Lingerie and undergarment retailer Victoria's Secret ignited the ire of Sports Illustrated swimsuit model (and former VS catalog model) Kate Upton by recently using an old photograph of her -- without her permission.

This, of course, after a company rep said they'd never hire her to model in their fashion shows because she's just not classy enough for them.

Last year, a VS booker who hires models for the brand's fashion shows sniped, "We would never use Kate ... She's like a Page 3 girl. She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy."

If you aren't familiar with Brit-speak, Kate was basically just compared to a cheap topless model and/or a 'Real Housewife.' You can imagine why she was a tad pissed off by that imagery.

The photo of Kate (featured left) appeared on the back of a recent VS catalog but was actually from a shoot Upton did for them back in 2011. Before she was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue twice in a row and became the full-fledged celeb she is today.

A source close to Kate says she's none too pleased about having her photo used two years after the fact, saying, "Kate’s not currently contracted to work with Victoria’s Secret, and they didn’t contact her before they used these images."

The greater travesty? That bra is so 2011.

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