For every bouncy miniskirt there was a ladylike pencil, and broad-shouldered military coats were offset by gently molded oversized ones.

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I've now met her twice in the last few months, and I'd go so far as to describe her as genteel, even ladylike.

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At Chanel, the models sported exaggerated, teased mohawks and severe black eyeliner, though their drop-waist tweed shifts and embroidered cocktail dresses were utterly ladylike.

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Librarian Addie Bemis, played initially with prim, ladylike dourness by Mary Bacon, lives a solitary life under the control of her abusive, alcoholic father.

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"I think jazz guitar isn't very ladylike in general, " Halvorson says.

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Tastefully dressed in a peach-colored outfit, winking and smiling graciously at the audience, Jackie takes ladylike poses and shares oblique or direct references to difficulties in her life.

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Katie Ermilio, a rising newcomer whose luxe-priced ladylike looks have garnered attention from Forbes as well as Vogue, has grabbed a spot at the heart of New York fashion week, showing on Wed.

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"Ladylike is the ultimate sexiness, " said the designer.

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The ladylike silhouettes are about as simple as Ms. Herrera gets, but that's all the better to shine a spotlight on the charming patterns, which range from beach chairs to painterly daisies on a sky-blue background.

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