Talking about dresses in Spanish is where fashion meets vocabulary. Whether you’re shopping, describing an outfit, or complimenting someone’s look on Instagram, knowing your estilos de vestidos /esˈti.los ðe βesˈti.ðos/ — dress styles — helps you say much more than “me gusta tu vestido”.
Here you’ll learn how to name dress lengths, shapes, necklines, fabrics, and patterns, plus the phrases you need to try things on and ask for what you actually want in a store.
By the end, you’ll sound less like “confused tourist pointing at a mannequin” and more like someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
Quick Primer
A few essential words:
- vestido /βesˈti.ðo/ — dress
- falda /ˈfal.ða/ — skirt
- talla /ˈta.ʎa, ˈta.ʝa/ — size
- probador /pɾo.βaˈðoɾ/ — fitting room
- escote /esˈko.te/ — neckline
Basic patterns you’ll reuse:
- Busco un vestido… /ˈbus.ko un βesˈti.ðo/ — I’m looking for a dress…
- Me gusta este vestido porque… /me ˈɣus.ta ˈes.te βesˈti.ðo ˈpoɾ.ke/ — I like this dress because…
- Es demasiado corto / largo / ajustado. /es de.maˈsja.ðo ˈkoɾ.to, ˈlaɾ.ɣo, axusˈta.ðo/ — It’s too short / long / tight.
Core Words For Dresses And Outfits
Let’s name the basic pieces before we get fancy.
Spanish | IPA | English
vestido | /βesˈti.ðo/ | dress
vestido elegante | /βesˈti.ðo e.leˈɣan.te/ | elegant dress
vestido informal | /βesˈti.ðo in.foɾˈmal/ | casual dress
falda | /ˈfal.ða/ | skirt
blusa | /ˈblu.sa/ | blouse
top | /top/ | top
conjunto | /konˈxun.to/ | matching set / outfit
Useful phrases:
Necesito un vestido para una boda.
/ne.seˈsi.to un βesˈti.ðo ˈpa.ɾa ˈu.na ˈβo.ða/
I need a dress for a wedding.
Quiero algo cómodo pero elegante.
/ˈkje.ɾo ˈal.ɣo ˈko.mo.ðo ˈpe.ɾo e.leˈɣan.te/
I want something comfortable but elegant.
Dress Lengths: Mini, Midi, Maxi
Length is one of the first things people mention when describing a dress.
Spanish | IPA | English
vestido corto | /βesˈti.ðo ˈkoɾ.to/ | short dress / mini dress
vestido a la rodilla | /βesˈti.ðo a la roˈði.ʝa/ | knee-length dress
vestido midi | /βesˈti.ðo ˈmi.ði/ | midi dress
vestido largo | /βesˈti.ðo ˈlaɾ.ɣo/ | long dress / maxi dress
vestido hasta el suelo | /βesˈti.ðo ˈas.ta el ˈswe.lo/ | floor-length dress
Extra phrases:
Spanish | IPA | English
por encima de la rodilla | /poɾ enˈθi.ma, enˈsi.ma ðe la roˈði.ʝa/ | above the knee
por debajo de la rodilla | /poɾ deˈβa.xo ðe la roˈði.ʝa/ | below the knee
Examples:
Prefiero los vestidos por encima de la rodilla.
/pɾeˈfje.ɾo los βesˈti.ðos poɾ enˈsi.ma ðe la roˈði.ʝa/
I prefer dresses above the knee.
Para esa fiesta necesito un vestido largo.
/ˈpa.ɾa ˈe.sa ˈfjes.ta ne.seˈsi.to un βesˈti.ðo ˈlaɾ.ɣo/
For that party I need a long dress.
Common Dress Shapes And Cuts
Now the fun style vocabulary: shapes that change how a dress fits.
Spanish | IPA | English
vestido ajustado | /βesˈti.ðo axusˈta.ðo/ | tight / bodycon dress
vestido suelto | /βesˈti.ðo ˈswel.to/ | loose dress
vestido recto | /βesˈti.ðo ˈrek.to/ | straight dress / shift dress
vestido cruzado | /βesˈti.ðo kɾuˈsa.ðo/ | wrap dress
vestido camisero | /βesˈti.ðo kamiˈse.ɾo/ | shirt dress
vestido de línea A | /βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈli.ne.a ˈa/ | A-line dress
vestido entallado en la cintura | /βesˈti.ðo entaˈʎa.ðo, entaˈʝa.ðo en la θinˈtu.ɾa/ | fitted at the waist
vestido de vuelo | /βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈbwe.lo/ | flared / full-skirt dress
Extra style words:
Spanish | IPA | English
vestido de verano | /βesˈti.ðo ðe βeˈɾa.no/ | summer/sundress
vestido de fiesta | /βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈfjɛs.ta/ | party dress
vestido de cóctel | /βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈkok.tel/ | cocktail dress
vestido de noche | /βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈno.tʃe/ | evening dress
Usage note:
“Bodycon dress” is often just vestido ajustado or vestido muy ceñido /mu.i θeˈɲi.ðo, seˈɲi.ðo/ — very tight.
Necklines And Sleeves
These details decide whether a dress feels casual, elegant, or “I can’t lift my arms in this.”
Necklines
Spanish | IPA | English
escote en V | /esˈko.te en ˈu.βe/ | V-neck
escote redondo | /esˈko.te reˈðon.do/ | round neckline
escote cuadrado | /esˈko.te kwaˈðɾa.ðo/ | square neckline
escote palabra de honor | /esˈko.te paˈla.βɾa ðe oˈnoɾ/ | strapless neckline
escote corazón | /esˈko.te koɾaˈθon, koɾaˈson/ | sweetheart neckline
escote halter | /esˈko.te ˈal.teɾ, ˈxal.teɾ/ | halter neckline
escote asimétrico | /esˈko.te asiˈmetɾi.ko/ | asymmetric neckline
hombros descubiertos | /ˈom.bɾos ðes.kuˈβjeɾ.tos/ | off-the-shoulder
Sleeves
Spanish | IPA | English
sin mangas | /sin ˈmaŋ.ɡas/ | sleeveless
manga corta | /ˈmaŋ.ɡa ˈkoɾ.ta/ | short sleeve
manga tres cuartos | /ˈmaŋ.ɡa tɾes ˈkwaɾ.tos/ | three-quarter sleeve
manga larga | /ˈmaŋ.ɡa ˈlaɾ.ɣa/ | long sleeve
tirantes | /tiˈɾan.tes/ | straps
Example sentence:
Busco un vestido de fiesta, sin mangas y con escote en V.
/ˈbus.ko un βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈfjɛs.ta sin ˈmaŋ.ɡas i kon esˈko.te en ˈu.βe/
I’m looking for a party dress, sleeveless and with a V-neck.
Patterns, Fabrics, And Style Adjectives
This is the vocabulary that turns “a dress” into “that dress that is absolutely you.”
Patterns
Spanish | IPA | English
liso | /ˈli.so/ | plain / solid color
de rayas | /ðe ˈra.jas/ | striped
de cuadros | /ðe ˈkwa.ðɾos/ | checkered / plaid
de flores | /ðe ˈflo.ɾes/ | floral
de lunares | /ðe luˈna.ɾes/ | polka-dots
estampado | /es.tamˈpa.ðo/ | patterned / printed
Fabrics (Most Common Ones)
Spanish | IPA | English
algodón | /al.ɣoˈðon/ | cotton
lino | /ˈli.no/ | linen
seda | /ˈse.ða/ | silk
poliéster | /po.ljesˈteɾ/ | polyester
encaje | /enˈka.xe/ | lace
Helpful Adjectives
Spanish | IPA | English
elegante | /e.leˈɣan.te/ | elegant
informal | /in.foɾˈmal/ | casual
cómodo | /ˈko.mo.ðo/ | comfortable
moderno | /moˈðeɾ.no/ | modern
clásico | /ˈkla.si.ko/ | classic
sexy | /ˈsek.si/ | sexy
llamativo | /ʝa.maˈti.βo/ | eye-catching
Example:
Es un vestido largo de flores, muy ligero y perfecto para el verano.
/es un βesˈti.ðo ˈlaɾ.ɣo ðe ˈflo.ɾes mu.i liˈxe.ɾo i peɾˈfek.to ˈpa.ɾa el βeˈɾa.no/
It’s a long floral dress, very light and perfect for summer.
Shopping And Trying On Phrases
Time to survive real shops and online browsing.
Asking For Sizes And Styles
Spanish | IPA | English
¿Qué tallas tienen? | /ke ˈta.ʝas ˈtje.nen/ | What sizes do you have?
Busco un vestido corto. | /ˈbus.ko un βesˈti.ðo ˈkoɾ.to/ | I’m looking for a short dress.
¿Tiene este modelo en otra talla? | /ˈtje.ne ˈes.te moˈðe.lo en ˈo.tɾa ˈta.ʝa/ | Do you have this style in another size?
¿Tiene este vestido en otro color? | /ˈtje.ne ˈes.te βesˈti.ðo en ˈo.tɾo koˈloɾ/ | Do you have this dress in another color?
Quiero algo más ajustado. | /ˈkje.ɾo ˈal.ɣo mas axusˈta.ðo/ | I want something more fitted.
Quiero algo más suelto. | /ˈkje.ɾo ˈal.ɣo mas ˈswel.to/ | I want something looser.
In The Fitting Room
Spanish | IPA | English
¿Dónde están los probadores? | /ˈdon.de esˈtan los pɾo.βaˈðoɾes/ | Where are the fitting rooms?
¿Puedo probármelo? | /ˈpwe.ðo pɾoˈβaɾ.me.lo/ | Can I try it on?
Me queda bien. | /me ˈke.ða ˈbjen/ | It fits me well.
Me queda grande. | /me ˈke.ða ˈɡɾan.de/ | It’s too big on me.
Me queda pequeño. | /me ˈke.ða peˈke.ɲo/ | It’s too small on me.
Es demasiado corto. | /es de.maˈsja.ðo ˈkoɾ.to/ | It’s too short.
Es un poco largo. | /es un ˈpo.ko ˈlaɾ.ɣo/ | It’s a bit long.
You can swap corto, largo, ajustado, suelto to fine-tune your opinion.
Region Notes
Spanish dress vocabulary is pretty consistent, but there are some flavor differences:
- Dress vs outfit words:
vestido is universal for “dress”. For “outfit,” people might say conjunto /konˈxun.to/, look /luk/, or outfit with Spanish pronunciation, depending on how fashion-y the context is. - Shirt words around dresses:
When talking about what goes with a skirt or dress, you may hear camiseta /kamiˈse.ta/, playera /plaˈʝe.ɾa/ (Mexico) or remera /reˈme.ɾa/ (Argentina) for “t-shirt”. - Neckline names:
escote palabra de honor is well-known for strapless; you’ll also see vestido sin tirantes /sin tiˈɾan.tes/ — dress with no straps.
The good news: the core words in this guide are widely understood across Spain and Latin America.
Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Asking For A Style In A Shop
Busco un vestido de fiesta, largo pero cómodo.
/ˈbus.ko un βesˈti.ðo ðe ˈfjɛs.ta ˈlaɾ.ɣo ˈpe.ɾo ˈko.mo.ðo/
I’m looking for a party dress, long but comfortable.
¿Prefiere algún color o tipo de escote?
/pɾeˈfje.ɾe alˈɣun koˈloɾ o ˈti.po ðe esˈko.te/
Do you prefer any color or type of neckline?
Algo en negro, con escote en V y sin mangas, por favor.
/ˈal.ɣo en ˈne.ɣɾo kon esˈko.te en ˈu.βe i sin ˈmaŋ.ɡas poɾ faˈβoɾ/
Something in black, with a V-neck and sleeveless, please.
Dialogue 2: In The Fitting Room
¿Qué tal el vestido?
/ke ˈtal el βesˈti.ðo/
How’s the dress?
Me gusta, pero me queda un poco ajustado en la cintura.
/me ˈɣus.ta ˈpe.ɾo me ˈke.ða un ˈpo.ko axusˈta.ðo en la θinˈtu.ɾa/
I like it, but it’s a bit tight at the waist.
Le puedo traer una talla más.
/le ˈpwe.ðo tɾaˈeɾ ˈu.na ˈta.ʝa mas/
I can bring you one size up.
Dialogue 3: Describing A Favorite Dress
Ese vestido te queda muy bien.
/ˈe.se βesˈti.ðo te ˈke.ða mu.i ˈbjen/
That dress looks really good on you.
Gracias, es mi vestido favorito: es midi, de flores y con hombros descubiertos.
/ˈɡɾa.sjas es mi βesˈti.ðo faβoˈɾi.to es ˈmi.ði ðe ˈflo.ɾes i kon ˈom.bɾos ðes.kuˈβjeɾ.tos/
Thanks, it’s my favorite dress: it’s midi, floral, and off the shoulder.
Sí, es elegante pero muy fresco.
/si es e.leˈɣan.te ˈpe.ɾo mu.i ˈfɾes.ko/
Yes, it’s elegant but very light.
Quick Reference
Spanish | IPA | English
vestido | /βesˈti.ðo/ | dress
vestido corto | /βesˈti.ðo ˈkoɾ.to/ | short / mini dress
vestido largo | /βesˈti.ðo ˈlaɾ.ɣo/ | long / maxi dress
vestido midi | /βesˈti.ðo ˈmi.ði/ | midi dress
vestido cruzado | /βesˈti.ðo kɾuˈsa.ðo/ | wrap dress
vestido camisero | /βesˈti.ðo kamiˈse.ɾo/ | shirt dress
vestido ajustado | /βesˈti.ðo axusˈta.ðo/ | tight / bodycon dress
vestido suelto | /βesˈti.ðo ˈswel.to/ | loose dress
escote en V | /esˈko.te en ˈu.βe/ | V-neck
escote redondo | /esˈko.te reˈðon.do/ | round neckline
sin mangas | /sin ˈmaŋ.ɡas/ | sleeveless
manga larga | /ˈmaŋ.ɡa ˈlaɾ.ɣa/ | long sleeve
de flores | /ðe ˈflo.ɾes/ | floral
de lunares | /ðe luˈna.ɾes/ | polka-dots
de rayas | /ðe ˈra.jas/ | striped
talla | /ˈta.ʝa/ | size
probador | /pɾo.βaˈðoɾ/ | fitting room
Me queda bien. | /me ˈke.ða ˈbjen/ | It fits me well.
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Pick three dresses you own (or imagine them) and describe each in Spanish: length, fit, neckline, pattern. One sentence per dress.
- Write a short “shopping request” in Spanish: Busco un vestido… and add at least three details (occasion, length, color, or neckline).
- Practice the fitting-room phrases out loud: Me queda bien / grande / pequeño / ajustado / largo / corto. Say them with different adjectives each time.
- Take a screenshot of a dress online and record a 20-second voice note in Spanish describing it using at least one pattern word and one fit word.
- Memorize the three mini dialogues and then change one detail in each (long vs short, floral vs plain, tight vs loose) and say them again.
- Make a tiny “wishlist” in Spanish: three lines starting with Quiero un vestido… and vary style, length, and occasion each time.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
Once you can talk about estilos de vestidos in Spanish, shopping stops being a game of pointing and hoping, and starts being a real conversation. You’ll be able to ask for what actually suits you, compliment other people’s outfits with precision, and turn any mirror selfie into solid Spanish practice.