Fashion Faux Pas

noun a show, pretense, or display of manners, feelings, or beliefs that are not genuine or natural

• Her affectation of wealth was evident in the way she flaunted expensive designer clothes.
• Stop with the affectation of sophistication, just be yourself.
• Her affectation of being cool is so annoying, she's just trying too hard.
• His constant affectation of happiness masked the pain he was truly feeling inside.

noun a quality in something that is considered to be offensive, unpleasant, or undesirable

• The painting was criticized for its use of colors that were considered to be in bad taste.
• I don't like that shirt, it's just bad taste.
• That movie was so cringy, it had such bad taste.
• His jokes always leave a bad taste in my mouth.

noun a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads

• The increased competition in the market became their bete noire as they struggled to maintain their market share.
• Her bete noire at work is the new manager who always criticizes her work.
• That math test is my bete noire, I always struggle with it.
• His bete noire is his fear of failure, which holds him back from taking risks.

adjective of inferior quality; cheap or stingy

• The chintzy decorations in the lobby did not reflect the luxury of the hotel.
• I can't believe they served such a chintzy meal at the party.
• That store is known for selling chintzy clothes that fall apart after one wash.
• Her chintzy attitude towards sharing resources with her team was disappointing.

noun an object or person that is considered useless or ineffective

• The product turned out to be a dud, failing to meet the promised specifications.
• I bought this new gadget but it's a total dud, doesn't even work properly.
• That movie was a total dud, I fell asleep halfway through.
• His plan to start a business turned out to be a dud, failing to take off as expected.

adjective having a dowdy or unfashionable appearance

• Her frumpish attire stood out among the elegant evening gowns at the charity gala.
• She didn't care about looking frumpish in her oversized sweater and sweatpants.
• I can't believe she showed up to the party looking so frumpish.
• His frumpish attitude towards life held him back from reaching his full potential.

noun a thick, durable twilled cloth with a short nap, usually dyed in dark colors

adjective relating to or characteristic of pompous or pretentious speech or writing

• The author's use of fustian language in his writing style may appeal to a certain audience.
• I find it hard to understand all that fustian talk in the book.
• Why do you always use fustian words when you talk? Just keep it simple!
• His speech was full of fustian, but lacked any real substance.

adjective Not in harmony or agreement with something else

preposition Indicating a deviation or departure from what is expected or usual

• The decision to use bright neon colors for the corporate logo was completely out of keeping with the company's traditional image.
• Her loud and boisterous behavior was out of keeping with the elegant atmosphere of the restaurant.
• Wearing sneakers to a formal event is so out of keeping with the dress code.
• His actions were out of keeping with his usual calm demeanor, causing concern among his friends.

verb past participle of overdo

adjective excessively or excessively done, cooked, or prepared

• The dish was unfortunately overdone and lacked the delicate flavors we were expecting.
• The steak was way overdone and practically inedible.
• Her makeup was so overdone, she looked like a clown.
• The drama in that movie was so overdone, it felt like a parody of itself.

noun a piece of clothing that is excessively formal or elaborate

verb to dress in clothes that are excessively formal or elaborate

• It is important not to overdress for a job interview.
• I always overdress for parties because I love dressing up.
• She always overdresses for school, she's so extra.
• Sometimes it's better to overdress than to underdress for an event.

noun a person's ability to judge what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard

adjective of low quality or standard

• The painting was criticized for its poor taste in color combination.
• I think that joke was in poor taste, don't you?
• That movie was so cringy, it had such poor taste.
• His decision to skip his sister's wedding showed his poor taste in priorities.

noun cheap or inferior goods or material; trash or junk

verb None

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

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• The film was criticized for its excessive use of schlock in the special effects.
• That movie was just full of schlock, it was so cheesy.
• I can't believe you bought that cheap schlock from the dollar store.
• The artist's work was dismissed as schlock by the critics.

adjective untidy and dirty as a result of being lazy or neglectful

• The slatternly appearance of the housekeeper was a constant source of embarrassment for the homeowner.
• She always looks so slatternly whenever she's running late for work.
• I can't believe she went out looking so slatternly, it's like she didn't even try.
• The slatternly state of the garden reflected the neglect and disarray in the owner's life.

adjective adjective describes a quality or attribute of a noun, in this case, 'tacky' describes something that is in poor taste or low quality.

• The design of the new building was deemed tacky by the architectural critics.
• I think that outfit looks a bit tacky, don't you?
• That movie was so tacky, I couldn't even finish watching it.
• His behavior at the party was so tacky, it was embarrassing to watch.

adjective lacking flavor or taste; unappetizing

• The dish was deemed tasteless by the food critics due to lack of seasoning.
• I tried the soup and it was so tasteless, I couldn't finish it.
• This pizza is so tasteless, it's like eating cardboard.
• The artist's latest work was criticized as tasteless, lacking in depth and emotion.

adjective relating to or characteristic of a stereotypical working-class youth, typically characterized by wearing designer labels and engaging in antisocial behavior

• The neighborhood was known for its chavvy residents who often caused disturbances.
• I saw a group of chavvy teenagers hanging out at the park.
• She's always dressed in such a chavvy way.
• The restaurant had a chavvy atmosphere with loud music and flashy decor.

adjective describes the appearance of someone or something as extremely unattractive or unpleasant

• The architecture of the building was described as butt ugly by the critics.
• I can't believe you bought that butt ugly sweater.
• That car is so butt ugly, I wouldn't be caught dead driving it.
• Her attitude towards the project was described as butt ugly by her colleagues.

noun something that someone enjoys but feels guilty or embarrassed about

• Indulging in a guilty pleasure can provide a temporary escape from the stresses of everyday life.
• Eating ice cream straight from the tub is my guilty pleasure.
• Binging on reality TV shows is my ultimate guilty pleasure.
• For some people, shopping for unnecessary items is a guilty pleasure that they just can't resist.

noun an instance where clothing fails to function properly or as intended, often resulting in an embarrassing situation

• The actress experienced a wardrobe malfunction on the red carpet, causing a stir among the paparazzi.
• Oh no, she had a wardrobe malfunction at the party last night and had to borrow someone's jacket.
• Her wardrobe malfunction was so embarrassing, everyone was talking about it for days.
• The team's defense had a wardrobe malfunction during the game, leading to several easy goals for the opposing team.

noun A type of men's bathing suit that is similar to a bikini but with a thong back and typically worn as a joke or novelty item.

• The man wore a mankini to the beach, attracting attention from passersby.
• I can't believe he actually bought a mankini for the pool party.
• He thought he looked cool in his mankini, but everyone else was cringing.
• The mankini symbolized his carefree attitude towards life.

noun a single eyebrow that appears to be connected across the forehead

• The artist painted a portrait of a woman with a prominent unibrow.
• I think I need to pluck my unibrow before the party.
• Her unibrow game is strong.
• The mountain range looked like a giant unibrow on the horizon.

noun a dog's breakfast - a mess or chaotic situation

adjective dog's - belonging to or associated with a dog

• The presentation was a dog's breakfast, with slides out of order and key points missing.
• The group project turned out to be a dog's breakfast because everyone did their own thing.
• The party was a total dog's breakfast - nothing went as planned and it was a disaster.
• Her outfit was a dog's breakfast, with mismatched colors and patterns that didn't work well together.