II. Underlying Principles
Before we dive into the 13 body types, we need to understand their underlying principles. Without this understanding, there is a very high chance of getting your type wrong.
Yin & Yang
The principle of Yin and Yang is thateverything exists in inseparable and contradictory opposites,for instance, female-male, dark-light, and old-young. Yin is considered feminine energy, and yang is masculine energy.
However, this is not to be confused with femininity and masculinity per se. A strongly yang influenced body does not mean you look like a man. Understanding the terms themselves and how they apply to physical features is critical to understanding how they apply to clothing, accessories, makeup and hair.
Translated into body types, yin and yang manifest as:
Yin [Feminine Energy]:Curved lines, round edges, flowing silhouettes, hourglass figures, fitted waists, rounded shapes, swirls, curves, circles
Yang [Masculine Energy]:Strong vertical lines, sharp edges, stiff, smooth silhouettes, elongated outlines, geometric shapes, rectangles, triangles
While the main characteristic of yin is softness and roundness, this can be expressed through both youthfulness and sexuality. Hence we can discern two different types of yin:
Petite yinis characterised by small hands and feet, small noses and delicate bone structure etc. Features that are lush yinare large eyes, full lips, and hourglass silhouettes etc.
Yang, on the other hand, manifests as angularity and sharpness. While yin has plenty of organic shapes and curved lines, yang is all about angles and geometric shapes. Again, there are different types of yang:
Sharp yangis seen in vertical lines, narrowness, pointed edges, long and lean bodies, and prominent jawlines.Soft yangrefers to horizontal lines, broadness, blunt edges, square silhouettes, a tendency towards muscularity and wider noses.In the picture above, you can see how the principle of yin and yang takes shape in the archetypes. And this is key to determining the Kibbe archetypes. We need to understandthe lines that are native to yin and yang.
Yin is defined by roundness and curves. And this is perfectly demonstrated by Marilyn Monroe on the left. Her body type is rounded and curvy, and there are no sharp edges or angles. She has an hourglass figure, a full, round bustline and rounded hips. Even her shoulders are rounded. Her body is also very soft and fleshy. If we look at her face, we can see more roundness. She has round eyes, a rounded nose and full, round lips. Her jawline and cheekbones appear soft and round. They are covered by lots of flesh, giving her a soft appearance. Marilyn is an example of lush yin.
Let's now compare her to Keira Knightley on the right. Remember, yang is defined by angles and sharpness. Keira's figure is long and straight with no waist emphasis. Her body flesh is very taut with no signs of fleshiness. Similarly, her face is constructed of angles. Her eyes are straight, her cheekbones are prominent, her nose is sharp, her lips are straight and thin, and her jawline is very pronounced and angular. Her facial flesh is also very taut, making the bones underneath very visible. Keira is an example of Sharp Yang.
Note that the principles of yin and yang are not related to body weight. Marilyn Monroe is not overweight in this picture. Yin body flesh is always soft and fleshy, even if underweight.
Contrast & Blend
The terms contrast and blend refer to the way Yin and Yang are mixed within a body.
If a body consists of a combination of physical features that aredistinctly yin or distinctly yang, this would result in a contrasting body type.For example, a person with a large forehead (yang), big and round eyes (yin), a small and delicate nose (yin), thin lips (yang), and a small chin (yin) would be considered contrasted.
Blended features, in contrast, are those that areneither distinctly yin or yang;they are a mix of both. For example, instead of either large and round (yin) or small and straight (yang) eyes, a person may have moderate, almond-shaped eyes. Or a person may have neither a very small (yin) nor a very straight waist (yang), but a softly defined waist. Again, this feature would fall someone in the middle of the yin/yang scale and would be a blend of the two energies.
You can see in the picture above that Marion Cotillard has blended features. She doesn't have a full hourglass figure, but neither does she have a very straight figure like Keira Knightley above. She is somewhere in the middle, a blend between Yin and Yang. You can see the same principle in her face. Her eyes are neither very large and round, nor very small and straight. Instead, they are moderate in size and evenly spaced. The same with her lips: neither very full and round nor very thin and straight.
Mia Farrow on the right side demonstrates contrasting features. Her body is very Yang dominant - it looks much like Keira's body. Her face also shows signs of sharpness around her cheek and jaw area. However, her eyes are very large and round and therefore Yin features. This is a contrasting body type.
