Clothes, Colors & Shopping
Words for clothing, shopping, and personal style
Overview
25 essential words for talking about clothes, shopping, and personal style — everyday vocabulary you’ll use in shops and conversations.
Words
boots /buːts/
noun — A1
Meaning: strong shoes that cover the foot and ankle or leg
Examples:
- She bought a new pair of boots.
- You’ll need warm boots for the snow.
Collocations: winter boots, rain boots, ankle boots
buy /baɪ/
verb — A1
Meaning: to get something by paying money for it
Examples:
- I want to buy a new phone.
- She bought a gift for her friend.
Collocations: buy something, buy online, best buy
Word Family: buy (v.) → buyer (n.)
cheap /tʃiːp/
adjective — A1
Meaning: costing little money; not expensive
Examples:
- The food here is really cheap.
- She found a cheap flight to London.
Collocations: cheap and cheerful, dirt cheap, cheap price
Word Family: cheap (adj.) → cheaply (adv.)
clothes /kləʊðz/
noun — A1
Meaning: things you wear, such as shirts, trousers, and dresses
Examples:
- I need to buy some new clothes.
- Put your dirty clothes in the basket.
Collocations: clothes shop, change clothes, warm clothes
coat /kəʊt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a piece of clothing with sleeves worn over other clothes for warmth
Examples:
- Put your coat on — it’s cold outside.
- She hung her coat by the door.
Collocations: winter coat, rain coat, coat hanger
colour /ˈkʌlər/
noun — A1
Meaning: the appearance of things resulting from light (red, blue, green, etc.)
Examples:
- What colour is your car?
- She likes bright colours.
Collocations: favourite colour, colour blind, change colour
Word Family: colour (n./v.) → colourful (adj.)
cost /kɒst/
verb, noun — A1
Meaning: (v.) to have a price of; (n.) the amount of money needed
Examples:
- How much does it cost?
- The cost of living is very high here.
Collocations: cost a lot, at all costs, cost of living
dollar /ˈdɒlər/
noun — A1
Meaning: the unit of money in the US and other countries
Examples:
- It costs ten dollars.
- Can you change this into dollars?
Collocations: US dollar, dollar bill, million dollars
dress /dres/
noun, verb — A1
Meaning: (n.) a piece of women’s clothing; (v.) to put clothes on
Examples:
- She wore a beautiful dress to the party.
- He dressed quickly and went out.
Collocations: dress up, get dressed, wedding dress
euro /ˈjʊərəʊ/
noun — A1
Meaning: the unit of money used in many European countries
Examples:
- The meal cost twenty euros.
- One euro is made up of 100 cents.
Collocations: euro zone, euro coin, in euros
expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/
adjective — A1
Meaning: costing a lot of money
Examples:
- That restaurant is too expensive.
- She bought an expensive watch.
Collocations: very expensive, expensive taste, most expensive
fashion /ˈfæʃn/
noun — A1
Meaning: a style of clothes, hair, etc. that is popular at a particular time
Examples:
- She’s very interested in fashion.
- That style went out of fashion years ago.
Collocations: fashion show, in fashion, out of fashion, fashion designer
Word Family: fashion (n.) → fashionable (adj.)
hat /hæt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a covering for the head
Examples:
- She always wears a hat in summer.
- Take off your hat inside.
Collocations: sun hat, top hat, hat and coat
jacket /ˈdʒækɪt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a short coat
Examples:
- He put on his jacket and left.
- She wears a leather jacket.
Collocations: leather jacket, rain jacket, life jacket
jeans /dʒiːnz/
noun — A1
Meaning: casual trousers made of strong cotton
Examples:
- He was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt.
- These jeans are too tight.
Collocations: blue jeans, pair of jeans, skinny jeans
pair /peər/
noun — A1
Meaning: two things of the same type used together
Examples:
- I bought a new pair of shoes.
- She wore a pair of glasses.
Collocations: a pair of, in pairs, pair up
pink /pɪŋk/
adjective, noun — A1
Meaning: a light red colour
Examples:
- She’s wearing a pink top.
- The sky turned pink at sunset.
Collocations: bright pink, pale pink, pink dress
pocket /ˈpɒkɪt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a small bag sewn into or onto clothing
Examples:
- He put his keys in his pocket.
- The jacket has two pockets.
Collocations: back pocket, pocket money, in your pocket
pound /paʊnd/
noun — A1
Meaning: the unit of money in the UK; a unit of weight
Examples:
- It costs five pounds.
- She lost ten pounds in weight.
Collocations: British pound, pound coin, pound sterling
red /red/
adjective, noun — A1
Meaning: the colour of blood or fire
Examples:
- She was wearing a red dress.
- The traffic light is red — stop!
Collocations: dark red, bright red, red light, red wine
sell /sel/
verb — A1
Meaning: to give something to someone in exchange for money
Examples:
- They sell fresh bread every morning.
- He sold his old car.
Collocations: sell out, best seller, sell for, sell well
Word Family: sell (v.) → seller (n.) → sale (n.)
shirt /ʃɜːt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a piece of clothing for the upper body with a collar and buttons
Examples:
- He wore a white shirt and tie.
- She ironed her shirt for the meeting.
Collocations: T-shirt, dress shirt, shirt and tie
shoe /ʃuː/
noun — A1
Meaning: a covering for the foot
Examples:
- I need a new pair of shoes.
- Take your shoes off at the door.
Collocations: pair of shoes, running shoes, shoe shop
shop /ʃɒp/
noun, verb — A1
Meaning: (n.) a building where you buy things; (v.) to buy things
Examples:
- There’s a book shop on the corner.
- I go shopping every Saturday.
Collocations: go shopping, shop for, coffee shop, shop online
Word Family: shop (n./v.) → shopper (n.) → shopping (n.)
white /waɪt/
adjective, noun — A1
Meaning: the lightest colour, like snow or milk
Examples:
- She wore a white dress.
- The walls are painted white.
Collocations: black and white, white wine, white shirt
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| boots | n. | strong ankle shoes |
| buy | v. | get with money |
| cheap | adj. | low cost |
| clothes | n. | things you wear |
| coat | n. | warm outer garment |
| colour | n. | red, blue, etc. |
| cost | v./n. | price; to have a price |
| dollar | n. | US currency |
| dress | n./v. | clothing; to put on |
| euro | n. | EU currency |
| expensive | adj. | high cost |
| fashion | n. | popular style |
| hat | n. | head covering |
| jacket | n. | short coat |
| jeans | n. | cotton trousers |
| pair | n. | two matching items |
| pink | adj./n. | light red |
| n. | sewn bag in clothes | |
| pound | n. | UK currency; weight |
| red | adj./n. | blood colour |
| sell | v. | exchange for money |
| shirt | n. | upper body garment |
| shoe | n. | foot covering |
| shop | n./v. | store; to buy |
| white | adj./n. | lightest colour |