In English, we have a lot of great words to describe fashion. If you really want to learn a lot of new and interesting words in English, pay attention to fashion! Fashion writers and designers are always trying to think of unique ways to describe clothing, and magazines are full of colourful phrases and expressions!

This is the first in a 3-part series. In this post, we’ll look at adjectives you can use to talk about fashion!

Adjectives You Should Know:

stylish / fashionable
= wearing clothing that is popular now
Karen is so stylish! She must read all the fashion magazines to keep up with the latest trends.

chic
= the same as ‘fashionable’ or ‘stylish,’ but it sounds better because it’s a French word!
Have you seen Jenny’s chic new coat?

latest
= newest, most recent
Do you have the latest edition of Vogue yet?

in
= popular, fashionable; short for ‘in style’
Blue is the in colour right now.
Crocodile bags are very in this season.

hot
= wanted, everybody has to have it
The new Prada boots are so hot all the stores are sold out and there is a waiting list for them!

trendy
= what everyone else is wearing right now; a new, popular style
The internet makes it so easy to find trendy clothes! I really like to see what celebrities are wearing.

must-have
= something you absolutely must have!
The new Prada handbag is this season’s must-have accessory!

essential
= necessary, important, you must have it
Elle magazine has a great section on fall’s essential boots and bags.

vintage
= old, but high quality and valuable; the item of clothing may have been worn before by someone else.
Ellen was shopping at a thrift store last week and she found an amazing vintage Chanel jacket.

iconic
= famous, memorable, representing a certain time and place
Anna Nicole Smith will be remembered for her iconic Guess ad campaign in the early 1990s.

timeless
= something that is still beautiful no matter how much time passes, no matter what the current trends or styles are
Grace Kelly wore a beautiful, timeless gown on her wedding day. On the other hand, Princess Diana’s wedding dress is NOT timeless – when you see a picture of the dress, you know right away she was married in the 1980s!

classic
= traditional, always fashionable/stylish, popular for a long time
Ralph Lauren has put his unique touch on the classic little black dress.

fave
= informal, slang, short for ‘favourite’
Stella McCartney is my fave fashion designer.

If you’d like to learn more fashion vocabulary, read my post Vocabulary Spotlight on: Fashion Week!