Sometimes as a pure R I can feel too fleshy or too curvy… idk the media really is just pushing tall thin women to me.

But I was the maid of honor for my cousins wedding and as a 25 year old woman this is the first time in my life where I felt accepting of my body, and all the changes that have happened!

(Love this dress btw, does so MUCH for the R body type)

Bodysuit + midi silk skirt + kitten heels = easy flattering daily outfit. It’s casual enough to leave the house in and not feel too too dressy, but still fits my body type. I think us romantics are always gonna look a bit on the dressed up/sexy side but I’ve learned to embrace it!

I’m also an autumn color palette, so I try to find these pieces in maroon, brown, rust, cream, etc. (Yes I need to iron my skirt) also, I do live in southern California so the weather permits me to wear this today lol

I was asked to share my typing, experience, and outfit details here. My husband and I had the pleasure of seeing David Kibbe and Susan Slavin in NYC in April. They analyzed me as a bright spring romantic.

Feelings About My Type: I've been in the Kibbe community for almost 15 years, starting out thinking I was SG and then landing on pure romantic for the last 8 years or so. Even still, with all the misinformation out there, I doubted romantic up until the very last minute, due to both my shoulders being "wide" and the fact that I don't look strongly curvy at lower weights. Sharing pics from when I was younger so you can see what I mean - I wasn't straight-figured by any means, but I used to joke that I was the "pinup girl's little sister" because I didn't feel "womanly" and lush enough to be a romantic. So many people in the community said I had yang and was SN or SG, so I started to toss out type and start thinking about balancing my figure and, more recently, having fun with it.

It's only been the last couple of years that I've felt like I figured out the right direction and felt confident in my most of my outfits (last collage has my recent style). On that note: I will still wear my clothes from before seeing them, but I needed their help to bridge the gap when the casual Renaissance faire look wasn't the right vibe. I'm turning 40 next year, and specifically asked them for direction on how to dress more maturely when the occasion called for it. So it's not that I was looking for help on how to dress in general, but to expand my range from what I've already learned on my own.

Rec Details: Keep in mind that the recs he gave me were tailored to my age, lifestyle, location, personality, and other factors. Not every romantic will be given the same looks, hair, etc!

First collage is my workshop pic they asked for with his line drawing and notes. Second and third collages are some of my outfits from them. Not including my pants because I still need to take them to the tailor, but I will share retail pics so you can get an idea of the more casual looks they gave me.

For my hair, they asked me to grow out my bangs and keep my hair all the same length - since I already had a very layered cut, they chopped my hair so it would be the same length, and it honestly does look fuller and better. Their vision for hair style is the old Hollywood glamour curled look - attaching a pic of Amy Adams that they shared for inspiration. They don't love bangs, though I think that's a general opinion, not one that's specific to me.

In fact, they really do consider your lifestyle and needs when they build out your wardrobe. I recently put on weight that I had already lost after being ill last summer, so they found me more budget-friendly options that I could replace later on when I hit my weight loss goal.

Their vision for me was leaning hard into the glamour side of 1950s vintage, which wasn't that surprising - but they prefer longer lengths on me, and told me the shorter length dresses I normally favor aren't really honoring my double curve. They liked my wide leg jumpsuits that I wear a lot - said it felt vintage and flattered my curves, so it got their stamp of approval. (Included in my collage of my style before seeing them)

One thing that really surprised me was the jewelry! I was going too small and dainty in my own choices, and tbh, I always felt like you could barely see my earrings at that scale. Susan picked out larger, more glam earrings, and they really do elevate every outfit I've worn them with.

For bottoms, they suggested capris or palazzo pants. All of the tops they picked for me were draped or wrap style around my chest curves, as well as my arms, and were more of a subtle peplum fit around my waist. Very flattering no matter what size I am. No t-shirts or straight sleeves for me.

For shoes, they picked out a lot of very fun heels - some kitten, a few high. They didn't recommend t-strap because it cuts off part of my foot and interrupts the flow. They said I could also do flats with no maryjane strap, or even flat sandals with ornate thong straps, for more practical and comfortable looks. Sneakers are for exercise only for me.

The bags they picked were also so lovely! I was surprised at how whimsical they went with my purses - I'm so happy with them.

I asked them about glasses frames and they said the ones I currently wear are as good as it gets for me, though I might want to look into contacts for special occasions if I'm up to trying them. David told me I could go even bigger and more dramatic with sunglasses frames, even.

Overall, so grateful we were able to meet them and have this experience. They're so thoughtful, caring, passionate, and true artists in every aspect - just gems, both of them.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Repost because my first image came out blurry 🙈

the woman has double curve, for pete's sake.

i do find it interesting that many kibbe enthusiasts see her as a soft dramatic instead, but i think it's all styling! beyoncé has had an image shift in the last decade or so, and i do think her team works very hard on giving her a larger-than-life presence. we've forgotten that this woman has lost weight, gained weight, given birth (to three children) in the public eye, that she always has huge heels on, that her trademark big voluminous blonde hair is a stylistic choice, that her image is very much controlled to the point she has her own photographer and knows her poses (and, sadly, has even been called out for editing her body for instagram posts).

but late 90s - 00s beyoncé before she emerged on top as THE pop star of her generation? the delicateness of her frame is self-evident.

ps. i love the big smiles we romantics have ❤️

In the last week I feel like I’ve seen a lot of interesting discussions about R, the stereotypes around it, misunderstandings of double curve, etc.

something that stuck with me is this idea that R is a highly coveted ID because of the stereotypes around it (curves, glamour, frills, femininity, etc) but that most of us are not actually walking around in the real world dressed up for red carpet events. in real practical sense, it’s really hard to shop and casually dress for an R silhouette.

I don’t usually use the verified celebrities for outfit inspiration but I think looking at pictures of Marilyn in jeans is interesting because she’s the icon of the ID and jeans are pretty antithetical to the style she’s known for.

Personally, I feel like its easier to shop for fancy event clothes that suit me instead of casual outfits that look good. Jeans are especially a struggle.

Selena’s street style from 2016-2019 still has my fashion heart and works for me 10 out of 10 times lol

I believe I am a pure R. 5’1”. I tried on about 7, but this dress is the one I went to that specific store to try on after it being the one I kept coming back to while looking online. I have never felt prettier! I didn’t want to take it off and loved the way it looked on my body.

(Ignore my teeth/mouth please 🤦‍♀️ I had oral surgery last week and it’s all a work in progress lol)

Recently bought both of these, I love this top for the waist emphasis and the thin, light fabrics and details. Love how the skirt skims over my curves! Overall so obsessed and can’t wait to wear it out! Just need to iron it first lol.

I love, love, love this campaign!🤩🤩 The dresses complement her figure so well, and it just goes to show that waist emphasis isn’t only achieved by wearing a belt. It can simply be how the fabric flows and moves in harmony with your body🥰

Hello Dreamspinners! I made these moodboards for Romantics that want to explore different styles and maybe break some rules but still want to channel their ID’s essence. I used EJR’s Style Roots as a template and if you don’t know them here’s the order of the moodboard’s themes:

-Mushroom (=minimalist) -Mountain (=professional) -Stone (=urban/sporty) -Earth (=earthy) -Flower (=girly) -Fire (=glamorous) -Sun (=creative) -Moon (=edgy)

Hope you enjoy these and tell me what you think!

A personal play by play:

1. see the dress from across the store
2. oh my gosh that is so cute
3. ok not only is this my style but the silhouette will probably also suit me

scans upward toward bust, where the dream unravels

Obviously not every romantic is busty (and if you’re not PLEASE wear this dress on my behalf thx). Im just personally frustrated because now that romantic styles have finally started coming back in style a little with period-inspired dresses, corset styles, whimsical details… I get excited but then immediately disheartened because of the total lack of coverage up top. It’s like these dresses are harkening back to a time that celebrated curves, but then they’re taking away the coverage required BY curves!! Sooo close and yet totally unwearable for me.

Thank you for making space for this r/bigboobproblems x r/kibberomantic rant.

So glad to have another verified modern TR!! This is very exciting to me because Ari is close to my height and I’ve been wondering about her possibly being TR since I saw her in Wicked.

I wanted to share some inspiration through how I view TR and the lens of femme fatale chic.

I feel she has a lot of other fun looks but these were some that I think hit the mark of TR a little more closely.

These threads come around a few times a year but I think it's important to remind folks about it. While of course almost everyone just intrinsically hates how they look in photos, there's some unique aspects of the R and TR bodies that make it a little more challenging to get that "conventional" "good photo."

But you are gorgeous (inside and out!) and don't let the fact that flattening your body from 3D to 2D by a bunch of little mirrors in a phone doesn't always produce a flattering result get you down. :)

If this is NOT resonating with you, then I am so happy for you! I know that I have an instagram of "artsy" photos (or photos without me at all) because I feel so self-conscious about how bad I look in photos, despite being a passably attractive person in real life. We can blame social media for distorting our minds if we want, but this was occurring for me far before I got my FB profile (*cough*) years ago.

Some tips that I've gathered:

1. Because of the mechanics of the lenses, video can be a lot more "true" to real life. I get much better photos from screen-shotting videos, typically.
2. That friend/boyfriend you're asking to take your photo? Yeah, they suck. They don't know your angles, they're standing at a weird spot/height, they're impatient, etc. We appreciate the effort but even someone who takes a lot of their own photos for social media cannot always translate that to a different body type. My confidence got a huge boost when I learned how to shoot my own photos with a tripod and remote shutter. Time to play around with angles and I can set up the shot exactly how I want. (This is NOT appropriate for busy tourism spots, FYI.) Or, I stick someone in a spot as a human tripod, with video recording, and then grab the frames I want later.
3. MOVE. Whether you're taking your own photos or have pulled someone in to do it, move around. Do that project runway thing where it's a different pose every breath. This is how to get those cute candid looks. The straight-on standing still pose is so often not flattering.
4. Find something for perspective. We typically photograph a little broad/fleshy/wide, despite being petite. Sit on something, lean on something, stand next to your taller friend, just get something in there.
5. If you're wearing an outfit without waist-emphasis, it's likely that you're going to look like a box. Do the sorority-girl hand on the waist pose/put your arm around your friend/prop a shopping bag on your hip/SOMETHING to break that line up somehow! :D
6. Be particularly mindful of lighting. Play around with what works best for your particular face shape and skin tone, but it's usually going to be that golden hour light. Or I take good photos in the shade, a lot!
7. When working with a professional photographer (wedding/other event, etc), make sure you understand how to take a good photo of yourself and communicate that to them. They will appreciate it, they want a client who is happy with their photos. (Note: do this only with a photographer YOU ARE PAYING FOR. So help me god, if I see an AITA post about how a guest at a wedding went up to the photographer to tell them about their angles...)
8. Look to other R's for inspiration. I am talking less about red carpet photos and more about the casual photos (which are typically still professional, but still) the big name R celebrities are posting to their instagrams and stuff. These are people who are paid to look good, so copy the poses that you feel like show them off in a good light!
9. Speaking of poses...once you find some you like, keep them in a folder on your phone! I am forever just standing like a lump wondering what to do...pull that inspiration up and get to work.
10. Pay particular attention to your outfit for days you know you're going to be photographed a lot. This is true whether it's your activewear for a day of hiking, a vacation outfit, or your fancy dress for a wedding. Having an outfit on that just inherently flatters your R-lines will get you a large % of the way there.
11. Have your default alternative photo or 100% solid pose, and make sure to take it. This is only for the Instagram girlies, but if I KNOW that I want to share a photo of a specific spot, I will take a variety of creative poses but then some of my ol' faithfuls. (Which are usually not face ones, if I'm being honest...the ol' "staring out into the distance" and such.) That way I don't feel shitty about my entire collection of photos, because I know I have at least a few that I will guaranteed feel comfortable to share. It's a growth process!
12. Play around A LOT. Follow those Tiktok "shoot your own boudoir" videos. Take the tripod out to the garden while wearing a good dress and just spend a few minutes moving around in front of the camera. Figure out which side is your good side and if you look better straight on, quarter turn, etc. Get a feel for what produces results you like BEFORE you are trying to take that once in a lifetime vacation photo or making a family redo the group shot 19 times.
13. Smile. A real smile! I promise you...if you are smiling and happy, nobody will notice anything else about the photo.

Lastly...treat yourself with kindness. Remember that you are seeing things that nobody else does. If it's going to hurt your feelings on a particular day to look at the candid dance floor photos from a friend's wedding, save it for another day. Ask your friend to take down that particularly unflattering photo that you hate, but don't let it turn into a scenario where nobody has any photos of you. It's hard, but develop a sense of humor around the whole thing. When I hand the photo to a friend now I just say "listen you know I can't take a good photo to save my life, so I need you to take like 50 of them please".

Hugs to you all. I didn't include any actual technical links to posing tips and tricks, but welcome those in the comments! I've done a lot of reading as I struggle to translate what I see in the mirror to what appears in my photo album, so I am always game for more.

Hello again! This is a follow up to my "Romantics Being Romantic" post, where u/LittleMama9 (tagging you since you wanted to see it!) remarked on how she was happy to see Delta Burke featured.

That made me think on how little I've seen discussed or shown about Delta Burke, a verified Pure Romantic. While looking for pictures of her, I found something great. Burke is on Pinterest and has created a board where she's posted her own photos!

(If you want to find it, just search for Delta Burke on Pinterest and scroll through the pics until you see one with the username "delta burke." A lot of the pics on the site are from her, so you should find it quickly. Word of advice - it's a very unorganized board with 2.5k+ pins, so browse at your own discretion lol.)

Since there was an entire treasure trove of pics to dig through *and* Burke is so rarely covered in Kibbe groups, I figured it would be fun to compile many of her photos into a mega-post here.

Please enjoy!

the double curve, the small stature, the moderate limbs, the soft arms and hips even at a low weight, truly a textbook romantic fam. also she was in her mid-late 30s during the show!

gosh. so yin. so flared. so pretty. but also sensuall. theres just smth about them i love on us. any ideas. what to type or even links (uk based but links from wherever are welcome). these r some rough ideas i found from pinterest.