Came across an odd sentence in the Harlequin Presents I’m reading for the #TBRChallenge . It says the heroine’s dress makes her look “very feminine, but hid none of her curves.”
Might just be a careless way of writing but it implies that the “femininity” of the dress comes from an air of modesty and that demonstrating you have curves is generally considered unfeminine. Unless you do it just right.
Weird.
@Dagwood222 published in 1979. English writer, I think.
My guess would be that the writer confused the terms “ladylike” and “feminine.”
A “lady” wouldn’t want to look like she was showing off her body.
My vote is that it’s bad writing and nothing else.