Do people tell you to smile more? Do you often fear that you are too critical? Do you feel uncomfortable in large groups?
All these things could be an indication that you are a Type Four Woman. Of course, Type Four Women also have many gifts and talents that can bless the lives of many people. Keep reading to gain a greater understanding of yourself (or someone you know).
In the Dressing Your Truth System (which you can read about in my posts More Than a Makeover–Part One and More Than a Makeover–Part Two), every person has a “type,” which is determined by the nature of energy we exhibit in our lives. Our innate, inborn characteristics govern to a great extent how we act and react.
I have previously highlighted the Type One, Type Two, and Type Three women. Type Four is the final type in the Dressing Your Truth system. I have found that understanding each of the types helps me to be more accepting and non-judgmental of everyone I meet.
The Type Four Woman is characterized as “Bold” and “Striking.” The element associated with her is earth. Her movement or energy is the most still and solid of all four types.
Type Four Women exhibit a natural confidence and air of authority. They often have strong opinions and are generally very direct in their speech, though they think before speaking and are diplomatic when they do contribute to a conversation.
As a child, you may have been told to “stop being so serious,” and people may have considered you to be older than your actual age. You may have identified more with adults than children. Perhaps others labeled you as “shy.”
On the other end of the spectrum, you may have been labeled as “critical” or “bossy.” Type Four children (and adults) often feel responsible for others and will take charge of situations without being asked. They are keenly thoughtful and reflective, often having sophisticated internal dialogues. Unfortunately, these inner thoughts are often self-critical and can take a toll on how they perceive themselves (and others).
When something matters to you, you are very committed to taking actions consistent with your beliefs. You also have a strong desire to share your knowledge with others because of your honest desire to improve the world. Whether it is an exercise regimen, your religious beliefs, how to organize your home, etc., you will advocate for others to adopt (or at least try) your methods, feeling strongly that their lives will be better for so doing.
Most Type Four Women have clear skin with small pores and classic features. They are often statuesque and move with great purpose.
As a Type Four Woman, you can get away with a bold, bright color palette. Don’t be afraid of mixing bold colors like lime green or neon pink into your wardrobe.
I am a Type Four Woman, and since learning that many of my perceived faults were actually gifts, my life has changed so much for the better.
Instead of being “critical,” I can consider myself “discerning.” Instead of feeling bad about not being the life of the party, I can be comfortable in the fact that I interact deeply, one-on-one, with others. And I now understand my freakish ability to pick out misspelled words and errant (or missing) punctuation with little more than a glance at a body of text! I have come to understand my “perfecting” nature, and have ironically given myself permission not to be perfect!
Are You a Type Four Woman?
Here are just a few of the gifts of the Type Four Woman:
- You constantly seek new knowledge and wisdom.
- You can easily and quickly see what needs to be done to improve and perfect things.
- You easily follow rules (if you trust the source of the rules).
- You are stable, consistent, and loyal. People can depend on you.
- You are clear and precise in your speech and movements.
- You are straightforward and determined.
- You reflect an aura of authority and sophistication.
- You finish what you start.
- You feel and think deeply.
Here are some challenges for Type Four Women:
- You may become cold and distant and make it difficult for others to approach you.
- You may be perceived as bossy and judgmental.
- You may be harsh or too demanding, especially toward yourself.
- Your perfecting nature may be perceived as being critical.
- Your black-and-white thinking may make it difficult for you to see others’ points of view.
- You often think everyone else should think and behave like you.
You might be a Type Four Woman if you are:
- Astute
- Bold
- Classic
- Clean
- Concise
- Cultured
- Dignified
- Diplomatic
- Exact
- Formal
- Independent
- Poised
- Precise
- Professional
- Reflective
- Serious
- Sleek
- Sophisticated
- Strong
- Thorough
Some famous Type Four Women are Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, Lucy Liu, and Elizabeth Taylor.
If you are still not sure if you are a Type Four Woman (or you know you are not, but want to know which type you are) there is a free online video course you can take.
I also highly recommend the book It’s Just My Nature!
by Carol Tuttle. (You can order it by clicking on the link, or your local library may also have it). The book is extremely helpful and thorough and will help you not only understand yourself, but your husband, children, co-workers, and everyone around you!
Once you discover your type, there is a whole system of dressing that helps you express on the outside who you really are on the inside. You can read about this in More Than a Makeover Part One and More Than Makeover Part Two. I love this program because it has helped me know with certainty how to look great every single day! And when I look great, I feel great.
This free online course will teach you all about the colors that look best on you, as well as what you should look for in design line, texture, fabrication, and pattern in your clothing. It also gives you guidelines for your hair, jewelry, and other accessories. It gives you all the “rules” for getting your look just right, every time.
Be sure to visit my More Than a Makeover section to read my previous posts on this topic. And if you do the Dressing Your Truth program, I would love to see your befores and afters! You can email me pictures at melissa@beautifullifeandhome.com.
And if you think you know a Type Four Woman, be sure to share this post with her!
This post contains affiliate links.
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As you well know, Melissa, I am married to a type 4 man which is often a blessing and sometimes a challenge. But always a good man.
I love the type 4 wardrobe, but I do not see any ideas for a larger, size 18-20, type 4 woman. Please help!
Hi Lisa! Thanks so much for asking this question! First of all, have you purchased the Type 4 course from Dressing Your Truth? It gives you guidelines to follow, regardless of your size. It goes over color, fabrication, cut, pattern, and design line. If you click above for the free online course, you will then have the opportunity to purchase another course that is specific to your type. In the meantime, you can also look at my Pinterest board for Type 4 clothing (https://www.pinterest.com/icecreaminspire/dressing-your-truth-type-4/). You can also visit the Type 4 section of the Dressing Your Truth store. (https://shop.liveyourtruth.com/?___store=type4&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=home-referral&utm_source=header). Hope all that helps!
I am also a type 4, and found the book the Science of Sexy to be an excellent companion to THM. It offers timeless dressing suggestions to best compliment any woman’s body, and considers your figure type, height, weight/measurements. It’s an excellent resource!
Gwendelynn, that book sounds really interesting! I have never heard of it before! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and share more that can help us feel great!
Hi i recently discovered dress your truth, and i believe i am a type 4. But i hate the clothes! Im so much more of a cozy casual type of dresser and all i ever see of type 4 clothes are way to formal and contrasting for my taste. Did you love the type 4 look? Or did it hav to grow on you?
Hi Charlotte! From what you say, you might actually be a Type 2. Did you read the “Are You a Type 2 Woman” post? If not, go ahead and read that and see if feels more like you than Type 4. That being said, I also like comfy clothes, and yes, it took me a while to fully commit to the Type 4 clothes! I still like comfy clothes, but not things like sweatshirts. I like things like fitted t-shirts and hoodies in the right colors. Have you read “It’s Just My Nature?” That will probably help more than anything else for you to figure out your Type. Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
I do believe that i hav a strong secondary type 2. So mayb thats why i love a lil lace, layers and ruffles.
Are you sure you are type 4? You used lowercase i a few times instead of I. 😂. I’m totally kidding…
Just wondering—Did you ever have Carol Tuttle confirm your Dressing Your Truth type? I ask this because I see you more as a 2/4 than a 4/2. Noting your facial features and your demeanor in a video presentation I saw of you on T4, I get more a Tyoe 2 vibe from you. By the way—I love your articles!
Hi Susan. Thank you for your comment! I did have Carol confirm my Type in a way. I had a video conference with her, and we talked about me being a Type 4. After having read It’s Just My Nature and The Child Whisperer several times, I am certain I am a Type 4. Plus, even though I love Type 2 clothes, I look terrible in them! But it makes me feel good that you say I give off a Type 2 vibe, because I really do love the Type 2 demeanor and am glad that it’s my secondary (and comes out at least a little!) Thanks so much for saying you love my articles! It means more to me than you know! What Type are you?
Thanks for the excellent article 🙂
Melissa, do you know this video? https://www.facebook.com/caroltuttle/videos/10156524959494498/?hc_location=ufi
@26:30: Julie’s transformation from T4 to T2.
How did you feel in T3-styling?
Hi, I have not figured out my secondary type, but first is four. I prefer structured clothing but comfortable. I am also a looking for easy updo hair ideas for type four, thank you
Verna, I’m a 4/2 as well! I love your idea about updo hair ideas. Maybe I’ll have to do a post all about those!
So I’m stuck thinking I’m a 4. With maybe a strong secondary 3. I’ve tried wearing both and feel great in either 4 or 3. I’m going to continue to wear what feels good and looks good even if it’s a 3 color with 4 structure. Or a mulled wine lip with high shine. I may just be over thinking. And the personality traits of both fit me very well, I can be calm and still or energetic depending on situation
If I were in your shoes I would want to hear this, so I don’t mean any offence by this I just wanted to tell you that while using the facial profiling, I can clearly see that you are not a Type 4! You are a gorgeous Type 3 woman and it looks like you may have a secondary Type 4. Carol Tuttle herself has that combination also!
As you can see, you have many angles in your face, as is common with Type 3’s. Your chin is angular, the lines in your cheeks form triangles, even your eyes and eyelids are triangles in shape, they form a triangular point at the top of your eyelids! Your nose is a triangle and you have very strong Type 3 features in that picture and your profile picture. Your skin is definitely flawless though so that could be your secondary Type 4 coming out. But you would have to go with what features are more dominant, and in this case, you have way more Type 3 features. Plus, I think you would look excellent in Type 3 colours.
Also, the lip colour you are wearing in this picture looks like a Type 3 shade to me, but it is definitely not a Type 4 saturated hue.
Did you follow the facial profiling? Did you read all of Carol’s books and watch all her youtube videos as well as the online course? Were there any reasons why the Type 3 nature doesn’t resonate with you?
Hi Sabrina. Thank you for your comment! I have to wonder if you are talking about me, or somebody else, though. There are no pictures of me on this blog post. The only picture here is of a friend of mine, who is definitely a Type 4. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I have actually met and spoken with Carol Tuttle (via a video conference) and we discussed me being a Type 4. I have thoroughly read all her books (multiple times) and watched all the videos. I am 100 percent certain I am a Type 4. Are you a Type 3?
I’m laughing as I write this…but as one T4 to another, I trust you will laugh as well…there is an error in your opening sentence:)
Great content!
LOL! Oh my gosh! You are right! How the heck did I let that slip? I am the master proofreader and grammar Nazi of the universe! Just goes to prove that even us Type 4s are not infallible 🙂 Thanks for pointing out my mistake so I can fix it!
I completed the initial assessment on Dressing Your Truth website and received a Type 4 result. The personality characteristics of Type 4 are congruent with Myers-Briggs type indicators. I measured and confirmed parallel facial lines. I affirm the structured, exacting, refining, and perfecting qualities. I naturally gravitate toward a classic style of clothing, preferring clean lines, solid colors, and minimal accessories. I think the Type 4 assessment result is accurate.
The question I have concerns the coolness of the colors associated with Type 4. How does skin tone, eye color, and hair color work with the DYT evaluation parameters? Does a secondary type come into play? I have a neutral skin tone that leans warm in the summer. I tan easily. My hair is light ash brown with silver streaks. I have hazel eyes with an olive green iris, charcoal gray limbus (outer ring), and an amber sunburst center (central heterochromia). Seasonal color analysis assessments have returned results of both cool tonal (Style Yourself Confident), soft summer (Color Wise Me), and autumn (Kettlewell).
I have some temperament and physical characteristics from Type 3 which may qualify as a secondary to the primary Type 4. I prefer deeper, richer colors rather than soft pastels. Some of the saturated hues from the Type 4 are in line with a clear winter color palette. Those seem too glaringly bright and not deep enough. How much influence does the secondary type have over the primary?
Thank you.
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for writing! I had the same questions as you when I first started with Dressing Your Truth. In other color systems, I was profiled as a “spring,” which has warm tones. I also have blonde hair, neutral skin tone that tans easily, green/blue eyes, etc. It looks like you have been profiled as practically every different color type from various systems! When I first saw the bold colors of Type 4 in Dressing Your Truth, I was shocked and horrified! “I can’t wear those!” I said to myself. I was used to softer colors. But I decided to give it a try, and I was amazed at how great I looked in cool, bold colors. In the Dressing Your Truth system, they advise you to stick with your colors, and just modify your style according to your secondary. (Cut, patterns, etc). Have you ordered a Style Kit from Dressing Your Truth? All of the Type 4 colors on the color card are very deep and saturated. The only “light” colors a Type 4 is advised to wear are an icy, reflective or shiny pastel pink or pastel blue. Hope that answers your questions! If not, feel free to email me and we can talk more!
Dear Melissa,
Thank you for this wonderfully detailed look at Type 4. I am now clear I am Type 4/2.
After going through many of the Lifestyle videos and one of Carol Tuttle saying ‘don’t look to colours to figure which type you are, look at energy,’ I knew I was 100% inward in my energy, so it was a choice between 2 and 4. But which was dominant? I thought it would be 2, but as I watched and read more, I realised 2 was what I was being to soften my boldness to fit into the world, What I felt came naturally to me was the 4 energy. The secondary 2 has helped me immensely with the Type 4 challenges.
I am now reflecting on personalising the bold, cold winter Type 4 colours, which I realise I have worn on and off in my life and have received compliments for when I did.
Thank you for the link to your Pinterest page, I look forward to looking through your boards.
Wish you a beautiful life.
Hugg. 🙂
Kay, I’m so happy that I could help you in your journey of discovery! Thanks for sharing! I also thought I was Type 2 at first, but realized I was Type 4! When I accepted it and embraced it, my life truly changed!