Look shabby, so they say (4)
I believe the answer is:
mien
'look' is the definition.
(mien means a look or impression)
'shabby so they say' is the wordplay.
'shabby' becomes 'mean' (both can mean unkind or unfair).
'so they say' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'mean' is a homophone of 'MIEN'.
(Other definitions for mien that I've seen before include "A face - maybe mine" , "person's look" , "aspect" , "Comportment" , "The carriage" .)