We all take pride in how we present ourselves. Clothing and accessories are a huge part of our everyday lives, they prepare us for various settings whether professional or casual, and we also use our outfits for self-expression. So knowing how to talk about clothing in French is a necessity!
In this post we’ll learn all the vocabulary to describe clothes in French, broken down by category. Let’s get started!
Clothing in French: Les vêtements, Les habits
Before we get into specific items of clothing in French, let’s just begin with the basics. In English, you say clothes or clothing to describe the ensemble of clothing items we wear, whereas in French we have a variety of words that can be used. Les vêtements and les habits, both masculine nouns, refer to items of clothing, while un ensemble refers to an outfit. When using slang, we use the term des fringues, a feminine noun, to describe clothing items.
This article is brought to you by LingoCulture, Where you can get unlimited private French classes via Zoom with native teachers for a flat monthly rate. It’s the closest thing to immersion you can get without living in a French-speaking country. Click here to learn more.
Casual Wear: Les vêtements de tous les jours, détendus, et décontractés
In this section we include the most common pieces of casual clothing in French. Specific sections follow for various seasonal and theme-specific occasions. Les vêtements de tous les jours translates literally as everyday clothes in French, while we can say either les vêtements détendus or les vêtements décontractés to mean casual wear.
| Casual wear | Les vêtements de tous les jours |
| Shirt | Une chemise, Un chemisier |
| T-shirt | Un t-shirt |
| Top | Un haut |
| Halter-top | Un haut à dos nu |
| Button-down shirt | Une chemise boutonnée |
| Polo shirt | Un polo |
| Blouse | Une blouse |
| Bodysuit | Un maillot de corps |
| Cardigan | Un chandail, Un gilet |
| Fleece | Un polaire |
| Skirt | Une jupe |
| Miniskirt | Une mini-jupe |
| Pants, Trousers | Un pantalon |
| Flair pants, Bellbottoms | Un pantalon en patte d’éléphant |
| Shorts | Un short |
| Jeans | Un jean |
| Belt | Une ceinture |
| Watch | Une montre |
| Necklace | Un collier |
| Earrings | Des boucles d’oreilles (f) |
| Bracelet | Un bracelet |
| Ring | Une bague |
| Bag | Un sac |
| Handbag | Un sac-à-main |
Formal Wear: Les vêtements habillés
Whether you’re dressing up for a night out with your friends or for a wedding, here’s the formal French clothing vocabulary you’ll need.
| Formal wear | Les vêtements habillés |
| Evening wear | Une tenue de soirée |
| Suit (man’s) | Un costume, Un costard |
| Suit (woman’s) | Un tailleur |
| Tuxedo | Un smoking |
| Black tie event | Une événement de société |
| Dress pants | Des pantalons habillés |
| Tie | Une cravate |
| Bowtie | Un noeud-papillon |
| Waistcoat | Un gilet |
| Blazer | Un blazer |
| Suspenders | Des bretelles |
| Dress | Une robe |
| Gown | Une robe du soir |
| A low-cut neckline | Un décolleté |
| Wedding dress | Une robe de mariée |
Summer clothes: Les vêtements d’été
Of course, when the summer heat kicks in, we need to peel away some layers and choose cooler clothes. Check out this list of summer clothes in French to get you ready for a seaside breeze and some SPF.
| Summer clothes | Les vêtements d’été |
| Sun dress | Une robe d’été |
| Sleeveless shirt | Un haut sans manches |
| Capri pants | Un pantalon capri |
| Bermuda shorts | Un bermuda |
| Overalls | Une salopette |
| Jumpsuit | Une combinaison |
| Bathing suit, Swimsuit, Swim trunks | Un maillot de bain |
| Bikini | Un bikini |
| One-piece | Un une pièce |
| Wetsuit | Une combinaison de plongée |
| Neoprene shirt, Rash guard | Une chemise en néoprène |
| Sunglasses | Des lunettes de soleil |
| Cap | Une casquette |
| Hat | Un chapeau |
Winter clothes: Les vêtements d’hiver
In winter, there is a wonderful French word for bundled up: emmitouflé(e). Check out this list for our common French winter clothing vocabulary. Note that this list is specific to France, since Québec has a lot of its own specific vocab for winter clothing in French!
| Winter clothing | Les vêtements d’hiver |
| Sweater | Un pull |
| Coat | Un manteau |
| Jacket | Une veste |
| Raincoat | Un impermeable |
| Denim jacket | Une veste en jean |
| Leather jacket | Une veste en cuir |
| Flight jacket | Une veste de vol |
| Parka, Anorak | Un anorak |
| Poncho | Un poncho |
| Gloves | Des gants (m) |
| Mittens | Des moufles (f) |
| Scarf | Une écharpe |
| Puffy jacket | Une doudoune |
| Snow hat | Un bonnet |
| Windbreaker | Un coupe-vent |
Sports clothes: Les vêtements de sports
In this section we focus on all the sports clothing you’ll need to hit the gym and other physical activities in French.
| Sportswear | Les vêtements de sport |
| Tracksuit | Un survêtement |
| Sweatshirt | Un sweatshirt, Un sweat |
| Hoodie | Un sweatshirt à capuche |
| Tank top | Un débardeur |
| Sports bra | Un soutiens-gorge de sport, Un soutif |
| Sweat pants, Joggers | Un jogging |
| Leggings | Des leggings (m) |
Underwear and Nightwear: Les sous-vêtements
This next category is to be extra specific when describing how laid back you are in your jammies, or how dressed up you are underneath your outfit. Check out this list of undergarments in French.
| Underwear | Les sous-vêtements |
| Bra | Un soutiens-gorge, Un soutif |
| Panty | Une culotte |
| Thong | Un string |
| Boxers | Un boxer, Un caleçon |
| Socks | Des chaussettes (f) |
| Tights | Des collants (m) |
| Pantyhose | Des bas (m) |
| Pyjama | Un pajama, Un pyjama |
| Nightgown | Une robe de nuit |
| Robe | Une robe de chambre |
| Bathrobe | Un peignoir |
| Garters | Des portes-jarretelles |
Shoes: Les chaussures
Sure, some of these could have been included in specific sections above, but we’ve chosen to group our whole list of footwear in French here.
| Shoes | Des chaussures (f) |
| Flip-flops | Des tongues (m) |
| Sneakers, Tennis shoes | Des baskets (f) |
| Boots | Des bottes (f) |
| Slip-ons | Des souliers (m) |
| Sandals | Des sandales (f) |
| Slippers | Des chaussons (m) |
| Espadrilles, Deck shoes | Des espadrilles (f) |
| Oxford shoes | Des chaussures richelieu (f) |
| Ankle boots | Des bottines (f) |
| Rain boots | Des bottes de pluie (f) |
| Combat boots | Des bottes de combat (f) |
| Ballet flats | Des ballerines (f) |
| Climbing shoes | Des chaussons d’escalade (m) |
| High heels | Des talons hauts (m) |
| Stilettos | Des talons aiguilles (m) |
| Clogs | Des sabots |
Conclusion: Clothing in French
With these lists of French clothing vocab, you’re ready to dress anyone! Shall we go over what we looked at today before we go?
First, we learned that in French, we can say clothing with a variety of words, whether les vêtements, les habits, or les fringues. Then we looked at the different categories of clothing, starting with casual and formal wear, moving on to summer and winter wear, and ending with sportswear, underwear, sleepwear, and shoes.
Do you want to be able to describe your clothing? Check out our posts on French adjectives and colors in French to add a bit more detail. You may also be interested in learning how to talk about the body and physical traits in French to help describe your clothing needs and desires with even more precision.
We hope this post has given you the vocab you were looking for, and has helped you learn how to name clothes in French. Remember that you can bookmark it so that you can review the vocabulary whenever you need to. See you next time!