The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 2 plus 4 letter word DOWN AT HEEL
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
D
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More clues leading to the result DOWN AT HEEL
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "being shabby in appearance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case being shabby in appearance = down at heel.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DOWN AT HEEL mean?
DOWN AT HEEL adjective- (of footwear, hyphenated when used attributively) In poor condition, especially due to having worn heels; worn-out, shabby.
- (by extension, hyphenated when used attributively) Shabbily dressed, slovenly; impoverished; shabby, dilapidated.