https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 03 May 2026 01:59:54 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446522 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:04:23 +0000 Astrid 1446522@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, I like mine too (ISTJ). Although to be fair I'm not sure if I typed myself correctly, I did it a while ago when we were talking about it here on the forum. </p> <p>To me, these types or systems can offer helpful boundaries, but I have to take care not be obsessive about it. I think especially the color typing very useful and I love that I can use it to choose colors that all look good on me and even more important all work together. But I wouldn't leave a piece I love in the store because of a color that's slightly off. Totally off is a no go, because I know that the item would get no use. But I definitely don't want to analyse everything to death. So if I find guidelines that make sense to me and seem to work, why not? I like to keep them in mind, just in case they might be helpful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446470 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:24:35 +0000 Suz 1446470@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was really drawn to the sole outfit in my MBTI type, too. (INFJ)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446426 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:01:48 +0000 Anonymous 1446426@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Dart placement is important, <b>Rachylou</b>! Just saying... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446374 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 06:20:14 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1446374@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>UmmLila, that's a great link on dressing and personality type. I may not be dressing according to my Kibbe type, but I sure do represent my Myers-Briggs type--it's rather uncanny. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446335 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 03:27:33 +0000 Anonymous 1446335@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ok, first have to say I don't take fashion particularly seriously, but I do like learning and since I don't enjoy shopping that much, anything that can make it easier is a plus for me. One of the things that I've enjoyed about You Look Fab is both the variety of viewpoints and interests at any point in time which seem to change and&nbsp;wax and wane, and also the&nbsp;focus on fashion, wardrobe management and other topics and how they apply personally.<br />Since I've been reading YLF I've learned that I am a "rectangle" per body shape and following others leads have checked out other sources and know that I am a "dark autumn" and reading Kibbee that I very solidly fall in the "dramatic" category.&nbsp;<br />To the extent that these things appear valid to me and they do to some extent, they are things that I can factor into the equation as to what I can consider would work better for me and why. At the same time, quite sure I'll be wearing colors that don't fit into the "dark autumn" category, and Kibbee recommended shoulder pads which won't work for me and longer skirts, when I&nbsp;like relatively short skirts.&nbsp;<br />Have to say that I am color blind to a slight degree in a few colors&nbsp;which has meant that I think I have a relatively analytical and non visually cued orientation to picking outfit pieces&nbsp;that go together. So that might be a factor in terms of my finding an analytical approach useful as well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446285 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:09:49 +0000 Anonymous 1446285@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>To me Kibbe&nbsp;is not so much about analysis and prescription&nbsp;as it is&nbsp;about <b>recognition</b> and <b>reality</b>. Recognizing what looks good on you and accepting that reality. Not pining endlessly over styles that look good on someone else, with the resultant self-criticism and vows to lose weight (or whatever seems to be standing in the way).&nbsp;For some of us it's harder to get to that place of acceptance, I guess, but&nbsp;I don't think it&nbsp;contradicts anything in Angie's principles. And who&nbsp;would argue <b>against</b> having fun with clothes, looking current&nbsp;and expressing one's personality? (Those would seem to be a given in a fashion forum.) No one wants to be compared to Spam in aspic though!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446264 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:03:47 +0000 CocoLion 1446264@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anna! &nbsp;I love that you remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. &nbsp;I am beyond elated that you are back on the forum. &nbsp;You know I love you.</p> <p>Thinking deeply about your clothes, your wardrobe -- makes me feel good. &nbsp;It is so much less stressful than thinking deeply about -- the health of&nbsp;my aging Mother, long term financing for our small business, pending EEOC investigations, increasing costs/flat income, etc...</p> <p>It's a way for me to know myself better. &nbsp;Plus, it's just plain fun. &nbsp;The Kibbe rabbit hole has been entertaining for me, so thank you Approprio, Suz&nbsp;and Caro in Oz for your wisdom and humor along the way. &nbsp;How seriously do I take it? &nbsp;Not very, but this morning, when I was getting dressed, I really saw everything sum up nicely in a Soft Dramatic way, and it felt like me, and that gave me confidence in my outfit.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1446144 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 19:38:39 +0000 approprio 1446144@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hah yeah. Sorry about that. I had no idea it was going to provoke that level of discussion. And I've just come back from a week away to find&nbsp;it still raging.&nbsp;</p> <p>I guess I enjoyed the parlour game and I think there's quite some merit in the underlying principles, which aren't as vague or nonsensical as they appear at first glance. I'm still processing some of the learnings, which may or may not&nbsp;lead me towards a more disciplined use of proportion and silhouette.&nbsp;</p> <p>And&nbsp;I had to laugh at UmmLila's MBTI Pinterest link. My type indicator looklet&nbsp;is wearing an outfit&nbsp;scarily like something I actually&nbsp;wore about 15 years ago. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445987 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 15:31:15 +0000 Angie 1445987@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>(Anna, hugs and nice to see you back on the forum this morning. I missed you. And am thinking about Dad's op tomorrow. Much love).&nbsp;</p> <p>Thanks for the kind words about me and&nbsp;YLF. I wholeheartedly believe that there is only ONE style rule, and you know which that is. The rest is a guide that you can take or leave depending on whether it&nbsp;helps or annoys you. </p> <p>The happiness-factor of an outfit is the point in all of this so high five. The way we establish that level of happiness differs among people. Some enjoy an enormous amount of style analysis, while others prefer the bare minimum. Personally I can't go down Kibbe's rabbit hole because I wouldn't enjoy it, unless I took it with a big grain of salt (like my astrological forecast). I <i>do </i>understand the appeal of the analysis though, and respect the popularity of it on this forum. As long as people enjoy the process, it's all good. You&nbsp;make important points about why the analysis can be&nbsp;dated and incomplete, and it's my job to gently remind people when that happens.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445963 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:37:01 +0000 viva 1445963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can't go far down the Kibbe rabbit hole but I did look at some of the information approprio recently posted and I found it interesting. I just put it in the big stew pot of information, along with body type guidelines, etc. -- for me to consider.</p> <p>I can see how some people who are really analytical in a certain way would love to immerse themselves in all the detail, as there is a lot to chew on. For me, it was more of just a quick hit.</p> <p>But to each her own!&nbsp; There are SO MANY different approaches to fashion, dressing, wardrobe management, shopping, etc., represented on this forum. I'm not sure we have to shut down any line of inquiry. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445957 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:28:50 +0000 psychedelicate 1445957@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't know how to give the little awards to people,&nbsp;<b>bettycrocker</b>, but I really like that cooking analogy!<br />Kibbe, in all actuality, is no different than the body shape guidelines many people here follow. It gets combined with personal style and personality for some reason (and part of that is his own fault), but at its core, it's really just about dressing for your body lines. If you are in the right type, the lines he prescribes work really well and easily, and then you can express anything you want using them. So I don't see why it's any different than people discussing their X or V body shapes, etc.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445951 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:21:15 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1445951@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can't get into the analytical boxes either. In my personal life I'm usually looking to escape analysis. That's why I&nbsp;like fashion and escapist novels.</p> <p>&nbsp;Somehow this made me think of the Myers Briggs personality boxes, so I googled that and of course it's been discussed on the forum in the past &lt;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/myers-briggs-as-it-relates-to-your-style">http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....your-style</a>&gt;, but I thought this pinterest board with outfits for different personality type&nbsp;was amusing:&lt;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.pinterest.com/ahmelody/fashion-styles-for-mbti-types/">https://www.pinterest.com/ahme.....bti-types/</a>&gt; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445935 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 13:24:40 +0000 Anonymous 1445935@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mother was from the midwest, so that's the food I grew up eating, even though I grew up in the south. She never used a recipe except for baking, so I had to learn to cook by being in the kitchen with her. Later, after I got married, I started using recipes to learn to cook a wider variety of things. I also learned the importance of following a formula when it came to baking, and the importance of going by feel (of the dough) when making homemade bread and pizza.</p> <p>So here's the thing. Through cooking, I learned how to both follow and break rules, and I developed some judgement and intuition. I try to do the same with the way I dress, and love to read everything I can about fashion and style. It's all about learning and growing. Sometimes I follow a formula, and sometimes I use my own judgement.</p> <p>I have to ignore the pictures in Kibbe's book and concentrate on his recommendations--particularly what to avoid.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445930 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 13:06:22 +0000 Janet 1445930@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm with KM and rachylou. I find it mildly entertaining, like astrology, but actually give it a little less credence than color analysis, based on what I've read. Every time I've tried one of the quizzes, I get frustrated at the level of analysis, and I'm saying that as a person who is highly analytical in many aspects of my life! </p> <p>But I get the feeling that you can take this stuff so far and end up being in a category of one. Yes, I am Janet-shaped, and that's the final analysis. But I am not just a shape or an assortment of lines, planes, and features. All of the Kibbe stuff I have seen focuses on the visual and ignores personality and preferences (I understand that perhaps the book takes this more into account, but I have not seen that in the threads). So yeah, what if I'm supposed to be some sort of Romantic (which seemed to be one of the more apt categories for me) and that means I should be dressing in flounces and ruffles and details? That's just. not. me. I dunno, I just can't get into that, when I've done it before at other times in my life and it has made me feel unfab. My style is getting simpler lately, and I'm happier for it. I tend to be much more instinctive and emotional about my dressing, despite my analytical side (although I am an INFP). </p> <p>My final analysis is in my mirror, my heart, and my gut. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445902 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:48:50 +0000 Staysfit 1445902@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I didn't understand Kibbe at all until I saw the quiz. When I did the quiz and every answer except two came out the same and put me in the Dramatic category, I was surprised and it made me look closer. I am most definitely the analytical type though as everyone here knows, but not when I am shopping.m I let my heart and intuition lead the way. I need more thought when I shop, and less here I guess! </p> <p>Oh, and you should see the Gelatin stacked in the grocery stores in MI! I was just there visiting family. We consider ourselves Midwesterners. Oh my! I have to check our grocery store, but I don't think we have as much. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445897 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:23:57 +0000 psychedelicate 1445897@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Style Fan, I'm not super into MBTI, but it does seem to attract intuitives rather than sensors for the most part </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445894 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:16:12 +0000 Style Fan 1445894@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love analyzing everything and understanding why something works.&nbsp; I am not sure if I will be interested in Kibbe, Kitchener, etc. next month.&nbsp; I am INFP by the way psychedelicate.</p> <p></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445889 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:48:17 +0000 Summer 1445889@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I enjoy the analytical side of dressing and shopping, but I don't let myself become bogged down by it. &nbsp;For instance, I hadn't heard of Kibbe until quite recently, and haven't read the book, but I did the quiz out of curiosity to see if it threw up anything which might be useful. &nbsp;I took away anything that seemed relevant to me and left the rest.</p> <p>I think that guidelines are useful, especially for those who are less confident about their style, and that we need to be aware of the "rules" before we can go our own way. &nbsp;In the end, though, our best guidelines can be our intuition and a good, all-round mirror.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445884 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 09:30:56 +0000 psychedelicate 1445884@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think whether something like Kibbe is appealing to you comes down to personality. For me, having boundaries and an analytical approach is more fun than just sort of going about it blindly. I think that we all develop, with time, an understanding of what works for us and what doesn't. And for me, Kibbe gives me a detailed list of the things that do, and they really do work for me. If I stick with my type, the things I buy will be things that look really good on me and that I will wear over and over. </p> <p>I do know that for some people, it sounds really boring and limiting. I think it definitely comes down to personality types and the way your mind works. I have never seen so many female INTJs in one place as I do in Kibbe groups! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc/page/2#post-1445864 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 06:16:21 +0000 Marley 1445864@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh my gosh - I am back in the midwest staying with my mother and we just went to a church potluck today! &nbsp;I'm positive that some of the dishes lined up on the tables were taken straight out of the vintage mold recipe books! &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445852 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:22:59 +0000 rachylou 1445852@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do find Kibbe a little tortured. And as far as I can tell his styles aren't styles but physiques, and his recommendations have a lot more to do with the engineering of cloth and the construction of garments - like dart placement.</p> <p>But it's entertaining to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445851 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:20:19 +0000 K.M. 1445851@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anna, interesting post as always. I gave Kibbe a try out of curiosity because I like all forms of self-analysis, but I didn't really get much out of it. I did think it was a bit arbitrary. I also, as you, didn't feel that I wanted to dress to flatter the shape of my jaw. So, I experimented it, but it didn't fit me. I found Angie's bodytypes much more enlightening and helpful (and made so much sense with relation to what I already like to wear instinctively). And ultimately for me, finding my proper style is as much about my personality and inner self as about exterior features.</p> <p>However... I still like Freud! A lot! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445848 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:03:10 +0000 Caro in Oz 1445848@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anna, I appreciate your counterpoint but don't agree that&nbsp;analysis has "taken over" the forum, there just happen to be a lot of members who are interested in something you are not. </p> <p>The main thing that brought me here&nbsp;was Angie's attitude of respect &amp; kindness towards everyone no matter where they are &nbsp;on their style journey. Well that &amp; having people who I could talk to about clothes. I don't know of any other places&nbsp;like this on the web:)</p> <p>IMO there is a lot of "context" in Kibbe His&nbsp;context is women as individuals. He writes about&nbsp;all the parts that make up a&nbsp;particular person - from their body, their features to their personality.&nbsp;Couldn't historical&nbsp;context be seen as a&nbsp;chronology&nbsp;of&nbsp;societal norms, which says nothing about particular people?&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445847 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:59:20 +0000 Deborah 1445847@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I find one of the things that I love about this forum is that a variety of fashion/style thoughts, interests and desires are shared here.&nbsp; It makes for an interesting and stimulating environment.&nbsp; For someone like me who is quite organic in her process some of these more analytical discussions have challenged me and broadened my thinking. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445846 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:47:11 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1445846@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I say to each her own. For whatever reason, I find the Kibbe discussions kind of entertaining and thought-provoking. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445843 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:31:55 +0000 annagybe 1445843@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It seemed recently that analysis had taken over the forum. I was trying to offer a counter point.<br />Also I've been reading Angie's blog for a very long time. I have never seen her do this type of thing. And isn't her approach is what brought people here?</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445842 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:23:35 +0000 Suz 1445842@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anna, I agree about the abstraction. I guess any system will be abstract and reductive&nbsp;(to a degree) because that's what categorization is all about.&nbsp;</p> <p>I also agree that unless you consider personality and lifestyle, you're still not going to be able to do much with all of this. It doesn't really help to know that according to so-and-so guru you "should" wear diaphanous fabrics...if your climate tends to -40 temps (like mine, tonight) or if you're more of a boot-stompin' type.&nbsp;</p> <p>It might come down to a difference in aim. For some, personal style is all about playing with fashion. For others, it seems to be about finding a uniform or signature look. (This is an exaggeration and we're probably all on a continuum here, but you get the idea.)&nbsp;</p> <p>Maybe these systems appeal more to those looking for the latter. For someone like you, who is forced to wear a literal uniform all day at work, the whole idea of anything that would constrain you in your off-hours is super-limiting, and no wonder.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445840 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:15:33 +0000 Gaylene 1445840@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>As for those recipes. Carême, the grandfather of classical French grande cuisine, was celebrated for his invention of aspics and savoury jellies and would have found the items in those pictures quite familiar. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445837 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:03:49 +0000 Deborah 1445837@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think for some of us, this level of analysis is a lot of fun and is interesting.&nbsp; For others, like me, it's all little too hard for a number of reasons.&nbsp; Some personalities are more inclined toward deep analysis and others are not.&nbsp; For this reason, I have skimmed some of the discussions but not commented.&nbsp; Still found them interesting:) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/kibbe-kitchener-etc#post-1445836 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 04:03:21 +0000 Gigi 1445836@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've actually been enjoying the Kibbe threads; this kind of analysis intrigues me. I&nbsp;haven't heard of Kitchener. I find that I learn something new about myself&nbsp;with each system of styling, which only helps me.&nbsp;</p> <p>One thing I have found useful in the Kibbe discussions here (although not so much elsewhere online) is that you can use the Kibbe guidelines in a more general sense (e.g., fitted/unfitted silhouette; strong/muted colors; lots of detail/no detail)&nbsp;but don't have to go with the overall styles that are usually attached to his types. For instance, soft gamines are often given some kind of Audrey Hepburn-esque outfit, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can take the bare bones guidelines and make an outfit that doesn't scream "Audrey."</p> <p>I think the outdatedness of Kibbe refers to the pictures, which are from the eighties. The guidelines don't have to pertain to any decade of fashion. But people who have read the book (I haven't) say that the outdated pictures really make it difficult to understand how exactly to apply all the guidelines to modern clothing items. </p>