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Oxford Online English, How to Talk About Clothes in English - Spoken English Lesson

How to Talk About Clothes in English - Spoken English Lesson

Hi, I'm Justin.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to talk about clothes and fashion in English.

Can you describe the clothes you like to wear in detail?

Do you know how to compliment someone on their style?

In this lesson, you'll learn how to do these things and more.

Let's start with the basics: what are you wearing right now?

Hello, Molotov Fashions, how can I help?

Hi!

Yeah, I made an order online, but there's a problem with it.

I'm sorry to hear that.

What's the problem exactly?

I ordered a floral-print silk scarf, but you've sent me a patterned wool scarf instead.

I'm sorry to hear that.

What was your order number?

5633BQ Let me see…

Yes, I see it now.

So, you can return the silk scarf using the label you received in your package.

I see you also ordered a striped cotton top.

Did that arrive okay?

Actually, no!

You sent me a plain denim shirt.

Oh, I am sorry!

We really messed that up.

So, you can return those two items, and we'll send out your leather jacket and your velour

tracksuit.

Leather jacket?!

Velour?!

What are you talking about?

Look, maybe I'll just return the items for a refund.

Of course.

I'm sorry, our computer systems are a little unreliable.

You don't say.

In this dialogue, you heard different words to describe patterns and materials.

Can you remember any?

You saw these words for patterns:

floral-print patterned

striped And: plain

There's one common pattern which is missing.

Do you know it?

You could also have check clothing, for example a check shirt.

You can say check or checked—the meaning is the same.

You can use print with many different things.

For example, you could have a fruit-print dress, or an eagle-print T-shirt.

You can use patterned for any clothing which has some kind of pattern which doesn't fit

any of the other words.

What about materials?

Can you remember the words from the dialogue?

You heard these words for materials:

silk wool

cotton denim

leather And: velour

Velour is a kind of soft material.

It's not so common.

If you're talking about clothes and you want to describe the pattern and the material,

put the pattern first.

For example:

a floral-print silk scarf a plain denim shirt

Or: a striped cotton top

Now, it's your turn to practice!

Pause the video and make three sentences to describe your clothing.

Include the pattern and the material.

You can say your sentences out loud, or write them down.

Ready?

Let's move on.

So, what do you think?

It's okay, but it's a little loose, and the sleeves aren't long enough.

Would you like to try a smaller size?

But then the sleeves will be even shorter!

I think I need to try something else.

How's that one?

It looks like a good fit to me!

Hmm…

It's a little tight around the shoulders.

I think it goes well with your shoes.

Did I mention that we have a 20% discount today?

I'm not sure about the style, either.

It's a little too hipster for me.

Would you like to try something else?

No, I don't think so.

Thanks for your all help.

When you buy new clothes, of course you want them to fit well and look good.

But, sometimes they don't fit well.

They might be too tight or too loose.

Maybe it's just too big or small in one place.

Then, you could say something like:

It's tight around the shoulders.

Or: It's too big around the waist.

Notice how you say the shoulders and not my shoulders.

What other problems could you have with how clothes fit?

Do you remember what happened in the dialogue?

You could also say:

The sleeves aren't long enough.

Or: The collar is too tight.

Useful words here are too and enough.

You can use them to express similar ideas, like this:

The sleeves aren't long enough.

Or: The sleeves are too short.

With these phrases, you can talk about fit, but what about style?

If something doesn't match your personal tastes, you could say something like:

It's too casual for me.

It's too old-fashioned for me.

Or: It's too fancy for me.

When the shop assistant in the dialogue was trying to persuade me to buy something, he

said:

It goes well with your shoes.

This is one way to say that something looks good on someone.

You could also say something like:

It suits you.

Or: It matches your eyes.

We have a question for you: what's your personal style?

Do you prefer smart clothes, or casual?

Plain, or colourful?

Let us know in the comments!

Next, let's look at some more ways to compliment someone on their clothing.

Is that a new shirt?

Yeah!

Do you like it?

I do!

It looks good on you.

Thanks!

It makes you look much slimmer.

What do you mean?

I mean…

I just…

I like the fit; that's what I meant to say.

Hmm.

Don't be so moody!

You look very smart.

You should wear smart clothes more often.

It's a good look for you!

I'll try to find more clothes that make me look slimmer, then.

Oh, don't be ridiculous.

So, if you want to compliment someone on their clothes, what can you say?

You can use phrases you heard before, like it suits you, but in the dialogue you heard

some more phrases, such as:

That looks good on you!

Or: It's a good look for you.

You could also comment on a particular aspect of the clothing:

I like the fit!

I like the style!

Or: I like the colours!

You can also make a more personal compliment, like this:

It makes you look slimmer.

Or: You look very smart.

You can use these phrases in different ways.

For example:

It makes you look younger.

Or: You look very elegant.

Now, you can describe clothes in detail, talk about the fit and style of clothes, and compliment

people on their clothes in English.

There's one more thing we have to show you.

Are you ready?

Don't tell me you're going like that!

What do you mean?

It's a formal event.

You need to dress up.

Go get changed!

This okay?

No!

You need to put on a tie.

And take off those awful shoes.

But these are the only shoes I have!

You are a nightmare!

Well, we have just about enough time.

We'll stop at the shop on the way and buy you some black shoes.

What if they don't fit?

I need time to try them on before I buy them.

You should have thought about that earlier.

There are many phrasal verbs connected with clothing.

Can you remember the ones you heard in the dialogue?

There are simple verbs, like put on and…

Wait, what's the opposite?

Did you say put off?

We hope not!

The opposite of put on is take off.

If you need to put on some different clothes, then you need to get changed.

There are other verb phrases with get, like get dressed or get undressed.

If you're shopping for new clothes, you should certainly try them on before you buy

them, to make sure they fit and look good.

And finally, if you're going to a formal event, you'll need to dress up.

Dress up means you put on your smartest, nicest clothes, usually for a special occasion.

Now, we have a question for you: what's the best place to buy clothes in your city?

Tell us where to go in case we visit!

You can share your ideas in the comments.

Don't forget to check out our website to find more free English lessons: Oxford Online

English dot com.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!

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How to Talk About Clothes in English - Spoken English Lesson Wie man auf Englisch über Kleidung spricht - Gesprochene Englisch Lektion Cómo hablar de ropa en inglés - Lección de inglés hablado Comment parler des vêtements en anglais - Leçon d'anglais parlé Come parlare di vestiti in inglese - Lezione di inglese parlato 英語で洋服について話すには? Hoe over kleding praten in het Engels - Gesproken Engelse les Jak rozmawiać o ubraniach po angielsku - lekcja mówionego angielskiego Como falar sobre roupas em inglês - Aula de inglês falado Как говорить об одежде на английском языке - Урок разговорного английского языка İngilizce Kıyafetler Hakkında Nasıl Konuşulur - Konuşma İngilizcesi Dersi 如何用英语谈论衣服 - 英语口语课程

Hi, I'm Justin.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to talk about clothes and fashion in English.

Can you describe the clothes you like to wear in detail?

Do you know how to compliment someone on their style? Wissen Sie, wie man jemandem ein Kompliment für seinen Stil macht?

In this lesson, you'll learn how to do these things and more.

Let's start with the basics: what are you wearing right now?

Hello, Molotov Fashions, how can I help? Hallo, Molotov Fashions, wie kann ich helfen?

Hi!

Yeah, I made an order online, but there's a problem with it. Ja, ich habe eine Online-Bestellung aufgegeben, aber es gibt ein Problem damit.

I'm sorry to hear that. Es tut mir leid, das zu hören.

What's the problem exactly? Was genau ist das Problem?

I ordered a floral-print silk scarf, but you've sent me a patterned wool scarf instead. ||||||||||||à motifs||| |||||seda|cachecol de seda|||||||lã|| Ich habe einen Seidenschal mit Blumendruck bestellt, aber Sie haben mir stattdessen einen gemusterten Wollschal geschickt.

I'm sorry to hear that. Es tut mir leid, das zu hören.

What was your order number? Wie lautete Ihre Bestellnummer?

5633BQ Let me see… 5633BQ Lassen Sie mich sehen...

Yes, I see it now. Ja, ich sehe es jetzt.

So, you can return the silk scarf using the label you received in your package. |||||||||etiqueta||||| Sie können den Seidenschal also mit dem Etikett zurücksenden, das Sie in Ihrem Paket erhalten haben.

I see you also ordered a striped cotton top. ||||||listrado|| Wie ich sehe, haben Sie auch ein gestreiftes Baumwolltop bestellt.

Did that arrive okay? Ist das gut angekommen?

Actually, no! Nein, eigentlich nicht!

You sent me a plain denim shirt. ||||uni|| |||||jeans| Sie haben mir ein einfaches Jeanshemd geschickt.

Oh, I am sorry! Oh, das tut mir leid!

We really messed that up. ||estragamos|| Das haben wir wirklich vermasselt.

So, you can return those two items, and we'll send out your leather jacket and your velour ||||||||||||||||veludo Sie können diese beiden Artikel zurückgeben, und wir schicken Ihnen Ihre Lederjacke und Ihr Veloursleder zu.

tracksuit. Survêtement. fato de treino

Leather jacket?! Lederjacke?!

Velour?! Velours ?!

What are you talking about? Was soll das heißen?

Look, maybe I'll just return the items for a refund. |||||||||reembolso Vielleicht bringe ich die Artikel einfach zurück und erhalte eine Rückerstattung.

Of course. Ja, natürlich.

I'm sorry, our computer systems are a little unreliable. ||||||||peu fiables ||||||||pouco confiáveis Es tut mir leid, unsere Computersysteme sind ein wenig unzuverlässig.

You don't say. Was du nicht sagst.

In this dialogue, you heard different words to describe patterns and materials. In diesem Dialog haben Sie verschiedene Wörter gehört, die Muster und Materialien beschreiben.

Can you remember any? Können Sie sich an welche erinnern?

You saw these words for patterns: Sie haben diese Wörter als Muster gesehen:

floral-print patterned mit Blumendruck gemustert

striped And: plain rayé et uni|| ||liso gestreift Und: einfarbig

There's one common pattern which is missing. Es gibt ein gemeinsames Muster, das fehlt.

Do you know it? Kennen Sie es?

You could also have check clothing, for example a check shirt. ||||à carreaux|||||à carreaux| Sie könnten auch karierte Kleidung haben, zum Beispiel ein kariertes Hemd.

You can say check or checked—the meaning is the same. |||||coché||||| Sie können check oder checked sagen - die Bedeutung ist dieselbe.

You can use print with many different things. |||imprimir|||| Sie können den Druck für viele verschiedene Dinge verwenden.

For example, you could have a fruit-print dress, or an eagle-print T-shirt. Du könntest zum Beispiel ein Kleid mit Fruchtdruck oder ein T-Shirt mit Adlerdruck tragen.

You can use patterned for any clothing which has some kind of pattern which doesn't fit |||à motifs|||||||||||| |||com padrão|||||||||||| Sie können gemustert für alle Kleidungsstücke verwenden, die eine Art Muster haben, das nicht passt.

any of the other words. eines der anderen Wörter.

What about materials? Wie sieht es mit Materialien aus?

Can you remember the words from the dialogue? Können Sie sich an die Worte des Dialogs erinnern?

You heard these words for materials:

silk wool

cotton denim Baumwolldenim

leather And: velour ||veludo Leder Und: Velours

Velour is a kind of soft material. Velours ist eine Art weiches Material.

It's not so common. Das ist nicht so üblich.

If you're talking about clothes and you want to describe the pattern and the material, Wenn es um Kleidung geht und Sie das Muster und das Material beschreiben wollen,

put the pattern first. legen Sie das Muster zuerst.

For example: Zum Beispiel:

a floral-print silk scarf a plain denim shirt ||||||listra simples|| ein Seidenschal mit Blumenmuster ein einfarbiges Jeanshemd

Or: a striped cotton top |||algodão| Oder: ein gestreiftes Baumwolltop

Now, it's your turn to practice! Jetzt sind Sie mit dem Üben dran!

Pause the video and make three sentences to describe your clothing. Halte das Video an und schreibe drei Sätze, um deine Kleidung zu beschreiben.

Include the pattern and the material. ||Motif inclus matière||| Geben Sie das Muster und das Material an.

You can say your sentences out loud, or write them down.

Ready?

Let's move on. Weiter geht's.

So, what do you think? Was halten Sie davon?

It's okay, but it's a little loose, and the sleeves aren't long enough. ||||un peu|||||manches||| ||||||solto|||as mangas||| Es ist okay, aber es ist ein bisschen locker und die Ärmel sind nicht lang genug.

Would you like to try a smaller size? Möchten Sie eine kleinere Größe ausprobieren?

But then the sleeves will be even shorter! Aber dann werden die Ärmel noch kürzer sein!

I think I need to try something else. Ich glaube, ich muss etwas anderes ausprobieren.

How's that one? Comment est|| Wie ist das?

It looks like a good fit to me! Das scheint mir gut zu passen!

Hmm…

It's a little tight around the shoulders. ||||||ombros An den Schultern ist es ein wenig eng.

I think it goes well with your shoes. Ich finde, es passt gut zu deinen Schuhen.

Did I mention that we have a 20% discount today? Habe ich schon erwähnt, dass wir heute einen Rabatt von 20% haben?

I'm not sure about the style, either. Je ne suis|||||| Ich bin mir auch nicht sicher, was den Stil angeht.

It's a little too hipster for me. ||||trop branché|| ||||muito alternativo|| Das ist mir ein bisschen zu hipsterig.

Would you like to try something else? Möchten Sie etwas anderes ausprobieren?

No, I don't think so. Nein, das glaube ich nicht.

Thanks for your all help. Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe.

When you buy new clothes, of course you want them to fit well and look good. Wenn Sie neue Kleidung kaufen, möchten Sie natürlich, dass sie gut sitzt und gut aussieht.

But, sometimes they don't fit well. Aber manchmal passen sie nicht gut.

They might be too tight or too loose. ||||apertados||| Sie könnten zu eng oder zu locker sein.

Maybe it's just too big or small in one place. Vielleicht ist sie an einem Ort einfach zu groß oder zu klein.

Then, you could say something like: Dann könnten Sie etwas sagen wie:

It's tight around the shoulders. Es ist eng an den Schultern.

Or: It's too big around the waist. ||||||cintura

Notice how you say the shoulders and not my shoulders. Beachten Sie, dass Sie "die Schultern" und nicht "meine Schultern" sagen.

What other problems could you have with how clothes fit? Quelles||||||||| Welche anderen Probleme könnten Sie mit der Passform Ihrer Kleidung haben?

Do you remember what happened in the dialogue? Erinnern Sie sich, was in dem Dialog passiert ist?

You could also say: Man könnte auch sagen:

The sleeves aren't long enough. |as mangas||| Die Ärmel sind nicht lang genug.

Or: The collar is too tight. ||Le col|||trop serré Oder: Der Kragen ist zu eng.

Useful words here are too and enough. Nützliche Wörter sind hier zu und genug.

You can use them to express similar ideas, like this: Sie können sie verwenden, um ähnliche Ideen auszudrücken, etwa so:

The sleeves aren't long enough. ||||longas o suficiente

Or: The sleeves are too short.

With these phrases, you can talk about fit, but what about style?

If something doesn't match your personal tastes, you could say something like: Wenn etwas nicht Ihrem persönlichen Geschmack entspricht, könnten Sie etwas sagen wie:

It's too casual for me. Für mich ist das zu lässig.

It's too old-fashioned for me.

Or: It's too fancy for me. |||elegante demais||

When the shop assistant in the dialogue was trying to persuade me to buy something, he Als der Verkäufer in dem Gespräch versuchte, mich zum Kauf zu überreden, sagte er

said: sagte:

It goes well with your shoes. |combina|bem||| Es passt gut zu Ihren Schuhen.

This is one way to say that something looks good on someone. Dies ist eine Möglichkeit zu sagen, dass etwas an jemandem gut aussieht.

You could also say something like: Sie könnten auch etwas sagen wie:

It suits you. Es passt zu Ihnen.

Or: It matches your eyes. Oder: Es passt zu Ihren Augen.

We have a question for you: what's your personal style? Wir haben eine Frage an Sie: Was ist Ihr persönlicher Stil?

Do you prefer smart clothes, or casual? |||roupas elegantes||| Bevorzugen Sie elegante oder legere Kleidung?

Plain, or colourful? simples ou colorido||colorido Schlicht oder bunt?

Let us know in the comments! Lassen Sie es uns in den Kommentaren wissen!

Next, let's look at some more ways to compliment someone on their clothing. Als Nächstes wollen wir uns einige weitere Möglichkeiten ansehen, wie man jemandem ein Kompliment für seine Kleidung machen kann.

Is that a new shirt? Ist das ein neues Hemd?

Yeah! Ja!

Do you like it? Gefällt er Ihnen?

I do! Ich schon!

It looks good on you. Es steht Ihnen gut.

Thanks! Danke!

It makes you look much slimmer. |||||plus mince |||||mais magro Es lässt Sie viel schlanker aussehen.

What do you mean? Wie meinen Sie das?

I mean… Ich meine...

I just… Ich habe nur...

I like the fit; that's what I meant to say. J'aime||||c'est|ce que|||| Ich mag die Passform; das wollte ich sagen.

Hmm. Hm.

Don't be so moody! |||Ne sois pas si lunatique ! |||mal-humorado Sei nicht so launisch!

You look very smart. |||Tu as l'air élégant. |||elegante Sie sehen sehr klug aus.

You should wear smart clothes more often. Sie sollten öfter schicke Kleidung tragen.

It's a good look for you! Das ist ein guter Look für dich!

I'll try to find more clothes that make me look slimmer, then. ||||||||||mais magro| Dann werde ich versuchen, mehr Kleidung zu finden, die mich schlanker aussehen lässt.

Oh, don't be ridiculous. |||ridículo Mach dich nicht lächerlich.

So, if you want to compliment someone on their clothes, what can you say?

You can use phrases you heard before, like it suits you, but in the dialogue you heard |||||||||cai||||||| Sie können Sätze verwenden, die Sie zuvor gehört haben, wie es Ihnen passt, aber in dem Dialog, den Sie gehört haben

some more phrases, such as:

That looks good on you! Das steht dir gut!

Or: It's a good look for you. Oder: Es steht Ihnen gut.

You could also comment on a particular aspect of the clothing: Sie können sich auch zu einem bestimmten Aspekt der Kleidung äußern:

I like the fit! Mir gefällt die Passform!

I like the style!

Or: I like the colours!

You can also make a more personal compliment, like this:

It makes you look slimmer. Es lässt Sie schlanker aussehen.

Or: You look very smart. Oder: Du siehst sehr klug aus.

You can use these phrases in different ways.

For example:

It makes you look younger. ||||mais jovem Es lässt Sie jünger aussehen.

Or: You look very elegant.

Now, you can describe clothes in detail, talk about the fit and style of clothes, and compliment

people on their clothes in English.

There's one more thing we have to show you. Es gibt noch eine Sache, die wir Ihnen zeigen müssen.

Are you ready? Sind Sie bereit?

Don't tell me you're going like that! Sag mir nicht, dass du so gehst!

What do you mean?

It's a formal event. Es ist eine formelle Veranstaltung.

You need to dress up. Sie müssen sich schick machen.

Go get changed! Geh dich umziehen!

This okay? Ist das okay?

No!

You need to put on a tie. Sie müssen sich eine Krawatte umbinden.

And take off those awful shoes. Und zieh diese furchtbaren Schuhe aus.

But these are the only shoes I have!

You are a nightmare! |||um pesadelo Du bist ein Albtraum!

Well, we have just about enough time. Nun, wir haben gerade noch genug Zeit.

We'll stop at the shop on the way and buy you some black shoes. ||||loja||||||||| Auf dem Weg dorthin halten wir am Laden an und kaufen dir schwarze Schuhe.

What if they don't fit? Was ist, wenn sie nicht passen?

I need time to try them on before I buy them. Ich brauche Zeit, um sie anzuprobieren, bevor ich sie kaufe.

You should have thought about that earlier. |||pensado||| Daran hätten Sie früher denken sollen.

There are many phrasal verbs connected with clothing. Es gibt viele Phrasal Verbs im Zusammenhang mit Kleidung.

Can you remember the ones you heard in the dialogue? Erinnern Sie sich an die, die Sie im Dialog gehört haben?

There are simple verbs, like put on and…

Wait, what's the opposite?

Did you say put off? Sagtest du "aufschieben"?

We hope not!

The opposite of put on is take off.

If you need to put on some different clothes, then you need to get changed. Wenn Sie etwas anderes anziehen müssen, müssen Sie sich umziehen.

There are other verb phrases with get, like get dressed or get undressed. ||||||||||||despir-se Es gibt auch andere Verben mit get, wie get dressed oder get undressed.

If you're shopping for new clothes, you should certainly try them on before you buy

them, to make sure they fit and look good. ||||||||bem um sicherzustellen, dass sie passen und gut aussehen.

And finally, if you're going to a formal event, you'll need to dress up. Und schließlich, wenn Sie zu einer formellen Veranstaltung gehen, müssen Sie sich schick machen.

Dress up means you put on your smartest, nicest clothes, usually for a special occasion. |||||||||||||spécial| Vestir-se||||||||||||||ocasião especial

Now, we have a question for you: what's the best place to buy clothes in your city?

Tell us where to go in case we visit!

You can share your ideas in the comments.

Don't forget to check out our website to find more free English lessons: Oxford Online

English dot com.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!