Clothing Vocabulary in Spanish

Clothing vocabulary is practical from the start: you need it for shopping, travel, packing and describing people. This guide covers tops (the focus of the search “top clothing in Spanish”), bottoms, outerwear, shoes and accessories, along with the verbs and phrases you need to talk about what you wear.

The basics: la ropa and las prendas

la ropa – clothes, clothing (a singular noun in Spanish; you do not say “ropas” in everyday speech)
la prenda (de vestir) – a garment, an item of clothing
el vestuario – wardrobe or outfit, often used for costumes or professional clothing
el armario – wardrobe, closet (el clóset in some Latin American countries)
la moda – fashion; de moda means “in fashion”

Nouns have gender and number, so articles matter: la camisa, el vestido, los pantalones, las botas.

Tops

Spanish	English	Notes
la camiseta	T-shirt	Casual; also la playera (Mexico) or la remera (Argentina)
la camisa	shirt	Button-up or collared
la blusa	blouse	Usually for women’s clothing
el top	top	Short or sleeveless style; used in modern fashion
la camiseta de tirantes	tank top / camisole	Thin straps
la camiseta sin mangas	sleeveless top
el suéter	sweater	Common in Latin America
el jersey	sweater, pullover	Common in Spain
el pulóver	pullover	Used in some South American countries
la sudadera	sweatshirt, hoodie
el chaleco	vest

Bottoms

Spanish	English	Notes
los pantalones	trousers, pants	Usually plural
los vaqueros	jeans	Spain; also los jeans or los tejanos
los jeans	jeans	Common in Latin America; el pantalón de mezclilla in Mexico
la falda	skirt
los pantalones cortos	shorts	Also el short in parts of Latin America
las bermudas	Bermuda shorts
las mallas / los leggins	leggings
el pantalón de chándal / de deporte	tracksuit pants	chándal is the Spain term

Dresses, suits and formal wear

el vestido – dress
el traje – suit (also used for “costume” in some contexts)
la chaqueta del traje / el saco – suit jacket (saco in much of Latin America)
la corbata – tie
la pajarita – bow tie (Spain; el moño or el corbatín elsewhere)
el esmoquin – tuxedo

Outerwear

el abrigo – coat
la chaqueta – jacket (Spain and many other countries)
la chamarra – jacket (Mexico)
la campera – jacket (Argentina and Uruguay)
la cazadora – jacket (Spain, often casual)
el impermeable – raincoat
la bufanda – scarf
los guantes – gloves
el gorro – woolly hat, cap

Footwear

los zapatos – shoes
las botas – boots
las sandalias – sandals
los tacones / los zapatos de tacón – high heels
las zapatillas – sneakers or trainers in Spain; in some places the word can mean slippers
los tenis – sneakers in Mexico
las chanclas – flip-flops, sandals (Spain, Mexico, others)
los calcetines – socks
las medias – stockings or tights; in several Latin American countries it can also mean socks

Accessories

el sombrero – hat
la gorra – cap
el cinturón – belt
el bolso – handbag (Spain); la bolsa (Mexico); la cartera has different meanings by country
la mochila – backpack
las gafas / los lentes – glasses (gafas in Spain, lentes in much of Latin America)
las gafas de sol / los lentes de sol – sunglasses
el reloj – watch
la joya / las joyas – jewelry; el collar (necklace), el anillo (ring), los pendientes (earrings, Spain) / los aretes (earrings, Latin America)
el paraguas – umbrella

Underwear, sleepwear and swimwear

la ropa interior – underwear
el pijama – pajamas
el bañador – swimsuit or swim trunks (Spain)
el traje de baño – swimsuit (Latin America)
el bikini – bikini

Verbs: what is “put on clothes” in Spanish?

The most common verb for putting on clothes is ponerse (reflexive):

Me pongo la chaqueta. – I put on my jacket.
¿Qué te vas a poner? – What are you going to wear?

Other useful verbs:

llevar – to wear or to be wearing: Ella lleva un vestido azul. (She’s wearing a blue dress.)
vestirse – to get dressed: Me visto rápido. (I get dressed quickly.)
quitarse – to take off: Me quito los zapatos. (I take off my shoes.)
probarse – to try on: Quiero probarme esta camisa. (I want to try on this shirt.)
quedar bien / mal – to fit well / badly or to suit: Te queda bien. (It looks good on you / fits you well.)
cambiarse – to change clothes: Voy a cambiarme. (I’m going to change.)

Shopping phrases

¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?
¿Tiene esto en otra talla? – Do you have this in another size?
¿Qué talla usas? – What size do you wear? (informal)
Busco una camisa azul. – I’m looking for a blue shirt.
¿Puedo probármelo? – Can I try it on? (for a masculine singular item; probármela for feminine)
¿Dónde están los probadores? – Where are the fitting rooms?
Me queda grande / pequeño. – It’s too big / small for me.
Solo estoy mirando, gracias. – I’m just looking, thanks.

Sizes differ between countries and brands, so always check the label rather than assuming a size matches your home country.

Camisa or camiseta?

Camisa is a shirt with buttons and often a collar. Camiseta is a T-shirt. The two are easy to mix up because the words look similar, but they are different garments.

Regional differences

Clothing words vary more than most vocabulary. A few examples already seen above: chaqueta / chamarra / campera / cazadora for jacket, vaqueros / jeans / mezclilla for jeans, pendientes / aretes for earrings, and bañador / traje de baño for swimwear. When in doubt, use the word locals use, and keep the more neutral term, such as chaqueta, as a fallback.

A note on Spanish clothing brands

Searches for “top clothing” in Spanish sometimes lead to fashion brands rather than vocabulary. Spain is known for several, including Zara (from Galicia), Mango and Desigual (both associated with the Barcelona area), but brand popularity changes, so check current rankings rather than relying on a fixed list.

Practice tips

Learn clothing words together with colors: una camisa blanca, unos pantalones negros.
Describe what you or other people are wearing each day using llevar.
Practice a short shopping dialogue aloud.
Warm up with introductions and small talk from our guide to Spanish greetings and goodbyes before you walk into a shop.