Kibbe Body Type Calculator

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Reviewed by: David Chen, Style Consultant & Kibbe System Specialist

Determine your dominant Kibbe Image Identity with this interactive calculator, based on the five core physical attributes of bone structure, body flesh, and facial features.

Kibbe Body Type Calculator

Kibbe Body Type Calculator Formula

The Kibbe system is based on assessing the balance between two opposing forces: Yin (softness, curve, delicacy) and Yang (sharpness, angularity, length). This calculator uses a simplified scoring model where a score of 1 represents Extreme Yin and a score of 5 represents Extreme Yang for five key physical attributes. The total score determines your dominant Kibbe family.

Total Yang Score = (Bone Score + Body Score + Facial Score + Vertical Score + Hand/Feet Score)

Formula Source (Methodology): Truth is Beauty – Kibbe Basics | The Concept Wardrobe – Kibbe Guide

Variables

The calculation is based on the following subjective assessments (scores 1 to 5):

  • Bone Structure Angularity (Bone Score): Measures the sharpness or bluntness of your skeletal frame (shoulders, wrists, jawline).
  • Body Line Shape (Body Score): Measures the overall shape of your body (curvy, straight, muscular).
  • Facial Features (Facial Score): Measures the appearance of your eyes, lips, and nose (round/full vs. sharp/angular).
  • Vertical Line/Height Impression (Vertical Score): Measures the visual impression of height and elongation.
  • Hand/Feet Structure (Hand/Feet Score): Measures the size and delicacy or sharpness of your extremities.

Related Calculators

What is Kibbe Body Type Calculator?

The Kibbe Image Identity system, created by David Kibbe in the 1980s, organizes female forms into 13 distinct categories based on a blend of Yin and Yang elements. Unlike traditional body shape analysis (e.g., Apple, Pear, Hourglass), Kibbe focuses on the totality of a person’s physical self—including bone structure, flesh, and facial features—to find the most flattering clothing lines and silhouettes, known as the ‘Image Identity’.

This calculator functions by quantifying your personal assessment of five key features. By scoring each attribute from Extreme Yin (1) to Extreme Yang (5), the calculator aggregates these scores to determine your overall dominant energy—whether you lean towards extreme sharpness (Dramatic), pure softness (Romantic), or a blend (Classic, Gamine, Natural).

Understanding your Kibbe type is not about finding restrictive rules; it is about recognizing the natural lines and flow of your body to enhance your innate beauty and achieve visual harmony in your wardrobe.

How to Calculate Your Kibbe Dominance (Example)

Suppose a user inputs the following scores:

  1. Bone Structure Angularity: 4 (Slightly Sharp/Angular)
  2. Body Line Shape: 3 (Straight/Balanced)
  3. Facial Features: 4 (Prominent Bone Structure)
  4. Vertical Line/Height Impression: 5 (Very Long/Tall)
  5. Hand/Feet Structure: 3 (Moderate/Average)

The calculation is performed as follows:

  • Sum of Scores: $4 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 3 = 19$.
  • Total Score 19 falls into the **Moderate/Sharp Yang** range.
  • The resulting Image Identity would be **Natural** or a related type, indicating a dominant energy of sharpness, structure, and length, with some blending of other elements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Is the Kibbe system the same as the body shape system (Hourglass, etc.)? No. Body shape (e.g., Hourglass) only looks at the horizontal distribution of fat. The Kibbe system is holistic, looking at the entire bone structure, vertical line, and facial features to determine your fundamental Image ID.
  • What does Yin and Yang mean in Kibbe? Yang represents sharpness, angularity, length, and width (masculine essence). Yin represents softness, curve, roundness, and delicacy (feminine essence). All 13 Kibbe types are a combination of these two, except for Pure Dramatic (Pure Yang) and Pure Romantic (Pure Yin).
  • How accurate is this online calculator? This calculator is an initial assessment tool. Kibbe typing is subjective and ideally done in person. The results here indicate your dominant energy; further research into the specific types within that family (e.g., Soft Natural vs. Flamboyant Natural) is recommended.
  • Do I need to be a specific height for a certain Kibbe type? Yes, height is a significant factor, particularly for types dominated by Yang (Dramatic and Flamboyant Natural), which have a natural height minimum due to the required long vertical line. Shorter women are automatically filtered into certain Gamine and Romantic families.
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