For the Style Inclined and the Style Challenged: How to Find Clothes that are Perfect for You
You’re gonna think this is weird. It is weird. But it works.
I found Carol Tuttle when I was a new mom, trying to adapt to a very different lifestyle and a new best friend forever – my charging forward, refusing to rest, refusing to be content indoors no matter the weather, male child. Carol had a podcast about parenting that was based on determining the “type” of the child. Carol recognizes four types and they’re based generally on personality but also extend to how you express yourself, the shape of your face and what types of activities make you feel satisfied.
Beyond serving as an anenue to more harmonious family dynamics, figuring out your type also makes choosing clothes easier.
I rebelled against this system when I first learned about it, as I do any system that seems like it’s going to confine me or tell me what I do and don’t like. But as I went through my closet and examined the clothes that were suited and unsuited to my type, I realized, it was just right. Some clothes that I just loved, admittedly looked terrible on me. And some clothes that I thought were a little “one-note” or less unique, had an ease when I wore them.
It’s become uncanny. I don’t even buy clothes against my type anymore. They don’t look good, they never will. They could be beautiful clothes, but they don’t look good on ME. I’m a type 4 so Carol’s recommendation for me is saturated colors, large patterns if any, high contrast colors including black and white. For type 4’s she recommends against pastels, earth tones and jewel tones, grays, beiges and small patterns. She says structured will suit you better than flowey and tailored outfits will look best.
Each type has distinct recommendations. And your secondary type has an influence as well. Since I started dressing for my type, I feel more myself. I feel like my wardrobe is a better relfection of me and that gives me such a different feeling as I go through the day. Sometimes I rebel but those pieces never last. Like I bought some wide-leg flowing sort of thai style black and gray pants. I thought, “oh but they’re so loose and breezy and the pattern is large.” But they’re wrong for me! They don’t work. They would look great on someone else. You know when your friend borrows something and you’re just like, “dammit. That looks so much better on you!” It doesn’t matter how much you like it. It doesn’t match your essence so it doesn’t complement you.
I tried this with my Sister. She notoriously “has no style.” She buys what the mannequins are wearing. She just doesn’t have much intuitive sense about what she likes or what will look good on her. She’s beautiful but her wardrobe is hit or miss. I figured out that based on her face and her energy profile, she’s a type 4 like me. I gave her a type 4 jacket that was too big on me. She gets complimented on it every time she wears it. But it’s not the jacket. It’s her in the jacket. They complement each other, they work together. As Carol puts it, she is wearing the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing her.
I dare you to try this system. Figure out your type – it’s pretty easy – and compare the system to some of your standard outfits. Then go shopping and try on clothes that are suited or unsuited to your type. Forget about the types of clothes you usually gravitate towards. Forget about your favorite colors. Obviously don’t buy stuff you don’t like, but as an experiment, try on the clothes that fit the recommendations and then try on clothes that don’t. I think it makes shopping so much easier. And it makes my wardrobe much more cohesive.
When I look back at pictures it’s even more obvious. It doesn’t have to be a guessing game where you donate most of your closet every three months. When you buy the clothes that really harmonize with your essence, you keep them longer and they enhance your individuality.
Here are some links to learn more about energy profiling and dressing your truth. Some of the outfits, I’m gonna say, I would never wear, but the fundamental method is surprisingly tuned in!