This article will show you a Flamboyant Gamine shopping guide — from casual to formal outfits, accessories, makeup, and coloring.
Not sure how a Flamboyant Gamine looks like? This article will show you with pictures and examples. It will also show you the styling principles.
The following were taken from the book Metamorphosis by David Kibbe, the image professional who created the Kibbe system.
Flamboyant Gamine Shopping Guide
1. Dresses
Dresses should be sculpted, tailored, and short. Narrow styles that are cut close to the body. Sharply extended or streamline curves at the shoulders. Asymmetric detail and contrasting trim are both excellent touches.
Waists should be usually be lowered, but a wide stiff belt in a contrasting color could also be used. Hemlines are short if the skirt is straight, longer if the skirt is uneven.
Blouson styles with a dropped waist are also good. Fabric should be of moderate to light weight to always reveal your shape. Ribbed-knit dresses that sculpt to the contours of the body are excellent. Asymmetrical hemlines and dropped waist detail are very chic.
Avoid:
- full, flowing dresses
- frilly, flouncy dresses
- wide, unconstructed dresses
- traditional symmetrical dresses (shirtwaists, etc.)
2. Separates
An obvious use of separates is very effective in keeping your freshness, energy, and vitality visible. Be sure to work with opposing shapes, vibrant colors, and electric patterns. Mixing textures, prints, colors, and detail is a most exciting and elegant way to showcase your vibrancy.
Avoid: monochromatic and blended looks
3. Jackets and blazers
Flamboyant Gamines’ jackets and blazers should be short and boxy, emphasizing a cropped and horizontal line. The shoulders should be extended, either very sharp and crisp or a streamlined, sculpted curve.
The length should be from the bottom of the rib cage to the top of the hips. A longer jacket is occasionally possible, but only when worn as a separate over a very skinny bottom or extrashort skirt (or cropped pants).
A jacket that’s fitted through the waist is also a good choice, as long as the shoulders are extra padded and it ends at the top of the hips. Again, the shape of the jacket is sculpted, asymmetric, and irregular.
Contrasting trim is excellent, as is all angular detail (sharp lapels, piping, plackets, etc.).
Avoid:
- long jackets that hide the body
- standard tailored styles (blazers)
- symmetrical jackets
- oversized, unconstructed jackets
4. Skirts
Flamboyant Gamines’ basic straight skirts should be short and slim, either severely tailored or sculpted into a clean taper at the hemline. This hemline should end no lower than mid knee (higher for full, funky style).
A long, straight skirt may be worn if it tapers at the knee slightly and then flares out very subtly (not into a trumpet, that’s too much flounce). Then there will be a slit, probably in the back.
Pleated skirts are okay as long as the pleats are stitched down through the hip area. This has an uneven hemline, and will be longer (mid calf).
Bias-cut skirts may also be worn as long as they are very narrow and close to the body. This also has an uneven hemline, and is worn to the mid-calf area.
Asymmetrical hems are always excellent, even in evening wear, and long gowns should be fairly short (showing the ankle). Dropped waist detail is stunning as long it is asymmetric and never flouncy or fussy.
Avoid:
- sharp pleats that are not stitched down through the hips
- traditional symmetrical styles (A-lines)
- deep gathers and soft folds
- wide, unconstructed styles
- full, flowing styles
- bouffant skirts
5. Pants
Flamboyant Gamines’ pants should be boldly man-tailored, in heavy fabric with deep pleats, plackets, and cuffs. They should be short, showing the ankle.
Your pants may also be cropped as short as you want. Skin tight pants (stirrups, spandex, ribbed, etc.) are also excellent on you.
Avoid:
- symmetrically tailored styles
- wide, unconstructed styles that are shapeless
- draped, clingy slacks that are gathered at the waist and tapered gently on the ankle
6. Blouses
Your blouses should be narrow, sculpted, and clean with simple necklines and geometric trim. Fabric should be of moderate weight and slightly crisp or flat, and should either be matte finished or ultrashiny (charmeuse). Any asymmetrical detail is excellent.
Avoid:
- frilly blouses
- ultra-clingy blouses
- symmetrically traditional styles
7. Sweaters
Flamboyant Gamines’ sweaters should have a sculpted shape, in skinny ribbed knits, or be heavy and bulky, worn in shorter cropped styles that are body hugging. Patterns should be bold and geometric with irregular shapes. Animated patterns are excellent as are highly original styling and details that show your wit and humor to advantage.
Shoulder pads should always be worn in sweaters — the sculpted curved shapes in the skinny knits, the oversized sharp shapes in the bulkier cropped styles.
Avoid:
- traditional symmetrical styles (crew-necked shetlands, cardigans)
- soft, fluffy knits
8. Evening wear
Narrow shapes with geometric edges. Smooth fabric. Hard-edged metallics. Beading. Crisp, tailored, and colorful trim. Asymmetrical hemlines. Playful accessories.
The following evening wear styles are the most flattering for a Flamboyant Gamine:
- flapper-style cocktail dresses
- sleek sheaths that are very bare
- slinky gowns with broad shoulders
- dropped-waist dresses with shoulder emphasis
- evening separates (blouses, pants, slinky skirts, etc.) with glitzy trim
- short-jacketed pants outfits (cropped, beaded jackets, wide-legged satin pajama pants, etc.)
9. Shoes
Flamboyant Gamines’ shoes should always be angular and irregular in shape. Slightly chunky in style. Low triangular heels or very straight, high heels. Asymmetrical flats. Brightly colored or pattered styles for fun.
Avoid:
- ornate trim
- plain pumps
- delicate, strappy shoes
10. Bags
Your bags should be angular and asymmetric in shape (triangles, squares, skinny rectangles, boxes, etc.). Should be a crisp leather, stiff and flat. Wild patterns, bright colors, and unusual fabrics are very chic. Constructed briefcase (with a frame).
Avoid:
- collapsible briefcases
- oversized, unconstructed bags
- small, rounded bags with delicate straps or ornate trim
- moderate, symmetrical pocketbooks with a frame and handle
11. Belts
Your belts should be wide and stiff or streamlined and sculpted. Bright colors, patterns, and unique fabrics. Crisp, stiff leather. Unusual buckles (asymmetric).
Avoid:
- waist cinchers
- delicate, fussy belts
- subdued, narrow belts
12. Hats
Flamboyant Gamines’ hats should be small and crisp in irregularly sculpted or asymmetrical shapes. Crisp ethnic caps are also excellent (berets, Nehru, Spanish, etc.).
Avoid:
- oversized, unconstructed, and floppy styles
- delicate, ornate styles
13. Hosiery
You can wear any type of hosiery as long as it breaks your vertical line, instead of blending with the shoe and hemline. This can be accomplished by contrasting colors with your hem and shoes, by adding texture to the stocking (geometrics, herringbones, asymmetrics, etc), or by wearing wildly patterned stockings for fun!
Ultrasheer stockings are best kept for evening, when they get very sparkly and silky. Daytime it’s opaque for you — they’re fresh and sophisticated while at the same time with the context of your highly creative look! Flesh-toned stockings are effective with very bare outfits, particularly in the summertime.
Avoid blending your stockings/ hemline/ shoe color together.
14. Jewelry
Jewelry is one of Flamboyant Gamines’ most essential accessories. It adds both to the sophistication as well as the wit of your look. The effect may be either elegantly avant-garde or funky and zany, whichever you choose.
Shapes are chunky, asymmetric, and irregular. Lots of sculpted metal is excellent, as are brightly enameled surfaces and colored glass. Wild costume jewelry is electric on you, but keep it very contemporary in feeling.
If you have a love of antique, go for the art deco era of sleek, streamlined pieces instead of the intricate Victorian or art nouveau pieces. Lots of vibrant color, sparkle, or the gleam of polished metal pull your look together.
Avoid:
- dangly glittery pieces
- small, symmetrical pieces
- overly delicate or intricate pieces
- heavy ethnic pieces (unless they are contemporary works of art, very sculpted in effect)
15. Hair
Flamboyant Gamines’ hairstyles should be asymmetrically sculpted or boyishly tousled. the outline is geometric, but the edges require some layering or beveling to add freshness and avoid severity.
Because your total look is so eclectic and original, you can opt for a very wild style if you so wish. Trendy styles are wonderful on you, but they do date quickly. Also, maintaining the shape with constant trips to your hairdresser is a most important factor for you.
Short hair works best because you need to show your face, particularly your eyes. “Boyishly Chic” is your ticket to sophistication!
Long hair is very difficult to maintain. It requires a very flamboyant style, à la Tina Turner’s wigs. If your lifestyle allows such an extreme look, along with the teasing, setting, and spraying this requires, it can be quite stunning. If not, it will be a disaster!
Asymmetrical dips, sweeps, or side pieces are all extremely elegant on you.
Avoid:
- overly “soft” styles
- anything that hides your face
- blunt-edged, symmetrical cuts
- overly ornate, teased, curly styles
- long hair (except as described above)
- wash ‘n wear styles with no sculpture
- severe geometric shapes without an asymmetric edge or layered fringe to tousle
16. Haircolor
Flamboyant Gamines’ haircolor should be distinct and rich, not “softened.” If you decide to color your hair, choose a shade that is clear and vivid. If you are very daring a theatrical color will work on you — blue-black, fiery red, platinum, etc.
Otherwise, stick very close to your original shade. If you need to cover gray, or want to make the color a little richer, opt for overall color processes instead of subtle highlights.
Avoid trying to “soften” the hair with subtle lights or lightening the overall effect.
17. Makeup
Your makeup is your finishing touch. It provides the elegance and sophistication your image identity requires to be completely coordinated, head-to-toe. A “smoky face,” which combines deep, sultry colors with a touch of vibrancy around your eyes, strong cheeks, and a deep lip color, is your best look.
Don’t choose shades that are overly bright; just a hint of color is necessary to bring out your flamboyant spirit! Stick to matte colors for the day, with a simple addition of sheer sparkle most effective at night.
Avoid:
- only neutrals (too stark on you)
- pastel colors (too matronly on you)
- watercolor-blended edges (too aging on you)
- overly ornate or glittery face (too unsophisticated on you)
Flamboyant Gamine Shopping Guide & Styling Techniques
Shape
Asymmetrics and irregular shapes. Short and wide geometrics with sharp or soft edges. Chunky, boxy shapes. Sculpted shapes.
Note: A mixture of opposite types of shapes works well for you. It provides electricity in you appearance. Always work with a narrow base and add an opposite shape for contrast.
Avoid:
- delicate, intricate shapes
- symmetrical, even shapes
- ornate shapes (unless they are very irregular and witty)
Line and silhouette
Broken, staccato silhouettes. Asymmetric and irregular silhouettes. Broken, boxy, outlines. Sharply outlined edges. Severely straight or softly straight lines. Draped or flowing lines may be used when they are very elongated on the body and worn with a separate (either on top or bottom) that is opposite (sharp) — this breaks the vertical.
Note: An opposite use of line works best for you. Make your foundation from skinny, narro, and clingy silhouettes. On top of this, add irregular or asymmetric lines in a staccato, broken fashion.
Avoid:
- shapeless silhouettes
- all unbroken silhouettes
- intricate, delicate, and ornate lines
- overly draped, flowing lines
- symmetrical outlines
Fabric
Fabric should be lightweight to moderate, with a slight crispness. The lighter the fabric weight, the more tailored or clingy it should be. Very rough or heavy fabric may definitely be worn in jackets, or other separates, as long as it’s combined with an opposite texture (for example, a skinny ribbed knit) to break up the bulk.
Matte and dull-finished fabric is generally best for the dominant part of your silhouette; however, combining an ultrashiny surface in a separate to work with is excellent.
In the evening, your best sheens are found in hard-edged fabrics, metallics, and stiff fabrics (brocades, heavy satins, sequins, beading, etc.).
All textures are excellent on you, as are rough-surfaced fabrics, and all woven fabrics. Knits and stretchy fabrics are especially good, although the skinnier and more ribbed knits need to be sculpted into shape by the construction of the garment (skinny stirrup pants, body stockings, etc.).
Thick, heavy, or bulky knits are excellent when used in cropped separates, such as vests, sweaters, jackets, etc. Keep these short, unless you combine them with something very clingy on the bottom (such as an oversized sweater worn over brightly patterned tights).
Avoid:
- overly delicate, flimsy, and ultrasheer fabrics
- heavy, stiff, and bulky fabrics that are not broken up by an opposite separate
Detail
Use a profusion of angular, sculpted detail that is ultracolorful and irregular or asymmetrical. This is the area that showcases your intelligence, your sophistication and your wit!
Shoulders should always be defined; pads are a must. You may go for an extended, sharp, shoulder, or a very streamlined, rounded shoulder (sculpted, not gathered)
Necklines should be geometric, asymmetric, or irregular. They may be very high and sculpted (Mandarin, Nehru, turtleneck) or low and plunging. Keep the cleanly shaped, without ornateness.
Bodice detail should be sharp edged (pleats, plackets, epaulets, etc.), and is best kept slightly oversized, as opposed to small. (Avoid intricate tucks and gathers.) Asymmetric detail is best.
Contrasting trim is excellent (collars cuffs, piping, buttons, etc.) as long as it is bold, not delicate.
Lapels should be sharp and defined, wide and notched, or clean and sculpted — but not delicate and fussy.
The waist should be slightly dropped or slightly bloused over. It may be eliminated in very clingy, skinny styles that reveal the shape of the body underneath. Dropped waist trim (sashes, ropes, bold, detail, etc.) is always stunning as long as it is asymmetric and not overly fussy or flouncy.
Pleats are rarely effective and should be kept low and stitched down. Hemlines can be any length depending on the top (the skirt is always opposite the top in style), although shorter is most effective.
Avoid:
- symmetrical, plain detail (Classic)
- overly intricate, ornate, or fussy detail (Romantic
- wide, unconstructed detail (Natural)
- elongated detail that is not broken up (Dramatic)
- minimal detail (Dramatic and Classic)
Accessories
Your accessories should be cleanly sculpted and in angular shapes that veer to the asymmetric or irregular. When you use trim, it should be highly original, either avant-garde or slightly off-beat.
Color
Your use of color should be electric, bold, and vibrant. Wild color combinations that no one else would dream of using are ultrafresh and sophisticated on you. Multicolored splashes played against a very light or very dark background are equally exciting.
Always animate your look by breaking up your silhouette with lots of colorful accents. If you use one primary shade for the base of an outfit, then accent with a variety of bold and bright touches or you’ll lose the dynamic energy that is your most appealing asset.
Sharp color contrast is excellent. Be highly original with your color choices and combinations.
Avoid:
- one long line of any color
- monochromatic color schemes
- neutrals, unless they are heavy accented
- overly blended pastels (unless they are well-accented or crisply defined in patterns)
Prints
Flamboyant Gamines’ prints should be bold and animated. Asymmetric and irregular patterns and shapes are best, as is sharp color contrast for crisp definition of shape. Highly original and unique prints are good, as are avant-garde prints.
Mix opposing prints together using color as the key to continuity. Use your vibrant sense of humor in choosing prints. Opt for a bit of the zany here. It will clearly express your unique approach to life in the most attractive manner imaginable! Size should be moderate to large.
Avoid:
- small, symmetrical prints
- overly blended watercolor prints
- florals (unless they are absolutely wild and contemporary)
