Japanese Clothing Vocabulary: Clothes, Accessories and Verbs

English lets one verb do a lot of work: you wear a shirt, shoes, a hat and glasses. Japanese notices the difference. A shirt goes on the body, shoes go on the feet, and a hat goes over the head—so the verb changes with the item.

That small detail is why a vocabulary list becomes more useful when it includes the verbs beside it. Start with the everyday words below, then use the examples to hear how clothes, accessories and Japanese grammar meet in a real sentence.

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Clothing and accessory vocabulary in Japanese

Some words are native Japanese, while many modern fashion words come from English and appear in katakana. Romaji helps with reading, but the Japanese writing is what you are likely to see on labels, in shops and in conversations.

General clothing and traditional items

• 服 (fuku) — clothes; clothing
• 衣服 (ifuku) — clothing; a more formal word
• 衣料品 (iryōhin) — apparel; clothing goods
• 着物 (kimono) — kimono
• 浴衣 (yukata) — yukata, a light summer garment
• 帯 (obi) — obi; sash worn with a kimono
• 下駄 (geta) — geta; wooden sandals
• 下着 (shitagi) — underwear
• 水着 (mizugi) — swimwear
• パジャマ (pajama) — pajamas

Everyday clothes

• コート (kōto) — coat
• レインコート (reinkōto) — raincoat
• スーツ (sūtsu) — suit
• 背広 (sebiro) — business suit
• 上着 (uwagi) — outer garment; jacket
• ジャケット (jaketto) — jacket
• ブレザー (burezā) — blazer
• シャツ (shatsu) — shirt
• Tシャツ (tī shatsu) — T-shirt
• ワイシャツ (waishatsu) — dress shirt
• ブラウス (burausu) — blouse
• セーター (sētā) — sweater
• カーディガン (kādigan) — cardigan
• トレーナー (torēnā) — sweatshirt
• ドレス (doresu) — dress
• ワンピース (wanpīsu) — one-piece dress
• ズボン (zubon) — trousers; pants
• 半ズボン (hanzubon) — shorts
• ショーツ (shōtsu) — shorts; briefs, depending on context
• スラックス (surakkusu) — slacks
• ジーンズ (jīnzu) — jeans
• スカート (sukāto) — skirt
• パンツ (pantsu) — underwear; briefs
• ブラジャー (burajā) — bra

Shoes and accessories

• 帽子 (bōshi) — hat; cap
• 眼鏡 / めがね (megane) — glasses
• イヤリング (iyaringu) — clip-on earrings
• ピアス (piasu) — pierced earrings
• ネックレス (nekkuresu) — necklace
• ネクタイ (nekutai) — necktie
• スカーフ (sukāfu) — scarf; light neck scarf
• 指輪 (yubiwa) — ring
• ベルト (beruto) — belt
• 手袋 (tebukuro) — gloves
• 靴 (kutsu) — shoes
• 靴下 (kutsushita) — socks
• スニーカー (sunīkā) — sneakers
• スリッパ (surippa) — slippers
• サンダル (sandaru) — sandals
• ハイヒール (haihīru) — high heels
• ブーツ (būtsu) — boots

How to say “to wear” in Japanese

Japanese does not use one catch-all verb for putting on every item. The most important choices depend on where the item is worn. Learning these three first will prevent many common mistakes.

Verb	Te-form	Use it for
着る (kiru)	着て (kite)	Clothes worn from the shoulders down: shirts, jackets, dresses, suits and kimono
履く (haku)	履いて (haite)	Items worn on the lower body or feet: trousers, skirts, shoes and socks
かぶる (kaburu)	かぶって (kabutte)	Items worn on the head: hats, caps and helmets

For the state of already wearing something, use the te-form + いる. So シャツを着ています (shatsu o kite imasu) means “I am wearing a shirt.” The same pattern gives 靴を履いています for “I am wearing shoes” and 帽子をかぶっています for “I am wearing a hat.”

Quick memory aid: shirts and dresses use 着る; trousers, skirts and shoes use 履く; hats use かぶる. A skirt may sit at the waist, but Japanese still treats it as something you step into.

Other verbs for glasses and accessories

Accessories often call for a verb that describes the way they attach to the body. These combinations are worth learning as complete phrases instead of trying to translate each English sentence word for word.

• めがねをかける (megane o kakeru) — to put on or wear glasses
• イヤリングをつける (iyaringu o tsukeru) — to put on earrings
• ネクタイを締める (nekutai o shimeru) — to tie or wear a necktie
• スカーフを巻く (sukāfu o maku) — to wrap a scarf
• 手袋をはめる (tebukuro o hameru) — to put on gloves
• 指輪をはめる (yubiwa o hameru) — to put on a ring
• 時計をする (tokei o suru) — to wear a watch
• 服を脱ぐ (fuku o nugu) — to take off clothes

The point is not to memorize a rule for every accessory at once. Notice the physical image in the verb: kakeru hangs glasses in place, maku wraps a scarf, and hameru fits a glove or ring snugly.

Japanese sentences about clothes

彼は帽子をかぶっています。
Kare wa bōshi o kabutte imasu.

He is wearing a hat.

私はシャツを着ています。
Watashi wa shatsu o kite imasu.

I am wearing a shirt.

彼女はズボンを履いていません。
Kanojo wa zubon o haite imasen.

She is not wearing trousers.

彼女はいつもこざっぱりした服を着ている。
Kanojo wa itsumo kozappari shita fuku o kite iru.

She is always neatly dressed.

彼女はグリーンのドレスを着ていた。
Kanojo wa gurīn no doresu o kite ita.

She was wearing a green dress.

今日はスーツを着ます。
Kyō wa sūtsu o kimasu.

I will wear a suit today.

この着物を着ませんか。
Kono kimono o kimasen ka.

Would you like to try on this kimono?

このズボンを試着したいです。
Kono zubon o shichaku shitai desu.

I would like to try on these trousers.

Clothing phrases for a shop

When you are shopping, 試着 (shichaku) is the useful word to recognize: it means trying on clothing. Pair it with an item, as in このズボンを試着したいです. If you want a smaller or larger size, use 小さいサイズ (chiisai saizu) or 大きいサイズ (ōkii saizu), then point to the garment. Labels and size charts vary by brand, so the measurements shown for the specific item are more useful than assuming that an M will fit the same everywhere.

With 服 for the broad idea of clothes and the right wearing verb for each item, Japanese fashion vocabulary stops being a pile of isolated words. You can name what you see, describe what someone has on, and ask to try on the piece you actually want.