You’re a Flamboyant Gamine if your position on the Yin and Yang scale is a combination of opposites but with extra Yang. Meaning, your answers to the Kibbe body type test is nearly an equal mixture of A & E with a few B. If you think you’re a Flamboyant Gamine, this article will help. Here’s how to dress a Flamboyant Gamine Kibbe body type.
What makes a Flamboyant Gamine?
In a nutshell, a Flamboyant Gamine is a Gamine with a little bit of extra Yang. Being a subcategory of Gamine, she’s a mixture of extreme opposites: Romantic (answers E) and Dramatic (answers A). However, unlike a pure Gamine, she has some soft Yang undercurrent (Natural: answers B).
Therefore, like a pure Gamine, a Flamboyant Gamine is petite in stature as well as strong and straight in Bone Structure. However, unlike a pure Gamine, she could be slightly broad and muscular which are both soft Yang qualities.
While her Facial Bones (nose, cheekbones, jawline) are Yang (like a pure Gamine’s), they usually tend to be more blunt and squarish. However, some could also be slightly oblong.
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.
| EXTREME YIN | EXTREME YANG | SOFT YANG | |
| Height | petite | ||
| Size | petite | ||
| Bone Structure | Square shoulders… | …but also broadly angular. | |
| Body Flesh | flat hips and bustline “leggy” look tendency | lean, strong, well-defined musculature | |
| Facial Bones | Facial shape could be long and narrow… | …or could be broad Nose, jaw, cheekbones tend to be broad and strong. | |
| Facial Flesh | waif-like, extremely large eyes moderate to full lips | taut cheeks |
Flamboyant Gamine visual examples
Note: Just because two ladies are both Flamboyant 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 Flamboyant 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 Flamboyant Gamine (a nearly equal mixture of extreme Yin and extreme Yang with some extra soft Yang).
Skeleton (bone structure):
- either broadly angular or narrow and sharp
- square shoulders
- slightly wide bones
- height: 5’4″ and under.
- facial contours tend to be broad (nose, cheekbones, jawline)
- large hands and feet, in proportion to height (if very petite, hands and feet tend to be short, but wide and square)
- arms and legs may be long, in proportion to height (If very petite, they appear to be slightly squarish.)
Body flesh (bust, waist, hips, thighs, upper arms):
- lean and strong
- tendency toward a leggy look (coltish)
- very defined musculature (unless overweight)
- straight lines, flat bustline, and hips (unless overweight)
Facial features (facial flesh and bones)
- usually have extremely large eyes
- lips are frequently moderate to full
- cheeks tend to be taut (unless overweight)
- slightly sharp or broad facial contours (nose, jawline, cheekbones)
- usually have a broad or long facial shape (may be very round or slightly oblong)
When overweight, a Flamboyant Gamine’s body tends to become stocky and square. Excess weight usually collects from the waist down, rarely above. Arms and legs tend to become thick, as well as the waist and hip areas. The face may become very puffy or fleshy.
A Flamboyant Gamine will NOT:
- be tall
- be symmetrical in body type or facial features (Classic)
- have a real hourglass figure: waspish waist, curvy bustline, and hips (Romantic). Even when overweight, the bone structure gives a more squarish shape.
Kibbe-verified Flamboyant Gamine celebrities
- Coco Chanel
- Penelope Cruz
- Audrey Hepburn
- Twiggy
- Liza Minelli
- Tina Turner
- Patti LuPone
- Debra Winger
- Kelly Osbourne
- Shari Belafonte
- Natassia Kinski
- Zooey Deschanel
- Liliane Montevecchi
Flamboyant Gamine Style Guide: How to Dress
To dress a Flamboyant Gamine, your goal is to follow your own Yin-Yang balance which is Gamine with extra Yang. If this sounds confusing, the tips below should give you a good foundation as to how.
Before reading further though, please know that you should NOT focus on each piece of the outfit but on the outfit’s overall look. Remember, the approach needs to be holistic. Your torso is connected to your lower body and vice versa, as with your clothing to your makeup and accessories.
1. Opt for fitted, sharp-edged pieces with broken lines.
Of all tips, this one’s the most basic and important.
Fitted, to harmonize with the part of your frame that is Yin. By doing so, you’re honoring your petite frame instead of drowning it as typical fashion advice would have you do.
Sharp-edged on the shoulders and the hemlines to honor your Yang side. To do this, ensure that your shoulders are always defined. Shoulder pads are a great help as well as crisp fabrics. You can either go for an extended, sharp shoulder (sculpted, not gathered like a Gamine) to honor your Dramatic or a streamlined and rounded shoulder to honor your Natural (soft Yang). Either way works.
Broken, short, and staccato details, lines, and patterns to honor your short vertical line (Yin). As a Flamboyant Gamine, you harmonize best with short, broken vertical lines– unlike pure Dramatics who require long vertical lines. Hence, color blocking is something you should explore.
2. Avoid long lines of verticals at all costs.
Looking tall is better than looking short. Or is it?
Well, not for a Flamboyant Gamine! The next time you hear an advice insinuating that the only way to look great is to look way taller than your height, immediately banish the thought! Never hesitate to break your lines as it’s the most flattering look for you.
This doesn’t mean you should avoid wearing long outfits. You still could as long as you break up your lines by wearing different colors for your top and bottom or by simply using the color blocking technique.
If you think that you should wear long vertical stripes and lines because they “trick the eyes” to see an elongated version of your frame which then “downplays your shortness”, think again. This is but a futile advice for a Flamboyant Gamine.
Nothing could be more disastrous for a Flamboyant Gamine than an ensemble meant to elongate your silhouette. It only downplays your frame (which should never be downplayed in the first place) which then results in a bland and even unwearable outfit.
You see, the heart and soul of Kibbe is to follow your own lines and shape: to show off what you have but also to NOT fake what you don’t have.
The result? An outfit that goes harmoniously with your frame. When an outfit is in harmony with your Yin-Yang balance, only then will you be able to create a flattering ensemble.
This explains why certain styles look better on you than on other women and vice versa. Different body types call for different outfits, so why follow a one-size-fits-all advice?
3. Wear your top and bottom in contrast with each other.
An obvious use of separates is very effective in keeping your freshness, energy, and vitality visible. This means you can flawlessly express your innate combination of opposites by wearing separates that are opposite in shape, line, colors, and patterns.
Example:
- A long, boxy jacket would be worn with a short, straight skirt (as opposed to a long, flowing skirt).
- A cropped, boxy bolero might be worn with a long, pencil-slim skirt with a slit up the back, that flares out slightly at the hemline.
- Color blocking: Take colors that are opposites on the color wheel and pair them together to make interesting and complementary color combinations.
You may have noticed that unlike pure Gamines, Flamboyant Gamines can wear boxy pieces. This is due to Flamboyant Gamines’ soft Yang (Natural) undercurrent.
Although remember, a boxy piece always has to be defined at the shoulders or hips and should be paired with a fitted piece. Always keep a foundation of clothing in a close-fitting, body-skimming silhouette.
4. Opt for angular details.
Aside from breaking up your lines to create an animated and electric visual statement, opt for an abundance of angular details.
Examples are piping on jackets, contrasting trim on very sharp lapels, contrasting collars and barrel cuffs, and unusual neckpieces (either ties or avant-garde jewelry). Such detail can definitely be oversized as long as the shapes are crisp and tailored (and even somewhat chunky).
Necklines should be geometric, asymmetric, or irregular. They may be very high and sculpted (Mandarin, Nehru, turtleneck) or low and plunging. Keep them cleanly shaped, without ornateness.
Bodice detail should be sharp-edged (pleats, plackets, epaulet, 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.
5. Asymmetry looks great on you.
Asymmetry is the key to your hairstyle and accessories. It can take nearly any form, depending on your type of hair:
Examples:
- cropped short on the sides and back but left long on the front.
- below the ear on one side, cropped up above the ear on the other
- sweeping back in tiered bevel-cut with the fullness above the nape of the neck
You just don’t do well when the shape of your hair is lost. Unfortunately, this means a frequent trip to your hairdresser to get your hair cut regularly.
When it comes to jewelry, shoes, and handbags, they’re best on you when they’re irregular, angular, and to the chunky side. The more attention-getting your accessories are, the better. Again, one of your goals is to emphasize the innate animation in your look.
6. Wear geometric prints.
The best prints for a Flamboyant Gamine are bold, animated, asymmetric and irregular, as well as sharp color contrast for a crisp definition of shape.
Highly original and unique prints are good, as are avant-garde prints. You can also mix opposing prints together using color as the key to continuity while sizes should be moderate to large.
7. Best makeup
Your best makeup goal is to emphasize your sculpted cheeks and accentuate your waif-like eyes with a smoky eye makeup. Your color choice shouldn’t be too unrealistic, however, because you want to keep your face looking fresh-faced. Avoid overly bright shades. Just a hint of color is necessary. Stick to matte for the day, with a simple addition of sheer sparkle at night.
What Flamboyant Gamines should avoid
Like all Kibbe types, knowing what to avoid is as crucial as knowing what to wear. Hence the following guidelines:
- soft, fluffy knits
- ultra-clingy pieces
- shapeless silhouettes
- dangly, glittery pieces
- minimal and plain details
- flimsy, ultra-sheer fabrics
- overly draped, flowing lines
- long jackets that hide the body
- pastel colors (too matronly on you)
- symmetrical outlines and even shapes
- all unbroken silhouettes and vertical lines
- watercolor-blended edges (too aging on you)
- delicate and intricate lines, shapes, and details
- wide, unconstructed, oversized detail and styles
- overly ornate or glittery face (too unsophisticated on you)
- blending your stockings/ hemline/ shoe color together (Break your lines!)
- overly intricate and ornate shapes (unless they are very irregular and witty)
- heavy, stiff, and bulky fabrics that are not broken up by an opposite separate
In short, avoid anything that is not fitted or sharp, or that is all Yin or all Yang. Your ultimate goal as a Flamboyant Gamine is to give equal emphasis to your Dramatic narrowness and sharpness (extreme Yang) and your Romantic roundness and softness (extreme Yin) and secondary emphasis to your Natural (soft Yang) undercurrent.
When a Flamboyant Gamine doesn’t wear her lines
Here’s Penelope Cruz wearing a long, boxy ensemble. Compared to her previous Flamboyant Gamine outfits, you would probably agree if I say that this outfit isn’t her personal best. And for good reasons.
What ruins this outfit for a Flamboyant Gamine are the following:
- The long vertical line: Again, Flamboyant Gamines look their best with short, broken lines rather than long vertical ones.
- The color: All Gamines look their best when there’s a sharp contrast of colors. This outfit’s color is too minimal and dowdy on a Flamboyant Gamine.
- The fit: The fit is too boxy and unconstructed. Flamboyant Gamines look their best when the fit stays closer to the body while being sharp on the edges. A Flamboyant Natural or pure Natural could wear this with greater success though.
- There’s too much Yin in this outfit to match a Flamboyant Gamine’s Yin-Yang balance: the ornate and rounded floral prints, the lightweight and soft flowing fabric, the ruffled cuffs with their intricate edges.
- The only Yang details here are the V neckline (which ends up being semi-Yin due to its ornate edges) and the long vertical line, which, only opposes Flamboyant Gamine’s need for short, broken lines.
- Overall, this dress doesn’t look so glaringly bad but it could be better. This just looks too matronly on a Flamboyant Gamine. A Soft Dramatic, however, could pull this off no problem.
Note when styling a Flamboyant 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 Flamboyant 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 Flamboyant 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 Flamboyant Gamine, it’s being mainly about honoring your Yin frame (fittedness) and your Yang shape (sharp edges with a possible slight broadness).
Flamboyant 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 the qualities of Romantic and Dramatic with some Natural, you definitely want to read:
Do you have anything on wedding dress ?
Wow. Your article is insanely helpful. I believe I FINALLY figured out my Kibbe type! It was staring me in the face this entire time. Thank you so much!!!
That’s so good to hear, Viola!
My body is all yang and my face is all yin with prominent bone structure, but I’m 6’. Most of the descriptions of Soft Dramatic suit me, but I don’t have a defined waist or collect weight on my hips or chest. I don’t know where I belong bc I feel like a very tall gamine, but that doesn’t exist.
How about a FN?FN can have yin face too like Gigi Hadid and others
Don’t worry too much about the face as I believe even Kibbe says you can ignore that if need be. My Mum is a yang type with a very yin face, very straight body. If you’re tall, you have a longer vertical line, which is yang. You said you’re straight in body type, so that’s again a yang frame, so look at all the Dramatics and Naturals. Look at whether your frame is sharp and narrow(Dramatic influence), or blunt and broad(Natural influence). I’m a FG, as is my Mum, but we are very different in that she looks more like Penelope Cruz in her straight rectangle shape and I am more petite in everything, including hands and feet, but I have some broadness and have more muscle in my legs and bum(Natural influence), so I can’t be a yin type frame(Soft/Romantic influence) and despite being an Apple shape myself, we’re both yang Gamines. Once you understand how to recognise sharp, blunt, broad, naroow, fleshy and soft or taught and muscular, and vertical line(perceived height, not actual height) it will become much easier.
I feel the same! I go back and forth between soft dramatic and flamboyant gamine. But I feel like my figure and face are most similar to Audrey Hepburn, who btw also was 5.8 tall. So I identify as flamboyant gamine.