What's My Kibbe Body Type

The Kibbe Body Types are a style-and-image framework created by the American image consultant David Kibbe in his 1987 book "Metamorphosis". Instead of dressing to "correct" a figure, Kibbe built a system around the balance of yin (soft, rounded, delicate) and yang (sharp, elongated, bold) in a person's overall lines. The aim is to find the lines, scale and textures that harmonise with you, so getting dressed feels intuitive rather than corrective.

Kibbe's Image Identities are usually grouped into five style families. Dramatic is pure yang — sharp, elongated, minimalist and bold. Natural is softened yang — broad, blunt, relaxed and earthy. Classic sits at the balanced midpoint — symmetrical, smooth and timeless. Gamine holds yin and yang in playful contrast — cropped, eclectic and graphic. Romantic is pure yin — soft, lush, rounded and glamorous. The families sit in opposing pairs around the centre, with Dramatic opposite Romantic, and each contains finer sub-types (Kibbe names thirteen in all).

JobCannon's Kibbe body type test asks 15 quick questions about the lines, textures and silhouettes you gravitate toward and maps your answers onto those five families to show which one your instincts lean toward. It is a light, for-fun style-reflection lens, not a validated test or a professional image consultation — and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by David Kibbe. It describes the clothing lines you enjoy, never your body or your worth.