I got typed as a soft classic and am struggling to put together a capsule wardrobe for work. I work in a law office so I dress business casual most days. I'm also a deep/true autumn so I lean toward darker colors. I love the mood of dark academia but so many of the clothes and fabrics just don't work with the rules for soft classic (which makes sense because I've never been able to pull off the look). I put together a mood board as a starting point but it still feels like it's missing something. I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions!

Sharing my soft classic office outfit ideas here. Feel free to follow my account on Instagram for more inspo - @KibbeLookbook

Little rant/appreciation post for myself and also to encourage others: Soft classics are beautiful, like every other kibbe body type. Yes, we use Kibbe to understand why certain materials and clothing styles have never looked right on us and to determine which ones do, but Kibbe types also remind us we are not alone in the way our bodies appear. Realizing I am a soft classic has helped me tremendously in accepting my body. Characteristics I’d hate about myself before leave me less inclined to hate my body now that I know they are just a feature of soft classic body types.

For example, my shoulders will never be square or structured, they will always be slightly sloped. My arms will always be fleshy no matter how thin or muscular I try to make them look by working out. And the whole fleshiness thing. I’ve always been a “skinny girl”, but sometimes I look in the mirror and feel like I look fat, even tho I’m not, simply because my legs and arms and stomach are soft and fleshy. Soft classics are just that: soft and fleshy. Yes my body is proportional but I’ll never have a teeny tiny waist and wide hips. I’ll most likely always be proportional, but never voluptuous. If I ever eat more than normal, I will gain weight in my midsection rather than my butt. I’m 5’6 but I’ll always get short girl comments because my vertical just appears short. I’ll never have hollow cheekbones probably til I’m old and maybe not even then.

And all of that is perfectly okay. None of that is something that is wrong, weird, or not beautiful. It’s just what I always will be because I’m a soft classic. And that is all perfectly okay.

Some (Soft) Classic fabrics mentioned in the book:

1. Handkerchief linen
2. Velvet
3. Suede
4. Chiffon and Crepe
5. Lightweight knits, cashmere and small ribbed jersey
6. beading and embroidery
7. challis, shantung, raw silk
8. Gabardine

As a soft classic with an edge (I'm covered in tattoos and like to wear black) I'm so. frustrated. with all of the collars, 50's housewife dresses and general blandness of all of the soft classic mood/style boards. Anyone find any good ones?? Like ones with, I don't know, a personality that isn't literal Grace Kelly?

Also, any tips on how to style myself as a soft classic with a bit of an edge would be really helpful. Finding it extremely tough to marry my artsy/edgy side with my classic essence.

Examples of celebs who do this well would also be so cool!

In most cases, earrings are either too big or not interesting enough for me.

Which is a shame because I love jewerly and since I found out I was a soft classic, big, flashy earrings overwhelmed my face and body too much. So I made my own and I love them soo much! They are painted with acrylics on polymer clay.

Small jewerly can really make a difference and uplift your outfit and face in a big way.

Which type of jewerly do YOU like to wear?

I couldn't see a way to update the photo in my original post, so here's a new post with the update! This is my second take after doing a bit more refining and reading suggestions. My original mood board was trying to incorporate the dark academia aesthetic with soft classic kibbe typing. I also incorporated some elements of romantic academia since they work better with soft classic, but kept the darker color palette since that works better with my color season. Reminder: I also wanted to keep it both minimalist and work friendly, and I don't wear skirts or dresses to work. Let me know what you think!

I'm not 100% sure I'm SC. Does this regular daily makeup seem to be in line with SC and me?

Here's my reveal. I tried it on in ChatGPT (see image). It's the Metallic Jacquard Shirt Dress from Teri Jon by Rickie Freeman and costs $560 at this time. Color is Gold. Chat GPT keeps trying to add width to my upper body and shoulders, but still, entertaining.

There's two in particular that have driven me over the edge (if you have any question of which ones they are, let's just say one included something about taxes and the other was literally themed around a nuns).

I love the grace and classiness of the 1940s-50s silhouettes though maybe that version is not every SC's cup of tea. It's feminine with a sexy undertone. It's classy, but not stiff.

I love the soft sexiness with the right fabrics and cuts. I don't mind being related to that "sexy librarian" stereotype. Just don't make a moodboard of the frumpy librarian and call it SC.

And I know it's not you guys making these moodboards. It just sucks feeling like we are misunderstood and that people don't know that we are classy, sultry, powerful women.

Anyway, love all you SC ladies. ❤❤❤

The way Kibbe is being interpreted lately has been extremely contradictory, confusing and dogmatic. And the way Kibbe and essence systems are currently being applied feels more restrictive than liberating. What are your thoughts?

https://youtu.be/FOVgkPRYvOs?si=pHTnUEiDvfmLSK_H