You have Gamine Kibbe body type if you’re an even mixture of Yin and Yang opposites. Meaning, your answers to the Kibbe body type test is an even mixture of A & E. If you think you’re a Gamine, this article will help. Here’s how to dress a Gamine Kibbe body type.
What makes a Gamine?
Gamines are hands down, the most complex of all Kibbe types. Here’s a table showing you the opposing yet even mixture of Yin and Yang that makes a pure Gamine.
| YIN | YANG |
| Short height (petite stature) | |
| Bone Structure size is Yin (delicate and petite). | Bone Structure shape is Yang (angular and straight). |
| Facial flesh, especially the eyes are waif-like, large, rounded (answers E) | Facial Bones (nose, jaw cheekbones) are delicately sharp and angular (answers A). |
| Body Flesh (bust, waist, hips, thighs, upper arms) is angular, straight, and sinewy. |
Gamine visual examples
Note: Just because two ladies are both Gamines doesn’t mean they should look exactly the same.
Note: The following descriptions are merely general outlines and not meant to 100% describe a Gamine down to her very last detail. A slight deviation from these descriptions is always possible and should not be worried over as long as the overall outline meets the Yin and Yang balance of a Gamine (Yin in size and features while Yang in bone structure and shape).
Skeleton (bone structure):
- height is 5’5″ and under
- narrow (sometimes described as delicate but sharp and angular– Yang)
- square or tapered shoulders (tend to narrowness, as opposed to broad)
- delicately sharp facial contours (nose, jaw, cheekbones)
- hands and feet are moderate to small and tend to narrowness
- limbs (arms and legs) tend to be long
Body flesh (bust, waist, hips, thighs, upper arms):
- straight
- lithe and lean (tends toward sinewy musculature)
- tends toward flatness in bust and hips (unless overweight)
- may be very leggy (coltish)
- possibility of being slightly short-waisted
Facial features (facial flesh and bones):
- large eyes
- moderate to thin lips (narrow or straight as opposed to full)
- taut cheeks and flesh
When overweight, a Gamine’s excess weight tends to show up in the hip and waist areas and rarely does it appear above the waist. When extremely overweight, the body tends to square or stocky shapes, as opposed to curves.
A Gamine will NOT:
- be over 5’5″ (usually even more petite)
- have extremely large bone structure (Natural)
- be symmetrical in body type and facial features (Classic)
- have prominent or exotic features (except for enormous eyes)
- have a real hourglass figure with a waspish waist and full bust and hips (Romantic)
- have large hands and feet (Natural)
Kibbe-verified Gamine celebrities
- Edith Piaf
- Mia Farrow
- Pat Benatar
- Jean Seberg
- Heather Locklear
- Paulette Goddard
- Geraldine Chaplin
- Rosanna Arquette
How to dress a Gamine Kibbe body type
To dress your Gamine figure, your goal is to follow your own Yin-Yang balance which is Yin in size and features while Yang in bone structure and shape. Both sides are of equal importance and must always be expressed at the same time in all aspects of your appearance.
If this sounds confusing, the tips below should give you a good foundation as to how.
Before reading further though, know that the following tips are merely guidelines, not rules. They’ll provide you examples but ultimately, you can bend or break them as long as you’re honoring the Yin-Yang balance of a Gamine (Yin size and features, Yang bone structure and shape).
Without further ado, here’s how to dress a Gamine.
1. Look for fitted but angular pieces.
Fitted and small to honor your Yin while angular and crisp to honor your Yang. This is the very foundation of a Gamine’s shape and silhouette. Your outlines should be geometrically shaped, with sharp edges and a precision fit. It’s only when you follow this will you be able to equally highlight both your Yin and Yang side in equal doses.
You can do this effortlessly by opting for stiff-looking fabrics. Drapey and flowy fabrics are a little tricky for Gamines because they tend to soften rather than add a crisp look to an outfit.
The same applies to accessories. They should be small and tailored with an emphasis on crispness. An overabundance of such detail as piping, contrasting trim, and precisely defined collars and cuffs bring out your vitality.
Don’t hesitate to work with small, energetic prints and patterns. They capture your animation brightly and excitingly. Your jewelry should be small, geometric, colorful, and witty, including the asymmetric or irregular.
Note: Confused about which aspects are Yin and which are Yang? This article will explain with visual examples: Yin vs Yang Examples of Kibbe Types.
2. Broken lines and color-blocking are perfect on you.
As opposed to Dramatic who has to maintain a strong vertical line to harmonize with her outfit, you, as a Gamine look best with broken or short vertical and horizontal lines.
Therefore, to get the most out of your ensemble, your print and outline should be sharp, straight, and staccato. The use of severe lines with sharp edges comes from your Yang while the staccato, animated outline comes from your Yin.
3. There is no such thing as too much detail!
You’ve probably heard that in fashion and style, less is more. Well, that’s absolutely not the case for you, Gamine.
While Naturals and Dramatics run the risk of looking like overkill with too much detail, it’s never a problem for a Gamine. In fact, the more pizzazz the outfit has, the better.
You can never wear too much detail. An abundance of it used everywhere your look is one of the most effective tools for honoring your figure’s animated effervescence. Although remember: the detail should always be small, sharp, and call attention to itself instead of blend into lines of your garments.
You can accomplish this by looking for the following prints and styles:
- closed neckline (mostly)
- lots of crisp trim
- small crisp cuffs
- oversized buttons
- small, crisp pleats
- sharp shoulder pads
- sharp and narrow waist definition
- small crisp ties (ribbon, leather, etc.)
- very crisp, staccato, broken-up, multicolored
- small, tailored lapels or crisp lapelless with piping
- lots of outlining (collars, cuffs, waistbands, lapels)
- with piping or contrasting colors or fabric, braiding, beads, etc.
- small, sharp, angular necklines and collars (Mandarin, Nehru, band, small man-tailored styles, small V’s, wingtip collar)
4. Your hair and makeup should complement each other.
Having Yang facial bones but Yin eyes, your hair and makeup must combine the sculpted contours of your Yang side while still allowing the fresh vulnerability of your Yin to glow through.
This means that short, cropped, and boyish haircuts are perfect for you. You never look awkward in them like most women do. They effectively showcase your enormous, saucerlike eyes.
As for your eye makeup, go for a smoky look. It honors the waif-faced theme that expresses your Yin vulnerability while enhancing your sculpted cheekbones that provides your Yang strength. Moreover, your lips must be deep or vivid enough to balance your eyes, and should always be glossy to add a bit of translucence.
5. Don’t shy away from colors.
At this point, you probably already know that colors are your best friends. In fact, you can break all the rules when it comes to colors.
Never hesitate to use bold and sassy ones, as well as bright and shockingly colored accessories played against a dark or light background. High, sharp contrast and wild color combinations look very chic on you. The use of colors is also a great way to create a short vertical line for your ensemble.
6. Short skirts and jackets look best on you.
Any extremely long piece is very tricky and tends to look “dowdy” on you. When possible, opt for skirts that don’t go lower than the top of the calf. Your ideal skirts are ones that are straight, sharp, fitted at the waistline, and short with a narrow and tapered hemline.
You can also pull off a slightly flared skirt as long as you keep it very straight through the hips and thighs. This could either be bias-cut or stitched-down pleats. Straight skirts should always have a short hemline (mid kneecap to minis). Crisp gathers will work, but not deep ones.
The same goes for jackets and blazers: Keep them short, cropped, very fitted with sharp edges, extreme tailoring, and construction. Short blouson jackets are excellent with collar, cuff, lapel, and waistband detail (outlining, trim, ribbing, piping).
What Gamines should avoid
Like all Kibbe types, knowing what to avoid is as crucial as knowing what to wear. Hence the following guidelines:
- heavy belts
- long hemline
- full, flouncy pieces
- “no makeup” looks
- overly soft makeup
- overly frosted colors
- thick, heavy briefcases
- frilly and flimsy blouses
- symmetrical silhouettes
- soft, watercolor makeup
- A-lines and symmetrical skirts
- minimal, clean detail, simplicity
- draped styles with tapered legs
- unconstructed and baggy styles
- watercolor, ornate, intricate prints
- oversized, large, or long geometrics
- long, unconstructed, flouncy jackets
- drapey, sheer, flowing, delicate fabrics
- soft-edged, flowing, or rounded shapes
- oversized, fluffy, and heavy textured pieces
- one long line of solid color, especially if dark
- plain pumps, overly delicate or strappy shoes
- unconstructed shapes, silhouettes, and detail
- ornate, intricate or delicate shapes, silhouettes, and detail
- classic, neutral makeup without the smoky eyes and deep lips
- all lines that are elongated, wide, curved, smooth, and flowing
In short, avoid anything that is not fitted or sharp, or that is all Yin or all Yang. Your ultimate goal as a Gamine is to give equal emphasis to your Dramatic narrowness and sharpness (extreme Yang) and your Romantic roundness and softness (extreme Yin).
When a Gamine doesn’t wear her lines
Unfortunately, it’s quite easy to find unflattering outfits for Gamines. Because their lines are complicated, it’s so easy to get them wrong. Miss one key element and you’d end up with a bland or a downright unflattering piece. The following are some examples:
Here, we have Geraldine Chaplin wearing an unconstructed dress with a closed neckline adorned with floral prints. While her neckline and hairstyle are perfect for a Gamine, the boxiness of her dress and the print’s softness aren’t.
How this could look better:
- More structure and angularity needed at the edges (shoulders, cuffs, hemline, neckline).
- The fabric should be stiffer and more constructed.
- Fit should be more precise in the cuffs, neckline, and shoulders to accentuate the Yin while being angular at the same time.
- The length could be shorter.
- Prints should be geometric instead of floral.
Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adore these ensembles’ cacophony of colors. They look nothing but gorgeous on a Gamine’s energy.
The catch? Their fit. The fits of both outfits are so unconstructed that they bury the shape and angularity of a Gamine. Add to that the strong vertical lines which only subdue the Yin of a Gamine.
This outfit would only be worth wearing by a Gamine if the overall fit were redone from unconstructed to fitted and angular. Otherwise, Naturals would look best in these outfits.
This ensemble is proof that Gamines are better off with short broken lines. While this outfit was ruined by little things combined together, it was the scarf’s long vertical line that wreaked the most havoc. Add to that the unconstructed fit, soft shoulders, loose cuffs, and an overall boxy appearance.
Could-be-betters
Now let’s proceed to the could-be-better outfits- the ones that nearly nailed it but still lacking one or two minor elements that make a perfect Gamine outfit.
What’s great:
- The fitted cuffs
- The angular shoulders
- The cuffs have two white buttons as details.
What could be better:
- Could have more details for the top (some color-blocking, oversized buttons, or small crisp collars).
- The waist and ankle hemlines could be more fitted and tapered.
- Could use more pizzazz by adding geometric accessories (small but angular necklace, earrings, etc.)
Overall, this outfit is wearable enough for a Gamine with the right accessories.
What’s great:
- The fit and length are just perfect.
- The haircut is too Yin and soft.
What could be better:
- More spiff or pizzazz is needed (some accessories, colors, and details) to match the energy of a Gamine.
- The haircut could either be short, cropped, or boyish.
What’s great:
- The fit is just perfect.
- The haircut is too Yin and soft.
What could be better:
- The length of the blazer should be shorter.
- The haircut could either be short, cropped, or boyish.
Note when styling a Gamine
- Know that clothes alone do NOT have a Kibbe type. Therefore, avoid Kibbe-typing a piece of clothing based on its appearance when unworn or worn by other women other than yourself. This practice limits the great outfits you could have worn!
- Just because an outfit looks great on a Gamine doesn’t mean it wouldn’t look great on other Kibbe types and vice versa. For instance, contrary to popular belief, bodycon dresses aren’t only exclusive to Romantics, nor is Bohemian only exclusive to Naturals. Any body type can actually wear a Bohemian and a bodycon dress and look great. They would just look different from one another but with the right fabric and customization, any body type can pull off most designs.
- Meaning, don’t be scared to explore and experiment. The system was made not to box you in but to liberate you so you can present your unique expression to the world.
- The goal is to know the principles first then marry those principles to your own taste instead of following a one-size-fits-all rule. For even two Gamines could look different from each other, not to mention have completely different tastes.
- As with dressing any body type, do not focus on each piece of the outfit. Instead, focus mainly on the overall feel and look of the outfit. For a Gamine, it’s about honoring the two equal opposing sides of extreme Yin and extreme Yang.
Pure Gamine Shopping Guide
Looking for an exclusive shopping guide for Flamboyant Gamine? This article will show you how to shop for pieces from head to toe: from clothing, accessories, makeup, coloring, and prints.
Having both qualities of Dramatic and Romantic, you definitely want to read:
This is by far the best summary of dressing a gamine than any I have found. I am planning to try to use these principles. Looking back on my many years, I see that my best “outfits” have had some of these qualities….lots of color blocking, diagonals, and interesting details. Thank you for writing this.
I am a soft summer gamine and I struggle with achieving enough contrast and animation in my out fits to honour my gamine lines while still staying in harmony with my muted colouring. Bright colours and high contrast overwhelm my natural contrast levels and chroma. I would love some advice on this.
Colours don’t have to be vivid to contrast. Muted red and deep green, or mustard yellow and deep purple, still achieve the effect without being glaring. Or, if you want to look even more subdued, you might try throwing together colours from the same family, such as brick red, peach and orange, for example. Or place your colours against a white or black background, or pair a colourful item with a black or white item. Or just keep your outfit mostly subdued colours, and limit bright to accessories.
Or perhaps you might actually be an ingenue, rather than gamine? The two types have a few things in common. The Concept Wardrobe has more information on this. (I’m not accusing you of being mistyped, just chucking all the information at you so that you can pick out what’s relevant!)