I’ve been studying David Kibbe’s Image ID system for a few years now. It’s helped me learn to love and accept my body and see beauty where there was once embarrassment and shame. Discovering that I was a Flamboyant Gamine gave me inspiration to experiment with my personal style and learn what lines and silhouettes were the most harmonious for my body. And you know what they say, learn the rules so you know how to break them.

From what I’ve read, Kibbe doesn’t advocate for capsule wardrobes, because he encourages women to consider the whole of the outfit when shopping for clothes, not just the individual pieces. I agree with that.

But the way I capsule wardrobe is different than the typical "I-have-10-basic-black-and-grey-and-white-garments”. (Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not for me.) The capsule wardrobe I’m building functions as a climate appropriate, year-round, versatile, self-expressive outfit capsule. I’m not completely there. I still have a few missing pieces/outfits, but I’m starting with what I have.

Moving slowly with this process has helped me see clearly what I need and what I don’t. In doing so, I realize that I gravitate toward a similar silhouette time and time again. Every time I rush into a purchase, I don’t seem to wear it as much as my tried and true mock-neck sweaters and high waisted trousers.

Since I know my shape is based on the Flamboyant Gamine archetype presented by Kibbe’s Image ID system, I have guidelines to follow when considering how I want to dress. While I don’t follow his recommendations religiously, I still value his perspective and insight. Here are five of his recommendations I take to heart:

1. Wear separates

   The purpose of wearing separates as a gamine is to mimic and honor the lines in your body that are mixed and broken up. Gamines have a mixture of Yin (soft, small, round, delicate) and Yang (sharp, large, long, strong) extremes within their own frame, and these lines are described as staccato or juxtaposed (or as I like to call it, frankensteined). Wearing separates, as opposed to long, monochrome lines, is a simple, no-brainer way to dress for gamines. I’ve definitely experienced the ease of following this recommendation, so I keep it in my back pocket.

2. Wear short, angular garments

   Gamines are typically short— no taller than 5’5” (165cm). There are certainly some exceptions to this rule, but we won’t get into it here. The gamine bone structure begs for cropped lines, so I tend to create short, boxy silhouettes whenever I can. This can show up as a cropping a tee, tucking and blousing a shirt, cutting or rolling the hem of my pants to expose ankles, or rolling my sleeves to expose my wrists.

3. Wear Fitted (not skin-tight) silhouettes

   The yin of the gamine is found in their frame and stature as well as their faces. My bones are small, narrow, and sharp. I have a mixture of tiny, short bones (in my face and torso) and tiny, long bones (in my arms and legs). To honor these bodily patterns, I wear closely fitted garments as a base layer, making dressing my body more seamless. I tend to avoid skin tight garments, primarily because of the yang undercurrent of my body. Skin-tight clothing ironically feels separate from me because I lose the angularity my long limbs and sharp shoulders crave.

4. Wear animated patterns and chunky textures

   Small, interesting patterns tend to pull the bold, youthful energy of the gamine to the surface. I’ve noticed I’m naturally drawn to small, dainty patterns, especially if they’re geometric or floral. One of my favorite jumpsuits is bright red with a delicate, irregular, floral pattern on it. Whenever I wear it I feel very much like myself, and that’s always the goal. Chunky textures can also create a plethora of small geometric shapes, so when I don’t want to wear a more attention grabbing piece, a chunky knit or textured garment honors my lines in a subtle, chic way.

5. Add sleek and modern lines to honor a yang undercurrent

   This step is more of a finishing touch in my mind— adding a blazer, painting on a crisp, red lip, throwing on a small, angular bag, or adorning yourself with pair of shiny, gold statement earrings. These finishing touches are a great way to express your personal style as well.

MY [IDEAL] FLAMBOYANT GAMINE WARDROBE

1. Striped Shirt

2. Camisole

3. Mock-neck Sweater

4. Fitted Turtleneck

5. Band Tee

6. A Short Dress

7. A Jumpsuit

8. Oversized, Quirky Sweater (think 90’s Dad)

9. Cropped Cardigan

10. Trousers

11. Cropped, Straight-leg Denim

12. Blazer

13. Combat Boots

14. Chelsea boots

15. Sneakers

16. Trench Coat

17. Wool Coat

I don’t have all of these pieces, but I have most of them! Depending on your personal style, these pieces can be mixed and matched into numerous outfits for many occasions, and with a bit of layering, can be worn year round in milder climates like the American Southeast. I have many YouTube videos where I style the pieces I own, so definitely check that out (and subscribe!) if you want to see my thought-process when creating outfits.

Colors are also quite important in this process. I know I look best in warmer and muted colors, and my hope is to reduce the amount of black clothing in my wardrobe for colors that melt into my skin and give it a milky, radiant glow. As always, I’ll share more as I learn more.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip into my brain.

Talk to you soon,

Frani <3

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