French Clothing Vocab – Clothes in French
Learning the different articles of clothing in French is fundamental to surviving in daily life. Fortunately and unsurprisingly there aren’t really any clothing articles in French that you probably aren’t already familiar with. This should make it easy to memorize all of the clothing-related vocabulary that exists out there seeing as you should already be able to associate it with something that you can recognize.
To start off, let’s look at some articles of clothing that both men and women often wear.
| Unisex Clothing Terms in French | Unisex Clothing Terms in English |
|---|---|
| L’anorak (m) | Ski jacket / Winter jacket |
| Le blouson | Jacket |
| Le bracelet | Bracelet |
| La casquette | Cap |
| La ceinture | Belt |
| Le chapeau | Hat |
| Le collier | Necklace |
| Le gant | Glove |
| Le gilet | Vest, Cardigan |
| L’imperméable (m) | Raincoat |
| Le jean | Jeans |
| Le maillot | Jersey |
| Le maillot de bain | Swimsuit |
| La manche | Sleeve |
| Le manteau | Coat |
| Le masque | Mask |
| Le pantalon | Pants (US) / Trousers (UK) |
| Le peignoir (de bain) | Bathrobe |
| Le pull | Sweater / Pullover / Jumper |
| Le pyjama | Pajamas / Pyjamas |
| La salopette | Overalls |
| Le short | Shorts |
| Le slip | Underpants, briefs |
| Le sweat-shirt / sweatshirt | Sweatshirt |
| Le tablier | Apron |
| Le tee-shirt | T-shirt |
| L’écharpe (f) / Le foulard | Scarf |
| L’uniforme (m) | Uniform |
Sticking with the theme of unisex clothing let’s look at some French footwear vocabulary.
| Footwear Vocabulary in French | Footwear Vocabulary in English |
|---|---|
| Les baskets (f) / Les tennis (m) | Sneakers / Trainers |
| Les bottes | Boots |
| Les bottines | Bootees |
| Les chaussettes (f) | Socks |
| Les chaussures (f) | Shoes |
| Les chaussures à talons hauts (f) | High-heeled shoes |
| Les espadrilles (f) | Espadrilles |
| Les sandales (f) | Sandals |
| Les pantoufles (f) | Slippers |
Let’s now go over articles of clothing that are typically associated with men.
| Men’s Clothing in French | Men’s Clothing in English |
|---|---|
| Le boxer (short) | Boxer briefs |
| Le caleçon | Boxer shorts |
| La chemise | Shirt / Button-Up Shirt |
| Le costume | Suit |
| La cravate | Tie |
| Le gilet | Vest / Suit vest / Waistcoast |
| Le maillot de corps | Undershirt |
| Le nœud papillon | Bowtie |
| Le polo | Polo shirt |
| Le smoking | Tuxedo |
| Le veston de sport | Sport jacet |
Let’s not finish off with some clothing that we most often associate with women.
| Women’s Clothing in French | Women’s Clothing in English |
|---|---|
| Le bikini | Bikini |
| La chemise de nuit | Nightshirt / Nightgown |
| Le chemisier | Blouse |
| Le collant | Tights / Pantyhose |
| La combinaison | Slip |
| Le débardeur | Tank top |
| La jupe | Skirt |
| La minijupe | Miniskirt |
| La robe | Dress / Gown |
| Le slip | Panties |
| Le tailleur | Suit (for women) |
| Les bas (m) | Stockings |
| Le soutif / Le soutien-gorge | Bra |
Hopefully now you have a good idea of the most common French clothing vocabulary used among natives. To learn other French vocabulary head on over to the French vocabulary page.
