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Recode Daily

How Kibbe body types became an internet obsession

Recode Daily

Recode

Science, Technology, Society & Culture

4.61.3K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2022

⏱️ 13 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How an out-of-print style guide from the 1980s unexpectedly spawned an online fandom. Vox’s Terry Nguyen explains. Read Terry’s story: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22950721/david-kibbe-body-typing-explainer Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:07.8

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and conditions of life, government grind, subject to indigibility.

0:34.5

It's Rico Daley, I'm Adam Clark Estus.

0:38.4

If the TikTok algorithm has ever brought you to fashion talk, then you know that style

0:43.5

guides are nothing new.

0:45.8

But lately, one specific system, based on a book that's been out of print for ages, has

0:52.5

been building a massive fan base online.

0:55.4

There was something interesting to explore here, because this styling guide is from the

1:01.2

1980s, it's, you know, super hard to find in print.

1:05.9

But for some reason, it's just everywhere on the internet, if you're a young woman who's

1:10.2

interested in fashion, things like that.

1:12.3

Terry Nguyen from Vox is here to explain how the kibby body system became the internet's

1:17.7

latest obsession.

1:23.2

It was published by this Manhattan stylist in the late 80s named David Kibby.

1:29.1

The book is called David Kibby's Metamorphosis, discover your image identity and dazzle as

1:35.0

only you can.

1:36.7

But online, it's pretty much known very colloquially as just the Kibby body type system.

1:42.6

When I tell you that I find the Kibby body types the most challenging thing in fashion,

...

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