Dreamlike like the Angelic essence, yet dark like the Dramatic…
Have you ever heard of The Oneiric Essence, also known as the “lost” essence?
Some time ago, while wandering through the internet and reading comments and opinions from people trying to uncover their personal style, I stumbled upon something that immediately caught my attention…
Many who had explored the Kitchener system felt somewhat disconnected from it, especially those identified as Angelic or Ethereal. They saw the mystical, otherworldly qualities reflected in themselves, yet something about that delicate purity didn’t quite fit.
From these conversations, a new concept began to surface: The Oneiric Essence.
It doesn’t officially exist within Kitchener’s framework, but it has silently emerged from the style community. It’s an attempt to describe a type of presence that feels equally ethereal, yet more hazy, dark, and surreal.
After studying it, I realized that while Kitchener’s system already considers a range of “sharp” and defined presences, there’s a certain nuance missing; a softer, more melancholic edge that merges mystery and muted darkness. Something that had never been fully acknowledged, at least not widely.
Recognizing the Oneiric Essence can be especially helpful for those whose natural features and aura evoke solemnity, mystery, and depth. And even if this essence doesn’t belong to you, but you love the dark aesthetic and the idea of adding a touch of fog and enigma to your looks, I think you’ll find it deeply inspiring.
So, if you’re ready to wander deeper into our beloved world of style essences,
let’s go…
What is the Oneiric Essence?
The word Oneiric comes from the Greek “oneiros,” which means “dream.” This simple word gives us the key idea that this essence is closely related to a “dreamlike” appearance.
And indeed, people with the Oneiric essence seem to have come from a dream, with an ambiguous and melancholic energy, more emotional than earthly. This essence isn’t as strong, and its presence isn’t as striking as the Dramatic essence (you can’t help but fix your gaze on someone with Dramatic essence). But on the other hand, it’s not as soft or gentle as the Angelic essence.
The Oneiric essence is more like a dream that unfolds in shades of blue, gray, purple, and moss. It’s grounded but at the same time surreal; we could even say it has nightmarish vibes (in the best and most artistic way possible). The Oneiric essence is also much more sober than the Angelic essence, and much more austere than the Dramatic essence.
We could say that this new essence is like a “subdivision” of Angelic that is slightly closer to the Dramatic essence.
Characteristics of the Oneiric Essence
Physical characteristics of someone with Oneiric essence:
- Horizontal features (eyebrows lacking an arch, level jaw, lips without much of a curve).
- The face project shadows. Cheekbones are moderately defined (neither extremely sharp nor overwhelmed by flesh)
- The tip of the nose points down or is slightly bulbous (this can further visually lengthen the middle third, but is usually the first thing you’ll focus on when combined with ingenue or gamine essence).
- Hooded eyes or monolids. Deep-set eyes. Undereye circles
- An indentation under the lower lip
- Big eyes or hooded eyes.
- The middle third of the face is more elongated, giving it an aura of maturity. But since the eyes can be big, this gives it a sense of uncanniness.
- Generally medium to high contrast, as opposed to the low contrast of ethereal, but cannot reach extremely high contrast due to the desaturating gray admixture
Personality traits someone with Oneiric essence might have:
- Intriguing
- Austere
- Intense
- Gloomy
- Reflective
- Wise
- Insightful
- Disturbing in the best possible way
- Melancholic
Someone with oneiric essence will usually be seen as haunting.
this is how they are usually perceived (even if they aren’t that way):
- In a film, they would look natural portraying a Victorian ghost, a lonely academic, a bookish loner, a haunted fairy or some character deep in thought, who isn’t always expressive, yet has extremely deep thoughts.
- They can be perceived as withdrawn and introverted.
- At first glance, they seem intimidating, not powerfully and boldly like the Dramatic essence, but in a more spooky way.
- They would move slowly and usually have a grim but unintended expression on their face.
- They speak quietly, and prefer to be alone. This can be applied to outgoing people too, they have a subtle, distant edge about them.
- They can seem aloof.
How Do You Know If You Have This Essence?
If you already know your essence blend, your primary essence, and your secondary ones, you can get a clearer idea of where your style naturally leans.
If you have the Angelic essence, but it’s mixed with Dramatic, Gamine, or Ingenue, this particular combination of facial features and energy might make you more likely to identify with the Oneiric essence.
It’s also important to note that this essence can be difficult to recognize at first. It tends to reveal itself slowly, over time. People with a more outspoken, direct, or openly expressive presence (the ones who look you straight in the eye) are less likely to embody this energy.
And while it might seem similar to the “goth” style, it shouldn’t be confused with it, as the Oneiric aesthetic is less aggressive, less romantic, and more ambiguous, living somewhere between dream and shadow.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that none of the Kibbe body types naturally own this essence or its facial characteristics. However, some aspects like the fresh and sensual aspects of SN could work against this essence, although it’s not definitive.
Colors
- Colors between colors or very muted, like the colors that dusty, withered roses would have.
- Beyond black and whites & ivories, think grey-browns, beiges, deep gloomy blues & purples, and decaying, eerie greens. You can use many neutrals and adjust them according to your palette.
- Muted blues (light to dark), cool teals and purples, think the colors of nightfall. Or that color that cannot be discerned as to whether it’s green or whether it’s blue.
- Clearer colors, like blue that is neither aqua nor mint, but timeless, dreamlike, happy, but with an almost longing, melancholy quality, like subtly evoking a memory…
- Regardless of your colouring, there might be something in your appearance that “works” with a sort of blandness to your palette, low contrast & low chroma colors might actually align with your mysterious subtlety…
- An austere monochromatic scheme prevails, colors are desaturated, hues almost inaudible.
Silhouettes & Fabrics
- The clothes can rub against the body, but not with a waterfall effect like the angelic essence.
- Oneiric style will veil the body; this is not a sensual, voluptuous type. In fact, robes, habits, and uniforms could be considered a key to this aesthetic.
- If flesh is revealed, it’s in a stark way.
- If structure is in the clothes, it is in an angular and/or stiffly corseted way. Volume does not enhance the figure, it obscures it.
- Long, somewhat flowy, unconstructed dresses and blouses. Chemises from the Victorian period.
- Fabrics might be flat, stiff, and matte, or long, light, and draped.
- Fabric choices are the kinds of textures that are soft and a little bit evocative of a ghostly garment floating in the wind.
- Raw silk, organza, and georgette in ghostly grays and desaturated tones.
- Common patterns are checkered, classic patterns with some kind of a twist (e.g. stripes with irregular spacing), irregular, dreamlike patterns, flowers which do not look cute, but scientific or highly sterilize.
Jewelry and Details
- Ornament is restrained, residing in monochromatic details.
- Silver or old gold jewelry. Stones that subtly reflect a moonlit quality, like moonstone or clear blue glass.
- Minimal and antique. If your clothes have details, they should blend in with the rest of the outfit and not stand out.
Hair and Makeup
- Straight hair or hair that looks plain, effortless, and modest. Soft and minimal layers or no layers.
- Textured hair with a wee bit of messiness or frizz
- Braids (but not too messy or intricate), vintage updos (especially the milkmaid braid).
- Simple half up, or half down.
- Do not make your hair look intentionally stylised, whether straight, curly or fussy. Ethereal and Oneiric hairstyles have some similarities with vintage hair.
- For Afro-textured hair, you can try the Halo braid, as well as half up half down box braids.
- No makeup-makeup look. You can avoid foundation or use concealer to cover blemishes. Formal/night events is when you can start wearing a full face.
- Korean dark makeup or soft glam dark makeup.
- For lips, natural-looking is good. Darker colours are best for formal/night events.
In my research, I came across a comment that completely caught my attention:
“Oneiric, in art and cinema for instance, relates to a very precise kind of dreamlike state, the concept of a pure, unconscious, id-driven dream logic, sensations on the edge of your consciousness.”
And although it might seem complex at first, that is exactly how this essence feels, like one of those dreams where you can’t quite tell if you’re asleep or awake, yet you know you’re in an in-between place, blending the world of dreams with the real one.
This essence is something that, until now, hasn’t been deeply explored in the realm of fashion, at least not as clearly as the original Kitchener essences. For that very reason, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp, to illustrate, or to compare with the others. The Oneiric aesthetic is far more common in film and photography, and even in literature (though not in a literally visible way). Drawing inspiration from these fields is a wonderful way to understand this “lost” essence.
It’s worth mentioning that I’m a fan of this aesthetic in all its forms 🙂 These are some films, series, and celebrities that inspired me greatly when writing about this essence and that also clearly reflect it:
Remember that this concept is not an official part of the Kitchener system, but it’s something we truly believe is worth exploring here at Our Fashion Garden.
Just like with the other essences, you don’t need to match every single characteristic mentioned to resonate with the Oneiric sub-essence. Think of it more as a layer that adds depth and mystery to your existing essence blend.
- To give an example, if you have a mix of Dramatic + Angelic essences, it can greatly increase the likelihood that you identify as Oneiric.
- And also remember that most of us usually have three or more essences forming our personal Essence Blend. And there’s absolutely no problem. For example, you can be The Celestial Sorceress, blending Angelic, Dramatic, and Ingenue, and still find yourself drawn to the Oneiric essence.
- This isn’t about replacing Angelic, it’s about acknowledging that, within it, there may be a hidden and gloomy sub-essence.
This style is subtle, almost elusive, and may seem difficult to reconcile with our tangible, object-centered world. Because of that, it’s rare to find clear examples of Oneiric essence on red carpets (though a few do exist). It often appears instead in darker, more introspective narratives.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t bring this style into your everyday life, quite the opposite. Once you find your source of inspiration and feel that your features or energy align with the Oneiric essence, you can begin weaving it into your wardrobe right away.
Discovering this essence, one that emerged from a group of people who didn’t quite feel represented, is a fascinating example of how we can use the Kitchener system to our advantage, even reshaping it to create something entirely new!
So, if you’ve ever felt torn between two aesthetics, or if your style always seemed to exist in between, a blend that didn’t quite have a name yet, you’ve finally found it. The Oneiric essence is delicate, nostalgic, and quietly mesmerizing… and yes, it even works great on those beautiful dark circles under your eyes!
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