Clothes and costumes

A2 Talking about the past Vocabulary

Learn everyday clothes and surprising costumes, from helmets and armour to diving suits, capes and rags.

1. Overview

Clothes are part of everyday life, but they can also tell us something about a person, a place, a job, a period of history, or even an adventure.

In this unit, you will learn common clothes that people wear every day, such as trousers, jeans, shirts, T-shirts, skirts, dresses, jumpers, coats and jackets. You will also learn words for footwear and accessories, such as shoes, boots, trainers, hats, belts, gloves and scarves.

But clothes are not always ordinary.

A knight can wear armour. A diver needs a diving suit. A king may wear a crown and a cape. A pirate might wear boots, a long coat and a bandana. And someone who has been lost in the wilderness for months might be wearing little more than rags.

When we talk about clothes, the verb wear is especially important. We use it to describe the clothes that someone has on.

She is wearing a red dress.

He usually wears jeans and a T-shirt.

We can also describe clothes using adjectives. Clothes can be long or short, tight or loose, smart or casual, new or old. We can talk about colours, materials and patterns too: a black leather jacket, a blue cotton shirt or a striped T-shirt.

Different situations require different clothes. You might wear a suit to an important meeting, a swimsuit at the beach, warm clothes in the mountains, or waterproof clothes on a rainy day.

Clothes can also help us create characters and tell stories. Think about a Roman soldier in armour, an explorer in heavy boots, a superhero in a cape, or an astronaut in a spacesuit. Before they say a single word, their clothes already tell us something about who they are and what they might be doing.

In this unit, you will practise identifying clothes, describing what people are wearing, choosing suitable clothes for different situations, and creating costumes for characters, festivals and imaginary adventures.

Because clothes don’t just cover people. They can also be part of the story.

2. Everyday clothes

These are common clothes for everyday life:

English	Meaning	Example
T-shirt	a casual top with short sleeves	I’m wearing a blue T-shirt.
shirt	a top with a collar and buttons	He wears a shirt to work.
trousers	clothes that cover both legs separately	These trousers are too long.
jeans	trousers made of denim	She often wears jeans.
skirt	clothing that hangs from the waist around the legs	The skirt has two pockets.
dress	one piece of clothing that covers the body and hangs around the legs	Mia is wearing a green dress.
shorts	short trousers	I wear shorts in summer.
jumper / sweater	a warm top, usually knitted	This jumper is warm and soft.
jacket	a short outer piece of clothing	Take your jacket. It is cold outside.
coat	a warm outer piece of clothing, often long	His coat is black.

In English, trousers, jeans and shorts are normally plural:

These jeans are old.
My shorts are in the bedroom.

3. Underwear, shoes and accessories

Accessories can add details to a description and change a costume:

English	Meaning	Example
underwear	clothes worn under other clothes	I need clean underwear.
socks	soft clothes that cover your feet	His socks are different colours.
shoes	footwear that covers your feet	These shoes are comfortable.
boots	footwear that also covers your ankles or legs	The knight is wearing heavy boots.
trainers	shoes for sport or casual wear	I wear trainers for running.
scarf	a long piece of cloth worn around the neck	She has a red scarf around her neck.
gloves	clothes that cover your hands	Wear gloves in the snow.
hat	something you wear on your head	The magician takes off his hat.
belt	a strip worn around the waist	The belt is made of leather.
backpack	a bag carried on your back	My backpack is full of books.

To say where you wear something, use expressions such as on your head, around your neck, on your hands and on your feet:

He is wearing a hat on his head.
She has a scarf around her neck.
I wear gloves on my hands and boots on my feet.

4. Clothes for strange adventures

An expedition, a play or a fantasy story may need special clothes:

English	Meaning	Example
armour	a hard covering that protects the body	The soldier is wearing shining armour.
helmet	a hard hat that protects the head	Put on your helmet before you ride the bike.
a diving suit	a special suit worn underwater	The diver is wearing a heavy diving suit.
a spacesuit	a special suit worn in space	The astronaut cannot wear ordinary clothes in space.
a cape	a piece of clothing that hangs from the shoulders	The superhero flies through the window in a red cape.
a cloak	a long outer covering that hangs from the shoulders	The wizard’s dark cloak covers his boots.
a robe	a long, loose piece of clothing	The king wears a long robe.
a costume	clothes worn to look like a character	Her pirate costume has a big hat.
a mask	a covering for the face	The thief is wearing a mask.
rags	old, torn clothes	The scarecrow is dressed in old rags.

A cape hangs from the shoulders and usually leaves the arms free. A cloak is longer and covers more of the body. A robe is a long, loose piece of clothing, usually with sleeves.

5. Materials, patterns and condition

To describe clothes, you can say what they are made of, what pattern they have and what condition they are in:

Word or expression	Meaning	Example
woollen	made of wool	She has a woollen scarf.
leather	made from animal skin	He wears a leather belt.
metal	made of metal	The metal helmet is very heavy.
striped	with lines	I have a striped shirt.
spotted	with dots or spots	The clown wears a spotted bow tie.
plain	without a pattern	He prefers plain T-shirts.
old-fashioned	in a style from the past	The explorer has an old-fashioned coat.
smart	neat and suitable for formal situations	You look smart in that jacket.
scruffy	untidy or looking dirty	His clothes look scruffy.
torn	with holes or tears	The pirate has a torn shirt.

The usual order is opinion + size + colour + material + noun:

a beautiful long red woollen cape
an old brown leather belt
a strange small metal helmet

6. Useful language

Wear means to have clothes on your body. Put on means to start wearing something. Take off means to remove it. Try on means to put something on to see if it fits or looks good.

I’m wearing a coat.
Put on your gloves.
Take off your muddy boots.
Can I try on this costume?

Use these questions and answers to talk about clothes:

What are you wearing? — I’m wearing jeans, a jumper and boots.
What is the astronaut wearing? — She is wearing a spacesuit.
What does the costume look like? — It is long, black and torn.

Use wear, rather than have, to describe the clothes on your body:

Incorrect: I have a jacket today.
Correct: I’m wearing a jacket today.

7. Common mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
a trousers	a pair of trousers
two shirt	two shirts
I am wear a coat.	I am wearing a coat.
She wears a red long dress.	She wears a long red dress.
Put your shoes.	Put on your shoes.
He is dressed with rags.	He is dressed in rags.

Use a pair of with clothes that normally have plural names:

a pair of trousers
a pair of jeans
a pair of shorts
a pair of gloves

8. Exercises

1. The troll’s clothes shop

Listen to the audio and look at the picture. Then answer the questions.

The Troll’s Clothes Shop

Mira and Lila are visiting a very unusual clothes shop in the old part of the city.

The shop belongs to a friendly troll called Grum. His shop is small, but it is completely full of clothes. There are shirts and jackets hanging from the walls, long dresses near the windows, boots on wooden tables, and hats everywhere.

You can even find armour, capes and strange costumes for adventurers.

Mira is looking at a beautiful red jacket with gold decoration. She likes it, but she thinks it is too formal.

”I need something comfortable,” she tells Grum. “I’m travelling to the mountains next week.”

Grum shows her a warm green coat and a pair of strong leather boots.

”These are much better for the mountains,” he says.

Meanwhile, Lila is standing in front of a large mirror. She is wearing a long dark dress with golden patterns. Her wings shine behind her in the mirror.

”What do you think?” she asks.

Mira smiles.

”It’s beautiful, but where are you going to wear it?”

Lila thinks for a moment.

”I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll find an adventure.”

Grum laughs and brings her a blue cape.

”Every adventure needs a good cape,” he says.

By the time the two fairies leave the shop, Mira has a coat and a pair of boots. Lila has the dark dress, the blue cape and a ridiculous purple hat.

They came to buy some clothes.

They leave looking ready to save a kingdom.

An unusual clothes shop run by a friendly troll

Answer the questions

Who owns the clothes shop?
What kinds of clothes can the fairies find in the shop?
Why doesn’t Mira buy the red jacket?
Where is Mira travelling next week?
What does Grum recommend for her journey?
What is Lila wearing in front of the mirror?
What does Grum bring to Lila?
What does each fairy buy in the end?

A friendly troll called Grum owns the shop.
They can find shirts, jackets, dresses, boots, hats, armour, capes and costumes.
Because she thinks it is too formal.
She is travelling to the mountains.
He recommends a warm green coat and a pair of strong leather boots.
She is wearing a long dark dress with golden patterns.
He brings her a blue cape.
Mira buys a coat and a pair of boots. Lila buys a dark dress, a blue cape and a purple hat.

2. Choose the correct word

Answers

You wear these on your feet: (shoes / gloves).
A superhero often wears this around the shoulders: (cape / belt).
A diver may wear this underwater: (diving suit / skirt).
A knight wears this to protect the body: (armour / underwear).
These clothes are old, dirty and torn: (rags / trainers).
You wear this on your head: (helmet / scarf).

3. Describe the wardrobe

Complete each sentence with a word from the box: striped — leather — woollen — torn — metal — spotted.

Answers

The clown has a ______ bow tie with many dots.
The knight’s ______ helmet is very heavy.
My warm ______ scarf is perfect for winter.
The pirate has a ______ shirt with a hole in it.
He wears a brown ______ belt.
She is wearing a ______ shirt with blue and white lines.

4. What are they wearing?

Complete the answers with the correct form of wear, put on, take off or try on.

Answers

What is the astronaut doing? She ______ a spacesuit.
It is cold. Please ______ your coat.
Your boots are muddy. Please ______ them ______.
Can I ______ this pirate costume ______?
What do you usually ______ at school?

5. Match the character and the outfit

Match each character with the correct description.

Answers

Character	Description
1. A knight	A. a long dark cloak and a pointed hat
2. A wizard	B. a metal helmet, armour and heavy boots
3. A scarecrow	C. a diving suit and a large helmet
4. A superhero	D. old rags and a straw hat
5. An underwater explorer	E. a bright cape and a mask

6. Correct the mistake

Answers

I’m wear a woollen jumper.
She has a beautiful red long cape.
He is dressed with old rags.
I need a trousers for the costume.
Take your helmet off it before dinner.
They are wearing a jeans and boots.

7. Create an unusual outfit

Write real or imaginary answers. Use at least one everyday item of clothing and one special item in each answer.

Example answers

What are you wearing for a journey to the moon?
What does a friendly monster wear?
What are you wearing at a medieval festival?
What does a mysterious traveller wear?

1. Overview

2. Everyday clothes

3. Underwear, shoes and accessories

4. Clothes for strange adventures

5. Materials, patterns and condition

6. Useful language

7. Common mistakes

8. Exercises

1. The troll’s clothes shop

2. Choose the correct word

3. Describe the wardrobe

4. What are they wearing?

5. Match the character and the outfit

6. Correct the mistake

7. Create an unusual outfit

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