Let's Chat | Dress for body type or ESSENCE?

[@JohannaJalonen]

Person’s voice and the way one speaks play an important role when it comes to essences in my opinion!

[@2-_-B-_-continued]

I speak like a drunk nana

[@Cekatu]

OP I agree.

[@kasiekk193]

I love these talks from you, this is very unique for youtube. The only thing I am missing are more examples with photos that would make it easier to understand the concept, it's always great to look at example celebrity pictures while listening about body typing/kibbe etc. :)

[@LaLaLo]

What’s your essence, Merriam?

[@neb__]

Mixed-taut & ethereal here. I definitely have experienced a disconnect! Dressing just for my lines makes me look tired and heavy. Dressing for my essence makes me look like a deflated parachute. To overcome this, I keep my clothing minimalist and sleek but rely on ethereal accessories, hair, makeup, and colours. So my uniform is usually a plain turtleneck and slim jeans with long angelic or alien looking earrings, pastel scarf, soft tousled hair and a sparkly blush. And I feel like myself. Thanks so much for your theory, it has helped me arrive at this comfortable point. ❤

[@Su-kros]

That sounds like a cool style!😄

[@Horsefaire]

I appreciate Merriam and her thoughtful insights. They are life changing

[@rainbowyahi]

I’m so glad you posted this today. I was at the mall yesterday and went into Zara and couldn’t find anything. It’s because I’m a beveled soft with ingenue essence, and they sell stuff that’s mostly targeted to classic or dramatic essence and body type. The few ingenue styles I saw were really boxy and stiff and would’ve made me look like a grandma. It reminded me to look for stores that offer styles more in my essence and body type rather than waste time in the dressing room at a store that doesn’t cater to me. Anthropologie is definitely my jam, it’s just so dang expensive 😢

[@Rachael91]

Zara is good for classics? I'm a classic and I find it hard to find clothes, I will try Zara - thanks!

[@dv7361]

Maybe this is a country thing but where I live Zara is all about the natural body type. They have flowy, unstructured, earthy, boxy clothing. I can never ever find classic cuts at Zara

[@stauroulapatsourou7278]

I really can see exactly what you mean. Dressing for the body type should be always the first step!

[@downthedrain19]

Dramatic classic with strong ethereal essence, I find that the silhouettes should mostly respect my body type but with jewelry and hair I can really play up my essence

[@Rachael91]

Do you have any ethereal classic jewellery examples? I thought with classic it was about not wearing jewellery?

[@Hannah-ub1lq]

TR with a classic essence. I also am playful so trying to mix all of these together is rather difficult.

[@TheThriftingTherapist]

I'm a soft natural, soft autumn with ethereal and natural as dominant essences. It's all pretty harmonious and easily blended together, fortunately.

[@orange-rose07]

Great video! I agree with your point. For example Rhianna has romantic+ingenue but she has rather dramatic personality lately so she dressed accordingly and that works. Another example was a young lady that wanted to be typed on reddit. She was very tall but her face was so sweet similar to Dove Cameron. I suggested her to dress for her body mainly as she is taller then most men in her office. That makes sense.

[@7goldglamour777]

I am a soft dramatic and fit the bill description personality wise too, however I don't really wear jewelry. Nor do I feel the need to dress diva and have big hair, where I live it certainly doesn't fit. I am a minimalist.

[@katharinaheckmann4962]

It’s strange how our body types do influence our essence or our essence is embodied… I’m a soft classic and definitely had that essence especially as a child. As I’ve grown I’ve developed more Yang personality traits as I felt it was necessary to succeed in this world. But strangely kibbe types are more than just our physical shape… I find it almost uncanny!

[@mackberg1792]

I’m soft dramatic as well and I think minimal jewelry can work really well as long as it’s on the shiny/bold side. Not necessarily in your face but strong. I get compliments all the time on small rectangle shiny earrings I wear. And it really fits.

[@JR-sx3gl]

I'm a Rounded (Romantic), but I lack that Va Va Voom factor. My inguine essence plays a big role. So I do wear flowy fabric, lace, satin, but I pick more modest cuts. No strong makeup, more natural look. I keep all R recommendations, just look at them from I essence perspective. It helps in building my style. I had to switch R colours for those that match my undertone. It all together makes a very unique style.

[@Rachael91]

Video suggestion: how a pure blended dresses casually since minimal and casual are two different things. :)

[@virginia6128]

I'm mixed taut/flamboyant gamine with a dominant ethereal essence laced with dramatic and a wee bit of classic. It can be challenging because I absolutely relate to the ethereal, but in a dark sort of way. I have always described my style as "whimsical goth," but I sometimes lean into more sleek with flowy elements (like a kimono-like cardigan). Black definitely doesn't suit either, so i like to think it honors the dramatic. When I do lean into more flowy, I always break it up somehow with a belt or harness, or by wearing a flowy crop top with more form-fitting pants. I generally keep my makeup minimal but radiant, but occasionally add either a bold lip or a bold eye. For accessories, i love unique and eye-catching necklaces, and they're often large. My hair is long and wavy and i wear it as such. I definitely do struggle sometimes with the lines versus the essence, and my love for oversized clothing, especially since i am only 5ft tall and tiny in general. I have yet to find helpful tips for this combination in a gothy sense. I'd love to see more videos on specific combinations!

[@Hannah-ub1lq]

It would be really helpful to make videos of all body types with all the different essences.

[@hjtres7261]

I'm 44 years old. And I'm short. I have a young face and have always been told I look young. I've been told I look anywhere from late 20s to mid 30s.

[@Rachael91]

I think ingenue is different to looking young

[@sim771]

Merriam please do a video with women DJs 🙏. There are so many examples with the same celebs and it’s not super useful seeing the same people over again. Meanwhile DJs have so many videos/pictures of them and are actually super diverse. Here are some examples: Sara Landry, Charlotte De Witte, Charli xcx, Peggy Gou, Honey Dijon, nora en pure, mistress Barbara

[@jenniehallden7088]

I wish I knew my essence.

[@orange-rose07]

I'm Soft Dramatic and Romantic+Ethereal seems to work well. But I have some sweet vibes and youthful look too. When I tried anything Ingenue it looks SILLY on me. So I guess I don't have this essence as the real Ingenues do not look silly in their recs.

[@mackberg1792]

I have an important question! No one seems to make videos for athletic wear and body types. I’m a soft dramatic (so my arms are looking extra buff but still very soft). What do I wear to the gym?! It’s so hard I feel like nothing fits me except tennis skirts. Not sure what style top to wear I just end up feeling totally not myself in sports wear.

[@lisaa.942]

I wear long flare pants with fitted racerback. I also teach Zumba and wear bright bold colors. I love my cheetah print hip hop pants!

[@mmmlextacy]

Is it possible to have no essence? Maybe I need someone else to assess me - I am a soft classic/blended soft in lines but am not really aware of any essence. I wonder if I just have a classic essence too, so it isn't especially noticeable?

[@selin-zu2ko]

what would you recommend to someone with an ingenue face/essence and a romantic short rounded body type? the sexiness of romantic lines creates a disconnect with my more cute face unless i pull my hair up to look mature

[@Hannah-yh7vi]

I think I'm like a curvy flamboyant natural who looks a bit like a soft gamine because I am cute but my personality is more natural vibes a lot of things recommend that I dress girly but I feel most myself when I wear relaxed comfy clothes and wear it in a way or colours that are cute

[@camillalundgren3485]

Thinking about trans men! Body vs essence is a really interesting topic.

[@Bianca-nb7by]

Thanks for talking about essences Merriam. I’m soft classic, warm & muted but I’m unsure of what my essence is. I’ve been described as cute before, so possibly ingenue? You’ve typed me previously for body type and colour, would it be possible to just have an essence service with you? It would be great to have this missing piece of my style solved 🧡😊

[@sarkar4814]

Please make a video on Indian celebrities kibbe body type. It will be quite helpful for us Indians

[@Su-kros]

I'm fairly certain I'm a soft gamine, and I have ingenue, gamine, romantic essence I think. I didn't like looking like a baby all the time, but now that I've learned more about style I realize that it does resonate with me because I'm a very sweet person (everyone tells me that😅) and I do like delicate styles, just in a more Gothic fashion. Basically I just wanted to look like a cool goth but I realized I can have my cool goth style and honor my ingenue essence too🙂 So if I had to sum up my ideal style in two words it would be innocent darkness😄 I love wearing black, but I do not wear goth makeup and go for the whole theatrics.

[@madgesticm]

Do you think that our shape not only affects how we dress, but also frames our personailty?

[@stepmothercity]

I’ve been watching these videos for a long time and still don’t understand what all these terms mean. 😅 Maybe I need a picture book.

[@delicatemoves123]

I have a natural face but I am small boned. I don't have much muscle to my frame. If you are small boned with a narrow amount of muscle mass, can you still be a natural?

[@merriamstyle]

what do you mean by small bones? do you mean you're petite? if so, how about flamboyant gamine?

[@delicatemoves123]

@@merriamstyle Oh maybe FG.❤️❤️❤️

[@Cekatu]

Volume please. I have the volume turned right up, yet can barely hear. Still thanks always for what you do. ❤

[@MorningClarity]

I tried to "like" this video and it wouldn't take it. 🤷

[@Ella24-007]

I think Sabrina Carpenter shows this is not accurate 😂.

[@delicatemoves123]

Can you be a kibbe natural with small bones and low muscle mass if you have a natural face?