Clothes come up every day — what to wear, what fits, what to take back. These words let you describe anything hanging in your closet and handle a changing room without switching to your own language.
1. What Should I Wear?
Rosa: Is this too much for dinner?
Teo: The dress? No, it's perfect.
Rosa: It feels formal.
Teo: Wear flat shoes, then. It'll balance out.
Rosa: Good idea.
2. In the Changing Room
Clerk: Can I help you?
Ida: Can I try these on?
Clerk: Of course. Three items, room four.
Ida: Thanks.
Clerk: Call me if you need another size.
3. The Wrong Size
Ida: It's too tight across the shoulders.
Clerk: What size is that?
Ida: Medium.
Clerk: I'll get you a large.
Ida: Please. And in black, if you have it.
Clerk: One moment.
4. Choosing a Color
Jonas: Blue or green?
Mai: The blue one. It suits you.
Jonas: I've got three blue shirts already.
Mai: Then green. It's brighter.
Jonas: Green it is.
5. Dressing for the Weather
Elsa: Take a jacket.
Ravi: It's warm out.
Elsa: It won't be at midnight.
Ravi: Fine. The light one.
Elsa: And proper shoes. It might rain.
Ravi: Yes, Mum.
6. Taking Something Back
Nils: I'd like to return this.
Clerk: Is anything wrong with it?
Nils: It doesn't fit me. Am I too late?
Clerk: Fourteen days with a receipt.
Nils: Here it is.
Clerk: Perfect. Refund or exchange?
7. A Stain and a Hole
Lucia: There's a stain on the sleeve.
Marco: Coffee?
Lucia: Probably. And a hole in the pocket.
Marco: Time to throw it out.
Lucia: It's my favorite shirt.
Marco: It always is.
8. Doing the Laundry
Ken: Is this ready to wash?
Ada: Check the label first.
Ken: Thirty degrees.
Ada: Cold, then. It might shrink.
Ken: And hang it up, not the dryer.
Ada: Exactly.
Words to know
| try on | to put clothes on in a shop to see if they are right Can I try these on? |
| size | how big or small a piece of clothing is What size is that? Medium. |
| fit | to be the right size for your body It doesn't fit me. |
| tight | too close to the body; not loose enough It's too tight across the shoulders. |
| suit | to look good on a particular person The blue one. It suits you. |
| sleeve | the part of a shirt that covers your arm There's a stain on the sleeve. |
| stain | a mark on cloth that will not brush off There's a stain on the sleeve. |
| shrink | to become smaller after washing Wash it cold. It might shrink. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Can I ________ these on?
B: Of course. Three items, room four.
2. A: It's too ________ across the shoulders.
B: I'll get you a large.
3. A: Blue or green?
B: The blue one. It ________ you.
4. A: Is anything wrong with it?
B: It doesn't ________ me. Am I too late?
5. A: There's a ________ on the sleeve.
B: Coffee?
6. A: Thirty degrees on the label.
B: Cold, then. It might ________.
Show the answers
1. try 2. tight 3. suits 4. fit 5. stain 6. shrink
Common mistakes
Not: This shirt doesn't fit to me.
Say: This shirt doesn't fit me.
Fit never takes to. The person follows the verb directly.
Not: I want to try this jacket.
Say: I'd like to try this jacket on.
For clothes in a shop the verb is try on. Without on it sounds like you want to test the jacket, not wear it.
Not: What color is your favorite?
Say: What's your favorite color?
Favorite goes in front of the noun it describes.
Your turn
Open your closet and stand in front of it. Say these five things aloud.
- Describe what you are wearing right now, from top to bottom.
- Name your favorite item of clothing and say why it is your favorite.
- Say what size you take in shirts and in shoes.
- Ask for a different size in a shop, in one polite sentence.
- Say what you would wear tonight if the weather turned cold.
Quick review
The three verbs in this lesson do different jobs and learners mix them up constantly. Fit is about size, suit is about looks, match is about two things going together. Say one sentence with each about clothes you own, and the difference will stick.