wardrobe malfunctions

A wardrobe malfunction is an accidental clothing failure that exposes something—usually the body—that should have remained covered.

The term entered mainstream use after Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, when her costume briefly revealed her breast.

Now applied broadly to any unintended exposure: Her dress strap broke—total wardrobe malfunction.

The phrase often carries ironic undertones, sometimes used to describe exposures that seem suspiciously deliberate.