French clothing vocabulary: A comprehensive guide

• Essential French clothing vocabulary
• Clothing-related verbs and phrases
• French idioms and expressions related to clothing
• Fashion and clothing in French society
• FAQs

Essential French clothing vocabulary

In the tables below, you’ll find the words commonly used to talk about clothes in French.

General terms for clothing 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
les vêtements (masculine)	clothes	The “vê” sounds like “veh,” with a nasal "-ment"
la mode	fashion	With an open “o” sound
les accessoires (masculine)	fashion accessories	The "oi" in accessoires is pronounced "wa" (ak-se-swar)
le magasin de vêtements	clothing shop	The “-sin” at the end of magasin is pronounced “z[in]”
la garde-robe	wardrobe	The second half of this word (robe) is pronounced with an open “o” sound

Everyday clothing items 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
le pull	sweater	With the typical French “u” sound
le tee-shirt	T-shirt	Pronounced like in English
le pantalon	trousers	Pay attention to the nasal “on” sound
la jupe	skirt	With the typical French “u” sound
le short	shorts	With an open "o" sound; the final "t" is pronounced

Outerwear 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
la veste	jacket	The “e” is pronounced the same way as in “bed”
le manteau	coat	The “eau” is a closed “o” sound
le bonnet	wooly hat	With a closed “o” sound
l’écharpe	scarf	The "ch" is pronounced like "sh" in English
les gants	gloves	The "g" is hard and followed by a nasal “an” sound

Footwear 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
les chaussures (feminine)	shoes	The “au” is a closed “o” sound
les baskets (feminine)	sneakers/trainers	The “t” is pronounced but the “s” is silent
les bottes (feminine)	boots	With an open “o” sound
les sandales (feminine)	sandals	The final "es" is silent
les talons hauts (masculine)	high heels	The "au" is a closed "o" sound; the "ts" in hauts is silent

Accessories 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
le sac	bag	The “c” is pronounced “k”
les bijoux (masculine)	jewelry	The "x" is silent (bee-joo)
le foulard	scarf	The “d” is silent
le maquillage	makeup	Pronounced "ma-key-yazh"
le chapeau	hat	The "eau" is a closed "o" sound (sha-po)

Underwear and nightwear 

French	English	Pronunciation tips
les sous-vêtements	underwear	The second “s” in sous is silent
le soutien-gorge	bra	The “en” in soutien is pronounced as “in”
le slip	pants/panties	The final "p" is pronounced
le pyjama	pajamas	The "j" is pronounced like "zh," not "dj" as in English
le peignoir	robe/dressing gown	The first "g" is silent, and "oi" is pronounced "wa"

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Clothing-related verbs and phrases

To put your new clothes vocabulary into practice, you’ll need some verbs and phrases. Let’s see what’s in store!

Common verbs 

French	English	Examples
s’habiller	to dress up	Habille-toi vite ! (Get dressed quickly!)
porter	to wear	Elle porte ma veste. (She’s wearing my jacket.)
mettre	to put on	Je mets mes chaussures. (I’m putting my shoes on.)
laver	to wash	Tu devrais laver ton pull. (You should wash your sweater.)
faire ses lacets	to tie one's shoelaces	Je fais mes lacets. (I’m tying my shoelaces.)

Useful phrases for shopping 

French	English
Auriez-vous ceci en taille […] ?	Would you have this in size […]?
Je fais du […].	I’m size [...] (for clothes)
Je chausse du [...].	I’m size […] (for shoes)
Où sont les cabines d’essayage?	Where are the fitting rooms?
C’est trop grand.	It’s too big.
C’est trop petit.	It’s too small.
C’est trop serré.	It’s too tight.
Combien ça coûte ?	How much does it cost?
Je le/la prends.	I’ll take it.
Ça te va bien.	That looks good on you.

French idioms and expressions related to clothing

There’s nothing like mastering idioms to help you sound fluent. In French, many idioms incorporate vocabulary about clothing. Here are some examples:

Idiom in French	Equivalent idiom or translation in English
C’est bonnet blanc et blanc bonnet.	Six of one, half a dozen of the other. (literally, "It's white hat and hat white.")
se serrer la ceinture	to economize (literally, “to tighten one’s belt”)
trouver chaussure à son pied	to find the right person (literally, "to find a shoe for one's foot")
changer d’avis comme de chemise	to change one's mind frequently (literally, "to change opinion as often as a shirt")
C’est dans la poche.	It's in the bag. (literally, “It’s assured of success.”)
se mettre sur son trente-et-un	to dress up elegantly (literally, "to be on your 31st")
se prendre une veste	to suffer a defeat, especially in elections (literally, "to take a jacket")

Want to test out using these idioms in everyday conversation? We recommend putting it all into practice in Lingoda’s online French classes.

Fashion and clothing in French society

Here are a few insights about France’s long legacy of fashion-forward thought and how French people generally feel about fashion and clothing:

• The béret, one of the biggest fashion clichés about France, is rarely worn by French people nowadays (with the exception of some elderly men).
• Paris has a long-standing reputation as a global fashion capital. This is reflected in the number of French words loaned to other languages, including haute couture, prêt-à-porter and chic.
• The famously classy Parisian style can also be found in other major cities, such as Lyon and Marseille. However, it's worth noting that not all French people are so stereotypically stylish.
• French clothing tends to be quite understated. If someone wears a very colorful outfit or a distinctive hairstyle in an everyday setting, they might attract amused or surprised glances.
• French people tend to be conscious of the environmental impact of clothing. The second-hand clothing market is booming thanks to the emergence of online platforms and vide-dressing pop-ups (clothing swap/sale events where people bring clothes they no longer want to exchange for other items).

What is the French word for clothing?

The French word for clothing is les vêtements or les habits.

How do you say “dress” in French?

In French, “a dress” is une robe (with an open “o” sound).

How do you say “swimsuit” in French?

In French, “a swimsuit” is un maillot de bain (with a silent “t”).

Ready to dress your French up?

Being able to talk about clothes in French will help you in many situations, whether you're shopping or engaging in conversation with French speakers. From essential everyday terms to clothing-related expressions and idioms, this comprehensive guide has equipped you with key vocabulary to enhance your fluency in French.
As always, Lingoda is here to help you put it into practice. Our French classes in small groups with native-level teachers are exactly what you need to speak with confidence.

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