It has nothing to do with your length, size, body shape or coloring. It's about your essence. Ingenues are girlish. They are always innocent. They are always sweet and cute and delightful and charming and adorable and coy and feminine and darling and graceful and playful and disarming... she walks with unicorns in land of soft clouds and rainbows and persian kittens and bows and candyfloss and butterflies... whether she's five or ninety-five... You get the "cute overload" vibes when you are with her. They are always slightly off wandering in a fairytale land. There is an ethereal quality, they are soft dreamers, something "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan", "Little Princess", something magical and enchanting. She is not impish, mischievous, puck-like street urchin, she is the fairy princess collecting glittery things as if they were stars. They are light, airy sprites, affectionate, fun, silly, whimsical, naïve, so adorable and cute...
So - put in simpler terms:
The motif, figure of Ingenues is trifoil, heart, cloud, that scalloped edge.
I forgot a very important Ingenue shape from that graph... This too is scalloped lines
and another one...
And yet another one I had forgotten...
They should not be covered in frills and ruffles. Simple lines and styles are best, but they should be feminine, girly, slightly romantic. Usually a simple lace edging is quite enough, scalloped edge, Peter Pan collar, small puff sleeves... nothing elaborate and baroque. The beauty of an Ingenue is very soft and subtle and light, and should be lightly supported, not heavily underlined. There is a slight androgyny in Ingenues and Gamines, as they are childlike. Keep the lines and cuts simple and easy, and add some girly details.
Upper row (left to right), batiste (mercerized) Persian lawn, handkerchief linen, and voile.
Second row, striped crepes (2), and striped and checked dimity.
Third row, embroidered Swiss (2), and flaxon (2).
Lower row, fancy flowered voile.
The fabrics should be light and soft as well. Good fabrics are batiste, cambric, gauze and mousseline (muslin), chiffon, crepe, seersucker and lightweight plissé, voile, georgette, piquet, broadcloth, lawn, dimity, swiss . Oxford and percale might work.
Wool flannel is perhaps too heavy, crepe is better. Poplin is OK too. I think denim, gabardine and twill are a bit too hard and heavy, but together with lighter fabrics they are OK. Melton would be good for winter coats.
Jacquard, damask and brocade are usually too heavy and stiff for Ingenues, but can be used as a small detail or a small piece of clothing, if everything else in the outfit is according to the style.
Knitted garments are usually a good choice, but stay away of fuzzy yarns, like angora and mohair. Those are a bit too soft for Ingenues. Also, avoid thick yarns, and heavy knits. College fabric is usually too heavy. Lightweight knit, jersey knit is better, but avoid the thinnest with heavy fall. Light velour goes, too.
I don't like fleece (or flausch) for Ingenues, as it is a rather "cheap" material. It goes better for Gamines. Ingenues can use chinchilla cloth.
Velvet is too heavy, but corduroy is OK, especially light, thin striped corduroy. Velveteen might work too, with some concerns. It may not be too drape-y nor too shiny. Chenille is too heavy and rough as well, and so is boucle and poodle cloth.
Fur should be soft, smooth and quite short haired, like rabbit. Fox and coyote and other such long haired furs are not good for Ingenues. Also, stay with one color. Ticked fur or cat prints are not as good as one color. Light furs are better than dark, and the fur shouldn't be too shiny, like mink. Mink is too shiny for Ingenues. White ermine and squirrel do well, too, but most others are not suitable for ingenues. Also, ingenues shouldn't use furcoats at all. Soft fur can be used to edge winter bonnets and jackets, one can use a soft fur scarf or muff. Muffs are cute for ingenues.
(Frankly, I don't think humans should be wearing fur, except sheep and rabbit. But this goes for fake fur as well.)
I think charmeuse might be too shiny and "heavy" in that it's so fluid and soft. The same goes for duchesse (peau de sole). Satin is a bit too shiny. It works as ribbons, like brocade and velvet, but bigger surfaces than that are a bit too much.
Shantung, cady, dubion and taffeta, if not very shiny or crisp, are good for evening dresses and party wear.
Mesh is too hard, organza/organdy can be too shiny and crisp, lace can be too baroque, but if you get organdy and lace that is moderately "busy", not too shiny, not too rich, that's fine. Tulle is good. Broderie anglaise is very nice.
Chintz is a bit too shiny to my taste. Vinyl and metallics are absolute "NO!". Too hard, too shiny, too unnatural. Rain clothes should be kept in style by choosing colors and patterns.
The same goes with terrycloth. Waffle or huck weave is better for bathrobe for Ingenue than the textured terrycloth, but if you choose the model, colors and embellishments to give a lighter, childlike feel to the robe, you can use terrycloth.
What is important here is that the materials are quality. Natural fibers, cotton, linen, silk, wool...
The surface is smooth but not hard, structure is medium, weight light. Crisp is OK, but not stiff. Ingenues are feminine, "yin", but it's balanced. There is the childlike androgyny and innocence to it.
Prints: keep it small and dainty. Gingham and small polka dots are nice. Folklore patterns are good too, but avoid busy patterns. Cutesy patterns, like cartoon-y animals, are nice too. Keep the contrast moderate. There should be some contrast, patterns and colors that melt into each other are not good for Ingenues, but heavy, strong and bold patterns and colors don't work either. Tartan works usually, and tweed can be nice, in small amounts.
Colors should be light and bright, and pastels. If everything else is right, you can use even dark, heavy colors, like black and dark, muted browns and greens. It is better if the colors are close to each other, in the same family. Contrast colors are a bit too strong for Ingenues.
The best hairstyles for Ingenues are "little girl hairstyles".
Pixie cut is nice, short bangs are cute, curly hair is usually very sweet, as long as it's not tight, round curls.
Updos should be a bit messy.
Most braids go well. Ponytails, buns, pigtails and bunches (two ponytails) are always good, but have something girly in your hair, like a flower, curled ends of the pigtails, butterflies, pretty barrettes or hair pins. Straight pigtails with no girly details added are a bit too tomboyish for an Ingenue.
Hair bands, ribbons and bows are very Ingenue.
One of my favorite hairstyles is curled bob with shortish bangs. The mere hairstyle says "INGENUE!" :-D
Hair should not be angular, wild, boyish, rough, not too simple and straight, and not smooth and sleek, very tidy, clean and strict hairstyle, or wavy, long and "sexy" either.
Makeup - keep it simple, light, soft, natural and rosy/peachy. Blush rose lips and glowing rosy cheeks is the best look for Ingenues.
Keep eyes simple, too. Just eyeliner and mascara to get Audrey Hepburn doe eyes.
Keep eyebrows shapely and marked.
Have nails well manicured, not long but not short either. French is the best style, but also nude nail polish, peachy, rosy pinks, and fun, glittery, light polishes do.
Perfume should be fruity, flowery, light, sweet, with notes of vanilla, caramel and honey. Creamy soft but light.
"The gamine style is sweet, childlike, gentle, innocent and adorably charming."
"A girl, giving the idea of sweet and innocent."
"Ingenue's appeal lies in her charming, sweet, fresh and innocent air."
think "sweet", "cute" and "charming". "Delightful"
* Audrey Hepburn
* Leslie Caron
* Carey Mulligan
* Audrey Tatou
* Zooey Deschanel
* Emmy Rossum
* Sandra Dee
* Shirley Jones
* Hayley Mills
* Drew Barrymore
* Carol Kane
* Bette Davis
* Clara Bow
* Lillian Gish
* Betty White
* Mary Louise Parker
* Shirley MacLaine
* Goldie Hawn
* Marilyn Monroe
For more information, pictures, tips and tutorials, go to Ingenue - Soft Gamine board on Pinterest
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