You’ve been learning how to express your unique yin/yang combo in your personal style, and doing this naturally raises the question, “What makes an outfit yin, and what makes another one yang?”
It’s easy to grasp the concept of the yin/yang definitions in general, but it can feel elusive when applying it to your style.
Any of your 5 Components of Style can express yin or yang energy, so you aren’t just expressing it in your clothes. You also need to consider your accessories, makeup, and hairstyle.
This Cheat Sheet is designed to support you in effortlessly understanding how yin/yang is expressed in the 5 Elements of movement for anything you put on your body.
If you take each of the 5 Elements – design line, texture, fabrication, pattern, and color – they will either express a yin movement or a yang movement—and sometimes both. So it’s possible that some items express both yin and yang qualities.
Let’s look at each of the 5 Elements:
First, it’s very important to have your Style Guides to support you through this process. The Style Guides have keywords that are specific to your Type of beauty that will quite literally guide you to make the best decisions.
1. Design line
Design line is the cut and shape of the garment, as well as the different effects of the garment itself. You could phrase this in a question, “What shapes do I see?” Again, refer to your Style Guide to know which shapes to look for.
Yin – Clean lines, elongated lines, gentle lines
Yang – Angles, asymmetry, strong lines, swift lines
2. Texture
Texture is the feel of the garment. Ask yourself, “How does it feel, and how does it look like it feels?”
Yin – Plush, soft, smooth, sleek
Yang – Coarse, rough, bumpy, crisp
3. Fabrication
Fabrication is the way the material falls when it’s either held or worn on your body. Ask yourself, “How does it fall?”
Yin – Lightweight, relaxed
Yang – Substantial, stiff, firm
4. Pattern
Pattern refers to the design/image on the garment. Ask yourself, “What shapes and level of contrast do I see?”
Yin – Smaller scale, low contrast
Yang – Larger scale, higher contrast
5. Color
Use your Style Guide to determine if the color of your garment is true to Type. Remember: we never dip into our Secondary’s colors. Always stay true to your dominant Type’s colors. Yin and yang will express in different colors within your color group.
Yin – Lighter colors in your color group
Yang – Darker colors in your color group
Let me show you how I would use this.
My Yin/Yang expression as a Type 3/4 is yang-yang-yin-yang.
As a Type 3, my priority element is texture, so I will always have something on my body that expresses a yang Type 3 texture. (Watch your Type’s 3×5 video here for your Type’s priority element.)
I want to follow the 3×5 formula and wear 3-5 of my Type elements. And since I have a dominance of yang in my energy, I will most often choose to have items in my outfit that express yang energy.
As I play with this formula, I’ve noticed that I most often choose 1. Texture, 2. Fabrication, and 3. Pattern to express my yang.
I can also add 2 more elements, so I could add more yang with darker colors, and one yin with more clean design lines.
Whatever I choose, I know that of my 5 elements, most of them need to express yang energy with a touch of yin in my outfit. I can also count on my hairstyle to express yin and yang, as it is edgy and sleek.
Now it’s your turn! Just follow these steps:
- Determine your Yin/Yang expression based on your dominant and secondary.
- Think of a recent outfit that was a “10” for you—in other words, it felt like a second skin. Using the Yin Yang Style Cheat Sheet, take your outfit apart and determine which parts of your outfit honored your yin expression and which parts honored your yang expression.
- Go to your closet and build an outfit.
- Build the rest of your outfit by adding additional clothing pieces, accessories, and makeup that express 3-5 more Elements that honor the rest of your Yin/Yang expression.
- Now put it on and see how it feels. I have learned that I can feel if my Yin/Yang expression is off. It feels out of balance on my body. When I notice this, I take a moment and break down the variable of each item and can easily determine whether I have too much yang, which for me would be pretty much the whole outfit, or I have too much yin, which was where I found I was making the most mistakes.
-If you’re a Type 1 or Type 3, you lead with yang energy first, so choose 1 of the 5 Elements in an item of clothing to express your yang.
-If you’re a Type 2 or Type 4, you lead with yin energy first, so choose 1 of the 5 Elements in an item of clothing to express your yin.
Think of it this way. If you’re a…
- Triple yin to one yang – you need a dominance of yin in your 5 elements with a touch of yang.
- Triple yang to one yin – you need a dominance of yang in your 5 elements with a touch of yin.
- Equal amounts of yin and yang – you need a balance of yin and yang in the 5 elements of your outfit.
Be patient as you learn to use this formula because once you get it, you will feel it and see the difference it makes.
If you are a Type 1, make sure to keep it fun.
If you are a Type 2, don’t get too worried about the details.
If you are a Type 3, give each outfit a moment of discernment to learn from.
If you are a Type 4, don’t overthink it. Keep coming back to how it feels on your body when it’s perfect and when it’s not.
I am excited to see your outfits using this formula as you share them in the Lifestyle Facebook group.
Any questions? Don’t ask them! I am just kidding—go ahead! We are here for you.
