Describing what people wear and how they look is one of the most practical skills in everyday English. Whether you are shopping, giving a compliment, or simply making conversation, knowing the right vocabulary for clothing, hair types, and body descriptions will boost your confidence and fluency.
What vocabulary do you need to describe clothing?
A fitting room is the space inside a store where you can try on different clothes before buying them [0:06]. Practicing descriptions of what people wear in this context is a great way to build useful vocabulary.
Here are some examples straight from the lesson:
- A woman is wearing a pink dress and purple high heels [0:16].
- A man is wearing a blue t-shirt and red pants [0:30].
- Another woman is wearing a pink skirt, black shoes, a white hat and shirt, and a small, black bag [0:42].
- A man is wearing a gray jacket and pants, a white shirt, and a blue tie [0:56].
Notice the pattern: colors always come before the clothing item, and adjectives like small or black are stacked before the noun.
How do you describe hair and body type in English?
Describing someone's appearance goes beyond clothes. You also need words for hair type and body type [1:10].
What are the main hair descriptions?
- Wavy, red hair.
- Straight, blonde hair.
- Curly, black hair.
- Braided, brown hair.
Hair descriptions usually follow this order: texture or style first, then color. For length, you can add long or short at the beginning, as in "long, black, wavy hair" [0:50].
What words describe body type?
The lesson introduces four key terms [1:28]:
- Overweight: heavier than average.
- Thin: very light or lean.
- Slim: attractively thin.
- Fit: in good physical shape.
These adjectives help you describe someone politely and accurately.
Which expressions help you ask and answer about appearance?
Two essential question structures appear throughout the lesson [1:36]:
- What is she wearing? / What is he wearing? — use these to ask about clothing.
- How does she look? / How does he look? — use these to ask about general appearance.
The answers follow simple patterns:
- She is wearing... / He is wearing... (present continuous for current clothing).
- She looks... / He looks... (simple present with an adjective).
Useful adjectives for overall appearance include beautiful, elegant, attractive, casual, informal, and pretty [1:50]. Choosing the right word depends on context: elegant fits formal outfits, while casual and informal work for relaxed styles.
Practice by looking at photos of people around you and describing their outfit, hair, and body type using the structures above. What are the people in your favorite picture wearing, and how do they look? Share your descriptions in the comments!
