Have you ever heard someone saying “dressed to kill” or “caught with your pants down”? What are these phrases? Do they really mean someone is purposely dressed to kill someone or that someone was really caught with their pants down? No, these are English idioms related to clothing or fashion expressions, used in conversations to make them more colorful and expressive. The interesting thing about these idioms is that their meanings are often not what they seem at first glance, but they hold deeper and more impactful meanings.
In this guide, we will introduce you to some of the most common English idioms related to clothing and fashion, along with their real meanings and real-life usage examples. Using these idioms can definitely scale up your language and make you stand out. We have also created informative illustrations related to some of these idioms, which can be shared among friends and family so that they can also be introduced to these fashion idioms.
16 Fashion-Related Clothing Idioms With Their Meanings & Examples
- Fit Like a Glove
- Roll Up Your Sleeves
- Keep It Under Your Hat
- At the Drop of a Hat
- Take Your Hat Off to Someone
- Wear the Pants
- Caught With Your Pants Down
- Dress to Kill
- Button Your Lip
- Tied to Your Mother’s Apron Strings
- Belt and Braces
- Cut From the Same Cloth
- Cut Your Coat According to Your Cloth
- Get Shirty
- Hang By a Thread
- Lose One’s Shirt
1. Fit Like a Glove
Meaning: Perfectly suited.
“Fit like a glove” means that something is perfectly suited or fits very well.
Example: The new dress she bought fit her like a glove.
2. Roll Up Your Sleeves
Meaning: Prepare to work hard.
“Roll up your sleeves” means to prepare yourself for hard work or a challenging task.
Example: It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get this project done.
3. Keep It Under Your Hat
Meaning: Keep something a secret.
“Keep it under your hat” means to keep something confidential and not share it with others.
Example: I’ll tell you the news, but you need to keep it under your hat for now.
4. At the Drop of a Hat
Meaning: Immediately or without hesitation.
“At the drop of a hat” means to do something instantly or without any delay.
Example: He is always ready to help his friends at the drop of a hat.
5. Take Your Hat Off to Someone
Meaning: Show respect or admiration.
“Take your hat off to someone” means to show your respect or admiration for someone’s achievements or qualities.
Example: I take my hat off to the volunteers who worked tirelessly to help the victims.
6. Wear the Pants
Meaning: Be the dominant partner in a relationship.
“Wear the pants” means to be the person in charge or the one who makes decisions in a relationship.
Example: It’s clear that she wears the pants in their marriage.
7. Caught with Your Pants Down
Meaning: Caught unprepared.
“Caught with your pants down” means to be caught off guard or unprepared for something.
Example: The company was caught with its pants down when the new regulations were announced.
8. Dress to Kill
Meaning: Dress very stylishly.
“Dress to kill” means to dress in a very fashionable and attractive way.
Example: She was dressed to kill at the party last night.
9. Button Your Lip
Meaning: Keep quiet.
“Button your lip” means to stop talking or to keep something to yourself.
Example: He was told to button his lip during the meeting.
10. Tied to Your Mother’s Apron Strings
Meaning: Overly dependent on your mother.
“Tied to your mother’s apron strings” means to be excessively reliant on your mother for support or guidance.
Example: He needs to learn to make decisions on his own and not be tied to his mother’s apron strings.
11. Belt and Braces
Meaning: Taking extra precautions.
“Belt and braces” means to use multiple methods to ensure safety or success.
Example: He always takes a belt and braces approach to his work to avoid any mistakes.
12. Cut from the Same Cloth
Meaning: Very similar in character.
“Cut from the same cloth” means to be very similar in terms of characteristics, often referring to two people.
Example: The two brothers are cut from the same cloth, both being hardworking and honest.
13. Cut Your Coat According to Your Cloth
Meaning: Live within your means.
“Cut your coat according to your cloth” means to adjust your spending based on your financial situation.
Example: With a reduced income, they had to cut their coat according to their cloth.
14. Get Shirty
Meaning: Become annoyed or irritated.
“Get shirty” means to become angry or irritated, often in a confrontational way.
Example: There’s no need to get shirty just because I’m a few minutes late.
15. Hang by a Thread
Meaning: In a very precarious situation.
“Hang by a thread” means to be in a very unstable or dangerous situation that could easily worsen.
Example: His career is hanging by a thread after the scandal.
16. Lose One’s Shirt
Meaning: Lose a lot of money.
“Lose one’s shirt” means to lose a large amount of money, often in a risky venture.
Example: Many investors lost their shirts during the economic crisis.
Illustrations of Clothing Related Idioms
These pictures of idioms about clothing perfectly capture the meanings behind these common fashion idioms. Just by looking at the images, you can easily guess which clothing-related idiom is being portrayed. With these clear and on-point idiom infographics, understanding the real meanings of fashion idioms becomes easy. The images bring these colorful phrases to life in an insightful way.
- Dressed to the Nines
2. Tighten Your Belt
3. Wear Many Hats
4. Burn a Hole in One’s Pocket
6. Pull up Your Socks
Enjoying these idioms? We have a whole idioms collection for you to explore! Our massive idioms library is categorized into various themes, so you can find the perfect expression.
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