Unfashionable and dull in appearance; dressed in old-fashioned or unattractive clothes.
Origin obscure, possibly from the name 'Dowdy' or from Middle English sources. First appeared in English around the 1600s as a noun meaning an unfashionable woman, then became an adjective describing unfashionable style or appearance.
Throughout history, 'dowdy' has been weaponized mostly against women—calling someone dowdy judges them by appearance and implies they've given up trying. The word reveals how fashion standards are really about social control and expectations.
Applied overwhelmingly to women's clothing and appearance to denote unfashionable, frumpy style; men wearing identical clothing are described as 'casual' or 'practical,' revealing gendered beauty policing.
Use 'unfashionable' or 'outdated' neutrally, or describe the garment specifically rather than applying gender-coded judgment terms.
["unfashionable","outdated","unstylish"]
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