1. Style & formality

• trendy – very modern and influenced by the latest fashion trends.
  She always wears trendy jackets and trainers.
• fashionable – popular at the moment and connected with fashion.
  Everyone at the party was wearing fashionable clothes.
• stylish – looking smart and attractive, with a good sense of style.
  Lucy always chooses stylish outfits that suit her.
• chic – very stylish in an elegant, simple way (often used about women’s clothes).
  She looked chic in a simple black dress and heels.
• classic – traditional and simple in design, and so never goes out of fashion.
  His classic dark suit still looks good after many years.
• casual – relaxed, informal clothing that is not very smart.
  At the weekend I usually wear casual clothes like jeans and a T-shirt.
• formal – very smart and suitable for important or official events.
  We have to wear formal clothes to the business dinner.
• comfortable – pleasant to wear and not tight or painful.
  I change into comfortable clothes as soon as I get home.

2. Fit (how clothes sit on your body)

• tight – very close to your body, with almost no extra space.
  These jeans are too tight, I can hardly move.
• loose – not tight, with a comfortable amount of extra space.
  Since I lost weight, all my T-shirts are a bit loose.
• baggy – very loose and much bigger than your body.
  He likes wearing baggy trousers and oversized hoodies.

Loose is usually positive (comfortable); baggy often sounds extra large or too big.

3. Patterns & designs

• patterned – with a repeated design, for example flowers or shapes.
  Lara wore a patterned shirt covered in small flowers.
• plain – with only one colour and no pattern.
  He chose a plain white shirt for the interview.
• checked – with a pattern of small or big squares in two or more colours.
  I love his checked trousers with red and green squares.
• striped – with lines of a different colour going across the material.
  She wore a blue and white striped top.
• spotted – with small circles or dots all over it.
  Her spotted dress had tiny red dots everywhere.

4. Materials: everyday fabrics

• denim – strong, usually blue cotton fabric used for jeans and jackets.
  He is wearing a denim jacket and black jeans.
• cotton – a soft, natural fabric that lets your skin breathe.
  I prefer cotton T-shirts in summer.
• polyester – a strong artificial fabric that doesn’t crease easily.
  His warm jacket is made of polyester.
• linen – a light, cool fabric, ideal for hot weather.
  She often wears linen trousers on holiday.
• fleece – a soft, fluffy fabric like artificial wool, used for warm clothes.
  My fleece jacket kept me warm on the trip.

5. Materials: special & luxury fabrics

• silk – a very smooth, shiny fabric used for expensive shirts, dresses and ties.
  Her evening dress is made of silk.
• velvet – a thick, soft fabric that looks rich and shiny.
  He wore a dark green velvet jacket.
• lace – a delicate fabric with many small holes and patterns.
  The dress had beautiful lace sleeves.
• tweed – a rough, thick wool fabric with mixed colours, used for warm jackets.
  His tweed blazer looks very classic and smart.
• fur – thick animal hair used in very warm coats (or a synthetic copy).
  Fur coats are expensive and often controversial.
• leather – strong material made from animal skin, used for jackets, bags and shoes.
  He always wears a black leather jacket.
• suede – a soft type of leather with a smooth, matt surface.
  My suede boots look nice but are hard to clean.

6. Verbs: getting dressed

• dress up – to wear very smart or special clothes for an event or party.
  It’s a formal dinner, so we have to dress up.
• dress down – to wear more casual clothes than usual.
  We can dress down on Fridays at work.
• put on – to start wearing a piece of clothing.
  Put on your coat, it’s cold outside.
• take off – to remove a piece of clothing from your body.
  I took off my shoes at the door.
• try on – to put clothes on in a shop to see if they fit or look good.
  She tried on three pairs of jeans before buying one.

7. Verbs: how clothes look on you

• fit – to be the right size or shape for someone.
  These trousers don’t fit me; they’re too small.
• suit – to look good on someone and make them look attractive.
  That colour really suits you.
• match – when two items of clothing look good together, usually because of colour or style.
  Your blue scarf matches your blue bag perfectly.

Fit = size is right, suit = looks good on you, match = items go well together.

8. Verbs: caring for clothes & fastenings

• fold (clothes) – to bend clothes neatly so you can put them in a drawer or on a shelf.
  I folded my T-shirts and put them away.
• hang (clothes) – to put clothes on a hanger or hook.
  I always hang my dresses in the wardrobe.
• iron – to make clothes smooth by pressing them with a hot iron.
  He irons his shirts before work.
• button up – to fasten all the buttons on a shirt, coat, etc.
  Button up your coat, it’s windy.
• unbutton – to open the buttons on something.
  She unbuttoned her jacket when she came inside.
• zip up – to close something using a zip.
  Don’t forget to zip up your backpack.
• unzip – to open a zip.
  He unzipped his coat as the room warmed up.
• tuck in – to put the bottom of a shirt or top inside trousers or a skirt.
  Please tuck your shirt in for the interview.