What made Hood's silhouette so elegant?

What feature of HMS Hood's design made her look so elegant?

Her length spread the ship's features out and created the flowing lines associated with her silhouette.

The visual explanation is primarily one of proportion. Hood's long hull spreads the superstructure, funnels, and armament across a greater distance. That spacing lets the silhouette form the continuous, flowing lines often associated with the ship. A shorter hull compresses the same kinds of features and tends to look squat or crowded. Compactness can still be practical, so visual elegance should not be confused with engineering efficiency.