Flamboyant Natural Wardrobe Guide: What to Wear

Natural family · Wardrobe

Everything in your closet chases one effect: big, easy, blunt-edged shapes that move with you. Your frame is broad and strong, so clothes should match that scale without pinning it down — generous cuts, honest textures, a long unbroken line, worn with the confidence that makes the Free Spirit Chic look land. Nothing crisp, nothing tiny.

Silhouette & line

Start from oversized geometry with the corners rounded off — rectangles, oblongs, irregular outlines, big asymmetric shapes that never harden into sharp points. The silhouette stays unconstructed and relaxed, built from long sweeping lines. Kibbe describes the ideal as a “T”: powerful shoulders anchoring a long vertical drop, with real horizontal presence up top.

• Bold, oversized shapes — rectangles, oblongs, irregular and asymmetric outlines — with soft, blunt edges.
• Relaxed, unconstructed silhouettes that hang loose on the body.
• Long, sweeping, elongated lines; strong vertical paired with broad horizontal (the “T”).

• Sharp, severe, or stiff silhouettes.
• Symmetrical shapes and precisely straight, rigid lines.
• Intricate, delicate, fussy lines.

Fabrics

Texture is your headline, at any weight — a surface with grip beats a smooth flat finish every time, and a skinny or ribbed knit only works blown up oversized. Save high shine for evening in a heavy hand, and keep daytime sheen textural.

• Rich texture in every weight; rough surfaces over flat ones.
• Leathers, suedes, plush, and thick, rough, bulky, or ultraplush knits.
• Loosely woven cloth; ultrathick, heavy drape.
• Heavy-weight shine for evening (stiff satin, brocade, metallic); textural raw silk or shantung by day.

• Ultrasheer, flimsy, or clingy fabric.
• Stiff, flat fabric and tightly woven cloth.
• Delicate, shiny fabric.

Details

Detailing goes big, loose, and a little off-center. Shoulders stay broad and extended but never sharp. Let the waist drop or blouse over rather than cinching it — a defined waist just chops your best vertical line in half, even when it is small. Any gathering or sashing should sit deep, long, and asymmetric, low toward the hips.

• Broad, extended (never sharp) shoulders.
• Loose, open necklines: slashes, boatnecks, open collars, oversized cowls, or a camisole.
• A dropped or bloused-over waist instead of a cinched one.
• Deep, long, asymmetric gathers and sashes worn low; soft deep pleats; simple-straight or full-sweeping sleeves.

• Sharp tailored or severe geometric detail.
• Small symmetrical detail; ornate, intricate detail.
• Perky, crisp, “cute” animated detail.

Jackets & tops

Jackets are long, loose, and unconstructed, cut relaxed with broad padded shoulders — never shorter than the top of the thigh — with simple oversized detail like big lapels, roomy pockets, or an easy double-breasted worn open. Blouses stay roomy with clean, unconfined necklines, cut wide so they slide neatly under a jacket. Sweaters run boldly oversized to a fault, in thick, rough, or ultraplush knits with shoulder pads throughout.

• Long, unconstructed jackets with broad padded shoulders and simple oversized detail.
• Roomy blouses with wide, clean, open necklines — easy layered under a jacket.
• Extremely oversized sweaters: thick, rough, shaggy, or ultraplush, with shoulder pads.

• Severely or symmetrically tailored jackets, flouncy ones, or cropped fitted cuts.
• Sharply tailored, overly fitted, or fussy blouses with high, stiff, intricate necklines.
• Lightweight clingy knits, fluffy knits, cropped or fitted crew-neck styles.

Skirts & pants

Skirts read best long and straight without turning severe, or long and full with deep folds when they go genuinely wide — pair the full ones with a big top. A short straight skirt turns fun and funky under an oversized layer. Keep any draping low and loose so nothing restricts your stride, with hems longish on straight styles and very long on full ones. Pants are roomy and full — man-tailored, a touch wide, relaxed in the seam — and wide satiny evening trousers are a genuine option.

• Long straight skirts, or wide full skirts with deep folds worn over big tops.
• Short straight skirts under an oversized top; slits, kick pleats, pockets, and low, loose draping.
• Roomy, man-tailored full pants with deep pleats, soft wide cuffs, and full pockets.

• Long pencil-slim or smooth flared skirts; flouncy or short symmetrical styles.
• Sharply tailored, fitted pants.
• Overly draped pants that taper at the leg.

Dresses

A dress should sweep — broad through the shoulder, elongated (usually dropped) at the waist, with a relaxed shape that goes either narrow and slinky or wide and full-cut, and any shirring kept low in bold abstract strokes.

• Bold, sweeping dresses with broad shoulders and a dropped, elongated waist.
• A relaxed outline — narrow and slinky, or wide and full-cut.
• Low-placed shirring, draping, or appliqué in bold abstract patterns.

• Flouncy dresses loaded with ornate, fussy trim.
• Severely tailored dresses.
• Overly fitted styles with crisp or animated detail.

Color & prints

Reach for saturation. Vibrant, saturated tones excite this line most, and the wilder the pairing, the better it suits your free spirit; rich neutrals work too, in lush texture lifted by a vivid accent. One caution on going tonal — a single-color outfit falls flat unless a second bright shade cuts through it. Prints want the same voltage: abstract geometrics, soft-edged asymmetrics whose colors melt together, plus wild animal and tropical motifs.

• Vibrant, saturated color in bold, unexpected combinations.
• Lush-textured neutrals lifted by a vivid accent.
• Abstract geometrics, blended-edge asymmetrics, animal and tropical prints, witty earthy motifs.

• Busy multicolored splashes (they read perky); a tonal outfit with no vivid accent to break it up.
• Dull, grayed shades — unless carried in rich texture.
• Sharp geometrics, small symmetrical or animated prints, watercolor florals, intricate or ornate prints.

Accessories & jewelry

Jewelry matters most here — it is where sophistication and invention meet. Go bold and heavy: rough or asymmetric pieces, thick chunky shapes, the more one-of-a-kind the better; a big, bold faux or costume piece counts as art too. Shoes stay tailored and angular with the edge softened, evening sandals very bare. Bags run large, unconstructed or cleanly tailored. Belts get to be inventive — sashes, ropes, metallics, or a wide band with a boldly carved buckle. For hosiery, flesh tones read best under daytime suits, colored and ribbed opaques turn casual looks fun — echo the stocking shade elsewhere for a “bright leg” that keeps the vertical line — and dark sheers stay for evening.

• Bold, heavy, asymmetric jewelry — chunky wearable-art and artist-crafted pieces, or big faux and costume ones.
• Soft-edged angular shoes, clean or man-tailored flats, very bare evening sandals.
• Large bags, unconstructed or cleanly tailored; inventive sashes, ropes, and wide bold-buckled belts; oversized shaggy hats.

• Delicate, antique, ornate, or intricate jewelry, sharp-edged geometrics, small symmetrical pieces — or skipping jewelry altogether.
• Delicate strappy shoes with trim, and plain pumps.
• Small rounded bags with dainty straps; small symmetrical belts; severe or perky little hats.

Evening

After dark, keep the scale and let the fabric carry the drama: bold sweeping shapes with shoulder emphasis and easy necklines, in glitzy, smooth, slightly plush, or ultradrapable cloth like matte jersey, with detail kept minimal or big and broad.

• Broad-shouldered, dropped-waist gowns and widely cut draped gowns in matte jersey or silk.
• Wide-leg satin evening trousers; evening sarongs and caftans; glitzed sweater dresses.
• Bare gowns finished with one bold statement jewel.

Unofficial guide inspired by the Image Identity system in David Kibbe’s Metamorphosis (1987). Body types describe line, not worth — every type is the goal, not a consolation prize.