Are You an Introvert or an Extravert?
Are you energized by time alone or by time with others? Is it possible to communicate that preference by your appearance? Consider this brainstorming, and brainstorm along with me, as I wasn’t able to find much in the way of concrete information on the topic.
Clues to introversion:
- colors: cool, neutrals, deep and/or muted shades (is that redundant?), monochromatic
- prints: bold or barely there
- fabrics: smooth
- hair: neat and tidy
- accessories: fewer, simple
Clues to extraversion:
- colors: warm, bright or light, used in combination
- prints: fun, lively
- fabrics: textured
- hair: lots of movement
- accessories: more, complex
Throw me some more ideas and I’ll add them to the lists. 
Also, recently I have run across the idea in more than one place that, while they may not be outnumbered, our culture is biased against introverts. Do you agree?
Personally, I am an extravert, and from my perspective today’s world is much friendlier toward introverts. It could be a case of the grass is always greener …
You know, I think I’m somewhere in the middle. Maybe kind of balanced? I think of myself more as an introvert - I love people, but can be intimidated and I have a hard time with big groups and large social events. I always think of extroverts as kind of flashy and bold and “never know a stranger” which isn’t me. However, I think people perceive me as more of an extrovert because I do love people and go out of my way to welcome new people at church, etc. So - as far as your list, it’s funny because I truly see myself in both of them!
Being an incredible introvert for a large part of my life I definitely felt ‘biased’ against! But perhaps in society this is because extroverts tend to do more stuff while introverts don’t like anybody! Society is by definition - an extroversion.
I already know I’m an introvert, but if I didn’t, your list there would have clued me in. I’ve been discovering and forming my style for about a year, and–funny– it completely matches the introvert list! And I didn’t do it for any reason except I felt that that style of dark colors, monochrome, smooth textures, etc, looked good on me. But now I see it also may be related to my personality!
Also, yes, I agree, I think society is biased against introverts. My husband and my four kids have all taken personality tests and come up strongly introverted; which doesn’t mean we don’t like people– we do! We just become very tired and drained by too much interaction with them and need to recharge with alone time.
I think America was always known to be friendly/intrusive.
You haven’t seen anything ’til you’ve experienced Israelis who will forthrightly ask you how much you make and why you don’t have a second job. 
And will try to think up one for you. I think they treat people as extended family, you know, the ones whose questions you want to duck at Thanksgiving. Why aren’t you married yet? You don’t have children yet, what are you waiting for?
I”m in New Jersey, so a 4 season area. My closet contents tend to be brighter and livelier in warm weather and darker and more somber in cold weather. I like the idea of smoother fabric - though have both - because I like to choose when I will interact/accost someone. I can speak in front of hundreds of people, on tv, at govt hearings. But I have more trouble in groups of 3 or 4. I probably fall back into being an encouraging audience. One on one, I’m great.
I’m wondering how bold prints were derived for introvert. What I’m trying to do for winter weather is have snappier outfits. So with my dark colors I want some pizazz. Want some contrast and definition in prints that make them noticeable, even in small doses like what you’d glimpse of a shirt or in a scarf.
Visual space correlates to mental space for introverts?
Chrs - that probably explains it.
Vildy - the Italians are somewhat like that too, although not maybe as intense. Must be a Med thing.
My thinking behind bold prints associated to introversion was these two things: bold prints can be a bit intimidating, giving an introvert the space they need to initiate contact, and bold prints are often those with greater visual space.
Jenna - I once took a personality and gifting series of tests (I think it was Willow Creek’s leadership deal) and came out exactly evenly split between introversion and extraversion! That is, there were 9 questions and I had marked 4 for each, but couldn’t decide on the 9th. I definitely need both. But if I had to choose one way or the other for the rest of my life, I’d choose extravert. It’s also, I think, the more challenging to manage, because it’s dependent on other people.
Interesting. Definitely potential there, because I’m decidedly introverted, and your introvert’s style profile is 100% spot on. I don’t know whether introversion is the part of my personality being expressed there, but it very well may be. Chrs is definitely right.
Regarding the other question, I think Elana has it - “society” is necessarily interactive, therefore intrinsically extroverted. Or, perhaps, extroverts’ notions of how people are supposed to interact dominate expectations, just because extroverts make so much more noise. Also, I think it’s safe to say that most extroverts really don’t “get it” when it comes to introverts’ preferences. (”Nobody would ever want to be alone by choice, would they? Let’s go save the sad people from their solitude!” Ugh. Go away and be quiet.)
Is your initial reaction to the question to do with the less-than-communal tendency of the modern mode of living? Because I can buy that, and I believe that’s something felt especially by people in “transitional” life seasons. But it’s a feeling that does say “extrovert” to me, because the thought of living in, say, Mediterranean (and most historical) cultures where isolation is a non-option literally horrifies me. (But I’m an extreme case - I’ve been known to get cranky when I can’t self-check my own groceries. Working on that.)
I am definitely an extrovert, but I do need my time alone. I think situation matters too; I have been chronically ill for years and am therefore alone, and am sometimes happy to be so, because who wants to see an ill person? Even then, I had my beloved dog by my side at all times and was not quite alone. When he died this year, I was devastated.
In society, I think we do sometimes value the extrovert more. As my mother used to say though, “Still waters run deep” and often it’s the quiet person is the most interesting. I think extroverts sometimes believe that introverts don’t like them. But most extroverts are also excellent listeners and they want to get to know everybody.
As for style, I think I do fit into the extrovert category. But I know when I’m ill, and hiding from the world, I prefer to blend in, I dress very much like an introvert.
Mel - I agree with Christine that society sometimes values the extrovert more, but I think the way we live these days is lonely. So, yes, what you said.
Christine - thanks for pointing that out. I know there are days when I just don’t feel as confident or whatever and I prefer more subtle clothing.
A couple of other things about me: I’ve mentioned before that I’m a bit on the shy side, so the advice given by most outgoing people to invite people over and so on … well, the inviting is a bit draining for me. It’s getting better, because we’ve lived in the same place for almost 13 years. I do better when I can just show up and there are friendly people there. I love being the “check-in” person at events!
And I also need a fair piece of alone time, time to think. But as a stay at home person, that’s not difficult for me to manage most of the time.
About people in general: I suspect there are alot more variations than simply introvert or extrovert. For example, I think I’m both introvert and extrovert, more extrovert. But I think my hero is neither introvert nor extrovert, more introvert. Does that make sense?
Accessories: Introvert; minimal jewelry, smaller pieces, thread or natural materials, soft metal finishes. Extraverts: jewels, colored beads, art pieces, offsized pearls, layers, statement pieces.
Shoes: Introvert; suede, muted colors, flats, laces. Extravert: pointy toes, heels, patent leather.
See my posts this week on Yin-Yan dressing!… See More
Culture is biased against introverts indeed, no doubt. They make less money, are less powerful in society and politics, have less influence among their friends.
Karen
I’ve done the MBTI about 5 times, and always come up an introvert–most of this is accurate to me, but I like textured fabrics (velvets, cable knits). And by the way, SMOOOTH is a ‘texture’.
I find that our culture–and especially the internet, most particularly fashion forums :)–is geared toward the extrovert. The harder, louder, more you say your opinion, the more influence you have. Now of course, your opinion could be dead wrong and you could actually be passing bad information and possibly doing damage, but you’re right because you’re the biggest presence.
[…] long as I’m on a myers briggs roll, with my recent post about dressing as introvert or extravert, the next logical step is a stab at describing dressing as a Sensor or an iNtuitive. Again, this […]
Wendy, I was thinking about what you said about louder having more influence and it reminded me of something that happened at a clothing exchange party I was at a few years ago. One of the ladies asked a question about a look she was considering and someone loud, who also happened to have alot of expensive and dramatic clothes, spoke up with her opinion and that was the end of it. I don’t remember exactly what the issue was, but I distinctly remember thinking the advice was not the best. But, while I am an extravert, am I not comfortable being pushy with my opinion. And I really like to make room for the quiet people to talk too.
I am a natural introvert, and have noticed that the world is an easier lace for extroverts. Interestingly all my extrovert friends (who are many, the majority of image consultants are extroverts I think), don’t even understand what it is like to be an introvert, can’t imagine how it feels and why we don’t necessarily speak up - they think we’re just ‘up ourselves’ or think we think we’re too good for them.
I’ve learned extrovert traits to get by, but I’m not most comfortable being extrovert.