noun
worn-out clothes; shabby clothes
Literary or formal term for old, worn-out clothing. Not used in everyday conversation; more likely to appear in written descriptions or set phrases.
彼は弊衣をまとっていたが、その目は鋭かった。
He was dressed in shabby clothes, but his eyes were sharp.
ぼろ is a common, everyday word for rags or worn-out clothes, while 弊衣 is a formal, literary term.
弊 (worn-out, bad) + 衣 (clothing). The kanji compound directly conveys the meaning of old, shabby garments.