Can you be elegant if you’re not elegant looking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP- Because someone doesn't consider Oprah or Serena Williams "elegant" doesn't make them racist. Stop it. Oprah looks like a disaster often and Serena Williams has a masculine physique and poor clothing taste- and that dress doesn't fit her well ether. Wearing a ball gown doesn't make you elegant, and neither does skin color. There are elegant women of all colors and we all have different taste in what the criteria is- but no one here has said "white" is one of them. Please stop accusing total strangers that disagree with you about beauty and elegance that their opinion is racist.

It's funny how the only examples they can come up with are white/thin women. As if white/thin women are the only people who can be elegant, or present themselves with elegance. I'm tired of the "elegance" obsession on this forum. "Elegance" and "classy" ... the bywords for DCUM posters. I think Kate Middleton is lovely, but I'm tired of thin white women being held up as elegant, and any woman daring to have boobs is written off and told to cover up.

I'm not OP but in her original post there is a non white woman- so what are you talking about? There are also several other examples people have cited in the thread of non white women that many are agreeing on. Stop race baiting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m East Asian and 5’. I don’t think I can be elegant. Thin, cute, pretty, sexy, sure. But elegant, no.

You don’t have to be pretty to be elegant, though. Lots of “handsome” women are elegant.

Margaret Thatcher was elegant.

Ok, but she was 5’5” and white, so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m East Asian and 5’. I don’t think I can be elegant. Thin, cute, pretty, sexy, sure. But elegant, no.

You don’t have to be pretty to be elegant, though. Lots of “handsome” women are elegant.

All 5'2" of Michelle Kwan:

I’m the East Asian PP and I don’t think Michelle Kwan is elegant. Put together and pretty and fit looking, yes.

[Anonymous]

^ I do think Zhang Ziyi is elegant looking in terms of Asians, but she is 5’5”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m East Asian and 5’. I don’t think I can be elegant. Thin, cute, pretty, sexy, sure. But elegant, no.

You don’t have to be pretty to be elegant, though. Lots of “handsome” women are elegant.

All 5'2" of Michelle Kwan:

I’m the East Asian PP and I don’t think Michelle Kwan is elegant. Put together and pretty and fit looking, yes.

Wow. I'm a 5'8" thin white woman who absolutely think she is elegant. Beautiful woman, beautiful smile, great posture, subtle hair and makeup, gorgeous clothes and accessories. I think she is extraordinarily elegant. She's been a wonderful representative of her sport and of the United States; so much grace, inside and out.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:You can tell that, for some people, "elegance" is really just another code word.

Yep!

I’m guessing I’m one of the pp that you might be referencing because of my comment on Oprah. But I wasn’t focusing on traditionally Caucasian skinny white chick looks. I think Lupita Nyong’o is naturally elegant and one of the most beautiful actresses I can name.

I guess it boils down to how you carry yourself - shoulders back, chin up. Being a healthy shape for you. Well fit clothing leaning towards conservative (meaning you don’t need to show off your assets to grab attention), regardless of style. An easiness and natural beauty without excessive makeup to get you there. And confidence.

I guess understated and natural beauty with a focus on presentation is always elegant to me.

Let me just guess: despite carrying herself with confidence--shoulders back, chin up--being in healthy shape and well-fit clothing leaning toward conservative (for evening wear), natural beauty without excessive confidence, that you wouldn't consider this woman to be elegant:



Gee, I wonder why.

Not to me. Course, I’d be hard pressed to find any highly athletic woman with a masculine body elegant. Just not capturing the ‘easiness’. I think elegance captures more than just a look but a level of serenity to their demeanor (yes, I recognize the irony).

I don’t understand your ‘gee, I wonder why, comment.

That dress does not fit her properly at all. Rule number 1 of elegance - clothing must fit perfectly at all times. Sorry but there is some arm fat or something like that going on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can tell that, for some people, "elegance" is really just another code word.

Yep!

I’m guessing I’m one of the pp that you might be referencing because of my comment on Oprah. But I wasn’t focusing on traditionally Caucasian skinny white chick looks. I think Lupita Nyong’o is naturally elegant and one of the most beautiful actresses I can name.

I guess it boils down to how you carry yourself - shoulders back, chin up. Being a healthy shape for you. Well fit clothing leaning towards conservative (meaning you don’t need to show off your assets to grab attention), regardless of style. An easiness and natural beauty without excessive makeup to get you there. And confidence.

I guess understated and natural beauty with a focus on presentation is always elegant to me.

Let me just guess: despite carrying herself with confidence--shoulders back, chin up--being in healthy shape and well-fit clothing leaning toward conservative (for evening wear), natural beauty without excessive confidence, that you wouldn't consider this woman to be elegant:



Gee, I wonder why.

Not to me. Course, I’d be hard pressed to find any highly athletic woman with a masculine body elegant. Just not capturing the ‘easiness’. I think elegance captures more than just a look but a level of serenity to their demeanor (yes, I recognize the irony).

I don’t understand your ‘gee, I wonder why, comment.

That dress does not fit her properly at all. Rule number 1 of elegance - clothing must fit perfectly at all times. Sorry but there is some arm fat or something like that going on here.

PP here - sorry, my comment directly above was in reference to Serena Williams.

[Anonymous]

I think my grandmother was very elegant even though she was overweight, not white, and not terribly tall (the woman had 8 children, give her a break!). It was just the way she carried herself. Her children always bought her nice clothes by the time I saw her so she always wore a nicely fitted suit to church, and she had a beautiful set of gold jewelry that she always wore, but there was something about the way she carried herself, mainly, that was just very elegant and dignified.

She also never smiled in photographs.

[Anonymous]

To my mind, you can not be really truly elegant unless you are past a certain age. Queen Latifa is elegant. Queen Elizabeth became elegant in her later years.

This is also elegant.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/02/be/cd/02becd6b2a2f55abb5e7f4c0be2dce73.gif

Anyone under age (about) 30 has the potential to be elegant. But, until they gain a certain character, they are just pretty.

[Anonymous]

try again

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/02/be/cd/02becd6b2a2f55abb5e7f4c0be2dce73.gif

[Anonymous]

okay, maybe this one will work

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/the-expanse-renewed-season-3.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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There’s nothing - nothing - elegant about excessive cleavage.

+ 1

Put those things away. She looks like a cow.

Omg seriously? Only in DC someone would call
Monica Belucci a “cow”. Wow.

I wouldn’t call her elegant

I thought she was that actress from 90210. She's very elegant looking whomever this is but her cleavage is a bit much in this shot.

[Anonymous]

OP asked about elegance- not beauty. Many beautiful women are not what I would call elegant ( including many listed already) elegance in my opinion is colorblind, slim to thin ( clothes just look more elegant), well tailored clothes, classic clothing, jewelry and hair, and the way you carry yourself- graceful, and you manner of speech. Again, you can be gorgeous and not have the total package listed above

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There’s nothing - nothing - elegant about excessive cleavage.

+ 1

Put those things away. She looks like a cow.

Omg seriously? Only in DC someone would call
Monica Belucci a “cow”. Wow.

I wouldn’t call her elegant

I thought she was that actress from 90210. She's very elegant looking whomever this is but her cleavage is a bit much in this shot.

I thought she was Shannon Doherty too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the women on the bottom is ugly at all. It just isn't a great picture. She has on a pretty blouse and what looks to be a structured wool coat. The scarf is a poorly worn. If she lost the scarf, put on a swipe of lipstick, and fastened her coat I think she would look lovely.

This is her cleaned up, pretty! It's all about grooming

Sorry but she still does not look elegant at all. Cleaned up, but not elegant.

Tattoos are not elegant. The first one yes (and I hate Leana Dunham) but she looks good.