Should you Dress your Archetype?
- Patty Lowell
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
Who remembers 1980, when Carole Jackson launched the color analysis craze with her best-selling book, “Color Me Beautiful”?
If you are an over 60 woman you probably were tagged with a seasonal color palette – spring, summer, winter, fall – in an attempt to make dressing for work easier and more colorful than the standard navy and black “career” clothing.
I’ve always found the color analysis concept a bit arbitrary. Results depended on the skill of the stylist as much as the lighting in the dressing room. Still, as a midlife woman with serious closet goals, I was interested in finding some style tips to help me navigate life as I transition into entrepreneurship.
So instead of looking to analysis based on color, body type or Zodiac sign, I turned to my trusty Instagram feed, which has been flooded with ads touting, “Dress your Archetype.”
The Psychology of Getting Dressed
The archetype method is not new. It’s based on Jungian psychology and is meant to help women identify their signature style by assessing their personality type. It’s all about dressing your “true self” thereby injecting a jolt of confidence into your wardrobe.
I admit, I gave in to the click bait. The first step, of course, is a free online quiz available on dozens of the “Dress your Archetype” websites I checked. The questions were not at all what I expected.
How would you like to spend a Saturday afternoon?
Roaming through a gallery
Hiking a trail
Enjoying high tea with friends
Attending a concert
Which accessory would you choose?
A cozy scarf
A chunky belt
A vintage handbag
A pair of black sunglasses
What can’t you live without?
A white T-shirt
A statement bag
A pair of jeans
Well-worn cowboy boots
The Big Reveal
I consider myself a friendly, funny, outgoing person so after clicking away, I felt certain that my style archetype would come back as something along the lines of “Student at Clown College.”
Instead, I was labeled a “Modern Minimalist,” someone who leans into clean lines and quality fabrics, but with a today twist. I was presented with a sample outfit that included slim black trousers, an oversize cream-colored turtleneck, black kitten-heel sling-backs, chunky gold jewelry and a pair of teal glasses — in other words, my dream outfit.
I’m happy to say that the archetype stylists nailed it. It seems that analyzing my likes and dislikes is a fairly accurate method for determining what kind of clothing should be in my closet.
As I flip through fall offerings at my favorite boutique, I ask myself a new question, “Does this item say Modern Minimalist?” If not, it’s back to the rack, as I search for clothing that aligns with my personality and point of view.
The Confident Closet
So perhaps the takeaway is that style isn’t about following rules handed down from a color wheel or a decades-old book, it’s about recognizing patterns in what you actually love to do and being confident in using your personality and preferences as a style guide. When your closet reflects who you are, you spend less time second-guessing and more time simply enjoying the life you’re dressing for.
________________________________________________________________________
HELL YEAH!
Get started on your archetype journey. Here are some platforms that can help.
Reminder: I do not endorse these businesses and organizations, nor do I receive compensation from them.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT:
Have you tried putting together an outfit based on your archetype yet?
What’s one piece in your closet that perfectly fits your archetype?