Catty, nasty and pretty delicious

The commentary on celebrity fashion faux pas provided by the Los Angeles-based website www.gofugyourself.com can be catty and downright witchy (yes, with a “B”). But people are devouring the site’s juicy tidbits on various wardrobe malfunctions -- and not the Janet Jackson kind -- to the tune of 2.5 million hits a month.

The site isn’t afraid to critique stars who are fashion flops rather than fashion-forward; it’s the Tinseltown version of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Says Jessica Morgan, one of gofugyourself.coms creators: “A lot of these celebs have been surrounded by these ‘yes men’ who support everything they do ... and a lot of actors like the public attention.”

Popular fodder for the site includes most of young Hollywood: Haylie and Hilary Duff, Ashlee and Jessica Simpson, Paris and Nicky Hilton (does bad fashion sense run in families?), Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. But men aren’t spared either. According to an October entry, R&B; singer R. Kelly’s torn camouflage-and-jeans look doesn’t pass muster. “R. Kelly has apparently decided to conceptualize a new version of his ‘hit’ urban opera -- ‘Trapped in a Baghdad Closet.’ ”

Morgan and business partner Heather Cocks, both reality show producers (of “Growing Up Gotti” and “America’s Next Top Model,” respectively), launched the site last July as a pet project to let friends and family ponder poor, couture-challenged stars. The duo had previously honed their snarkiness as writers for the popular TV criticism website www.televisionwithoutpity.com.

So what exactly is “fugly”? According to the site’s FAQs, it’s “a contraction of ‘fantastically ugly’ (or an f-word more prurient

Here’s a typically gofugyourself.comdescription of one of the heiress’ outfits: “[a] ... chartreuse shiny bandeau dress, complete with billowing bodice, slits, and a tennis skirt? It’s all so very white-trash St. Tropez....”

We’d bet that Hilton (like many of the site’s subjects, and unlike us mere mortals) never heard those eight words from Mom: “You’re not leaving the house looking like that.”

-- Christine N. Ziemba