Seven Style Essences
Style analysis is interesting because in practice, it works extremely well, but in theory, it shouldn’t work at all.
The theory argues that faces are comprised of seven main types of lines, also called style types or style essences:
Dramatic = long and sharp
Gamine = shorter and sharp
Natural = straight with blunt edges
Romantic = large and circular
Ingenue = smaller and circular
Ethereal = elongated S-shaped curves
Classic = particularly symmetrical, balanced, and/or averaged lines
How many style essences do most people have?
In my observation, most people’s faces have two or three of those seven main essences. It’s also possible, though less common, to have four essences or only one.
Does style analysis work?
In theory, these ideas are too simple—seven core essences shouldn’t be able to capture the vast variation that exists in human faces. But sometimes simple theories can explain complex phenomena. For example, a leading theory of personality (Big 5) claims there’s only five core personality traits. So if personality can be conceptualized in five, then seven may suffice for faces, at least until we find better theories. And for me, the theory of the seven essences works. Everyone I’ve ever tried to type fits into this style system.
What’s also interesting is that the essences’ literal shapes evoke different vibes, like power and intimidation for the Dramatic type. While people with intimidating faces don’t necessarily have intimidating personalities, we may sometimes assume they do, especially given that in TV and movies, villains’ faces often look villainous. So learning about style analysis may increase awareness of biases that we have toward others, or that they have toward us.
Should you dress for your body or for your face?
Learning your style type can also reveal the clothes, hair, and makeup that best harmonize with your face. In my experience, people look most harmonious when they dress in clothes that flatter their faces, regardless of what their bodies look like. From a psychological perspective, this makes sense: in most social interactions, we spend more time looking at people’s faces than bodies. We also have a whole brain region—the Fusiform Face Area—dedicated to processing and remembering faces, a region far more specialized than any devoted to processing bodies. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take body shape into account when dressing but rather to say that you may look more harmonious if you primarily match your clothes to your face.
How can I learn more about the types?
The next posts provide further descriptions of the seven core types, starting with Dramatic. For visual examples of the blended style types, check out my Pinterest boards.
