Are you visiting or moving to a German speaking country? Well, at some point you’re going to need to go shopping for clothes and it will be really useful to learn names for clothes in German to get the exact thing you’re looking to buy!
Knowing how to say and ask specifically for what you need while new clothes shopping will make the experience far more efficient. Shopping isn’t for everyone, so knowing even just a few clothing items in the German language will make it easier to find what you’re looking for more quickly.
So let’s take a look at how to talk about clothes in German like a native speaker. We’ll include clothing vocabulary, translations, and sentences to help you shop in German too.
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Traditional German Clothing
First, let’s take a trip back in time. What kinds of clothes did Germans wear in the past? The overall term for traditional clothing is a tracht.
Historically, the style, color, and cloth combinations of a tracht could be used to identify different groups of people, social status, and even indicate whether a person was single or married.
A tracht would be styled differently for men and women, with men wearing Lederhosen and women the dirndl. Let’s learn what those are below.
Traditional Clothing For German Women And Girls
The dirndl is a ruffled apron dress worn by German women that consists of a bodice, or blouse, and a skirt. Once the standard uniform of servant girls, today it is worn in Bavaria and Austria during celebrations.
Today, the dirndl has made a fashionable comeback with modern patterns and materials making it fun to wear. You can see women dressing up in them for weddings, birthdays, and even just going out on the weekend.
For very fancy occasions, the traditional outfit is also worn with a hat that is rather expensive, so is rarely utilized.
Traditional Clothing for German Men And Boys
Men you’ll see are outfitted in Lederhosen, which translates to “leather trousers.” Essentially they’re short leather pants that are worn by men. Most commonly, Lederhosen are worn with suspenders and front flaps.
As for the top, this was typically a shirt or sweater made of coarse linen or wool. Men would wear wool stockings and country shoes to complete the look.
Names For Clothes In German
These are the most common types of clothing that exist today. We’ve separated the clothing into seasons and other categories so you can more easily learn German clothes names to find what you’re looking for while shopping. Also, check out how to say colors in German to ask for the exact color of clothing.
Summer Clothing In German
These are the basic summer clothing items you may shop for.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The dress | Das Kleid | |
| Shorts | Kurze Hose | |
| The skirt | Der Rock | |
| The swimsuit | Der Badeanzug | |
| The tanktop | Das Tanktop | |
| The t-shirt | Das T-Shirt |
Fall Clothing In German
As it gets into cooler weather, you may find yourself needing some or all of these.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The blazer | Der Blazer | |
| The coat | Der Mantel | |
| The hoodie | Der Hoodie | |
| The jacket | Die Jacke | |
| The polo shirt | Das Poloshirt |
Winter Clothing In German
Brrr! It’s time to get all bundled up.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The button-down shirt | Das Button-Down-Hemd | |
| Gloves | Handschuhe | |
| The winter hat | Die Wintermütze | |
| The long sleeve shirt | Das Langarmshirt | |
| Pants | Hose | |
| The scarf | Der Schal | |
| The sweater | Der Pullover | |
| The sweatshirt | Das Sweatshirt | |
| Trousers | Hose | |
| The vest | Die Weste |
Spring Clothing In German
While you could easily just reuse your fall clothes, you may prefer to mix it up a bit with these items.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| Cargo pants | Cargohose | |
| The dress shirt | Das Anzughemd | |
| Jeans | Jeans | |
| Leggings | Gamaschen | |
| The raincoat | Der Regenmantel | |
| Shirts | Hemden |
Business Wear In German
Do you have a professional job, or are you going for an interview? Getting some business wear may be on the cards.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The blouse | Die Bluse | |
| The buttoned shirt | Das geknöpfte Hemd | |
| Pantyhose | Strumpfhose | |
| The tie | Die Krawatte | |
| Socks | Socken | |
| The suit | Der Anzug |
Under Garments And Pyjamas
Everyone needs these! Here’s how to talk about your undergarments in German.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The bra | Der BH | |
| Lingerie | Unterwäsche | |
| Pajamas | Pyjama | |
| The thong | Die Sache | |
| Underwear | Unterwäsche |
*BH means breast holder!
Shoes In German
No outfit is complete without shoes! Here are the usual types of shoes you may end up needing to buy.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| Boots | Stiefel | |
| Flip flops | Flip Flops | |
| Heels | Fersen | |
| Hiking boots | Wanderstiefel | |
| Slippers | Hausschuhe | |
| Sneakers | Turnschuhe | |
| Trainers | Sportschuhe |
Accessories In German
Accessories can really help to complete your look. Here are the most common types of accessories in German.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| The bag | Die Tasche | |
| Cuff links | Manschettenknöpfe | |
| Earrings | Ohrringe | |
| The hat | Der Hut | |
| The necklace | Die Halskette | |
| The purse | Der Geldbeutel | |
| The scarf | Der Schal | |
| Sunglasses | Sonnenbrille | |
| The wallet | Der Geldbeutel | |
| The watch | Die Uhr |
Different Fabrics In German
Maybe you’re interested in tailoring your own clothes or are particular about the type of material your clothes are made from. Here are fabrics in German so you can check the label or purchase them at a local fabric shop.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| Canvas | Leinwand | |
| Cloth | Tuch | |
| Corduroy | Cord | |
| Cotton | Baumwolle | |
| Denim | Denim | |
| Lace | Spitze | |
| Leather | Leder | |
| Linen | Leinen | |
| Polyester | Polyester | |
| Rayon | Rayon | |
| Rubber | Gummi | |
| Satin | Satin | |
| Silk | Seide | |
| Spandex | Elasthan | |
| Velvet | Samt | |
| Wool | Wolle |
Additional Terms Related To Clothes In German
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| Clothing | Kleidung | |
| Men’s clothing | Männerkleidung | |
| Size small | Kleine Größe | |
| Size medium | Konfektionsgröße M | |
| Size large | Größe groß | |
| Women’s clothing | Frauenkleidung |
Clothing Verbs In German
Now it’s time to learn how to describe what you’re doing with your clothes. Grab your laundry basket and soap! Study these verbs.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| to change | sich umziehen | |
| to dislike | nicht mögen | |
| to dry | trocknen | |
| to fold | falten | |
| to give | geben | |
| to hang | hängen | |
| to like | mögen | |
| to mend | reparieren | |
| to purchase | kaufen | |
| to put away | wegstellen | |
| to put on | anziehen | |
| to return | zurückgeben | |
| to shop | einkaufen | |
| to take off | ausziehen | |
| to want | wollen | |
| to wash | waschen | |
| to wear | tragen |
Phrases To Use When Shopping in German
Here are some basic phrases to help you when shopping. Find the right size, ask for the items you’re looking for and find the changing room.
| English | German Translation | Pronunciation |
| Can I try this on? | Kann ich das anprobieren? | |
| Do you have any winter coats? | Hast du Wintermäntel? | |
| Do you have this in a larger size? | Haben Sie das in einer größeren Größe? | |
| Do you have this in a smaller size? | Haben Sie das in einer kleineren Größe? | |
| Do you have tighter trousers? | Hast du engere Hosen? | |
| Where can I find gloves? | Wo finde ich Handschuhe? | |
| Where is the changing room? | Wo sind wir in der Umkleidekabine? |
There you go! We hope this vocabulary has helped you learn German clothing vocabulary!
Study More German With The Ling App!
If you enjoyed this lesson about names for clothes in German we can teach you how to express how beautiful clothes are. Ling can also teach you how to thank the people in the store for helping you.
Also, be sure to check out our language app Ling. It’s been specifically designed to make learning German as easy as possible. We offer audio recordings from native speakers, fun quizzes, a progress tracker, writing exercises, and AI tools that assess your pronunciation!
Whether you want to learn German or a different language entirely (Ling has over 60 languages to choose from), you can start your language learning journey with Ling today on iOS or Android.
