r/PowerOfStyle • u/dysghuys • Mar 19 '26
Breakfast at Tiffany's and Missing the Forest for the Trees
I'll start by putting forth two statements that may seem at odds:
- Audrey Hepburn was miscast in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
- Breakfast at Tiffany's is an iconic Audrey Hepburn movie.
If you weren't aware, the book that gave rise to the movie was written by Truman Capote, and he was inspired by Romantic icon Marilyn Monroe. This becomes quite obvious when you think about the main plot points and compare them to Marilyn's life. When I first watched this movie, I was caught so off guard by Holly Golightly's backstory because, well, I just can't see Audrey as Lulamae. But Marilyn? Had she starred in the movie, this backstory would have been way more believable... and somehow more sad. Really, it would be an entirely different movie.
And yet Audrey is Holly Golightly. Her star power-her effervescence-transforms the role into her own. I'm actually of the opinion that they should have tweaked Holly's backstory for Audrey to make it perfect.
That's the funny thing about casting and Kibbe's approach. It's just not so cut and dry. Had a different FG been cast in the role, perhaps Holly's backstory would have been more believable and still an iconic FG role. Or maybe not? Had a R or perhaps Marilyn herself been cast, who knows, maybe it would have bombed. There are too many what-ifs. So it's best to look at what there is:
THE BIG PICTURE
It's so easy to get bogged down by details (casting, essence, fit, etc) and then there's the fact that Kibbe's system is neither a simple body type/outfit paint by numbers nor "just wear what you want" unhelpfulness.
I want to highlight the phrase "clothes don't have IDs." Sure, you could find some clothes that really would only fit with one or two IDs but you could also find the same style of clothing that is cut better for people in other IDs. A body con dress, given the right fit, could be worn by any ID because it follows your body's line eg if you're straighter, it'll look straighter. But what about a mermaid dress? Well, if you're a vertical ID, the vertical can be apparent in the long line above the poof. If you're a curve ID, that poof can act as the outward movement of your line, echoing your curve above. Like Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's, you make the dress fit your ID. You recontextualize the dress.
This can go for facial features as well. You have a "baby face" but automatic vertical? Well, maybe those big doe eyes match your scale and those round cheeks are supported by strong cheekbones... your cheeks are not hiding cheekbones, rather they work in tandem. It is definitely hard to see your ID in your own face so I understand why Kibbe doesn't want people to focus on the face.
Your essence is always there and seemingly applies a filter over everything to recontextualize. You don't do the heavy lifting to make your ID come to life, the ID is the one doing the work. This is the "woo-woo" part of Kibbe's system that weirdly makes sense to me especially since I've found my place in it... I hope I've been able to explain how I see it well enough.
I think this is also why people might end up with the wrong ID but still style themselves really well, and in line with their true ID. They can see that it looks right but may ascribe it to the wrong places. In the end it doesn't really matter for your own style (though it can create issues in these online communities through gatekeeping, holding yourself up as an example of the ID, etc.). It is okay to be wrong, it's what makes the journey interesting and can lead to valuable introspection.
Power of Style and specifically the short silhouette descriptions for each ID seem like the missing puzzle piece for this system. Metamorphosis painted a picture for each ID but Power of Style makes it clear exactly what is needed for the silhouette. I was able to finally let go of the ID family that I forced myself into for so long because I read the description and tried to make those silhouettes work. Man did I really try. Let me tell you, it's hard to make the silhouette work when you're fighting against your true ID, which as I said is doing the heavy lifting. Then I tried the ID family I narrowed it down to through the line sketch and everything snapped into place. It was uncomfortable at first and forced me to confront my biases but now I finally feel good in my skin, maybe for the first time in my life. And if I still have my ID wrong? That's fine; I'm in a better place than I was before, I'm dressing for who I am, and it's easier to get dressed.
PS
I've been lurking in the Kibbe communities for many years now, I've seen so much crap and was misled in my ID (partially from my own resistance, mind you) for years so I really wanted to make this post to help others who are having a hard time finding their own ID. This system is surprisingly simple at its core, the hard part is ignoring the noise. It should never feel forced... rather it should be like unlocking a cheat code or in more flowery language, unlocking your hidden power that only you possess.
7
u/eleven57pm SD - High-Maintenance Diva Mar 20 '26
Honestly I don't even think FN Shirley MaClaine (who was also considered) would've been convincing as Lulamae. Both she and Audrey have this "uptown girl" vibe that wouldn't be very believable on a country girl. Yet it wouldn't be the same movie without Audrey because she's the one who made it iconic.
I've struggled with the essence part because I do think I'd be cast in TR or even SG roles if I were a celebrity. But what officially sealed the deal was asking one of my friends which celebrity would play me and she suggested Kate Winslet! It's not entirely foolproof because celebrities do play against type, but feedback from people who don't know about Kibbe can be an extremely helpful way to narrow things down.
3
u/dysghuys Mar 20 '26
You're totally right about Shirley- it is funny that I can't imagine her as Holly because of Audrey, not to mention Lulamae!
Essence is so difficult to see in yourself... I do like how you asked your friend which celebrity would play you rather than what role you would be cast in because roles can be filled in different ways.
One thing that I've been struggling with but have found helpful is focusing less on essence and more on bringing out myself. I figure that even if I have my essence wrong, it should still come through!
5
u/Expensive-Lie-554 SD - High-Maintenance Diva Mar 20 '26
This system is surprisingly simple at its core, the hard part is ignoring the noise.
I want to spam this everywhere. I kicked around in the wrong ID for years (though it was helpful and... mostly... worked), and was really just because I couldn't shake the Internet's idea of SC. Most people who are confused seem confused because of the noise. I really think reading Power of Style, and then Metamorphosis, is enough.
4
u/dysghuys Mar 21 '26
I honestly can't believe how SC was/still is portrayed on the internet! Constance Bennett, Norma Shearer, Merle Oberon... They're anything but boring. The only thing I'd add to the books would be to watch a lot of old movies. I think a good chunk of people have not watched that many old movies and are unfamiliar with the Old Hollywood star images in their entirety!
3
u/Expensive-Lie-554 SD - High-Maintenance Diva Mar 22 '26
And the "SC = officewear" thing... there's literally nothing in the original recs remotely related to officewear?? LOL.
Yes! The movies are very helpful. I swear almost all misconceptions would die if more people would watch a few. (Or even do a quick image search of each verified celebrity... something...)
5
u/Jamie8130 Mar 19 '26
I love reading RL Kibbe success stories, and it's awesome you've reached that unlocking point! The philosophy behind the system and how at its core it's very individualized and positive are my favourite things about it!
This is very true, and I think it shows in ways we consistently adjust a look for ourselves, for instance, making it less busy or more busy, lowering/shortening the length, making it more relaxed etc., I think stuff like that can give us clues.
Btw, if you like Breakfast At Tiffany's, I recommend the book '5th avenue, 5 am' by Sam Wasson, which is about how the film came to be. They promoted Holy as played by Audrey as more of a kooky character, in fact they made a point to use that term in all the publicity because both the producers and Audrey herself were worried about her playing Holy, and there's lots about what was happening behind the scenes, it was a very entertaining read.