Fair enough re: feeling #2 is more like you! While obviously my personal style leans more towards flippy skirts, I don't *think* that's what drew me to #1. If anything, I think it was my personal awareness of my broad shoulders that made me hesitate about #2, especially since we have similar body types. I think I liked the sleekness of #1: even though there's more stuff going on, the fabrics are more refined than in #2, which somehow works better to my eye with your face & hair, and seems more princely and more urban.
None of which is an attempt to talk you out of your gut style, just expanding a bit on my vote.
I love the conversation going on between you & AG! Today I put on a full skirt and a fitted sweater and a little belt and added a brooch and rings, and I just knew that if I could only wear one 'formula' for the rest of my life, this would be it. I feel completely, effortlessly myself, and I don't even think about what I'm wearing. And it's simple, not complex, or advanced as AG puts it. Actively participating on the forum has made me want to push myself, play with different silhouettes and combinations; in part that's because the forum has given me more confidence to pursue my quirkier tendencies. And it's fun! But it's also fun to just put on something I've worn happily for a couple years now, and just enjoy the comfort of it.
Authenticity is a challenging idea, especially in a consumer culture that tries its hardest to convince us that identities are something to be bought and/or marketed. So I understand your concerns about it AG. But, as you (AG) mentioned in your post soon after I joined the forum, there are some ways of dressing that seem more in sync with a person than others. I do think it can be freeing to accept that some items are simply not 'us,' even if others think they're flattering and wonderful. Conversely, even if something isn't the most physically flattering option, if we feel fabulous in it, I think that will make it more flattering. That's a slippery slope of course, that could lead to the whole 'but sweats are comfy so that's what I'm wearing and no one else has to look' idea. Yet photos can only tell one story, and when you're going about your day interacting with people, how you feel in your skin is going to affect their perceptions of you. If you're perfectly at ease, you'll just look better.
Which leads me back to my big challenge of the year, which is going to be getting fussy about fit. I'm so interested in colours and fabrics and the style/feel of a piece of clothing, that if something seems perfect in those categories, I'll overlook fit problems. Which I really shouldn't do anymore, and I need to take a good look at my wardrobe and sort out the compromises from the well fitting options. And this is all a long way of saying, I love the idea of style revolution alongside evolution and hope to be closer to that revolution by the end of the year!