Halle Berry vs Jada Pinckett Smith: A visual analysis of SG vs TR
Perhaps the most important difference between a Soft Gamine and a Theatrical Romantic is in their balance of yin to yang.
Theatrical Romantics are predominantly yin (soft, round, small features) with a little splash of yang (sharp, elongated, sleek features) on top.
If we imagine a Romantic as being represented by two stacked “circles”, a Theatrical Romantic would be akin to two stacked “ovals”.
Soft Gamines and Theatrical Romantics are so close together on the spectrum of Kibbe Image IDs, that it can be kind of difficult to identify them.
So what’s the difference? And how do you know which one you are?
In this blog, I’ll talk about:
→ Similarities and differences between Soft Gamines and Theatrical Romantics
→ Visual examples of each type
→ Why Halle Berry is a Soft Gamine and Jada Pinkett Smith is a Theatrical Romantic
At first glance, Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett Smith might look like their body types are similar.
Or you might think Jada Pinkett Smith has a straight figure with petite, so she must be a Soft Gamine, right?
So what are the differences?
And why is Halle Berry a Soft Gamine whereas Jada Pinkett Smith is a Theatrical Romantic?
First, let’s look at some similarities between Soft Gamines and Theatrical Romantics:
Soft Gamines and Theatrical Romantics are both petite, meaning they’ll both be:
Short-boned
Small in all directions
Meaning visually, they won’t look very elongated.
They will also:
Look small/compact
Have yin in their frames (soft, round shapes)
Need clothes that are well-fitted
Need softness within their clothing
Here is a summarized list of their similarities:
But more importantly, let’s look at some differences:
Or think, a blueberry vs a strawberry.
For example, Drew Barrymore (a Romantic) vs Morgan Fairchild (a Theatrical Romantic).
A theatrical romantic will have:
► Smaller, narrower curves
► Narrower, more “bird-like” hands and feet
► Narrower bone structure
► Round eyes that slant at the edge
► Round lips that are less full than a Soft Gamine
► More pronounced cheekbones
Soft Gamines on the other hand, are an even mix of yin and yang, meaning they have both yin and yang in their frames.
According to Kibbe, a Soft Gamine will have:
► More pronounced curves
► Slightly wider bone structure
► Fleshier hands and feet
► Big and round eyes
► Full lips
► “Apple-shaped” cheeks"
Here is a comprehensive list of differences between Soft Gamines and Theatrical Romantics:
Now that we’ve defined and differentiated both image IDs, let’s take a look at Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett Smith in some outfits on the red carpet.
There are a few things that really stood out to me when comparing these pictures:
→ Halle Berry looks slightly more elongated than Jada Pinkett Smith
→ Halle Berry looks slightly “wider” or “broader”, especially in the shoulder area
→ Halle Berry’s curves look more pronounced because of her slightly “broader” bone structure
→ Jada Pinkett Smith looks very narrow all around
→ Jada Pinkett Smith has a “softer” look to her bone structure
Since clothing can influence the appearance of our bodies, let's examine how Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett Smith look in bikinis.
Even in these pictures, it’s clear how much smaller or shorter Jada’s bone structure is – both in the torso area as well as from her shoulder to wrist.
Halle Berry also has a slightly “wider” frame than Jada, but her bones are sharp, rather than blunt (see red arrow).
Jada has a very narrow & sharp shoulder region, unlike romantics whose shoulders tend to be sloped (see red arrow).
Theatrical Romantics, being primarily Romantic, benefit from curved lines and visually lightweight, soft, draped fabrics to accentuate their predominantly yin features.
As a result, if you take a look at Jada in slightly stiffer, heavier visual weight fabrics (like the photo on the left), she looks slightly stifled.
Conversely, soft, flowy fabrics like lace that drape and move around her body, with delicate details such as the shoulder piece (as seen in the photo on the right), make Jada shine and draw my focus to her, rather than the dress.
Conversely, Halle Berry can handle a bit more structure in her clothing.
On the left, she wears a dress made of a lightweight fabric that drapes and flows with her curves.
On the right, her dress is made of a slightly heavier, stiffer fabric with sharper geometric detailing in the bodice.
While the outfit on the left looks great, it's clear that she can effortlessly pull off more yang elements in her attire.
Finally, when you compare Jada and Halle side-by-side in similar outfits, the difference in yang becomes even more apparent.
Blazer suits typically feature stiffer fabrics and yang details like sharp lapels. Both suits are of a similar color and designed for petite frames, allowing us to focus on their individual body types and how they look in structured clothing.
As a Soft Gamine, Halle Berry has a roughly 50:50 yin-to-yang ratio. In contrast, Jada Pinkett Smith, as a Theatrical Romantic, is predominantly yin (soft, curved, rounded) with some yang elements (sharpness) in her facial features and bone structure.
Thus, Halle Berry's frame accommodates the extra sharpness in her clothing effortlessly, while Jada Pinkett Smith needs to use yang as a complementary detail. In their suits, Halle Berry's outfit looks perfectly suited to her body, whereas Jada's outfit could benefit from a touch more softness.
