YouLookFab Forum » Topic: WIW - less minimal

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: WIW - less minimal - please help https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 03 May 2026 14:27:45 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Beth Ann on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1337531 Fri, 22 Aug 2014 04:44:55 +0000 Beth Ann 1337531@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ OK -- I'm pressed for time tonight, so I confess to deep interest but just a skimming reading of the interesting discussion to your original post.  I'll come back to the Kibbe quiz myself later! As for your original question:  I love your new version best with both pearls and scarf.  They each are fully visible, of similar scale, and both add visual energy near your face.  Besides.....with the strict structure and classic silhouette, why the heck not? I keep trying to tone things down.  Not to be invisible, but to invite people in to the party instead of throwing off huge amounts of visual energy.  I've been failing, largely, although I'm not sure I mind.  I think I'm made for color as an expression of a creative personality type.  Physically, I look my best in saturated brights and high contrasts, but I've learned there are a few midtones that seem to suit me (chambray blue), and optic white is a great, brightening canvas.  So there it is.  I don't know your personality well, although I suspect that you are sharply intelligent, curious, meticulous, and a loyal friend.  The high energy contrast and color you're talking about will add a sense of fun to the mix.  And having fun with fashion will make you feel more open and free. Can't wait to see what unfolds!  E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1337515 Fri, 22 Aug 2014 04:03:13 +0000 E 1337515@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thank you Alexandra! I didn't realise gamines could do either: the stuff I've read about yin gamine is "define the waist, define the waist," which certainly gets me closer to a culturally ideal hourglass, but would get a bit dull if I had to do it every single day I think. I'm looking forward to seeing what "animated detail" looks like, so I hope you post more outfits (here or on your blog)! Suz, we're definitely so different on the embellishments & details! Rounded shapes are a slam dunk for me: the only problem is that culturally, rounded shapes are sometimes considered childish, so I have to be careful not to look too juvenile. But I remember the 'fussy' thread made me giggle, because what so many people described as fussy I would have categorised as 'wonderful details to wear & love.' Even at my very simplest, I'll add at least a brooch, I can't help it. Whereas I feel very uncomfortable in anything sharp or angular (as we saw on the jacket thread): I feel it makes my face look more asymmetrical too. I love that style on others, but I can't pull it off. Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1336288 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 22:17:20 +0000 Suz 1336288@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Alexandra, I think I meant the kind of detail that tends to look so wonderful on E.! Or even the "animated" detail that would work on a Flamboyant Gamine.  So yes, pintucks might fall into that category, although those can be crisp and appear almost like stripes, so might work in the right garment. Pleats are fine, even good (if stitched down at the hip). And pleats on a shirt (like a tux shirt) are great.  Mulling over it a bit more, I probably meant embellishment more than detail. It's funny -- in my home decor I have an appreciation for the ornate. In my clothing, not so much. Sometimes I am superficially attracted to items with a slight boho, or arty, or romantic vibe. But the attraction never lasts long. And when it cools, I end up feeling a kind of revulsion toward the item. That's not too strong a word for it! It's not a poison eye, because I enjoy the look on others (and, as I say, sometimes feel a slight yen towards it.) But it makes me feel costumed and uncomfortable.  Rounded shapes are particularly difficult/ problematic. Round collars, tiny round buttons, round patterns even feel a bit off (although I love the idea of polka dots and tend to buy them occasionally, I end up tiring of them unless they are the almost invisible kind).  But anything that feels "busy" to me will be off. And almost everything -- even pattern in and of itself -- can feel "busy." Weird, eh?  So odd.... Alexandra on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1336194 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 19:56:17 +0000 Alexandra 1336194@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, I agree, color is probably the easiest piece for most of us. By small detailing, do you mean things like pintucks? Yes to the neutrals being the calm "ground" - they are for me too. But all over, they become armor. Sort of like having a strong house foundation (good thing) and continuing it all the way to the roof (not a good thing) - I want the windows and doors, hehe. So a big dose of bright color is a must for me. Thank you for sharing Sveta's story - her style is wonderful. E, yes, I was thinking a mix like that was closer, not that I'm an expert or anything. From what I've read, gamines can define the waist or skip it as long as the silhouette isn't oversized. You've demonstrated both here on the forum beautifully. Please ramble away, I love reading what you write. This has been so much fun and very enlightening. Thank you! Alassë on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335896 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:47:49 +0000 Alassë 1335896@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm having fun reading the Alexandra/E/Suz exchanges. E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335823 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 13:51:44 +0000 E 1335823@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Alexandra, I took the illustrated quiz & didn't get many D's this time either, so I was probably misremembering my first results. For the record, I'm well aware I don't look like Selma Hayek or Jennifer Love Hewitt! lol This time I came up with mainly a mix of A's and E's, with 3 Ds for my arms and cheeks (and maybe my eyes? not sure) and a B for my shoulders. Is that about where you would have put me? According to the bottom interpretation on that quiz, that likely puts me in soft gamine territory, and Rachel N's pin of Sally Fields as an unusual yin gamine looks a lot like me in a swimsuit. But really, I think the positive forum feedback I've gotten on yin gamine-type outfits, plus how natural I feel in small detailed & quite girl-y clothes, makes me think that it's a good enough fit anyway. Between my broader shoulders & smaller waist, perhaps I can fudge a little: full skirts with waist definition & a fitted top tucked in make me look curvier/more yin while waist (and bust) surrendering boxy blouses that hang from the shoulder make me look straighter/more yang. Love your crayon analogy! I had a different experience when I realised I needed muted colours to look my best: shedding the bright colours that I'd tried to make work in the past (because they're so pretty) was like taking a big breath and then letting it out. Suddenly I didn't have to work at 'fixing' my natural colouring, which of course looked washed out next to brights. Instead, it seemed to quietly glow (not to sound cocky), and I felt so relaxed and easy. (I haven't been professionally draped like you, but once I read about the concept of bright/muted, it was very easy for me to see which one I favoured, even if I wasn't positive whether I was cool or warm.) I'm having so much fun chatting w you & Suz on this thread. Hope I haven't rambled on too much! Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335784 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 12:46:19 +0000 Suz 1335784@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That's interesting, Alexandra. I expect for many of us, colour is our first and easiest way in to change in fashion. It's easier for most of us to know what instinctively appeals there than with pattern, detail, and line -- at least I suspect so. We have a more emotional response to it.  Although having said that, I have always had a negative emotional response to a lot of small detailing or embellishment on clothing. I don't mean that I dislike it on others, but for myself I have never, ever cared for it, and whenever I would wear garments that included it, I felt costumed and uncomfortable -- almost the way I feel if I wear a mini-skirt and high heels (a definite "costume" look on me.)  I feel the opposite way about neutrals. For me they are not armour but the calm "ground." Not black, in my case (for me black is more of a colour to be used sparingly)  -- but navy, winter white, taupe, grey.  On the other hand, I would also shrivel up and cry without my injection of colour! So all neutrals all the time would not be a good idea.  I love your idea of the descriptions as a box of crayons. I think that each of us can use them as a springboard to move forward in our own style journey. I think Sveta typed herself as a soft dramatic, and when she did so it was a great revelation. Her recognition came just when fluid fits were gaining acceptance, and her natural drama combined with the fluid fit launched her into her current style nirvana -- a place where almost every outfit she wears expresses her fully.  Alexandra on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335728 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:10:02 +0000 Alexandra 1335728@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ E, I re-read the questionnaire last night and I wouldn't have picked hardly any D's for you. Yes, the sample newsletter is pretty cool. I subscribed to the Winter/Gamine one and this first issue was all dresses. I love it. Suz, here's a quote I found on a blog recently: <div>To find real peace you have to let the armor go.</div>Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. <div>Don't let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through you. </div>Risk being seen for who you really are, in all of your beautiful glory. I think that also applies to dressing. The more classic, dark neutral pieces were my armor. Shedding them and replacing them with my native bright colors was scary but it paid off big time and I think that made it easier to move forward into changing the clothing details and lines. The Kibbe descriptions won't necessarily be perfect. To me, they're like color seasons/types in that they are essentially a box of crayons. You could give identical boxes of crayons to a hundred people and they'd paint you a hundred very different pictures. Not only will the pictures be of different things/people/landscapes etc., but some people will use only a few colors while others may use the whole spectrum. Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335490 Wed, 20 Aug 2014 01:16:23 +0000 Suz 1335490@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Alexandra, I distinctly remember when you started adding that vivid lime green as an accent in your outfits -- it made you come alive! And that is nothing if not a "vivacious" colour. I think it suits you down to the ground, and I'm glad you're happy with your new descriptor and feel better represented by those terms. I am sure you WILL take over the world...and doubtless the world will be better for it, too. :) E, I agree that there is a "roundness" to your angularity, if that makes sense. And I firmly believe we should dress in what makes us feel most ourselves, regardless of what this or that system might say. The systems are helpful up to a point and then we have to refine based on the experience of actually wearing clothes and the way we feel in them.  So, I took the test again, and once again came out DC. I do have a fair number of A answers but only one E answer, a couple of Ds, a few Bs -- and slightly more Cs overall (although the Cs are close to the As). And, when I read the descriptors, while DC is not perfect in every particular, it's definitely closer than any other. The "dramatic" part is absolutely key for  me, though. If I lose that, I lose my joy in fashion completely. Strictly symmetrical classic seems to smother me. Add that dash of asymmetry and crisp detail and I come alive.  I do relate to all the gamine hairstyles, though, for sure!  :)   E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335388 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 23:11:20 +0000 E 1335388@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't think I got *all* D answers, I just remember I chose D more often & then there was no correlation with D. I chose A frequently too I think; I know I didn't get much C. I took it so long ago though that the details are hazy. I'm curious to see the quiz Rachel comes out with next month: I loved the sample newsletter since it was all summer & all gamine! That's so neat that people are responding to you differently since you started tweaking your look. And that you're happy with what Rachel suggested: money well spent since you can sew/knit your own wardrobe to spec. Alexandra on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help/page/2#post-1335245 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 20:28:37 +0000 Alexandra 1335245@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ E, the consultation with Rachel was fun. Lots of great info, too. I think my posture and the ever-present heels throw people off when it comes to my height. All D answers? I'll have to re-read the quiz to see what they are. Suz, no, just Kibbe's. In the book or all the bits that people posted on yuku. The only other version I have is the one Rachel customized for me. She is going to put her questionnaire on <a href="http://signature-style.squarespace.com/" rel="nofollow">Signature/Style</a> sometime next month -  you might want to check there. On the subject of wardrobe changes and the new me: there's no new me, just the me I've been hiding behind some of the more classic clothes. So I like being able to express the cheerful, spunky side of me. I've noticed that as I wore bright colors this past year (that was new), I felt better and happier and more open. And people responded to that, which in turn made me feel even better and happier... you get the idea. So I'm thinking once I adjust the lines and details, I will rule the world! OK, maybe not quite, but I will be the best me I can be. Does that make sense? Texstyle, thank you! Did you mean uniform as in the flight attendant look? La Belle, wow, thank you, what a compliment! I'll try it again with a different pair of earrings (when they arrive) and post for comparison. Zibbets and Golden, thank you! Firecracker, I like your analysis of the effect of the pearls vs. scarf vs. both. Thank you!   E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1335062 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:25:10 +0000 E 1335062@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <threadjack> Suz, as I said to Alexandra, it's entirely possible I decided I was a soft/yin gamine because I like the styles recommend for that type. And if someone told me tomorrow 'actually, science has proven that you are X type and should only wear straight skirts in future and v necks and no more detailed pieces, keep it simple and monochromatic,' I would just ignore them. Lol. But I do think that in offline life, even though I'm thin, I'm a 'rounded' kind of thin: I have fleshy curves on my arms and legs that jiggle and smoosh, for lack of a better description. I'm small busted & my hip bones are narrow but my rear is curvy (and also very jiggly, lol) compared to the rest of me (it's always in a different size on size charts than the rest of my measurements). Plus, when I wear a body con knit, I think my bust looks fairly balanced in comparison to my waist: I do have curves, they're just easily lost unless an outfit is very fitted. And I think I have more waist definition than the 'yang' types & certainly a very round face! But as I already said, I might be looking for proof that I'm a yin because I prefer the styling ideas. I'm pretty certain I'm a gamine in that system: I look shorter than I am in real life & younger than my age & the word 'cute' often comes up when others describe me. However, I enjoy both waist defining & waist surrendering looks, so clearly I'm not terribly committed to one specific type. I just enjoy getting inspiration from all kinds of things & I do like Kibbe's recommendation that gamines break up their outfits instead of going for one long vertical line: I feel at my best with some contrast in my separates vs doing a column of colour. </threadjack> Firecracker (Sharan) on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334786 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 06:18:09 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1334786@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love your cardigan makeover. Brilliant! I like remaking things to suit new style directions. The dress and cardigan are stunning on you. I like all three neck accessorizing options. I think all could work depending on your mood or the occasion. The scarf and pearls together are more vivacious, I would say. The pearls are good if you're feeling a bit nostalgic or romantic-feminine. And the scarf alone is easy with a bit of spunk. Golden on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334781 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 05:50:20 +0000 Golden 1334781@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love the pearls without the scarf! Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334539 Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:20:00 +0000 Suz 1334539@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ [Threadjack] E -- that is so true. It is of course possible that I am a gamine type. To be honest, when I first started doing that test, it is what I EXPECTED to be. But then when I read the descriptions I did not identify with any of them and I didn't have enough A and E answers to make me one. Of course I could have been answering all wrong, LOL.  I think, in body type we have almost identical measurements and lots of similarities, for sure. But you're right -- you have a shorter neck; also your shoulders are broader/ deeper than mine -- or appear that way -- perhaps because of our necks. Also my facial bone structure is quite angular (plus I'm older, which emphasizes angularity anyway) -- although my features are not angular, it is true. I think you might be longer waisted than I am also, though not by a whole lot.  And I do think personality/ energy type plays an enormous role here, for sure!  [End threadjack] I'm going to go do the test again and see. Meanwhile, Alexandra, I am curious about what you think about the new you and the changes to your wardrobe.  Zibbets on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334433 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 22:30:19 +0000 Zibbets 1334433@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow! Gorgeous!  I prefer the pearls alone. I also like the scarf alone. Both might work if you subtract the earrings. I adore what you've done with the cardigan. Your style update is perfect. Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334397 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:34:13 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1334397@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I really love what you did to the sweater, Alexandra!  To my eye, it looks like what I wish St. John sweaters looked like on me - chic, elegant, comfortable, expensive. I couldn't pin down a favorite, because I love the scarf - retro, but new retro.   Super-chic.   And yet... I love the pearls outfit for a more dress-up occasion, I can't quite decide about scarf + pearls together.    I like how they brighten up your face together, and then I think they might be too busy.   Then I think they're fine together.   I think maybe the earrings are skewing it.     texstyle on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334390 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:26:59 +0000 texstyle 1334390@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What a great post. I love the changes you made to the cardigan - perfect!  I think I prefer the last pic with the pearls, no scarf but maybe different earrings? The scarf, along with the cardigan and dress seems a little too much like a uniform to my eye. The pearls takes this effect away for me. E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334387 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:25:45 +0000 E 1334387@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh, and it's interesting that even though Suz & I are near 'body twins' (except I have a short neck), we dress in very different lines/shapes! I wonder how much is facial features, as we differ there, and how much is personality. Or if there are differences not captured by measurements in how our bodies come across. It's fun to speculate about anyway. Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334379 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:21:55 +0000 Suz 1334379@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've read Kibbe's own description and it didn't feel right. But did you see another version? Maybe I should check it out!  I think you're right about our tendency to see ourselves as the standard! It's really hard to be objective, and also, the way he describes some of these categories, it's almost impossible to figure out his meaning.  I tended to have a lot of C answers, too, and wondered if they were right -- but the alternatives were clearly wrong, if you know what I mean.  I'd be happy to retest myself, though!  E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334378 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:20:21 +0000 E 1334378@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh I enjoy Rachel N's Pinterest boards! I bet a consult with her would be lots of fun. :) Also, I thought you were much taller than 5'5"! I suppose photos can make people look taller though, depending on camera angle. And you have such excellent posture too. Anyway, experimenting is what the forum here is made for. :D How interesting re: your challenges with the Kibbe quiz! My main problem with it was that I ended up with almost all D answers, which doesn't have a correlation to any type. But it is difficult trying to answer the questions for yourself; I think it'd work better if someone else took it for you, since it's all about impressions anyway. Alexandra on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1334367 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:01:52 +0000 Alexandra 1334367@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, I wonder if you might actually be a YangG too. I've seen YangG described as "a shorter DC". Your short hair and cropped jackets would definitely fit that archetype. Have you read the description of YangG? What did you think? I think the reason I had such a hard time with the original Kibbe questionnaire is that I tend to consider myself fairly medium. Hence the many C answers. I don't know if others do this, but I think of myself as medium and everyone else as thinner/bigger, shorter/taller, etc. Maybe many (most?) of us use ourselves as the measuring stick, which makes it difficult to be objective when answering the questions in the Kibbe quiz. Suz on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333969 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 11:18:29 +0000 Suz 1333969@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That is very interesting, Alexandra! I will hop over to her site to see what she says.  I find the Kibbe descriptions quite difficult to make sense of at the best of times and the questions quite hard to answer. I did like the version of the test that has some accompanying visuals -- (found it online somewhere) -- that helped in answering.  I don't feel that all elements of the DC are true of me or for me....for intstance, if I'm a DC supposedly I should not wear my hair short. Well....as you see, like you, I do! And also, supposedly I should never wear a jacket shorter than high hip....but a cropped jacket can be really good on me in fact, with a dress, as in your example here.  But the general point about clean and sometimes diagonal lines, the kind of detailing, and mostly the need for "yang" or dramatic energy ring true for me.  Alexandra on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333936 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:47:02 +0000 Alexandra 1333936@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ JAileen, thank you! Prim and proper sounds a little uptight or buttoned up, which is exactly how I felt in that first outfit. It wasn't my favorite. Approachable - thank you for that word. Tanya, thank you! L'Abeille, thank you! This flamboyant thing - I'm glad I'm not alone. Intrepid sure sounds better. And it doesn't have the attention-getting connotation. Suz, yes, Kibbe. I am 5'5.5" on a good day. Doing his quiz alone always put me in Dramatic Classic, mostly because I had a hard time answering those questions and ended up with a lot of C's. Reading the description, it didn't really resonate, it felt very strict and straitjacket-y, and almost boring. It took talking to Rachel Nachmias of <a href="http://www.bestdressed.us/" rel="nofollow">Best Dressed</a> to see what my answers should have been and why. She has improved his quiz and the whole system so that it makes sense. YangG is fairly similar to DC but with added fun and spunky energy. I was actually nodding along as I read the description for the first time. (I had always overlooked the Flamboyant types and never even read them because of that word.) Lively, spritely, and vivacious - I like these words. Thank you! CocoLion, I appreciate you putting a finger on why the sweater is better in its current form. I have a hard time with this type of analysis. Thank you! Alassë, thank you! IK, thank you! Yes, the black dress makes an excellent foundation for all sorts of color play and accessories. Sometimes I think I'd like to have five simple black dresses and a rainbow of pretty, colorful cardigans, and I'd be set. Gigi, I like how you framed it - a new leg of the style journey. I had felt vaguely uneasy about changing directions, as if it somehow spoke of past as a mistake, but reframing it as a new leg of the journey helps me see that I went as far as I could with what I had before, and now I simply continue with new information and more fun. Thank you! Angie, thank you! Yes, red is my color. I used to love it as a teenager, then somewhere along the line I pushed it away as "too strong" or "aggressive". What was I thinking? I'm glad it's back in my life. Lyn67, thank you! Yes, it definitely helps. Avicennia, thank you! I will work on the earrings. For years, I wore one pair of studs, day and night. This is my first foray into dangly earrings. Maybe a larger, colorful button/stud earring would work better? Unfrumped, thank you! Jaunty - another great word. I'll play with some scarf options and see how things go. I can see this taking some time :-) Frannieb, thank you! DonnaF, thank you! I will try again with different earrings. E, thank you! It's interesting how the accessories play up a certain aspect of the outfit. More experimenting is definitely in order. I think YinG sounds right for you, but I'm no expert. I had to consult Rachel Nachmias to find my own archetype. Ladies, I hope I didn't miss anyone. Thank you very much for all your helpful comments, suggestions, and compliments. E on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333795 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 01:26:28 +0000 E 1333795@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I like how the tipped sweater looks. :) I think if you weren't wearing earrings, I'd like the scarf & pearls together, but all 3 feels a bit busy. I love both the scarf and pearls on their own, although they give slightly different vibes. The scarf seems more playful, the pearls more elegant, but that's only a touch: your whole outfit it still beautifully fitted and elegant with playful colours, no matter how you accesorise it. I've read a bit about Kibbe: I think I'd be a soft/yin gamine, but I might have decided that because I like the clothes. lol What made you realise you're yang gamine? Just curious! DonnaF on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333753 Mon, 18 Aug 2014 00:33:15 +0000 DonnaF 1333753@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I like the cleaner look of the revamped sweater.  Of the three choices in the second pic, I like the pearls best because they are not fighting with your earrings.  If you were wearing earrings that did not dangle down, I would prefer the scarf.  It is not that they are large, but I prefer more space between the bottom of an earring and the top puff of a scarf -- if that makes sense.  You could also add your watch to #1 or #3. . . .but IMHO, it would be too much going on to #2. I am a bit of an ALGO type of gal, so it has been interesting to think of my reaction to your side by side pics.  Hmmmm. frannieb on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333693 Sun, 17 Aug 2014 23:32:13 +0000 frannieb 1333693@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I like the look with pearls instead of the scarf, classic and approachable. I do like the scarf and pearls together -  because well not everyone can do it and kinda a wink and nod to the dramatic without being crazy dramatic - just a little unexpected but not super wild.  I echo everything that has already been said about the topper rework. unfrumped on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333652 Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:39:18 +0000 unfrumped 1333652@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The sweater remake is fantastic. I like each accessory alone. The pearls seem more classic. If you were aiming for a bolder look, maybe experiment with some combinations of necklaces- but, too much might overwhelm. The scarf is jaunty, and I wonder if you could wear MORE scarf-- possibly larger and possibly introduce another color, such a a touch of purple with red and black. again, I think you are taking care with oroportions, so it is more of a play around with it thing. The jacket and dress alone are stoking and lovely on you for experimenting. avicennia on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333644 Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:19:36 +0000 avicennia 1333644@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very striking! I like all combinations of scarf and pearls, BUT I would remove the dangly earrings in all stylings. To my eye, the dangling earrings are ever so slightly tipping the outfits into the busy realm. lyn67 on "WIW - less minimal - please help" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw---less-minimal---please-help#post-1333555 Sun, 17 Aug 2014 20:15:21 +0000 lyn67 1333555@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Didn't read any comments, and I don't know much about the flamboyant style, so I will tell you straight my eyes are delighted with that red jacket all the way, but love it much more in your today's styling(no shirt and no belt) for a matter, it's more streamlined, simple but still bold.Surelly, it could be the  bare legs, and pumps, but my opinion stood up for the second pictie, too. Then, I preffer the look of only one neck accessory, so in nr 3 the winners are on the left and the right side, to me. Did this help a bit?