“Alta Moda:” Italian Clothing Vocabulary
One of the most important lexicons for engaging with Italian culture and navigating day-to-day life, particularly shopping, is that of clothing. From interacting with store workers to describing someone else’s look or your own wardrobe, knowing the terms for clothing is fundamental. In this article, we’ve broken the clothing down by category to make it easier for you to categorize the terms you need.
Casual clothing
The terms below are used for your everyday clothing, such as shirts and jeans. Wear these clothes as you’re going on a trip to a museum, exploring a new city, or getting an aperitivo with a friend in a historic piazza.
un maglietta—a t-shirt
una maglia a maniche lunghe—long-sleeved shirt
un maglione a collo alto—turtleneck
dei jeans—jeans
dei pantaloni—pants
dei pantaloncini—shorts
Formal clothing
If you’re going out to a nice dinner, need to dress up for a job, or have a date, you might be looking for more formal clothing. Below are the most common terms while you’re shopping around. As with the above, both men’s and women’s are included.
una camicia—blouse, dress shirt (men and women)
una gonna—skirt
un vestito/abito—dress
un completo/abito—suit
uno smoking—tuxedo
un gilet—vest
un panciotto—waistcoat
una cravatta—tie
un papillon—bow tie
Layers
If you’re visiting Italy in the wintertime, you will probably need some layers. The temperatures can get quite cold in the north, and even with the somewhat milder temperatures in the south, you still might want some of the clothing items listed below. For winter-related accessories, check out the “Extra” subheading at the end of the article.
un cappotto—a coat
una giacca—a jacket
l’impermeabile—raincoat
un maglione—a sweater
una felpa—a sweatshirt
Activity-related
Beach clothing vocabulary is particularly important in Italy, a country nearly completely surrounded by coast. For both those, and vocabulary related to sports, see this section.
un costume da bagno—swimsuit
l’asciugamano—towel
il cappello—hat
protezione solare—sunscreen
pantaloncini palestra—gym shorts
maglia allenamento—workout shirt
Shoes
Whether you have a full day planned wandering the ancient streets of a new city, are exploring the hiking trails in some of Italy’s majestic mountains, or simply need good shoes to walk around in, we have a broad list of the kinds of shoes you’re looking for here.
delle scarpe—shoes
delle scarpe da ginnastica—tennis shoes
ciabatte—no, not the bread. The word “ciabatte” is rather all-encompassing for slide-on shoes, specifically slippers, mules, and certain sandals (excluding flip-flops, see below).
le infradito—flip-flops
i sandali—sandals
delle scarpe con tacco—high heels
gli stivali—boots
gli stivali di gomma—rainboots
le scarpe da trekking—hiking shoes
Extra
This final section details accessories, undergarments, pajamas, and more to complete whatever outfit you are going for.
i guanti—gloves
i gioielli—jewelry
la sciarpa—scarf
il pigiama—pajamas
i calzini/le calze—socks (“calzini” are small socks, while “calze” are longer and generally go up to at least the knee)
le mutande—underwear
il reggiseno—bra
la cintura—belt
l’orologio—watch
la borsa—purse
gli occhiali da sole—sunglasses
Verbs to use
To close out this article on Italian clothing, here are some verbs related to clothing, along with example sentences to make the most of your new knowledge!
vestirsi—to get dressed
indossare—to wear
piegarsi—to fold
spogliarsi—to get undressed
stirare—to iron
mettere le scarpe—to put shoes on
Example sentences:
Mi sono vestita con un bellissimo abito di blu e delle scarpe con il tacco. (I dressed up in a beautiful blue dress and heels.)
Ho indossato solo dei jeans e una maglietta alla festa di Giovanni. (I just wore jeans and a T-shirt to Giovanni’s party).
Lucia deve piegare i vestiti. (Lucia needs to fold her clothes).
Sto cercando una gonna in seta ed una camicia per un matrimonio. (I’m looking for a silk skirt and blouse for a wedding).
Quali scarpe preferisci di più? Quelle coi tacchi bassi. (Which shoes do you prefer? The ones with low heels).
Fashion events in Italy
Finally, if you’re a fan of alta moda (high fashion), you’ll want to look into these exciting fashion events that occur annually throughout Italy.
Milan Fashion Week: One of the biggest fashion events in the world (along with Paris, London, and New York), Milan Fashion Week has been going on since 1958. It occurs twice a year, around February and September, and is a chance for designers to present their latest fashions.
Pitti Uomo: This fashion event takes place at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence and focuses specifically on men’s clothing. Its origins also go back to the early ‘50s, and it was originally held at Villa Torrigiani. Over the years it changed locations and finally became an event exclusively to highlight the latest men’s fashion.
Rome Bridal Week: This event, highlighting the latest in bridal fashion, is much newer than the other two but is still an exciting, exclusive experience, featuring brands from all over the world.
Conclusion
This article has sought to introduce you to the world of clothing and fashion vocabulary in Italian, along with providing a few example sentences on how to use these key terms and verbs. If you would like more help on your Italian language journey, contact us today to enroll in one of our courses at info@italiancitizenshiplanguageschool.com.
