clothes
noun /kləʊðz/, /kləʊz/
/kləʊðz/, /kləʊz/
[plural]Idioms - the things that you wear, such as trousers, dresses and jackets
enlarge image- I bought some new clothes for the trip.
- They were dressed in designer clothes (= clothes designed by famous fashion designers).
- to put on/take off your clothes
- clean/dirty clothes
- a police officer in civilian clothes (= not in uniform)
- work clothes (= for wearing to work)
- She was wearing casual clothes.
- maternity/baby clothes (= for pregnant women/babies)
- winter/summer clothes
- a clothes shop
- She has no clothes sense (= she does not know what clothes look attractive).
- Bring a change of clothes with you.
Synonyms clothesclothes- clothing
- garment
- dress
- wear
- gear
- clothes [pl.] the things that you wear, such as shirts, jackets, dresses and trousers.
- clothing [U] (rather formal) clothes, especially a particular type of clothes:
- warm clothing
- garment (formal) a piece of clothing:
- He was wearing a strange shapeless garment.
- dress [U] clothes, especially when worn in a particular style or for a particular occasion:
- We were allowed to wear casual dress on Fridays.
- wear [U] (usually in compounds) clothes for a particular purpose or occasion, especially when they are being sold in shops:
- the children’s wear department
- gear [U] (informal) clothes:
- Her friends were all wearing the latest designer gear.
- casual clothes/clothing/dress/wear/gear
- evening/formal clothes/dress/wear
- designer/sports clothes/clothing/garments/wear/gear
- children’s/men’s/women’s clothes/clothing/garments/wear
- to have on/be in/wear …clothes/garments/dress/gear
Culture formal and informal dressformal and informal dressIn general, people in Britain and the US dress in a fairly informal way. Many wear casual clothes most of the time, not just when they are at home or on holiday. Men and women wear jeans or other casual trousers with a shirt or T-shirt and a sweater to go shopping, meet friends, go to a pub or bar, or take their children out. Older people are more likely to dress more smartly, with women wearing a dress or skirt and blouse, and men a shirt, jacket and trousers, when they go out. In summer people may wear shorts (= short trousers), but these are not usually considered appropriate for work in an office.Many people dress up (= put on smart clothes) to go to a formal party or an expensive restaurant. Young people are most interested in following fashion and regularly buy new clothes.Men wear suits, and women wear suits or dresses, for formal occasions like funerals or interviews for jobs. Some wear suits or smart clothes every day because their employer expects it or because they think it makes them look more professional. Most people prefer more casual, comfortable clothes for work but some companies do not like people wearing jeans. Employees in banks and shops often have uniforms.For very formal occasions during the day, such as a wedding, men may wear morning dress. This includes a jacket with long ‘tails’ at the back, dark grey trousers and a grey top hat. Women wear a smart dress and perhaps a hat. For very formal events in the evening, men may wear evening dress, also called white tie, which consists of a black tailcoat, black trousers, a white waistcoat, white shirt and white bow tie. Women usually wear a long evening dress or ball gown. Usually for formal evening events men wear black tie or a tuxedo, consisting of a black dinner jacket, black trousers and a black bow tie.Collocations Clothes and fashionClothes and fashionClothes- be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/fur/uniform
- be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
- be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
- be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
- wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
- wear jewellery/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
- have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
- put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
- pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
- change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas
- change/enhance/improve your appearance
- create/get/have/give something a new/contemporary/retro look
- brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
- have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
- have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
- have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
- have/get a makeover/cosmetic surgery
- use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
- follow/keep up with (the) fashion/the latest fashions
- spend/waste money on designer clothes
- be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
- have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
- update/revamp your wardrobe
- be in/come into/go out of fashion
- be (back/very much) in vogue
- create a style/trend/vogue for something
- organize/put on a fashion show
- show/unveil a designer’s spring/summer collection
- sashay/strut down the catwalk/(North American English also) runway
- be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashiona1- He wore his best clothes to the interview.
- I'm going to take a set of clean clothes with me.
- She didn't recognize him in his everyday clothes.
- a new suit of clothes for the baby
- I quickly threw on some clothes and ran downstairs.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- beautiful
- elegant
- fancy
- …
- set
- suit
- pull on
- put (back) on
- remove
- …
- shop
- store
- designer
- …
- in clothes
- a change of clothes
Word OriginOld English clāthas, plural of clāth, related to Dutch kleed and German Kleid, of unknown ultimate origin.
Idioms
the emperor's new clothes
(also the emperor has no clothes)
- used to describe a situation in which everybody suddenly realizes that they were wrong to believe that somebody/something was very good, important, etc.
- Is this artist's white canvas a case of the emperor's new clothes or is it something beautiful, even moving?
- Soon investors will realize that the emperor has no clothes and there will be a big sell-off in stocks.