What Clothes Do We Wear?

Clothes are things we wear on our body. They keep us warm, cool, or protect us. We wear different clothes for different reasons.

Learning the names of clothes in English is very useful. You can talk about your favorite clothes or what you want to wear today.

Common Clothes for Your Body

Let’s learn some basic English words for clothes. These are items you might wear every day.

• Hat: You wear this on your head. It can keep you warm or protect you from the sun.
• Shirt: A piece of clothing for the upper body, usually with sleeves and a collar. Men often wear shirts.
• Blouse: Similar to a shirt, but usually worn by women.
• Jumper: A warm piece of clothing for the upper body, often made of wool. You wear it when it’s cold.
• Trousers: Clothing for your legs. You wear them on the lower part of your body.
• Shorts: Short trousers, usually worn in warm weather. They only cover part of your legs.
• Dress: A piece of clothing for women or girls that covers the body and legs.
• Swimsuit: Clothes you wear for swimming.
• Shoes: You wear these on your feet.
• Trainers: A type of shoe for sports or comfortable walking.

How Do We Use Clothing Words in Sentences?

You can use these words to say what you or other people wear. Use I wear for yourself, or He wears / She wears for others.

Examples

• I wear a hat in winter.
• He wears a blue shirt.
• She wears a beautiful dress.
• I need new shoes.
• They wear shorts in summer.
• My jumper is very warm.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

For Spanish speakers, a common mistake is with words that are always plural in English, like trousers, shorts, shoes, and trainers.

• In English, we always say trousers (plural), not trouser. If you want to talk about one item, say a pair of trousers.
• The same is true for shorts, shoes, and trainers. We say a pair of shorts, a pair of shoes, a pair of trainers.
• Correct: I have new shoes.
• Incorrect: I have a new shoe. (Unless you only have one shoe!)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a ‘shirt’ and a ‘blouse’?

A shirt is typically worn by men, while a blouse is typically worn by women. Both are for the upper body.

Do I say ‘a trouser’ or ‘trousers’?

In English, we always say trousers (plural). If you want to talk about one item, you can say a pair of trousers.

What are ‘trainers’?

Trainers are comfortable shoes that you wear for sports or for walking. In American English, people often call them sneakers.