A
woman with the kind of refined beauty and attractiveness that requires poise, dignity, and strength of mind and character, things that often come with age; not merely sex-appeal. Usually applied to a
woman who is also very well-groomed and from an upper class background.
This phrase is very dated and rarely used in today'
s English. Those who don't understand the term could almost be insulted by the word "handsome" being applied to a
woman, mistakenly thinking you're saying she is masculine.
"Though she had lost long ago her virginal loveliness, she had ripened into a handsome and fruitful looking
woman." -
Ellen Glasgow
"What a handsome
woman she has become; she carries herself so well".