The Covid-19 stay-at-home-order has put us all in casual dress mode.
I can’t remember the last time I dressed up–even our Easter photo opt. proved to be casual (at least from the waist down!). My daughter didn’t even have dress shoes since she left college during her spring break, unprepared to come home for the year.
Even though I’m a Dramatic who loves fashion and makeup, my Natural side loves being stuck at home. I don’t miss my heels at all!
How about you?
I’ve been rather amazed, however, at how much traffic one particular blog is still getting. Since I wrote it in 2012, it has always been my most popular post, but I am surprised that it is even more popular right now during a time when we are all so socially inactive.
Apparently, social distancing does not stop the Beauty Battle within.
Often misunderstood to be overly confident, the Dramatic is actually a very sensitive woman.
The Dramatic clothing personality (which I call the Exotic Beauty) is like a tropical flower. Her unusual beauty has a powerful presence that stands out and makes a statement. Unless she has a secondary style, this girl is tall and has strong, straight features. She is passionate and expressive and has a strong drive for excellence.
All too often, girls with this Image Identity (Img.ID) are completely unaware of the influence they have on others.
Some women are fast-paced, hardworking and unafraid to take risks. Those who are Dramatic in style have a daring nature that is seemingly uninhibited by the influences around her. Her long, straight features and extreme height are indication of her character. The Dramatic woman (or man, or child…) is focused and passionate about all she does.
She is like an exotic flower, her unusual beauty has a powerful presence that stands out and makes a statement. All too often, however, this girl is completely unaware of the influence she has on others. In reality, this Image Identity (Img.ID) really has a very sensitive spirit and when others feel intimidated by her, she often reads it as rejection.
Relatability makes or breaks the Dramatic’s beauty
According to David Garner’s survey on Body Image in America as reported in Phychlology Today:
56% of all women say they are dissatisfied with their overall appearance.
84% of women report dieting
14 % of women have been diagnosed with eating disorders- the majority being underweight.
1.5% of women say they vomit for weight control, yet do not feel they have an eating disorder. 3% use laxatives for weight loss and feel that is not a concern.
67% of women report that being around thin women makes them feel insecure. 45% say that models make them feel angry or resentful.
There are many reasons why beauty has such a stronghold on our hearts:
1. Beauty is an important part of the feminine heart.
The desire for beauty is not shallow or selfish; it is our reflection of the One who created us. Just as man was designed to glorify God with his strength, so was woman designed to draw others to Him with her beauty.
Unfortunately, our desire to be lovely can get the best of us if we focus on it too much. I suppose anything we give too much attention to can mess up our lives, but let’s think this through.
The desire to be strong or successful, is encouraged by society.
The desire for beauty, on the other hand, is not as socially acceptable.
Wether we pursue strength or beauty, we may be confronted with jealousy from time to time, but seldom will we be put to shame for such desires as to do well or be strong.
The Beauty of Branding your Image is that when you know your style, you know your general guidelines for what to wear… even when it comes to nail polish. Colors trend and services change, but just as with your wardrobe or makeup, there are specifics you should always follow.
Here are the general guidelines for each of the 6 styles:
The Dramatic woman is just that: passionately expressive. Conversations with her are very deep and theatrically infused with emotional word-pictures. She’s a rather private person, but somehow doesn’t mind the spot light. In fact, many Dramatics take up their profession in the fine arts and are often found in the theaters or on television. These girls (and guys) put their whole heart into their performance and their long, lean physique is easy on the camera.
My only resolution this year is to blog more about what to wear (#What2Wear). While my greatest passion is helping women to understand their heart and find their confidence, I also feel it is very important to represent your heart accurately with your image so that other people can put their confidence in you.
There’s something very suspicious about a person who looks one way and acts another.
A little girl had dream to become a gardener. She loved the many shapes, sizes and textures of flowers and wanted to grow them herself. It can’t be that difficult, she thought. “I will keep them in rich soil, make sure they get lots of sun and water them every day.”
It didn’t take long before she realized she couldn’t treat all flowers the same, so she began to educate herself on the many types of flowers and their various needs. Quickly she became overwhelmed, “There are too much to learn, this is complicated. I can’t remember all their names and what to do. I will just pick my favorites and focus on them.”
Are you overwhelmed?
Feel awkward in clothes you chose?
This blog is dedicated to all the girls and women who want to learn about clothing personalities, but just can’t get their mind around it.
“Forget it! Who cares which style I am? I will dress however I want to dress!”
If you have said this, but were then unsure how you want to dress because when you put on clothes you chose, you feel uncomfortable, awkward and phony. My advice:
Figure out your style, make that your favorite and focus on that.
“Picking a favorite” is really not hard for most women, because most women are only one clothing personality, but for those of us who have a combination Img.ID, discovering which style you really like can be complicated. My advice to you?
First figure out if you are one style or two.
You know you are a combination Img.ID if:
1.You have the physical attributes of two clothing personalities. Do you have the facial features of a Natural, but are not tall? Or are you very tall, but have a turned up nose like a Gamine? You are more than likely a combination Img.ID
2.Your natural coloring competes with your primary style. Are you one of the sensitive clothing personalities (Dramatic, Ingénue, Romantic) with strong coloring (Winter, Autumn)? Or one of the strong personalities (Classic, Natural, Gamine) with soft coloring (Summer, Spring)? You are more than likely a combination Img.ID.
3.You have the physical appearance of one style and a strong agreement with the preferences of different style. Do you have the physical attributes of one clothing personality, but your only desire is to look or act like another style? You may very well have been raised by a strong woman who you feel you must emulate. You have two options: be set free from your oppression and BE who you were designed to be, or find a way to blend the two styles so that your appearance reflects your authentic heart.
*****
As an author and speaker, my passion is in helping women and girls overcome confidence conflicts, especially those involving rejection, betrayal and loss. After 30 years in the beauty industry as both a cosmetologist and an image consultant, I love to use my profession, along with my experiences and training as a Biblical life-coach to help others who are struggling. I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Goodreads Click the butterfly image or visit https://catrinawelch.com to learn more about my Supreme MakeOver Image Assessment events.
You are invited to a formal event. How does your heart respond? Some women (and men) enjoy dressing up and socializing. Others feel quite the opposite.
The way you respond to certain lifestyle choices has a lot to say about which style of beauty (or attractive) you are. While your physical attributes are the major indicator of which of the six styles (your personal image identity or Img.ID) you are, your personal preferences are the confirmation. If your physical style does not fall in line with your personal preferences, then you likely have a secondary style or you are in the midst of a Beauty Battle.
A number of factors come into play when it comes to our personal preferences. The culture, economy and standards of our formative years are certainly strong influences on how we feel about certain lifestyle choices, especially if we have a compliant nature. It is natural to choose that which we are comfortable with, but sometimes we follow the examples set before us without even considering other options because it is all we know. Continue reading Take this LifeSTYLE Quiz→
Glance at a flower and it will amaze you with its beauty. Take a deep look at the details of each pedal, the leaves and it’s stem and you may not be as impressed. I mean really, what is this?
Flowers wilt; they fall over or break, and very often they have many deformities. No flower is perfect, yet only a fool would dare to criticize the details of that which was presented to them for sheer pleasure. I’m not saying that no one rejects the bouquet of flowers given them (Actually, I’ve personally witnessed an ungrateful critique insult the generosity of their flower-giver’s heart.). I am saying that those who are critical of beauty are foolish. Continue reading Making Peace with your Image→
