Talking about clothes

Clothing vocabulary is useful whenever you describe yourself or another person, from everyday conversations to shopping for something to wear.

The main verb you need is porter. You can use it with clothing, accessories, and colors to describe an outfit.

Common clothes

These words cover many of the clothes you might wear as part of an everyday outfit:

Une veste is generally a lighter outer layer or jacket, while un manteau is a coat worn for more protection from the weather.

For footwear, these words commonly appear in the plural when referring to a pair:

Des chaussures is the general word for shoes. Des baskets are sneakers or trainers, while des bottes cover the ankle or extend farther up the leg.

Clothing accessories

Accessories can be practical, decorative, or both. These are some common words for items worn or carried with an outfit:

Un chapeau is the general word for a hat, while une casquette is a cap with a visor, such as a baseball cap.

Un sac can refer to different kinds of bags.

Describing what someone is wearing with porter

Use porter to say what you or someone else is wearing:

porter + clothing

You can use porter for accessories too:

Describing clothes with colors

Add a color after a clothing noun to give more detail:

clothing + color

You can combine porter, clothing, and a color in a complete sentence:

subject + porter + clothing + color

Asking what someone is wearing

To ask what someone is wearing, use qu'est-ce que with porter:

qu'est-ce que + subject + porter ?

You can answer with porter and include one or several items:

From learning to practice

When you get dressed, try to describe what you are wearing in French. Start with the clothes, then add their colors and any accessories.