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She stood with her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.
Literal
She [topic-は] defiant attitude [with-で] both-hands [object-を] waist [to-に] placed [and-て] was-standing.
挑戦的な態度で ('with a defiant attitude') sets the tone. 両手を腰に当てて ('placing both hands on the hips') describes the classic confrontational pose — arms akimbo. The て-form chains the pose with 立っていた ('was standing'). The sentence reads like a scene description from a novel, rich in visual detail.