Lines and Shapes 3: The secret bridge between your style words and your style

A practical guide to translating your words into visible choices.

If you’re just landing here, make sure you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 first. Those are the foundations you need before this will click. And if you’re a visual learner, I also filmed a 10-minute demo video showing the same concepts—optional, but helpful to see lines “in motion.”

Okay, enough throat-clearing. Let’s get into it.

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Quick refresher: What the lines mean

Before we layer style words onto this, here’s the cheat sheet:

• Vertical → strength, direction, authority

• Horizontal → ease, rest, grounding

• Diagonal → energy, tension, movement

• Curves → softness, playfulness, openness

So far:

• In Part 1, we learned how to read these lines.

• In Part 2, we looked at how designers use them to build brand DNA.

Now the question becomes: which lines work best for you?

Most traditional systems (like Kibbe) only answer that by looking at your body type. That has some validity—we’ll explore it in Part 4—but it’s incomplete. Because your personal style is also about what you want to communicate.

That’s where your style words come in.

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Why style words come first

Style words are the what you want to say. Lines and shapes are the how you say it.

Think of it like this: if your style words are “Classic, Polished, Undone,” then the lines that support those words will be different from someone with “Creative, Edgy, Romantic.” The words point you toward the lines, and the lines make the words visible.

To show you what I mean, I pulled three examples of stylish women who’ve publicly shared their style words on

Indyx

. Each has a distinct vocabulary, and you can literally see the words come to life in the lines they wear.

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Example 1:

Anna Newton

— Classic, Polished, Undone

Anna’s words sound straightforward, and when you translate them into lines, a very specific picture emerges:

• Classic → verticals for authority, horizontals for grounding

• Polished → clean, uninterrupted lines; minimal diagonals or wild curves

• Undone → softer horizontals, a hint of curves to keep things relaxed

All together: A balanced mix of vertical + horizontal, with restrained diagonals/curves used strategically. Enough ease to read “undone” without losing polish.

All photos are from Anna’s substack: The Wardrobe Edit

Look at Anna’s outfits and you’ll see exactly that: clean lines, no excess, balance everywhere. The diagonals and curves are rare but purposeful. She’s consistent without being repetitive.

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Example 2: Maddie Dragsbaek — Creative, Edgy, Romantic

Maddie’s words push her toward a completely different set of lines:

• Creative → heavy use of diagonals and curves

• Edgy → diagonals that interrupt or clash, creating visual tension

• Romantic → soft, flowing curves

All together: A world of diagonals and curves, layered over each other. Less about balance, more about energy and drama.

All images from Maddie’s instagram

Scroll Maddie’s Instagram and you’ll spot this instantly. She plays with lots of lines working together, irregular shapes, and curve-heavy silhouettes. Where Anna gravitates to balance, Maddie thrives in tension.

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Example 3: Helen Jin — Feminine, Playful, Modern

Helen’s words sit somewhere between Anna and Maddie, but her lines still tell a distinct story:

• Feminine → curves

• Playful → curves + diagonals

• Modern → all four line types in balance (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved)

All together: Soft curves as the anchor, diagonals sprinkled in for energy, with verticals/horizontals added to keep things sharp. The “modern” element keeps her from veering into Bridgerton cosplay territory, even though “feminine” and “playful” dominate.

All fits on Helen’s IG here

In her outfits you’ll see easy, flowing curves—but also structured lines that give them a fresh edge and the modernity.

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Comparing the Three

This is where it gets interesting.

• Anna vs. Helen: On the surface, both have clean, polished styles. But Helen’s addition of feminine totally shifts her lines. Where Anna uses horizontals and verticals to keep things grounded, Helen leans into curves, softening the whole picture.

• Helen vs. Maddie: Both rely on curves, but Maddie doubles down with clashing diagonals that add edge, while Helen reins hers in to stay playful and approachable.

• Anna vs. Maddie: Their words are night-and-day different, and so are their lines. It’s a great example of how much your style words drive your visual choices.

This isn’t about who’s “better”, it’s about alignment. When your words and your lines match, your style feels intentional.

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What This Means for You

So where does this leave you?

• If you don’t have your style words yet: start by noticing which lines you’re drawn to. Do you always pick the clean, vertical silhouettes? Or the flowy curves? That preference can be a clue toward your eventual words.

• If you already know your words: map them onto the line types. Then check if that matches how you actually dress. If there’s a gap, maybe you’re buying pieces that don’t serve your words—or maybe your words need tweaking.

For me, my words are Chill, Modern, Commanding.

• Commanding = verticals

• Chill = horizontal ease

• Modern = diagonals + curves in measured doses

And hopefully, if you look at my outfits, you’ll see exactly that combination.

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Next: Your Body and Your Lines

There’s one more step. Your body’s natural lines shape how clothes fall, drape, and read. That’s where traditional systems like Kibbe had a point—but we’re going to look at it with fresh eyes I promise I will not make you type yourself.

That’s Part 4: Your Body and Your Lines. Coming next!

I’d love to hear your words in the comments. If you already know them, tell me how they show up in your lines. If you don’t, share which line types you gravitate toward—it might help you find your words.