Clothes in French 60 Easy Words and Shopping Phrases

Getting dressed in French is surprisingly useful. You need it for shopping, packing, talking about the weather, describing people, and having that classic “Where are my socks?” life crisis in another language.

This guide teaches practical French clothes vocabulary plus the shopping phrases you actually need in a real store. We’ll stick to standard France French, with a few quick notes when something is worth knowing.

Because yes, knowing une robe is helpful, but knowing how to say “Do you have this in black?” is where the magic happens.

If you want more French basics after this, the main Learn French hub is a good next stop.

Table of Contents

How To Talk About Clothes In French

In French, clothing words usually come with an article, so learn them as chunks: le pantalon, la chemise, les chaussures. That helps you remember gender and number from the start.

A few quick patterns:

le = masculine singular
la = feminine singular
l’ = before a vowel sound
les = plural

Examples: le manteau (the coat), la jupe (the skirt), l’écharpe (the scarf), les bottes (the boots).

Yak tip: if you forget the gender, you can still communicate. If you learn the article too, you sound much more natural.

Core French Clothes Vocabulary

Let’s start with the most useful everyday clothes words first.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le vêtement	luh vet-mahn	clothing item / garment	Ce vêtement est très confortable.	This garment is very comfortable.	Often used more generally than in daily casual speech.
les vêtements	lay vet-mahn	clothes	J’achète des vêtements pour l’hiver.	I’m buying clothes for winter.	Very useful general word.
le t-shirt	luh tee-shirt	T-shirt	Je porte un t-shirt blanc aujourd’hui.	I’m wearing a white T-shirt today.	Common modern borrowing.
la chemise	lah shuh-meez	shirt	Il met une chemise bleue pour le travail.	He wears a blue shirt for work.	Usually a dress shirt or button-up.
le chemisier	luh shuh-mee-zee-ay	blouse	Elle aime ce chemisier léger.	She likes this light blouse.	Often used for women’s blouse.
le pull	luh pool	sweater	En hiver, je porte un pull chaud.	In winter, I wear a warm sweater.	Short for pull-over.
le sweat	luh swet	sweatshirt	Tu prends ton sweat pour sortir ?	Are you taking your sweatshirt to go out?	Common casual word.
la veste	lah vest	jacket	Ma veste est sur la chaise.	My jacket is on the chair.	Can mean jacket or blazer depending on context.
le manteau	luh mahn-toh	coat	Il fait froid, prends ton manteau.	It’s cold, take your coat.	Very common weather word too.
le blouson	luh bloo-zohn	jacket / casual jacket	J’adore ton blouson en cuir.	I love your leather jacket.	More casual than veste.
le pantalon	luh pahn-tah-lohn	trousers / pants	Ce pantalon est un peu long.	These trousers are a little long.	Standard word in France French.
le jean	luh jeen	jeans	Je mets souvent un jean le week-end.	I often wear jeans on weekends.	Often singular in French.
le short	luh short	shorts	En été, il porte un short beige.	In summer, he wears beige shorts.	Another common borrowing.

More Everyday Clothes Words

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la jupe	lah zhoop	skirt	Cette jupe noire est élégante.	This black skirt is elegant.	Feminine noun.
la robe	lah rob	dress	Elle porte une robe rouge.	She is wearing a red dress.	Useful basic word.
le costume	luh kos-tewm	suit	Il achète un costume pour le mariage.	He’s buying a suit for the wedding.	For men’s suit in many contexts.
le tailleur	luh tah-yuhr	women’s suit	Elle porte un tailleur gris au bureau.	She wears a gray suit at the office.	More formal vocabulary.
le pyjama	luh pee-zhah-mah	pajamas	Mon pyjama est très doux.	My pajamas are very soft.	Often singular in French.
la tenue	lah tuh-new	outfit	J’aime bien ta tenue aujourd’hui.	I really like your outfit today.	Very useful for talking about clothes generally.
l’uniforme	loo-nee-form	uniform	Les élèves portent un uniforme.	The students wear a uniform.	Masculine: un uniforme.
le survêtement	luh sewr-vet-mahn	tracksuit	Il met un survêtement pour le sport.	He wears a tracksuit for sports.	Good practical word.
le maillot de bain	luh my-oh duh ban	swimsuit	Où est mon maillot de bain ?	Where is my swimsuit?	Used for men’s or women’s swimsuit depending on context.
le peignoir	luh pen-wahr	bathrobe	Je mets mon peignoir le matin.	I put on my bathrobe in the morning.	Handy home vocabulary.
la combinaison	lah kohm-bee-neh-zohn	jumpsuit / all-in-one outfit	Cette combinaison est très pratique.	This jumpsuit is very practical.	Meaning depends on context.
la salopette	lah sah-loh-pet	overalls / dungarees	Il porte une salopette en jean.	He is wearing denim overalls.	Casual clothing word.

Underwear, Socks, And Sleepwear

This section is less glamorous, but wildly useful.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
les sous-vêtements	lay soo-vet-mahn	underwear	Je dois acheter des sous-vêtements.	I need to buy underwear.	General term.
le slip	luh sleep	briefs	Il préfère les slips aux boxers.	He prefers briefs to boxers.	Yes, French slip does not mean a mistake here.
le boxer	luh bok-sehr	boxer shorts	Je prends un boxer noir.	I’m taking black boxer shorts.	Common modern word.
la culotte	lah kew-lot	women’s underwear / panties	Cette culotte en coton est confortable.	These cotton panties are comfortable.	Can also mean underwear generally in some contexts.
le soutien-gorge	luh soo-tyan-gorzh	bra	Elle cherche un soutien-gorge beige.	She is looking for a beige bra.	Long word, but common.
les chaussettes	lay show-set	socks	Mes chaussettes sont dans le tiroir.	My socks are in the drawer.	Usually plural.
les collants	lay koh-lahn	tights	Elle porte des collants noirs.	She is wearing black tights.	Plural form is common.
les bas	lay bah	stockings	Elle achète des bas pour la soirée.	She’s buying stockings for the evening.	Not the same as bas meaning low.
la nuisette	lah nwee-zet	nightdress	Cette nuisette est légère.	This nightdress is light.	More specific than pajamas.
la robe de chambre	lah rob duh shahm-br	dressing gown / robe	Ma robe de chambre est très chaude.	My dressing gown is very warm.	Another word close to bathrobe.

Shoes And Footwear In French

Shoes deserve their own section because people talk about them a lot, and because French stores absolutely will ask your size.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
les chaussures	lay show-sewr	shoes	Ces chaussures sont trop petites.	These shoes are too small.	Main general word.
les baskets	lay bas-ket	sneakers / trainers	Je mets mes baskets pour marcher.	I put on my sneakers to walk.	Very common in France.
les bottes	lay bot	boots	Elle porte des bottes en cuir.	She is wearing leather boots.	Plural usually.
les bottines	lay bo-teen	ankle boots	Ces bottines sont jolies.	These ankle boots are pretty.	Smaller than bottes.
les sandales	lay sawn-dahl	sandals	En été, je porte des sandales.	In summer, I wear sandals.	Very useful travel word.
les talons	lay tah-lohn	heels	Je ne porte jamais de talons.	I never wear heels.	Short for high heels in many contexts.
les pantoufles	lay pahn-toofl	slippers	Où sont mes pantoufles ?	Where are my slippers?	Classic home word.
les mocassins	lay moh-kah-sanh	loafers	Il aime les mocassins marron.	He likes brown loafers.	More formal footwear.
les chaussures de sport	lay show-sewr duh spor	sports shoes	J’ai besoin de nouvelles chaussures de sport.	I need new sports shoes.	Good neutral phrase.

For a bigger accessories and add-ons list, see clothing accessories in French.

Accessories You Will Hear All The Time

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le chapeau	luh shah-poh	hat	Il porte un chapeau noir.	He is wearing a black hat.	General hat word.
la casquette	lah kas-ket	cap	J’ai oublié ma casquette.	I forgot my cap.	Useful in sunny weather.
le bonnet	luh bo-nay	beanie / wool hat	Prends ton bonnet, il fait froid.	Take your beanie, it’s cold.	Not a baby bonnet in normal modern use.
l’écharpe	lay-sharp	scarf	Cette écharpe est très douce.	This scarf is very soft.	Elision: l’écharpe.
les gants	lay gahn	gloves	Je cherche mes gants.	I’m looking for my gloves.	The final s is silent.
la ceinture	lah san-tewr	belt	Cette ceinture est en cuir.	This belt is made of leather.	Useful with trousers talk.
la cravate	lah krah-vaht	tie	Il met une cravate bleue.	He puts on a blue tie.	Formal clothing word.
le nœud papillon	luh nuh pa-pee-yohn	bow tie	Il porte un nœud papillon pour la fête.	He wears a bow tie for the party.	Fancy, but useful.
le sac	luh sak	bag	Mon sac est sous la table.	My bag is under the table.	Not clothing exactly, but often bought with clothes.
le sac à main	luh sak ah man	handbag	Elle cherche un sac à main noir.	She is looking for a black handbag.	Common store vocabulary.

Fabric, Style, And Clothing Details

These words help you describe what you want instead of vaguely pointing at things and hoping for the best.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
en coton	ahn ko-tohn	made of cotton	Je préfère les t-shirts en coton.	I prefer cotton T-shirts.	Very common shopping phrase.
en laine	ahn len	made of wool	Ce pull en laine est chaud.	This wool sweater is warm.	Good winter word.
en cuir	ahn kweer	made of leather	Elle veut des bottes en cuir.	She wants leather boots.	Very common in stores.
à manches longues	ah mahnsh long	long-sleeved	Je cherche une chemise à manches longues.	I’m looking for a long-sleeved shirt.	Useful descriptive phrase.
à manches courtes	ah mahnsh koort	short-sleeved	Je voudrais un t-shirt à manches courtes.	I’d like a short-sleeved T-shirt.	Good store phrase.
serré	seh-ray	tight	Ce jean est trop serré.	These jeans are too tight.	Add serrée for feminine singular.
large	larzh	wide / loose	Ce pull est un peu large.	This sweater is a little loose.	Also means broad or wide.
confortable	kohn-for-tabl	comfortable	Ces chaussures sont très confortables.	These shoes are very comfortable.	Same form for masculine and feminine.
élégant	ay-lay-gahn	elegant	Ton manteau est très élégant.	Your coat is very elegant.	Feminine: élégante.
décontracté	day-kohn-trak-tay	casual	Je préfère un style décontracté.	I prefer a casual style.	Useful for describing style.
à la mode	ah lah mod	fashionable	Cette veste est très à la mode.	This jacket is very fashionable.	Nice fixed phrase.
d’occasion	doh-kah-zyohn	second-hand	J’achète parfois des vêtements d’occasion.	I sometimes buy second-hand clothes.	Useful for thrift shopping.

14 French Shopping Phrases You Actually Need

Now for the phrases that save you in a real shop. These are the ones that matter when your French suddenly vanishes the second a sales assistant appears.

French Phrase	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Je cherche…	zhuh shersh	I’m looking for…	Je cherche une veste noire.	I’m looking for a black jacket.	Easy and versatile.
Je voudrais…	zhuh voo-dray	I would like…	Je voudrais un pull en laine.	I’d like a wool sweater.	Polite and very useful.
Vous avez cette taille ?	voo zah-vay set ty	Do you have this size?	Vous avez cette taille en 40 ?	Do you have this size in 40?	Liaison in vous avez.
Vous avez une taille au-dessus ?	voo zah-vay oon ty oh-duh-su	Do you have a size up?	Vous avez une taille au-dessus pour ce pantalon ?	Do you have a size up for these trousers?	Very practical fitting-room phrase.
Vous avez une taille en dessous ?	voo zah-vay oon ty ahn duh-soo	Do you have a size down?	Vous avez une taille en dessous ? C’est un peu grand.	Do you have a size down? It’s a little big.	grand often means too big for fit.
Est-ce que je peux l’essayer ?	ess-kuh zhuh puh less-ay-yay	Can I try it on?	Est-ce que je peux l’essayer avant d’acheter ?	Can I try it on before buying?	l’ replaces the item.
Où sont les cabines d’essayage ?	oo sohn lay kah-been day-say-yazh	Where are the fitting rooms?	Excusez-moi, où sont les cabines d’essayage ?	Excuse me, where are the fitting rooms?	Very common store phrase.
C’est trop grand.	say troh grahn	It’s too big.	Cette chemise est trop grande.	This shirt is too big.	Agree adjective: grand/grande.
C’est trop petit.	say troh puh-tee	It’s too small.	Le manteau est trop petit.	The coat is too small.	Feminine becomes petite.
Ça me va bien.	sah muh vah byan	It suits me / It fits me well.	Cette robe me va bien.	This dress suits me well.	Very natural French phrase.
Ça ne me va pas.	sah nuh muh vah pah	It doesn’t suit me / fit me.	Non, ce pantalon ne me va pas.	No, these trousers don’t fit me.	Classic ne…pas negation.
Je le prends.	zhuh luh prahn	I’ll take it.	Parfait, je le prends.	Perfect, I’ll take it.	le can change to la or les.
Combien ça coûte ?	kohm-byan sah koot	How much does it cost?	Combien ça coûte, s’il vous plaît ?	How much does it cost, please?	Super useful everywhere.
Je peux payer par carte ?	zhuh puh pay-yay par kart	Can I pay by card?	Je peux payer par carte ici ?	Can I pay by card here?	Perfect travel phrase.

Mini Color Combos For Clothes

Clothes vocabulary gets much more useful when you can add colors. A few classics:

une robe noire = a black dress
un t-shirt blanc = a white T-shirt
un manteau gris = a gray coat
des chaussures marron = brown shoes
une chemise bleue = a blue shirt
une jupe rouge = a red skirt

If you want a full color guide, head to French colors.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Using English plurals: French often uses singular where English uses plural, like un jean or un pyjama.
Forgetting agreement: Cette robe est trop grande, not trop grand.
Mixing up fit and style: Ça me va bien means it suits or fits you well, not just that it is physically possible to wear.
Ignoring articles: learn la robe, not just robe. Your future French will thank you.
Confusing false friends: un slip in French means briefs, not a small accident or an embarrassing mistake. Language is a gift.

Quick Practice

Try translating these into French:

I’m looking for a black coat.
Do you have this in blue?
These shoes are too small.
Can I try it on?
I’ll take it.

Possible answers:

Je cherche un manteau noir.
Vous avez ça en bleu ?
Ces chaussures sont trop petites.
Est-ce que je peux l’essayer ?
Je le prends.

Quick Reference Summary

les vêtements = clothes
le pantalon = trousers / pants
la robe = dress
la jupe = skirt
le pull = sweater
les chaussures = shoes
Je cherche… = I’m looking for…
Je voudrais… = I would like…
Ça me va bien. = It fits/suits me well.
C’est trop grand / petit. = It’s too big / small.

Keep Practicing Your French Vocabulary

Want to check your level? Try the French placement test. If you want to see how many words you really know, the French vocabulary test is a very honest little reality check.

And if you want to go beyond basic clothes into the extras people wear and carry, the guide to clothing accessories in French is the logical next step.

Yak takeaway: learn the item, the article, and one shopping phrase together. La robe, une robe noire, Est-ce que je peux l’essayer ? That’s how random words turn into real French you can actually use in the wild.