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Clothing names

(82 Posts)
grannyrebel7 Sat 06-Mar-21 08:31:40

I wish people would stop saying arms instead of sleeves! Drives me mad. Another thing that annoys me, my DIL calls every piece of clothing worn on the top half of the body a jumper. To me a jumper is something made of wool. Therefore, a top which is not made of wool doesn't qualify. Rant over smile

Jumblygran Sun 07-Mar-21 05:08:58

In NZ we call swimming costumes Togs, the Aussies call them cossies.
We call trousers pants.
I wear frocks.
I wish I owned a Windjammer!
I think breeks are great I think I will use it from now on.
I would call a woollen top a jersey.
I remember learning that the old English word for useless is sleeveless.

nanna8 Sun 07-Mar-21 04:48:45

We have tops and jumpers and pants and jeans and leggings and jeggings and trackie dacks A jacket can be a parka, blazer or a short coat. During the lockdown I wore my trackie dacks almost every day and most of us did.

Kim19 Sun 07-Mar-21 04:28:03

All great words and add to the tapestry of life. Never let a single one of them jarr me. Takes too much energy!

FarNorth Sun 07-Mar-21 02:59:21

Me too grandmajet.

Breeks is a normal word for trousers, in Scotland.

Baggs Sat 06-Mar-21 18:17:22

grannylyn65

I had riding breeks

Yes, DD's breeks that I called such were her riding breeks.

grandmajet Sat 06-Mar-21 17:17:03

Probably FarNorth. I had the horrible ski pants but not the actual skiing.

FarNorth Sat 06-Mar-21 17:13:28

I wondered if I just hadn't been noticing everyone talking about 'tops' which were clothing.
Seems not.

FarNorth Sat 06-Mar-21 17:12:18

Weren't they called ski pants because the elastic under the feet was to keep them in place, as you skied?

Grannynannywanny Sat 06-Mar-21 17:12:14

When I was a child our plimsolls were called runners.

grandmajet Sat 06-Mar-21 17:06:37

I called them ski-pants too, haven’t a clue why. I remember when plimsolls started to be called trainers. I was quite puzzled by that for a while - how do they train you?

Lexisgranny Sat 06-Mar-21 16:28:15

The trews that you mention, I knew them as ski-pants, goodness knows why, I had been nowhere near a ski slope at that time, I wore them with my first anorak. ‘Trousered’ reminds me of the late Terry Wogan.

I think an honourable mention might be given to drindl skirts, sack dresses and pumps!

grannylyn65 Sat 06-Mar-21 16:06:37

I had riding breeks

Hiraeth Sat 06-Mar-21 16:05:10

I was brought up in Wales and we always said „ Bathers“ for swimming costume .And slacks were those with an elastic waist and elastic under my foot and when I started growing fast as a teenager they were too short in the waist !

Baggs Sat 06-Mar-21 15:56:11

How about...galoshes, mackintoshes, duffle coats ( with toggles) Guernseys

I'm wearing a Guernsey (Gansey) right now. I've had it for 23 years.

welbeck Sat 06-Mar-21 15:38:53

i never heard of a piece of clothing described as a top when i was growing up.
to me a top is a child's spinning toy.
so that slightly annoys me, but it's no biggie

Grannynannywanny Sat 06-Mar-21 15:22:22

I remember them well. I can still remember how uncomfortable they were after a growth spurt and while they remained looped under your feet the top end started to drag down.

Missfoodlove Sat 06-Mar-21 15:12:25

Trews!
I’ve just remembered my mother used to buy me hideous trousers with a piece of elastic at the bottom that looped around your foot.
She referred to them as trews. ????

Calendargirl Sat 06-Mar-21 15:12:15

What about pullovers?

Does anyone remember those stretchy slacks we wore when I was about 10 years old, they were a sort of man made material with a strap that went under your foot, mine was a stripy pattern. Elasticated waist I think.

Lucca Sat 06-Mar-21 15:11:50

I like trouser used as a verb. “ he trousered the fiver quick as a flash”.

Lucca Sat 06-Mar-21 15:10:53

lemongrove

Plurals ( pre Norman Conquest) was ‘en’ not ‘es’ so shoes were shoen (a pair) and trousers are so called because they used to come in two pieces, which is why it’s a plural.Sleeves were always loosely attached and taken off, rather than being part of the whole garment.
How about...galoshes, mackintoshes, duffle coats ( with toggles) Guernseys, Jerseys,liberty bodices, anyone have any of these tucked away?

? uh oh ....are plimsolls in the offing ?

Jaxjacky Sat 06-Mar-21 15:05:21

Trisha57 I say frock referring to myself because for me to wear anything other than jeans, leggings or shorts is a momentous occasion! I buy vest tops; sleeveless t shirts, and in the winter wear a jumper, occasionally a cardi.

FarNorth Sat 06-Mar-21 14:41:49

Trousers does sound a bit like a baggy wrinkly garment, to me, but still a preferable word to pants - if you don't mean underwear.

3nanny6 Sat 06-Mar-21 14:33:27

My brother before the lockdown called round for a visit.
I always feel pleased to see him. He is only 70 a bit older than me. He held out a bag to me saying I have bought you two pairs of slacks and two nice blouses. I thanked him and said lovely but did not tell him I spend most of my time wearing leggings and tops.

lemongrove Sat 06-Mar-21 14:20:40

Plurals ( pre Norman Conquest) was ‘en’ not ‘es’ so shoes were shoen (a pair) and trousers are so called because they used to come in two pieces, which is why it’s a plural.Sleeves were always loosely attached and taken off, rather than being part of the whole garment.
How about...galoshes, mackintoshes, duffle coats ( with toggles) Guernseys, Jerseys,liberty bodices, anyone have any of these tucked away?

Grannynannywanny Sat 06-Mar-21 14:20:14

I don’t understand why the fashion experts on tv refer to an item of clothing as a “piece”