Is it just me?
Am I the only who is put off when the leading man of a romance novel takes one look at the leading lady and can identify the label inside her outfit ("She looked luscious in a black Armani suit.")? It seems to me that the only time a man should know this would be if he was there when she was getting dressed. Wouldn't this work better if it was part of the narrative or in the heroine's point-of-view than the hero's?
I think men who cook are sexy. On the other hand, men who recognize the work of designers of women's clothing make me question their masculinity...not the impression romance writers want to give for their heroes, I'm sure, and certainly one that clouds my perceptions.
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4 comments:
I think people want to say that the character is impeccably dressed, but you are right. Men don't know the difference between Armani and Target (straight men anyway).
Never thought about this before, but I'll make sure I don't commit this crime in any of my future books.
Personally, I think the intent was convey an expensive designer more than a natty appearance in general, but there are better ways to do it. It just goes to show, point-of-view is the most difficult part of writing to master. It's true that all writers make mistakes, but this particular one happens way too frequently.
Oops, I think I have done this. Only because the guy only wears designer and so he recognized it as such. But you are so right and it does make him sound kind of gay now that I think about it. I'll just call it a nice suit and keep it moving. Thanks.
A simple shift of POV would work, too, KstyleFIt! Put any mention of any details only the wearer would know in their thoughts, not the other person's!
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