Clothes – B1+ English Vocabulary

Clothes

In this B1+ Upper-intermediate Vocabulary lesson, you will learn a wide array of terms related to clothing, encompassing different styles, fits, and patterns, as well as a variety of materials and the verbs associated with wearing clothes. Check the pictures and read the descriptions below to improve your vocabulary related to clothes.

Style

1 Trendy refers to people, clothes or anything that is popular at the moment and influenced by the latest fashions or trends. 2 Fashionable is also used to talk about clothes, accessories, etc., that are popular, but the word may be more timeless and more associated with the concept of elegance. 3 Stylish is used to talk about clothes or people wearing clothes that are smart, elegant and attractive, although they may or may not be popular at the moment.

• She follows the latest styles and always wears trendy shoes and jackets. 
• Lucy always wears stylish clothes that make her look elegant and attractive. 
• He was wearing fashionable designer clothes at the party.

4 Comfortable is a word we use to describe clothes that feel nice and are easy to wear. Most people choose to wear comfortable clothing when they are at home or when they are exercising. 5 Casual refers to clothing that is relaxed and not too smart. People usually wear casual clothes when they go to school or a barbecue. 6 Formal is the opposite of casual and means very smart, suitable for a serious or official event.

• I always change into comfortable clothes as soon as I get home.
• We can wear casual clothes to the party, so I’ll probably wear a T-shirt and jeans.
• We are going to an important business dinner, so we must wear formal clothes.

7 Chic means stylish, elegant and sophisticated, and 8 classic refers to a style that remains fashionable over time due to its simple, traditional design.

• She was wearing a very chic French dress.
• Even after many years, his classic suit still looked fashionable.

Fit

9 Tight clothes are quite small and fit close to your body; there is no extra fabric. An example of tight clothes would be skinny jeans. Loose and baggy are the opposite of tight and are used to talk about clothes much bigger than your body size. 10 Loose implies a comfortable fit that is not tight, whereas 11 baggy implies the clothes are even larger than that.

• The jeans were so tight and stretchy that they felt like a second skin. 
• I’ve lost weight, and now all my clothes are loose. 
• He wears baggy trousers that show his boxers.

Patterns and designs

Patterned, plain, checked, and striped all refer to the decoration of clothing or fabric. 12 Patterned clothing has a repeating design that can include a variety of shapes, symbols, or elements, while 13 plain clothing is just one colour and doesn’t have a pattern or design on it. 14 Checked clothing is patterned with uniform squares in two or more colours, a 15 striped item has parallel lines of different colours or shades decorating it, and a 16 spotted piece of clothing has spots or dots on it.

• Lara was wearing a patterned shirt with small flowers and leaves.
• I decided to wear a plain white shirt.
• I love the green and red squares on Sam’s checked trousers.
• Prisoners often wear striped uniforms.
• She wore a spotted dress with small red dots all over it. 

Materials

1 Denim is a tough, blue fabric used for making jeans and jackets.

• He is wearing a denim jacket.

2 Cotton is a soft, natural fabric that’s breathable and commonly used for t-shirts and underwear.

• She’s wearing a white cotton T-shirt

3 Silk is a smooth, shiny fabric that feels slippery, used for fancy dresses and ties.

• Her dress is made of silk.

4 Polyester is a durable, wrinkle-resistant synthetic fabric used in a variety of clothing.

• His warm jacket is made of polyester.

5 Linen is a light, breathable fabric made from flax plants, ideal for summer clothes and tablecloths.

• I often wear linen suits in summer.

6 Velvet is a soft, thick fabric that looks shiny and is used for fancy clothes and furniture.

• He was wearing a green velvet jacket.

7 Lace is a thin, delicate fabric with holes and patterns, used for adding pretty details to dresses and curtains.

• She’s making a white lace tablecloth.

8 Tweed is a thick, rough fabric with mixed colors, often used for warm jackets and coats.

• His tweed blazer is warm and looks very classic and stylish.

9 Fur is the soft, thick coat of hair from animals, often replicated synthetically, used for warmth in luxury clothes.

• Fur coats are very expensive and made from animals.

10 Leather is a durable, flexible material made from animal skin, used for shoes, jackets, and bags.

• He always wears a cool leather jacket.

11 Suede is a type of leather with a soft surface, used for shoes, jackets, and furniture.

• I don’t like my suede boots because they are difficult to clean. 

12 Fleece is a soft, warm fabric that’s like a fake sheep’s wool, used for sweaters, blankets, and jackets.

• My fleece jacket kept me warm on the camping trip.

Verbs, phrasal verbs and verb phrases

If you 1 dress up,  you wear special or smart clothes for a particular occasion. Dress up can also mean to wear a costume as you would for Halloween or a themed party.

• It was a formal dinner, so we had to dress up.
• I dressed up as a ghost for the costume party.

When you 2 dress down, you wear more relaxed or casual clothes than usual. For example, many workplaces have dress down days where staff wear casual clothing instead of a suit and tie.

• We are allowed to dress down on Fridays at work.

If you 3 put on an item of clothing, you place it on your body to wear it. You put on all your clothes when you get dressed in the morning. 4 Take off is the opposite of put on and means to remove an item of clothing from your body.

• Make sure you put on your jacket before you go outside.
• I took off my coat and hung it on a hook.

When you 5 try on a piece of clothing, you put on clothes to check if they fit or look good. People usually try on clothes in a shop before deciding whether or not to buy them.

• Before purchasing the jeans, I tried them on in the fitting room.

Clothes that 6 fit (you) are the right size for your body, and clothes that 7 suit you look good on you. Clothes that 8 match look good together; for example, red shoes which you wear with a red bag.

• These shoes don’t fit me. They’re too small.
• You look great! That colour really suits you.
• Your blue jacket matches your blue boots.

When you 9 fold clothes, you bend them and arrange them neatly or symmetrically. We usually fold our T-shirts and trousers after ironing, before putting them away in a drawer. When you 10 hang clothes, you place them on a hook or hanger after using or washing them. For example, when we get home, we hang our coats on a hook after taking them off. We also hang our clothes on the line after washing them so that they dry in the sun.

• After folding my jeans, I put them away in the drawer.
• I always hang my dresses in the wardrobe. 

11 Iron means to press clothes to remove lines and creases. Many people iron shirts after washing them so that they are ready to wear to work.

• Mary is ironing her husband’s shirts.

Button up, unbutton, zip up, unzip and tuck in are all things we do when we are wearing clothes. 12 Button up means to fasten the buttons on something after putting it on. 13 Unbutton has the opposite meaning and means to unfasten the buttons of something, usually before taking it off. 14 Zip up means to do up the zip of something, such as a jacket or pair of trousers and 15 unzip means to pen a zip or to make something open by using a zip. Finally, 16 tuck in means to insert the bottom part of a shirt or other top into pants or a skirt.

• Fred was buttoning up his shirt.
• Before you take of your shirt, you need to unbutton it.
• Make sure you zip up your jacket, it’s cold outside.
• You need to unzip your dress to take it off.
• Please, tuck your shirt into your trousers for the interview.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Clothes, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.