French Clothes Vocabulary: Clothes Words in French

French Clothes Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

blouse la blouse
boot la botte
cap la casquette
belt la ceinture
sock la chaussette
shoe la chaussure
shirt la chemise
tie la cravate
scarf l'écharpe
skirt la jupe
slippers les pantoufles
pocket la poche
dress la robe
sandal la sandale
jacket la veste
bikini le bikini
hat le chapeau
suit le costume
gloves les gants
jeans le jean
swimsuit le maillot de bain
coat le manteau
handkerchief le mouchoir
pants le pantalon
polo shirt le polo
sweater le pull
pajamas le pyjama
shorts les shorts
T-shirt le tee-shirt

Elementary (A2)

raincoat l'imperméable
nightgown la chemise de nuit
panties la culotte
zipper la fermeture éclair
sleeve la manche
bathrobe la robe de chambre
overalls la salopette
headband le bandeau
beanie le bonnet
beret le béret
boxer shorts le caleçon
collar le col
turtleneck le col roulé
tights les collants
windbreaker le coupe-vent
tank top le débardeur
scarf (lightweight) le foulard
cardigan le gilet
kimono le kimono
one-piece swimsuit le maillot une pièce
bow tie le nœud papillon
parka le parka
underpants le slip
underwear le sous-vêtement
bra le soutien-gorge
hoodie le sweat à capuche
high heels les escarpins
loafers les mocassins
flip-flops les tongs

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

housecoat la robe d'intérieur
stockings les bas
suspenders les bretelles

Practice What You've Learned

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Simple French sentences featuring clothing vocabulary and everyday grammar.

Je porte une chemise bleue. I am wearing a blue shirt.
Elle met son manteau chaud. She puts on her warm coat.
Nous achetons des chaussettes plates. We are buying flat socks.
Il lave son pantalon noir. He is washing his black pants.
Vous enlevez vos chaussures sales. You take off your dirty shoes.
Ce chapeau est très grand. This hat is very big.
La jupe rouge est courte. The red skirt is short.
Ces bottes sont neuves. These boots are brand new.
Mon pull vert est doux. My green sweater is soft.
La robe blanche est propre. The white dress is clean.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex sentence structures with clothing vocabulary.

Il défait rapidement la fermeture éclair de son manteau. He quickly unzips his coat zipper.
Elle ajuste la ceinture de sa robe élégante. She adjusts the belt of her elegant dress.
Nous boutonnons soigneusement nos vestes avant de sortir dans le froid. We carefully button up our jackets before going out into the cold.
Tu repasses cette chemise en coton avant la réunion. You iron this cotton shirt before the meeting.
Les stylistes associent ce foulard en soie avec un costume moderne. Stylists match this silk scarf with a modern suit.
Ce manteau d'hiver reste particulièrement imperméable sous la pluie forte. This winter coat stays particularly waterproof in heavy rain.
Cette veste en laine semble très confortable pendant l'automne. This wool jacket seems very comfortable during autumn.
Ses souliers vernis sont trop serrés pour marcher longtemps. His patent leather shoes are too tight for walking long distances.
Elle préfère porter des vêtements amples durant les chaudes journées d'été. She prefers wearing loose clothing during hot summer days.
Ce bonnet en maille tricotée est extrêmement chaud. This knitted beanie is extremely warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about French clothing vocabulary and usage.

French uses specific verbs depending on whether you are describing the action of putting on clothes or the state of wearing them:

Mettre: Means 'to put on'. Example: Je mets mon manteau (I'm putting on my coat).
Porter: Means 'to wear'. Example: Il porte une chemise blanche (He is wearing a white shirt).
S'habiller: Means 'to get dressed'. Example: Elle s'habille rapidement le matin (She gets dressed quickly in the morning).
Enlever or Ôter: Means 'to take off'. Example: Enlève tes chaussures sales (Take off your dirty shoes).

The French language distinguishes between clothing sizes and shoe sizes using two different words:

La taille: Used for clothing size. Ask: Quelle est votre taille ? or Tu fais quelle taille ?
La pointure: Used exclusively for shoe size. Ask: Quelle est votre pointure ? or Tu fais du combien ?
To answer, use faire du: Je fais du 38 (I am a size 38).

Grammatical agreement with clothing and color adjectives follows specific rules:

Standard color adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun: une veste noire, des pantalons bleus.
Compound colors or colors derived from real objects (fruits, minerals) remain invariable: des t-shirts marron, des robes bleu marine.
Placement: Color adjectives always come after the clothing noun (e.g., un chapeau rouge).

While all three are upper-body garments worn for warmth, they refer to distinct styles in French:

Un pull (short for pullover): A knitted sweater without a front opening.
Un gilet: A cardigan or vest, usually open at the front with buttons or a zip.
Un sweat à capuche: A hooded sweatshirt or casual hoodie.

Yes, everyday clothing terms vary significantly between France and Quebec:

In France, 'sweater' is un pull, whereas in Quebec it is often called un chandail.
In France, 'socks' are des chaussettes, while in Quebec long socks might be called des bas.
In France, a winter beanie is un bonnet, but in Quebec it is known as une tuque.

French Clothes Vocabulary