pejorative language - Word for Excessive Care about Appearance?


I'm looking for a pejorative word that describes one who cares only about their own, and others' appearances, and cares nothing for personality to the point of obsession. Something that fits in like: "The son had inherited his mother's ______". Shallow is not the word I'm looking for - it wouldn't exactly fit in that sentence (and shallowness seems a bit awkward).


Vanity is the closest word I have to a fit, but it only describes an excessive care of oneself, and not others.



Answer



I think shallowness is just fine, but here's an alternative:


superficiality



1 the quality or state of being superficial



(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superficiality)


"The son had inherited his mother's superficiality."


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