Clothes In German: 140+ German Clothes Vocabulary You’ll Need (With Examples)

Fashion and clothes in German is an important topic. And why shouldn’t it be?

It’s part of our daily life everywhere around the world. In this blog post, we’re exploring all the vocabulary and common German idioms related to clothes in German.

To start with something, here’s a great little video brought to you by Spring German (a project I co-founded):

From dress codes through traditional German clothing to contemporary fashion designs, we’ll touch every subject here. Los geht’s!(Let’s go!)

1. How do Germans approach clothing?

Germans generally have a practical approach to clothing. Still, there are some unwritten rules about what to wear in different situations. Here’s a neat overview about dress codes in German:

Everyday German clothing customs

We can definitely say that in everyday life, Germans tend to dress casually: jeans, t-shirts, sneakers. All of these are common for running errands or meeting friends. What would be considered too casual? Well, wearing pajamas or sweatpants in public is considered a bit too much.

Here’s how you can talk about casual wear:

Casual wear (Freizeitkleidung)

German work clothing

German work life is a bit different: the dress code here depend on the industry and the company culture. In many offices, smart casual is your go-to. Nice jeans combined with a collared shirt for men, and a blouse with pants or a skirt for women.

Some traditional sectors like banking might require suits and ties for men and the same according business attire for women. (By the way, if you’re interested in business German, you can check it out on our blog!)

Talk about work clothes in German with these expressions:

Business attire (Geschäftskleidung)

Partying and night out clothes in German

When it comes to evenings out, Germans often dress up a bit more!

For restaurants or theaters, smart casual or semi-formal wear is common. Men might wear dress pants and a button-up shirt, while women might look for a dress or a nice top with pants or a skirt.

For formal events like weddings or galas, Germans dress quite elegantly. Men typically wear suits, and women wear cocktail dresses or evening gowns.

Learn German footwear traditions

Okay, okay… Here’s one more thing: Germans usually change their shoes when entering a home or some workplaces. And what do they wear instead inside?

It’s pretty common to have indoors shoes or slippers to stay clean.  Here’s a mix of vocabulary and phrases you might find useful when talking about or shopping for shoes:

Footwear (Fußbekleidung)

Clothing terms for outdoor activities

Germans love nature, outdoor activities and sports. So, you can guess it’s pretty important to talk about sportswear in German.

Here are the basics you need to know about:

Sportswear (Sportbekleidung)

2. Useful German clothes vocabulary to ask about fashion

After getting familiar with the German clothing customs and traditions, it’s also good to learn a bit more about how you could ask about fashion and clothes altogether.

We’ve put together a table with all the necessary questions you might run into in shops or local stores.

3. Traditional German clothing

You know, when most people think of German traditional wear, they immediately picture Lederhosen and Dirndls.

And they’re not wrong!

Lederhosen literally means “leather pants,” are those short leather breeches you’ve probably seen in pictures. They’re usually worn with a white shirt, suspenders, and sometimes a hat with a feather.

They were workwear for peasants, but now they’re more of a festive outfit, for example, during Oktoberfest.

For the ladies, we’ve got the Dirndl.

It’s a dress with a tight bodice, full skirt, apron, and usually a low neckline (don’t worry, there’s a blouse underneath!). The way you tie the apron actually has a meaning – on the right means you’re taken, on the left means you’re single.

Tied in the back? That’s for widows or waitresses.

But here’s the thing – Germany isn’t just one big Oktoberfest! These outfits are mainly associated with Bavaria and some parts of Austria. Other regions have their own traditional clothes too, though they’re not as famous internationally.

In the Black Forest area, you might see women wearing the Bollenhut – a hat with massive red pom-poms on it. Up north in Friesland, women traditionally wore dresses with lots of petticoats and intricate headpieces.

These days, most Germans only wear traditional clothes for special occasions or festivals. But they’re a big part of the German culture and history… and Germans are pretty proud of them.

Now, let us throw some vocab your way related to this topic:

4. Seasonal clothing in German-speaking countries

German-speaking countries tend to be a bit more chilly, especially if you’re living near or visiting the mountains. So, it’s always a good idea to prepare for the given type of seasonal clothing in these regions.

Learn everything you need to know from Wintermantelto Sandalen.

5. Clothing-related idioms in German

Germans love to talk about clothes and fashion just as much as they like to talk about the weather in German – and two are intertwined, aren’t they? Easy German recently made street interviews with people on the streets of Germany, asking them how much they spend on fashion in a month. Check it here:

And if you’re ready to feel like a native German speaker, you have to equip yourself with some useful German idioms for clothes and fashion.

6. Describe clothing and be up-to-date with the latest fashion in German with Conversation Based Chunking

Nowadays, fashion is getting more and more alternatives for environment-friendly clothes. Whether we’re talking about second-hand clothes or clothes made from reusable fabrics, people in German-speaking regions are fully on board.

The best way to learn how to describe all of this, and be able to talk about clothes in German is to learn German language with Conversation Based Chunking. This approach focuses on the German learners needs to learn with chunks in context – so, instead of remembering boring German grammar rules, you’ll see and use these common German phrases everywhere you can.

It’s time to learn more about the fashion industry with our free German language chunking guide: