Word or phrase for a woman who shows up at events in gaudy outfits, garish make-up, and excessive jewelry?

Question

Such person is usually - but not necessarily - upper-middle class.

I'm looking for a noun or a noun-phrase but the words I've found so far (unpolished, inelegant, gauche, etc.) are adjectives and/or don't fit what I'm looking for.

EDIT

This noun or noun-phrase...

• is more likely to be used by women when gossiping. ("Did you see that .... at the meeting yesterday? Yeah, I did. Some people just don't know how ridiculous they can get.)
• isn't related to promiscuity or prostitution.

If the woman is a socialite, her picture will be displayed in newspapers and magazines and she will be a laughingstock..

Answer 1

It's often been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one person finds trashy, slutty, tarty, cheap or tacky-looking in a woman; another sees a woman who oozes self-confidence, style, glamour and sex-appeal.

A woman who has put on a gaudy outfit could be described as being dressed to the nines; gussied, fancied or dolled up; sassy; and looking to have fun. If she is dressed provocatively (gaudy outfits), wears expensive cosmetics (garish makeup), and prefers costume jewelry (excessive jewelry) to that of gold and platinum, she is said to be dressed to kill.

She can be called a man-eater; a seductress; a flirt; a femme fatale or just a socialite

Socialite
She lives in a paradise of a mansion, usually in California, or a penthouse in Manhattan. You might find her hanging out at various social events, with a glass of champagne in her hand. Often she doesn't have a job, but sometimes she can be working in a high-end job, such as that of a celebrity publicist, which nets her a very high salary. (...) Can also be prone to Conspicuous Consumption, especially jewels, fancy dresses, and furs.

Alternatively, if she is young and has recently come into money she might be termed as

Nouveau Riche
The Nouveau Riche are characterized as rude and tasteless, and frequently contrasted with the refined manners of aristocratic Old Money characters. (...) If American, expect them to be Hollywood California people with bleach-blonde Valley Girl daughters, slovenly white trash who won either the lottery or a big-time settlement ... If black, expect a flashy character from a Glam Rap video. (...) Common accessories for this class include fur coats, gaudy jewelry, obnoxiously color-coordinated suits, and gold teeth.

Source: TV Tropes

Answer 2

If the lady in question is well past her forties, and used to be a highly attractive and courted woman in the past, she might dress provocatively and wear heavy makeup in order to recapture her former glory. Such a woman is often derogatorily called mutton dressed (up) as lamb. in British English.

an offensive way of saying that a woman is dressed in a style that is more suitable for a much younger woman

Answer 3

The noun show-off refers to a person who likes to show off. The adjective ostentatious means showing off your money or possessions to make others notice.

Answer 4

Probably flashy may fit your description: ( from TFD)

• tastelessly showy.
• ostentatious and tasteless.

also the expression bling-bling may fit the context:

• (Noun) ostentatious jewellery.

• Bling (or bling-bling) is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy, ostentatious or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps.

A woman wearing bling-bling jewelry.

Answer 5

A woman all tarted up

... And yes it is a NP

Answer 6

Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) offers this note distinguishing among various similar adjectives that might be applicable:

GAUDY, TAWDRY, GARISH, FLASHY, MERETRICIOUS mean vulgarly or cheaply showy. GAUDY implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation {circus performers in gaudy costumes}. TAWDRY applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy {tawdry saloons}. GARISH describes what is distressingly or offensively bright {garish neon signs}. FLASHY implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar {a flashy nightclub act}. MERETRICIOUS stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise {a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars}.

S.I. Hayakawa, Choose the Right Word (1968) offers this discussion of the same five-word family:

These words refer to tasteless displays of overdone finery or decoration, or to brazen, flaunting behavior. Of these words, gaudy is the least negative in tone, but still points to excessive use of decoration or to any sort of vividness that approaches vulgarity: ... Flashy is an informal substitute for gaudy, referring to anything deliberately chosen out of exuberantly vulgar ostentation: ...

With garish, the emphasis is wholly on extremely distasteful ostentation and more especially of phony or trashy gimmicks: ...

Meretricious and tawdry both emphasize decoration that is made of cheap or worthless materials.. With meretricious, the stress is on overuse, especially of phony or trashy gimmicks: ... Tawdry may, more simply, suggest cheapness combined with showiness in taste: ...

Of these options, gaudy and flashy seem the most applicable to the particular situation you describe.

One (gender-neutral) noun form that might fit the situation is vulgarian. MW's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary offers this definition:

vulgarian a vulgar person

where vulgar may be understood to mean "lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste: COARSE" or "ostentatious or excessive in expenditure or display: PRETENTIOUS."

Answer 7

You might find Jezebel useful. From the Mac OS X dictionary:

Jezebel |ˈdʒɛzəbɛl|
( fl. 9th century bc ), a Phoenician princess, traditionally the great-aunt of Dido and in the Bible the wife of Ahab king of Israel. She was denounced by Elijah for introducing the worship of Baal into Israel (1 Kings 16:31, 21:5–15, 2 Kings 9:30–7). Her use of make-up was especially condemned by Puritan England.
• (as noun a Jezebel) a shameless or immoral woman.

The mention of make-up puts it in the right ballpark — though it might be a little OTT.

Answer 8

If this person's gaudy outfits, garish make-up, and excessive jewellery are indicative of lower social class than the setting then they may be a "parvenue", a "social climber", or possibly one of the "nouveau riche".

If they are just naturally ostentatious or vainglorious, regardless of social class, then they may be a "peacock" or "clotheshorse".

Being more offensive, they may be "mutton dressed as lamb" (as others have said), or "a duck out of water", both of which are ageist in addition to being personally offensive.

Answer 9

The noun "gimcrack" might fit.

http://mnemonicdictionary.com/word/gimcrack

(noun) ornamental objects of no great value (adj) tastelessly showy

Answer 10

Some more formal semi-synonyms are braggart and grandstander.

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=grandstander

Answer 11

Based on your description, she sounds like a real Dolly Varden, a character from Barnaby Rudge (Charles Dickins).

Answer 12

I'd probably use the word 'meretricious'.

1. apparently attractive but having no real value:

"meretricious souvenirs for the tourist trade"

synonyms: flashy, pretentious, gaudy, tawdry, trashy, garish, chintzy, Brummagem, loud, tinselly, cheap, tasteless, kitschy; More

2. archaic: relating to or characteristic of a prostitute.

Answer 13

American or British?

Apparently, in the States "upper-middle class" is based on income (and education), and in the UK it's based on birth (and education).

I don't see your description ("gaudy outfits, garish make-up, and excessive jewelry", and "unpolished, inelegant, gauche") as upper-middle class, so I'd suggest (derogatively) "a prole", more formally "a parvenue" ... or "a foreigner" (perhaps "an American").

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She might be upper-class though (because, she can wear whatever she likes): in which case, "dame", or "her ladyship", or whatever her name is (e.g. "Antonia").

But you wanted something derogatory, so "snob".

Answer 14

I'd go for: Insipid

Wiktionary says:

insipid (Flat; lacking character or definition.)

Example: "Oh my God, what an insipid WOMAN!!!"

See link: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/insipid