YouLookFab Forum » Topic: An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:05:35 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Sal on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304778 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 07:44:15 +0000 Sal 2304778@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ How cute Jenni!! (Hope you weren't affected by the terrible storm) Jenni NZ on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304774 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 06:17:07 +0000 Jenni NZ 2304774@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ She just came over and did it again! Jenni NZ on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304767 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 04:20:18 +0000 Jenni NZ 2304767@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yep Suz a girl after my own heart! My shoes and the Vietnamese grandmother’s ( who only got to see her for the first time aged 16 months, they recently got back from a 6-week trip there, other grandmother is also in love) jewellery! “Pretty” was apparently said many times there too. Suz on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304766 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 04:13:30 +0000 Suz 2304766@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Jenni, in the words of Lady Gaga: Born This Way!  Jenni NZ on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304765 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 04:05:51 +0000 Jenni NZ 2304765@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Helena I wanted to just tell you a sweet story about my wee granddaughter who has just turned 18 months. I wonder about starting a new thread actually but will put it here for now. Most of us may not remember when we got our “eye” for style but she seems to have a well developed one already! She loves my shoes ( good choice) and always makes a beeline for the bright yellow loafers and wants to put them on herself or me to put them on myself. She also likes the “Love” sandals and the olive snakeskin boots She says “Nana” and “pretty” about the yellow ones! ( Loafers as in pic below, sorry no closeup on my phone) lyn67 on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304535 Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:26:51 +0000 lyn67 2304535@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Not artistically trained but very very visual myself-including high affinity for colors and proportions.  My first degree was in industrial design and mechanical engineering-so in the college we had many strict courses in the fields of axonometric/projective/3D geometry & technical drawing (including technical caligraphy). Plus, I always contemplated architecture and interior  desing and loved crafts, sewing+hair styling, not a master, only a hobby but know- how's of  sewing patterns and hair cutting techniques always delighted and intrigued me. At my age(56) I kind of know my body, proportions and colors the best-still get it wrong sometimes-mostly because everything changes continously and the fact that  we never have the whole spectrum to choose from.  But I don't believe in strict fashion  rules (including color or proportion coordinating rules) anymore- it literally ALL DEPENDS (especially on the exact context). So, I have to see/try+style the clothes first before deciding.. and still make  errors. But love the whole process. (And whoa, I so agree with above comment that a pictie and 3D+moving reality is so so different!!!- and to check the aesthetic of your professionel working with -in any filed- if  it matches your owns!:-) Kyle on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304459 Fri, 27 Jan 2023 04:15:27 +0000 Kyle 2304459@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I worked in communications and marketing for many years and owned a creative agency for 20, so while I’m not artist myself, I have a creative bent when it comes to words and graphics. I’m good with color, but I don’t embrace it all that much in the way I dress. My mantra for my home and wardrobe, generally speaking, is to keep things clean, simple and streamlined. I don’t enjoy excess or fussy details, and I have to stop myself from buying nothing but black and white these days. The very best way for me to evaluate anything about an outfit, be it fit, color, proportions, etc., is to look at a photo. There have been times I’ve liked something in the mirror only to be surprised to see that it really wasn’t working at all once I saw the very same thing in a photo. Sloper on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304380 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 22:44:53 +0000 Sloper 2304380@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think I do, but don’t think I can always successfully put it into practice. <div>Definitely a visual person, the “artistic” one of the family, majored in design and photography.  Though as I grew up, went to college, then the big world, realized there are much more talented people than me. </div><div> </div><div>So I enjoy art and fashion and all things visual as an amateur. Regarding dressing myself, I think many of my choices are colored by imperfect self-image (I.e. “I have to cover THAT, I can’t show THOSE”) and I wonder if I’ve ever really dressed the best way I can. Also, speaking personally only, I can say “I know what I like” but that doesn’t mean it’s any good.  “Good” being so subjective of course.</div> Chiara on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304365 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 22:10:15 +0000 Chiara 2304365@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’ve always been very visual, and had strong visual preferences. I’m pretty good with estimating size etc but am surrounded by designers, so don’t rate my skills compared to them! I completed a bachelors degree in architecture (I’ve never practiced as an architect however). I think it gave me an interest in analyzing what worked or didn’t work, from my point of view. That said, analysis of self is always tricky (all the beliefs we have about ourselves, based on history, getting in the way!). I’ve also come to understand that knowing your aesthetic preference is key to being satisfied with an outfit or look. And if you are going to work with a professional on your appearance (whether it be hair, eyebrows or plastic surgery :)), check what their aesthetic is, and how flexible they can be to accommodate your preferences. For instance, my hairdresser loves ornate and styled looks, which I don’t like on me at all (they look great on her!). She has adapted to my love of looking “undone” or relaxed. The facialist I visit, however- not flexible. A few times I agreed to eyebrow tinting, but despite communicating what I wanted (a natural look, just a bit more defined), she loves to create immaculate, very defined brows, and that’s just not my aesthetic preference. And the final example-consulting a dermatologist about a scar on my face. He had the perfect skin of a doll- beautiful, but for me a bit disconcerting. He found it almost impossible to understand that I was looking for good, not perfect, but his nurses understood exactly. LaPed on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304325 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 18:33:22 +0000 LaPed 2304325@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmm, I guess this is a skillset I learned/absorbed fairly early on? I come from a family with a strong creative streak. My grandmother was an avid knitter and my mother has branched out into all sorts of fiber arts; on my dad's side everyone seems to draw or paint to some degree and quite a few do it professionally. Lots of gardeners/landscape designers too. So plenty of early awareness of colour/pattern/etc. I don't have a lot of patience for fine-motor stuff in general (I still remember how hard it was learning to tie my shoes in kindergarten!), so despite having a pretty good eye and being able to produce pleasing results in art classes, I don't derive much pleasure from the actual process of making stuff, which maybe explains why I gravitated towards literary and performing arts? Memorizing a sonnet and nailing the delivery--now that's fun! Likewise, while I'm an avid cook and baker, I tend to avoid projects that involve elaborate decorating. I can manage piping if I have to, but I certainly don't enjoy it. Give me the gross motor sensory experience of working a big batch of dough any day! I do love visiting pastry shops and looking at others' fine work. I've always derived great pleasure from browsing clothes and putting together outfits precisely because you get to think about line/shape/colour without getting bogged down in anything too fiddly. The materials are pre-assembled! I'd like to get better about doing my own alterations, but anything involving the sewing machine is a real slog for me.  Barbara Diane on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304315 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:47:45 +0000 Barbara Diane 2304315@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’ve been taught almost everything I know about style. I have always liked clothes that aren’t tight or loose, and aren’t fussy. However, I am not fashion forward so I rarely have anything that is on trend. After I had my colors done I mentioned it to a friend and she said that her Mom taught her to put her hand next to a garment and see if it looked better, the same, or worse with that color. And I have learned so much from Angie and everyone here. Stagiaire Fash on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304246 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 05:14:03 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2304246@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I can hold something up & know if it will look good on me IF It is one of the cuts I’m familiar with (Synne is nudging me to be more experimental with shapes) My body is in roughly it’s familiar size/shape (when I put on weight, I was really surprised sometimes about what did & didn’t work) It’s in my pallet. I never really sat down with the intention to select a group of colors that work well together, but I have decades of a consistent palette. In other words, I don’t think I’m predicting anything—I’m recognizing the familiar and going for the same thing again. I would like to shake things up. That’s where it gets really tricky fast. I think I’m doing alright with different ways of combining colors, but they are still that specific set of colors. New lines, shapes, and proportions blow my freakin mind. I want to get better at that. Style Fan on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304212 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 23:55:24 +0000 Style Fan 2304212@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting thread. I was on the Kibbe Facebook Group but lost interest. I admire anyone who can decipher Kibbe. I am visual, so what Suz said about Kibbe being all words makes sense. YLF is more helpful. In terms of the question as to whether I have an eye for line, colour and shape and whether it is innate or developed, the answer is both. It is more complicated than that. Before creating and trusting my artistic abilities, I had to overcome some emotional hurdles.   Most likely, I have a good eye for colour and some design. For example, I always put things together in groups of three or five. I try to do something in unexpected ways when I am decorating. When I read about design, it just made sense to me.   I also have a degree in Math which helped.   I like putting colours together. Colour comes naturally to me. I can tell if a colour is cool, warm, muted, or clear. I can tell if some people are warm or cool, but not all. That is harder. I can not draw. Some people in my family were very good at drawing. I always wished I could. Mr. SF (he has an excellent eye) and my friends who are artists tell me I could learn to draw. It is on my list.   Sal on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304167 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:41:02 +0000 Sal 2304167@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting thread. For me I trust myself with colours - but not so much the lines and shapes. My spatial awareness is not great - I find choosing the colours easy for my house but not the size of the table etc I am also more of a big picture person - I have made myself be details oriented but it’s not a natural fit. And Lisa if we meet- I will be the person with the label sticking up at my collar and who has forgotten to cut off the stitch holding the vent together…… Suz on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304166 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:37:18 +0000 Suz 2304166@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sharan, I'd love to hear more about that Kibbe excercise. You really went into it! What did you discover? Can you start another thread? I'd love to hear more.  Brooklyn, I'll bet if we were in that meeting together, I'd be vying for your "big picture" award. I think that might be why your conceptual approach to dressing appeals to me so much. The intuition part of me is all about "big picture" or "feeling" and I have had to train myself to see how the details synchronize to create that feeling.  It creates some interesting issues in interior decoration in our home. Mr. Suz is all about detail. He's that one like LJP who notices everything (except the top I've worn 15 times already, LOL) but he can't envision how an empty room will look filled. I can "feel" it (if not see it) immediately -- this colour on that wall, this piece of furniture or art there. I can't really articulate the feeling I'm trying to create but I know what the space requires to get there. And I just move stuff around or hack stuff or purchase stuff until we get there.  It's a little harder with fashion, as Sharan said. We find it difficult to be objective about ourselves, as a rule. And we don't see ourselves in motion very often, as a whole 3D moving acting human.  One reason Kibbe's so difficult to understand is that it's all words! Such images as people use are hard to relate to real faces and bodies, partly because they are often shown without comparison. It would be easier if someone showed you the range and said -- are you more like this, or that? I guess some of the quizzes do that, but as Zaeobi says, for most of us, looking at thin white celebrities or old fashioned movie stars won't really help.  kkards on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304153 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:04:18 +0000 kkards 2304153@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ what a good read! i have never figured out if i'm an apple or a pear, summer or winter, dramatic or gamine, and to be honest, i'm not really interested in getting those answers, or i would have them already. what i am interested in is refining what i like and what i think works best for me...and best for me means best for me at the moment i am in. so by reading and posting here and other fashion related spaces, as well as you tube, and going into a actual stores, i continue to learn and refine by eye. for me learning is a multi-sensory process - i want to see, hear, read, write and feel.  nemosmom on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304142 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 17:40:38 +0000 nemosmom 2304142@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I certainly don’t have a knack for line or color! I have to work really hard at making anything like color harmony or proportion look intentional. In fact, one of my three style words for 2023 is “balanced” to hopefully remind me to pay more attention to it. I am not sure how to “train” something like this. I guess for me it’s just going with a gut feeling, and deciding if I like it and it feels right. And I have forced myself to take notes when an outfit or piece strikes a chord for me. That has been really helpful in getting dressed on lazy or rushed days. Kibbe is confusing, too. There was a post I read somewhere that talked more about evaluating your yin/yang of your face and body on a sliding scale instead of a score. Comparing my body proportion against images of others has helped - I think Aly Art has a post about celebrities and their kibbe type that gives a good breakdown. Zaeobi on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304025 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 03:38:45 +0000 Zaeobi 2304025@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks for the interesting thread! I can relate to everything @rachylou wrote in her first paragraph, but not the second haha I'd say I'm a kinaesthetic first & foremost, then a visual person - so much so that I remember having to retake a music exam in school & doing even *worse* on it the second time, lol! Very *occasionally* can I tell that something sounds 'off' (especially compared to how it sounded before, like live vs recorded songs) but I wouldn't be able to tell you *how* or *why* it sounded like that. So for me, there's a level of intuition involved in putting together what 'works' - friends & family would usually compliment my colour combos & lines. Sometimes I get carried away though (grouping colours that work great with each *other* but not on *me* lol), so that's why I got a personal consultation. It confirmed most of what I knew but some of it was new, so I overall found it helpful to have someone as a Navigator (than Captain). I always loved drawing as a child (especially people) then writing (mostly poems), but I remember my art teachers making me feel like I definitely *didn't* belong (probably because I wouldn't take a 'traditional' approach to their medium, lol)... I agree with @suz's 'Educated Intuition' - I remember being blown away that things I took for granted (such as composing photos to look 'right') are actually studied in great detail (such as the 'rule of thirds'). That's not to toot my own horn though - I did study such things hard when I got the chance (like typography), it's just that I wasn't allowed to as a child (story for another day, lol)... I'm still waiting for the opportunity to indulge my interior design itch once I can *finally* stop renting - you know there will be lots of teal! As for Kibbe, I'm stubborn about classifying myself as *both* Romantic & Soft Classic because that's what works for me But what was most useful for me was finding Kibbe resources from plus sized & black YouTubers instead - I may not technically be either category, but it still helped me to be able to better visualise*how* I relate to each. Sorry that was so long, lol - guess I've got lots to get off my chest! This is why I'm grateful for the YLF community - I can indulge this side of me here, even when friends & family won't allow me to jussie on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304023 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 03:23:23 +0000 jussie 2304023@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmmm it’s an interesting topic. I always was OBSESSED with colour, even as a little kid. I don’t know if my taste/interest creates any better results, all I know is I am fascinated by it. As for line and shape, over the years I have learned and improved in that area, I don’t think it comes naturally to me to be honest. I have dreadful spatial awareness, and get lost easily in new places. I am not particularly observant or detail minded generally. My husband also thinks my clothes are new all the time! Brooklyn on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304018 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 02:05:10 +0000 Brooklyn 2304018@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I went to a conference years ago where they put us through an exercise to determine whether you are a “big picture” person or a “details” person, or somewhere in between. I was very much a big picture person, in fact the most so in the room (which led to another exercise in which I was pitted against the most detail oriented person in the room, leading to some funny results). In terms of style, I think it means I am very focussed on the overall look or vibe of an outfit, and have to work at the details to achieve it. A details person might find themselves attracted to particular details (eg voluminous sleeves, stripes, pleated skirt) but have to work harder to get the overall look they want. Jaime on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it/page/2#post-2304011 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 01:46:23 +0000 Jaime 2304011@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What a thought provoking thread Helena! I am much more a visual person than an auditory one. Actually I think I have a certain degree of auditory processing issues, based on my inability to pronounce and comprehend certain accents. Visually, I have very good spatial relations both in the picking storage containers and the not getting lost sense. I don't have any art training but looking back can see I did have some artistic talent that was recognized here and there through my life. I can visualize shapes on myself and others pretty well. Colors less so, I am more a I know it when I see it type. Actually overall I think my strength is that I know it when it see it, although I am not sure there is a word for that type of intelligence! Firecracker (Sharan) on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2304008 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 01:30:00 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 2304008@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>Just reading through these responses, I am learning there are many ways a person can have an eye for line, color, and shape! I laughed at Janet's mention of how much sauce can fit in a Tupperware. My DH and I have a joke about his finding a "suitably large container" for leftovers, because he tends to overestimate the amount, and I pride myself on getting a good fit--haha! I think I do have a good eye for color, shape, and line, developed over the years because I have been very interested in clothing and fashion ever since I can remember. I didn't do particularly well in art classes, and no one ever suggested I go into fine arts. But I can often remember exactly what I was wearing on a particular occasion, and not just from photos. In my sewing hobby, I have a good sense of what fabrics will work--and how they will work--with certain patterns. For a long time I took this skill for granted, until I realized some of my sewing friends have trouble figuring out what to make with certain fabrics. That doesn't mean I always know how something is going to turn out, though, or whether I'll like how it looks on me. </div><div> </div><div>Often I find it difficult to identify what colors, shapes, and lines look good on me. It's much easier to discern on other people. </div><div> </div><div>Like many commenters here, I had trouble with the Kibbe quizzes, trying to figure out what shapes this or that part of me is. It was crazy-making! I spent several months in his online forum, on Facebook, going through exercises he offered for free, to figure out what your lines are, with the idea of dressing in a way that complements the lines that are in your person. He also has a set of exercises for color. I didn't get to a definitive answer on either line or color, but I think I got close. There was a line-drawing exercise where you draw a silhouette of yourself, as if a fabric is draped over you (hard to explain and even harder to understand his explanation), and I kept re-doing it because I just couldn't accept that my silhouette looked like what I was drawing. I think my drawings were accurate, but my mental image of myself was off. That was kind of eye-opening. </div><div> </div><div>Now I am trying to focus on wearing what I feel complements my looks as they are, rather than as what I think or wish I looked like. It might not look any different to someone else, but the approach does feel a little different to me. </div> LJP on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303995 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:59:50 +0000 LJP 2303995@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Also loving Carla’s husband’s comment . LJP on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303994 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:58:44 +0000 LJP 2303994@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Late to this but haven’t had a chance to be here today ! Although I don’t think I’m some fashion genius , I do like to think I have a natural affinity for design , colour , spatial arrangement etc. I also feel like I’ve had a LOT of both informal and formal training in design , fashion illustration , construction , colour theory , etc. and my small little brain is jammed full of fashion information , lol. I sometimes neee to be reminded to use all of it when dressing myself , but most of the time I think I know what I’m doing . I’m that person who notices EVERYTHING about people I meet . Down to the stitch on the back of your new coat that is still holding the vent closed and how well groomed your nails are , lol. Jenni NZ on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303971 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 20:58:50 +0000 Jenni NZ 2303971@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sorry Helena your links to the threads don’t work for me. I have found and re-read Suz’s thread but which thread of Jussie’s is it? Name of the thread? ETA: just found it “Soft summer and waist surrendering”. Hadn’t read enough of it before. Jenni NZ on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303967 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 20:42:33 +0000 Jenni NZ 2303967@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think I am with judy 2 comments above me, initially anyway. I think when I was young I instinctively knew what I liked, the first time I consciously remember that I was 13 and saw a dress in a store window that I begged Mum for. She bought it for me and I was so happy. I also got some way-out things in my late teens like the 50c winklepickers at the church fair. So I was a happy magpie for a long time and only lost my fashion way in my 30s ( no time, 3 young kids, less money) and then late 40s ( menopausal body changes and loss of confidence in how to dress). But I have also loved to learn about all the schemes of what suits us- lapped up “Colour Me Beautiful” (Carole Jackson) in the early 80s but found I was already buying and wearing and getting compliments on the “Spring” colour scheme I thought I was. Later I lapped up the Trinny and Susannah “Body Shape Bible” and more recently the Kibbe stuff I first heard of here on the YLF forum. I have also learned so much through Angie’s blog and this forum but as you likely all know do not chase trends much- only perhaps if they are trends or colours I already love. Dee on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303960 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 20:15:22 +0000 Dee 2303960@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ For me its all instinct for the most part, but I’ve learned a heck of lot from YLF and other fashion sites. I am also painter and have studied art so I am constantly focused on the composition of things, I just can’t help myself. I need to understand why something is visually pleasing to me. Hate to say it, but there might be some useful stuff with Kibbe and having your colours done. They offer a bit of guidance if you can figure out where you fall within their frameworks. judy on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303939 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 18:42:56 +0000 judy 2303939@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ For me, it is instinctual.  I know what I like and what I don't like.  I have always had a confidence to go out on a limb with wearing something I didn't even see anyone wearing, or maybe that one person, and oh I like that, not just the way it looks but it's a "feeling" thing.  I don't dress to please others or flatter my body necessarily, though.  But my confidence was shaped through adversity.  In grade school I had older sisters who teased me by saying "You're wearing THAT?" and when I'd ask them what was wrong with it, they'd just laugh.  So pleasing others was impossible and this sparked well, being in another lane I suppose.  Wear what you want, there is no pleasing them.  And guess who has more fun with her clothes now??  :)  This is reminding me of the Sixty Minutes interview with the record producer Rick Rubin.  His book is The Creative Act: A Way of Being.  I feel we can all learn this.  It's kind of about permission and trust, experience and knowledge.  And I suspect if you don't feel creative with clothing, there is some place in your life where this creativity is already at play for you, though perhaps unappreciated...? Though the same principles can be transferred...and voila, wisdom!  It's a process, not an end goal, as he says, a way of being.  And it's fun. pirouette on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303935 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 18:33:34 +0000 pirouette 2303935@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am like you Helena I have no idea about colour or design but I know what I like and what I don’t like but have no idea why ! But as others have said I can see what’s wrong when someone points it out. That’s why I like this forum Angie explains fashion very clearly. Suz on "An eye for line, colour and shape? Do you have it?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/an-eye-for-line-colour-and-shape-do-you-have-it#post-2303932 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 18:27:44 +0000 Suz 2303932@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting thread, Helena -- thanks for starting. And Carla, I, too, almost spit out the coffee at your husband's comment. I got a similar one from Mr. Suz the other day!  I've always responded to colour and design and have always been interested in it, in a strictly amateur kind of way. I drew and painted as a kid, enjoyed art class (until someone told me I wasn't much good at it, LOL), but regularly renew my dabbling there, like taking photos, etc. But I've also benefitted from instruction and analysis...so it's not an either-or thing. What can I call it? Educated intuition, I guess.  I mean, when I had my colours "done" the woman only told me what I already knew.  I do think some of this may be inborn...and some is acquired through practice and instruction.  I can hear what Peri hears, too. And taste the apple in the tree, like Rachy. And smell the rose (or the way I wish it would smell -- some of them are so pallid these days!) when I see it.  Here's an interesting article on the different ways we think: <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/16/how-should-we-think-about-our-different-styles-of-thinking">https://www.newyorker.com/maga.....es-of-thin</a>