Left+Up Essence: Five Style Archetypes

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

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[@lrkpr]

When you have recently decided that you need to change career and finally become the visual artist you always wanted to be secretly... then you go down a youtube style keys wormhole, discover you're an enchantress, and Rita tells you 'this is a person whose mission really is to bring art into the world'! Validated 😂 thank you 💜

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Yay!!!

[@gnirnia1773]

omg, when you started talking about the siren, i started crying and laughing - i realised that you are talking about me, ME, who always thought i could NEVER be in the left up. but yeah, now that you say it, people react to me like they think i just might sing to them and then murder them. and i try to combat that by being more right up and approachable and nice and cuddly... which isn't working. i know it isn't, because i've tried so long. thank you.. i feel oddly seen and naked. and i'll stop pretending now, embrace the siren that i am, murderous, mysterious glares and all.

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

💜 I think people tend to think Sirens are scary when you are wearing the "cuddly nice clothes" whereas when you have the moodier clothes people are much more likely to perceive you as a fellow friendly human being I'm glad you enjoy the video 💜

[@gnirnia1773]

@@StyleThoughtsbyRita yes, now that I think of it, I must look like one of those creepy little dolls in "normal" clothes :'D Would I get a lot out of that left+up course, or would I get more out of a 1-on-1 session with you? (are there any of those left for 150, anyway?)

[@Nerdy-By-Nature]

When you've been a closeted Left Up, dressing as a Right Down most of your life because you're afraid of being too much 🤦‍♀️ Thanks for this positive and empathetic delivery, what a beautiful explanation!! I relate most to the Lady Heretic (a name I both love and hate, lol!). The whole video I was thinking "I definitely dress more based on what's going on internally, but I DO care about being appropriate for the occasion and the "audience", and I do love me some classy, right up looks". I started considering maybe I was just perfectly in the middle up, but I think Lady Heretic nails who I truly am in my style approach. Also, I don't think I have a single *hidden* style board on Pinterest without Cate Blanchett, lol! I'm going to take that as confirmation.

[@Lolzadoodle8484]

The Enigma really connects with me! I wore quite a clingy dress to a casual family lunch where I met my cousin's in-laws for the first time. I was worried about it being too sexy, so I threw on a cardigan. But the initial response I got was "that dress is so classy." 🤣 I wasn't expecting that from my elders!! Hahahaha.

[@charles2685]

How about an updated compilation of the archetypes for men? I find that a lot of menswear fashion advice is centered around things like: "BE CONSERVATIVE, WEAR A WATCH AND ONLY MANLY COLOURS". I found your first videos about the archetypes for men super helpful because it helped me tune into what I actually want to wear. I haven't figured out where in the quadrant I am yet, but I sure do love floral shirts, big prints and tons of silver chains. I love your videos, they are truly inspirational. PS Karolina Zebrowska has such strong priestess energy.

[@rebekahglennellis7434]

what an unexpected gift!! I'm in love with these stories and am so excited to play more with them 💜 I think the provocative names are really great, actually--while it's a bit scary to claim "The Siren" or "The Lady Heretic" and both of those terms have layers of difficult and socially contentious concepts packed into them, they also kind of encourage us to unpack those concepts and see what about them is or is not true for us!

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

I find that most L+U people carry shame and fear about their desired style expression... So as you say, better to acknowledge those feelings head on and work with them 💜

[@jessicag.3694]

The Siren "you can dress moody and be a good person" made me laugh and cry. Where are my fellow Sirens at?!

[@evelinepieternella8088]

I really struggled to figure out which quadrant I belong to, until I realized I perfectly colour coded my outfit, from my jewelry to my socks, and even added a beret, and I still thought my outfit was boring. I'm not quite sure about the architype yet, but it's definitely left-up for me!

[@isabelleskiss]

You look so pretty in this look and you radiate such positive energy!

[@kat_thefruitbat]

Your essences + archetypes system is so unique, special, and inclusive!! I feel so understood by the left up essence and the enigma archetype! I love all of your ideas! Your creativity -along the passion/enthusiasm you have for it- is so inspiring and refreshing! Thank you for bringing your positive energy, inclusivity, and creativity to the world of fashion and self-expression!! 🤗❤️

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Thank you so much for your kind words!

[@lucy_with_me]

I went through all of them the first time and didn’t relate, even when I got to Lady Heretic and had an initial “ooh sounds promising” moment from the name. I heard “sensual” and was like “nope, that’s not me”, skipped ahead, then decided to go back and listen to the description properly after none of the others fitted. Turns out, it is me!! I always say I like to do things the conservative way but with a twist, and you literally took the words from my mouth. Thank you for helping me understand, and it looks like I need to work on not dismissing myself as un-sensual haha

[@wand1sh]

This was really helpful! Honestly I think that the fun thing about your system is that the separation between the "men's" and "women's" is so thin(?), like I can understand how Orville Peck would be a man enigma (though maybe a bit up for an enigma) and it's easy as someone who likes to blend masc and femme elements to use your quadrants to think about different inspo in men and women

[@hazeldavis3176]

Such a great point! I really love that as well 😊

[@jasmeen5712]

I just discovered this. I watched the introduction and thought to myself that I would right+up or right+down so I watched those videos first. But the Enigma spoke SO MUCH to me, you can't imagine!

[@tjohannam]

The expansion into more archetypes within each quadrant has taught me the unique beauty of every style archetype in this essence system. It showed me that it is okay to have a particular style home and archetype to cultivate that is very much your own and that doesn't need to follow the rules of most other archetypes. Refreshing! (No more "must have items for every women under the sun") 😄✨😎

[@emma-bh7du]

What a great video! Thank you for unpacking this a little more. The LU feels a lot clearer to me now., though I was a little confused by relating to all of them. But then when I saw the archetypes so overlapped, it actually felt like a relief- when usually I just want to know what I am. I'm so excited to explore this more. I really loved this video!

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Oooh thank you so much for this comment, I forgot to say something important! (1) I think many people can relate to multiple archetypes or get inspired by them so there is no need to limit (2) ultimately the left-up-ness is always the most important thing - even if you do strongly relate to one archetype you can draw inspiration and experiment with the other ones

[@toscanecoechea5105]

Ohhhh these are so exciting. I am just riveted by your vision for what an archetype can be in the first place. And these archetypes are just like all your other ones, a light to follow, a world to themselves, and just so much fun! They are all a bit of a challenge, which makes them more fun and intriguing.

[@omotoyosi1940]

Agree with Lady Gaga being a siren… her song ‘Applause’ really proves it

[@jessiebaker5035]

I laughed aloud when I read this because I literally have that song on repeat and have been trying to decide if I siren or enigma. I think that answers that lmao

[@siunkii]

Being honest, my dream inner style is: rich Russian woman aesthetic with all the fur, the diamonds, the nails & done up long hair…. Imagine that as a 25yo in Finland! 😂😭

[@jessicag.3694]

I'm imagining it, and it's glorious lol. If a theatrical cowgirl walks up to you one day, it's because i love your coat and i want to talk fashion!

[@sattvadevi]

I know I'm left, but not sute if I'm upp or down. The one in this video that I resonated most with was the Enigma. I'm really looking forward to the left down video! 🧡

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

It already exists 🌼 the link is in the video description

[@sattvadevi]

@@StyleThoughtsbyRita Oh, great! Thank you! 😊

[@blondie9909]

Yesterday a friend of mine told me "only you could pull off those sunglasses " literally some heart shaped oversized sunglasses that are black on top and kinda go into a black and white tortoise shell pattern on the bottom of the frames and i was literally so happy cuz im just so in love with them and they are my most expensive piece (they are from saint laurent) and my favourite piece cuz i just feel myself in them

[@zigm7420]

The thought behind this system is amazing and has really clarified why I chose the things I do and put them together the way I do. I’m definitely very, very Left, but I’m still torn between Enchantress, Enigma, and Wildflower. How can I tell whether my over-the-top-ness is performative or just natural for me?

[@nauticalnausicaa7790]

For months and months, I've thought I was R+U. I'm pretty sure now that I'm L+U, and I've identified more with dressing like the Lady Heretic more than any archetype from R+U. Wild! Thank you so much, Rita

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Hooray for new insights!

[@TheHearthFairy]

This is indeed an unexpected gift!! two videos from you in one week! thank you so so much 💕

[@christinemaure4216]

Wow this darker style change you so much I love it I'm so happy that you are able to change your style when you want ❤️

[@theroyalshaman]

I would def love to see Pinterest boards of these archetypes

[@rodrigokels24]

She has some!

[@honeyalmond9644]

Rita! This is so much fun and so amazing. I'm sure on right+down, I thought I was up but I've watched every video because it really helped me understand others and the reason behind their style as well as mine. These videos have helped me feel so good about my body and its nooks & crannies. I've felt confident and have dressed better than I ever have before without worrying about anyone else and that includes even wearing things that look bad on me and I won't wear again, lol. I'm getting ready to clean my closet out and for the first tome in my life, I'm not dreading it because of you! Thank you!

[@thelanguagefantastic]

I absolutely love the idea of sensuality that you talk about here. For a long time I've felt the conflict and contradiction between loving wearing 'sexier', revealing or body-con clothes and also often needing to feel the huge oversized, heavy clothes that let me move and breathe. It felt like a contrast between youthful and more mature, which is also echoed by my short soft gamine frame - big curves but also very muscular. Both very 'feminine' and very 'masculine' styles feel comfortable on me, with neither feeling false or like it was just an 'aesthetic'. All of the other tomboys seemed to be so uncomfortable in dresses, but I always LOVED dressing up to the extreme. I have been so unsure how to integrate my love for sexy, flirtatious styles with the boyish oversized practicality I often wear too in daily life. This video made me realise - it's all about the way the clothes feel and move on my body. I suppose some people are not so connected to their bodies - but me, there intuitively never seemed to be competition between the way extremely revealing and extremely concealing outfits make me feel, because all of it is rooted in this complete sense of embodiment I have, the confidence and complete lack of artifice in the way I like to move and breathe. Think sprinting in high heels, or climbing a tree in a little black dress. I love feeling confident and at ease in my body, and both extremes make me feel that way. It's all part of the same thing. They both celebrate, in outwardly different ways, the same inner truth: this is me, and I don't HAVE a body, I AM a body. That means seductive, melancholy, explosive, powerful, exhausted - all of it expressed via the body, not held in, not artificially restrained. I'm expressing power and honesty and love of my body whether it's a backless dress in a bar or a huge oversized jumper in the rain. I'm choosing clothes which just feel GOOD on my skin, for whatever I need. That extreme expression is so scary, but feels so authentic and relieving. And I realise now that this freedom and honesty and total embodiment is truly what sensuality means in clothing to me; that there are no contradictions at all, but that it comes from the same inner desire. Wow. What a revelation. I can't thank you enough!!

[@aielianna]

I felt everything you wrote in my soul, seriously.

[@jessejames6688]

Love your explanation of the siren! lol. You're so bubbly and funny! I'm still confused at where I am in the quadrant system, but I'm excited for the self-exploration to come.

[@katecat8204]

Hello! Maybe you could create a psychological test that would make it easier to determine quadrant?

[@amdg3011]

Great video, the archetypes are so inspiring! I also like how I can understand my own archetype through comparison. Your description of Enigma was soo good - I love how the psyche and the elements of an outfit are connected.

[@EH012]

😄😄😄 the delight continues!

[@granolamomie]

This is the video I have needed to see for months

[@leireipas8537]

Rita! Thank you so much for this video! I'm a DC who really like minimal, elegant but strong vibe of my kibbe and I've worked an capsule wardrobe that represent it. Nevertheless, lately I've been feeling a little bit confined in this box. So I started to look to different style methods and when I saw your system I first thought: oh, I must be a Right Up. That's because I don't know why but the vibe I got from it was more yang, more "bussiness like" more DC, and althought I look very "casual" I really enjoy the idea of being seen (hahahaha leo here). But, (this was a very long introduction) when I was watching the video I thought, maybe style systems don't work for me, because I was feeling so "confined" in the right up aesthetic and I really have thought on giving up and just wear wherever I love. So it's so funny now I have decided to see this video just in case that the left up feels sometimes trapped in one particular aesthetic and is more about self expression. When I first so it I thought it didn't resonate with me because I like to been seen too, but that's where the upness comes from. That's a very long explanation but I just wanted to say that this video really helped me to embrace the idea of exploring and expressing. Now I feel way more confident to follow my instinct ♡

[@lipasketch]

Another great video, Rita! The archetypes you come up with are so on point!

[@sarahwitkowski1211]

Hi Rita, this is the first of your videos i've watched & your system and method of explaining the archetypes feels like so much fun and liberation, instead of restrictive like some other systems can feel such as kibbe. The fact that you clearly enjoy sharing this so much makes your videos a pleasure to watch too. thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with us :) can't wait to explore some of these archetypes more, as you really addressed a lot of the internal resistance to some of the types of expression that i think can come from the more conformative social pressures.

[@kimbourk]

Just wanted to recommand 2 brands I really like for Left Up 💙 Maison Hotel Sea New York

[@MyMrJellyfish]

I wonder, am I the Enigma or do I just really like Zoe Kravitz?

[@Morslatke]

i finally found my type!! at first i thought i was left down, but that didn't feel exciting enough. then i thought i was right down because of the idea of adding personal touches, but i found the looks too clean (and, frankly, that i was trying too hard). but after rewatching this video, i so STRONGLY relate to the Enigma (even though I don't dress like Zoe Kravitz at all). it's clicking for me!! thank you rita!

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Hooray! I have a few other Enigma example celebrities including Emma corrin, Bella Heathcote and Billie eilish but celebrities in general are not so relatable and my Enigma clients do not dress like these women either

[@Morslatke]

@@StyleThoughtsbyRita i REALLY admire Billie EIlish and Emma Corin's style (I think you categorized the latter as left up as well), so it makes perfect sense that i belong here.

[@theroyalshaman]

So interesting I’m pretty sure I’m an Enigma and part of my signature style is covered up but in sheer fabrics or with deep Vs and cutouts

[@jessiebaker5035]

Rita, could you do a short explaination on between the enigma and the siren? They seem very similiar but I wanted to get more clarity

[@annapetermann8810]

Just watched all the 4 archetype videos, thank you! Finally! I really struggled with placing myself, but now at least I know I am more up than down, as the putting distance is really something that I like doing. But, I guess I was dressing quite down, to achieve that "hidden" effect. I still struggle with knowing if I am more left or right, as I can see myself some of the right and left archetypes. I guess my guestion is: does one change ones position through life? When I was in my 20s I was more on the left side of the spectrum. If I feel that I am either playing a role (which often feels fake), or I am feeling like an outsider (if I am myself)... then does it mean I am more left or right? My true "role" in life is being an artist, which can be synonymous with being an outsider in a way too, which obviously complicates things, but I had various jobs that required me to dress for those roles, and I enjoyed that to a certain degree. The "sensual" aspect in the left q. confuses me a bit - I don't like wearing revealing clothes, at all. If I could, I would wear long sleeves, and long skirts/trousers all year long.

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Sensual to me is about the feeling of being connected to your body. For some people wearing clothes that really protect and shield their body is the most sensual thing 🌸 for me Left essence people usually start their outfits by thinking about how it feels on the body, right essence people can more often think about the concept, the idea, the vision I do think that some people can change in essence over their life It's not a super easy thing to figure out your essence but if you've already found the "up" part then you already have something to think about and explore with 🌸

[@annapetermann8810]

@@StyleThoughtsbyRita Thank you! 💜 It is starting to make sense slowly for me ☺💖

[@MinervAthena123]

When I initially found out about your essence system I thought immediately that I was up + left, but I had some questions 1) does the actual style you dress in put you in one of the quadrants, or can any quadrant dress in styles like cottagecore (which you said was down + right I think) 2) If I think I dress left + up because of the idea that I want to grab attention when I dress and I dress this way to express myself and make myself happy, is that all that makes me left + up or do I have to dress a certain way? 3) is it common for left + up people to hear from family/friends that they often overdress/look too fancy for events even if they're not wearing something red carpet worthy? I always feel like I'm overdressed compared to my friends even when I'm just wearing something I think is simple like pants and a t shirt. sorry for the complicated questions, and I really like how you've designed this essence system!!

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Great questions!!! I think l+u can definitely do cottagecore and many other looks. There are definitely clothes where I'm just like "this wouldn't really work for a L+U woman" but there is a lot you can do visually. It's a lot more about how you put everything together. I think #2 sounds very Left+Up to me and #3 is very common for people with "up" essence Thank you for being here 💜

[@MinervAthena123]

@@StyleThoughtsbyRita thank you so much for the clarification!

[@vidadevega]

Yay! I was waiting for this video for so long and it did not disappoint!! I feel so deeply related to so many of these I feel like my pinterest boards have been summed up perfectly...I love the idea of the siren and I think for myself that's where i belong. love your videos and thanks for yet another helpful video, Rita(:

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

I love Siren for you! Thank you for your sweet words

[@np8039]

Hi Rita, which archetype do you think a “sensitive” left up could fit into? Great video as always.

[@blondie9909]

I've come to the conclusion im a left middle. Yes middle. Im very on the border between up and down and my outfits widely vary between really up and really down , most times its right in the middle .

[@Hsama1004]

18:38 finally I'm sure of my archetype now! I thought I was every quadrant before but now I'm finally sure of my quadrant! haha Thank you so much for your system, Rita! You're an inspiration! ❤

[@monnniiieee9130]

Can you do characters in movies quadrants and essence’s?

[@samanthablake9703]

Do you still sell the mini left up course?

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Yes! You can find it on my website at www.Stylethoughtsbyrita.com/courses

[@BoomItsNanaa]

Rita, I have a question please: where do you think the ‘modern coquette’ aesthetic exists within your system? Thank you!

[@RuviGaPo]

I'm kinda Hoping that i've the essence of an Enchantress? It sounds so ... Exciting?

[@debraobrien5967]

Please tell me what your eyeshadow and lipstick are. I think they would suit me. Thank you. They look beautiful on you.

[@debraobrien5967]

Also your top is gorgeous. And jewellery,

[@lindamcgillin2263]

You are so beautiful and this is such great information! Soooooo helpful and resonates with things I recognize in my past self and current self in things that I was happy with and not happy with …I’m a left up .. are you left up too ???? I think you are

[@SKA1017]

24:24

[@monnniiieee9130]

I’m between the siren and enigma.. I’m not sure

[@christinemaure4216]

Is Anya Taylor Joy an enchantress?

[@inquiry6274]

I think Siren

[@jasmeen5712]

Would Monica bellucci be up+left?

[@burpie3258]

Julia Fox 😳

[@StyleThoughtsbyRita]

Siren 💜

[@theamethyst93]

I think Dita Von Teese would be a heretic