ARCHIVE ENTRY
Please note that I originally wrote this blog post in 2015 on my previous website, GET the LOOK. Some of the information below may be outdated. Currently, I work mainly with Ethereal Typology, created by me.
Outfits pinned on my Pinterest and my Instagram are the most current sources of information.
BODY TYPE – FACIAL FEATURES – WARDROBE
The most characteristic representative of this type is Sophia Loren, a woman of intriguing and fascinating beauty. When she came to the first casting in her life, she heard that her face was too wide, her lips were too big, and her nose was too long. She was suggested [horror of horrors!] plastic surgery. Back then, the ideal of beauty was women with much more classic features. Sophia did not fit the canons of her time. However, when her acting career was in full swing, the trend of classic beauty faded into oblivion. Apart from Sophia’s acting talent, Hollywood producers and directors recognized her photogenic beauty. The camera loved her. Men loved her, and women wanted to be like her. Plastic surgery has never been mentioned again. And even though more than half a century has passed since then, Sophia’s beauty is still appreciated.
Soft Dramatic beauty is quite exotic in Poland. A woman of this type most often has typical southern features and color type. We can find many representatives among Greek, Italian and Spanish women. Overseas, it will be a large group of Latinas. It is easy to guess that certain color types are associated with SD. The most common ones will be Deep Winter and Deep Autumn. Of course, you can see Soft Dramatic women representing lighter color types, but they are definitely a minority.
David Kibbe used the word diva to describe the Soft Dramatic type, and he called the appropriate makeup and wardrobe Diva Chic. And here, he is 100% accurate. These words best reflect the style that a Soft Dramatic woman should follow. Unfortunately, when establishing some details, David Kibbe got a little lost. However, we should remember that he wrote his book in the 1980s, and after thirty years of fashion transformations, we have a completely new outlook on a diva style. Therefore, to discuss the aspects of the Diva Chic look, we should first look at the characteristics of Soft Dramatic.
A Soft Dramatic woman most often has an hourglass-shaped figure. Although the underlying male Yang element [bones are wide and angular] dominates the bone structure, we will see an evident influence of the female Yin in the body structure and facial features. Large breasts, rounded hips, large eyes, full lips contrast with the dominant Yang.
Below, the figure of Sofia Vergara [Soft Dramatic] versus the figure of Gisele Bundchen [Dramatic], i.e., a full hourglass vs. slim column.
The comparison of their faces is similar. Here you can see what the strong influence of the Yin element means. Sometimes, it is hard to believe that Yang is dominant in Soft Dramatic, and Yin has only a complementary function. Maria Callas has wider cheekbones, fuller lips, and larger eyes. Tilda Swinton’s face is smaller; her cheekbones, though outlined, are narrower, her lips are thin, and her eyes are much smaller.
SOFT DRAMATIC – BODY – CHARACTERISTICS
- Height – from approx. 167 cm [5’6”] up
- Long vertical lines
- Body type – most often an hourglass; possibly an apple
- Shoulders – straight, equal to the width of the hips
- Arms and legs – long, full [as opposed to very thin in Dramatic type]
- Hands and feet – long, narrow or wide
- Bust – full, usually large
- Waist – proportional
- Hips – full, rounded
- Forearms – long, full
The above characteristics do not apply to skinny women. The body of an extremely slim Soft Dramatic woman loses its full shape, becoming much more Yang. In this case, the silhouette begins to resemble the Dramatic type.
SOFT DRAMATIC – FACE – CHARACTERISTICS
- Jaw – clearly defined, with a prominent chin, or square
- Nose – long, clearly defined, but not as sharp as in Dramatic type
- Cheekbones – wide, clearly defined
- Eyes – large; straight or almond-shaped; averagely spaced or wide-set eyes
- Lips – full, fleshy
- Cheeks – full, fleshy; much fuller than Dramatic’s [at a low weight, they resemble Dramatic’s cheeks]
SOFT DRAMATIC – HAIRSTYLE & MAKEUP
A Soft Dramatic woman looks most attractive in a strong glamour style. Magnetic and outstanding beauty requires an appropriate, expressive styling. Diva Chic means beautiful long hair [tied or loose], strong makeup, and bold outfits with royal jewelry. Avoid short haircuts, geometric hairstyles, and straight bangs.
Below, in the two comparative photos, we can see Sophia Loren and Sofia Vergara in delicate makeup and makeup appropriate for their type of beauty. Both are almost unrecognizable in the first photos. No other type of beauty could look so well with expressive makeup, especially the eyes. A clear eyeliner line seems to be a natural element of beauty. Extravagance or false eyelashes are not distasteful. With delicate types of beauty, too much makeup gives an artificial effect. The makeup for Soft Dramatic emphasizes their magnetic gaze and unique, exotic beauty.
SOFT DRAMATIC – WARDROBE & JEWELRY
David Kibbe mainly recommended draping. Dresses, blouses, trousers with ruffles. Also, accentuated shoulders with a clear T-shape. But, unfortunately, it is impossible to agree with it completely. First of all, draping is not always fashionable, and secondly, it is more suited to the Romantic style than Diva Chic. And what’s the point of additionally emphasizing strong, straight arms?
On the left, a pink, stiff, flared dress that David Kibbe would not recommend for the Soft Dramatic type. On the right, a dress with the correct cut, according to Mr. Kibbe.
Which one would we dress Sophia Loren in? In which dress would she look like a diva and a dazzling star? Do women with an hourglass figure look unfavorable in 1950s-inspired styles? According to David Kibbe, Sophia should mainly wear draped clothes. However, according to the author of this blog post, it is not necessarily the only right choice.
RECOMMENDED:
- large, deep necklines
- boat necks
- cuts that accentuate the bust line
- draping above the waist and along the entire length of the dress/blouse [on the bust line]
- loose turtlenecks
- accentuating the bust line
- wide collars that cover the shoulders
- straight and slim pants
- bootcut pants
- subtly flared pants
- expressive and distinct ornate details
- animal patterns
- large expressive flowers
- large polka dots
- furs and fur trim
- handbags – large, with soft lines, but with a defined shape [see Sofia Vergara at the bottom of the page]
- high-heels [heels should be narrow]
- ornamental royal jewelry in a strong glamour style [especially large earrings]
- oversized clothing
- boho style
- romantic style
- feminine [girlish] style
- too wide sleeves
- lowered waistline
- high waistline
- stripes and pinstripes
- watercolor flower patterns
- small patterns
- watercolor
- chiffon clothes
- very heavy fabrics
- handbags with undefined shapes [e.g. baggy]
- shoes with round toes
- small delicate jewelry
- geometric jewelry
Below the casual style of Sofia Vergara. Perfect for the Soft Dramatic type.