shabby chic

English

A shabby chic-style dresser with a distressed finish.

Etymology

First use appears c. 1901 in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. See cite below.

Noun

shabby chic (uncountable)

1. (also attributive) A form of interior design where furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.
   • 1901, John Albert Sleicher (editor), Frank Leslie (contributor), Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper - Volume 92, page 139:

     To be sure, she wasn't stylish--one would hardly look for that at Madame's--nor was there anything about her costume that suggested even the shabby chic.

   • 2007, Entrepreneur Press, Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success, Entrepreneur Press, →ISBN, page 54:

     Are they shabby chic or just shabby? Are there places for people to sit and chat, to read, watch the sun set, or enjoy the views?

   • 2009, Charles A. Shoemake, Apotheosis of My Butterfly, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 162:

     Some furniture is described as shabby chic. I am just shabby. A person would not be concerned about spilling wine on me, much less my rug.

   • 2011, Jeanne Wines-Reed, Joan Wines, Digital Scrapbooking For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 72:

     Can the rumpled elegance and mismatched opulence of shabby chic find happiness with cutting edge digital tools and techniques? We say yes, it can — even though shabby chic is perhaps the most difficult style to do well digitally because […]

   • 2012, Fodor's, Fodor's England 2013: with the Best of Wales, Fodor's Travel (→ISBN)

     Pros: quirky character; beautiful setting. Cons: sometimes shabby rather than shabby chic; not much to do in vicinity; minimum stay required.

2. A similar form of fashion in which clothing is made to appear aged or damaged.

Further reading

• shabby chic on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “shabby chic”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.