thus the most contrasted. I think the white looks the most separate from me. The value of these colors is easier to see when I set the image to grayscale:

This also means that I can easily handle medium to high contrast looks (so long as I stay within my palette).

Let’s take a look:

Again, the value or depth of these colors is easier to see when I set the image to grayscale:

While both outfits present contrast, the one to the left is made up of colors that are close together on the value scale, so the contrast is lower. The outfits on the right it’s made up of colors that are very far apart on the valley slate, so it has higher contrast.

While both looks work, I think the medium contrast (where both colors fall within the medium value range) look to the left is more harmonious.

Verdict: Medium to High

3. Determine If You Are Muted or Bright

This refers to the chroma that your coloring can handle. Think of it as the brightness or clarity of a color that you can wear without it overpowering you. People with low contrast tend to not do well with bright colors and disappear behind them, whereas people with high contrast look great in bright colors as their own clear coloring can support it.

Am I Clear/ Bright or Muted?

I am overpowered by very bright colors and they leave me looking dull. Because they are not harmonious with my natural coloring, very bright colors compete with my skin for attention, and because they are brighter they always win. This means that you see the bright-colored dress first before you see me. Here's an example:

See how I disappear into the background in this bright orange dress? You first see the dress, and then you see me. If you’re struggling to see this, try to look at my face and watch how your eye is automatically drawn to the dress instead.

Now, compare that to a person with Warm + Bright coloring, who is harmonious with this bright color dress, and see how beautifully it complements her. She does not look separate from it.

I see Meg and the dress together.

The orange complements her and her skin glows against it. She has Deep, Clear, and Bright coloring.

Now, let's look at a similar color on Gigi Hadid:

On Gigi, I first see this outfit before I see her. The orange is too bright and overpowers her. She has muted coloring.

Related: Flamboyant Natural Style Analysis: Gigi Hadid

Now, let’s see what Meg looks like in a warm but muted tone:

Here, I see this dress and then I see Meg. It doesn't overpower her as much as it looks separate from her and it drags her entire look down. This look is incredibly dull on her. She needs vibrant color.

Now, let's try a similar muted color on Gigi:

Here, I see Gigi and her dress together. Her beautiful face comes to the forefront (because the dress doesn't pull attention away from her). This muted, warm tone complements her and all her features (hair, skin) shine against it.

Let’s explore this on me again.

These colors are all warm (yellow being the warmest of all), but the yellow to the left is muted whereas on the right it’s clear and bright. We can see the separation principle again.

In the muted colors on the left, I perceive myself and my clothes all together. In the bright colors to the right, the clothes pull away from me. I first see the outfit and then I see me. Even though these are good colors for me, their brightness stands out against my mutedness.

Verdict: Muted

Best Colors for Autumn | Warm + Muted Colors

As an Autumn, my overall coloring is rather muted, deep, earthy, and warm. As such, I'm best complemented by colors that can be described in the same way. It is important for me to choose colors that will echo my natural delicate coloring, and medium to high contrast level. On me, muted and warm colors appear vibrant because they harmonize with my skin and glow against it.

Best Colors for Warm + Muted

The best colors for Warm and Muted are cream, camel, olive green, golden browns, chestnut, coral, tomato red, mellow yellows, beige, forest green, and peach. They are also complemented by navy blue, some shades of warm muted blue, purple, and teal.

A person who is Warm + Muted doesn't need contrast as much as she needs glow. As such, bronze and gold are the metallics that compliment a Warm + Muted person best because it has the right glow for their coloring.

Worst Colors for Autumn | Cool + Light Colors

The worst colors for Warm + Muted are cool, very light, and overly bright colors. These will wash them out and make them look sick. True white and black are too harsh for this coloring, and they should rather opt for a cream white and a charcoal grey, or brown instead.

This makes sense right? If I'm Warm, Muted and Dark- the furthest colors from me are Cool, Bright, and Light. So these would be my worst colors that look the most separate from me.

Let’s see what happens when I wear cool and light colors:

I don't own such colors (and for good reason), so I had to forage in Dear Husband's wardrobe for this t-shirt.

Hahahahahaha- Wow this is so bad.

This blue color is light (especially compared to my skin) and it is cool- this blue reads as ‘icy’. It doesn’t work on me at all.

Now, let’s see what happens when I try blues with some warmth:

These are infinitely better on me. In these shades of blue, I don’t look sick and awful. They are warmer and darker as compared to the earlier blues. They are also less clear, or more muted. So, they work better with my natural coloring (which is warm, dark, and muted). I actually like both these outfits.

Conclusion

So, from a pretty intuitive process of trying everything and seeing what looks and feels better on me, I've concluded that I am: Muted, Warm, and Dark. This, in seasonal color theory, makes me an Autumn. I agree with this result. I think technically I'm either a True Autumn or a Dark Autumn but, for now, I'm just happy knowing which color season fits with me.

I think knowing your best colors is a vital piece of information that can easily transform your style for the better. I first became serious about understanding my coloring about a year ago, and in that time, I've gotten rid of colors that don't work and started only buying colors that complement me. This has saved me time, and money, and has made it easy to create a wardrobe that all works together. It's still a work in progress, but I can attest to its value.

I hope this helps you find your coloring as well, or to better understand the principles behind it. Let me know if it does and what color season you are.

Talk soon,

Nonjabulo