Clothing Idioms List with Meanings, Examples, & PDFs

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Clothing Idioms List

Download the Clothing Idioms List & PDF Worksheets

PDF Clothing Idioms PDF

View the updated web-version of the clothing idioms list in the table below.

The idiom worksheets and games are also free to download.

  • Download and print the PDFs.
  • Use the materials for interactive learning activities in class.
  • Students can also complete the worksheets to review or for self-study.

Clothing Idiom Worksheets for ESL Students

PDF Worksheet A: Defining Idioms & Writing Sentences with Idioms

PDF Worksheet B: Reading Idioms in Context & Describing Meanings

Fun Clothing Idiom Games for the Classroom

PDF Clothing Idioms Crossword

PDF Clothing Idioms BINGO

PDF Clothing Idioms Checklist (for BINGO)

31 Idioms and Phrases About Clothing

*Updated: December 2021

Idiom / PhraseMeaningExample Sentence
ants in your pantsanxious or nervousFrank had ants in his pants before taking his exam.
at the drop of a hatinstantlyAt the drop of a hat, I called my sister when I heard she was pregnant!
birthday suitnakedYou should try sleeping with your birthday suit on. It's much more comfortable.
black tie eventformal eventMost big award's ceremonies are black tie events.
blue-collarmanual laborHe got a blue-collar job working as a mechanic.
buckle downwork hardLet's buckle down and finish the assignment.
burn a hole in my pocketspend too much moneyI burned a hole in my pocket overpaying on insurance.
by the seat of your pantsachieve instinctively or quicklyThat was impressive. You did your graduation speech by the seat of your pants without any preparation.
caught with your pants downunpreparedDon't get caught with your pants down at a red light. Be ready to drive when it turns green.
dress to killdress in glamorous clothesShe is always dressed to kill when she goes to the bar.
fit like a glovefit perfectlyThose jeans fit her like a glove.
get the bootget firedBob got the boot last week. He needs to find a new job.
handle with kid gloveshandle delicatelyPlease handle those wine glasses with kid gloves.
hat trickthree goals by one playerRonaldo scored several hat tricks last season.
have a card up your sleevehave a secret planYou had a card up your sleeve and you won the match by distracting the goalkeeper.
keep something zipped upkeep something a secretHe tried to keep the affair zipped up, but his friend told his wife what happened.
keep your shirt onstay calmKeep your shirt on and try to relax. The plane will land soon.
off the cuffimprovisedThe groom made did wedding speech off the cuff.
pull up your sockstry hardGood job. You pulled your socks up, studied all day, and aced the test.
put a sock in itstop talkingPut a sock in it and listen to the teacher!
put your thinking cap onconcentrateYou put your thinking cap on and created a brilliant ad for the new product.
put yourself in my shoessympathizePut yourself in the my shoes, then you will understand why I did it.
rags to richesgoing from being poor to wealthyJake went from rags to riches after he won the lottery.
ride my coattailsdo nothing and let others do all the workShe has been riding my coattails all year and I don't get any credit for my effort.
roll up your sleeveswork hardYou rolled up your sleeves and got the job done.
take my hat off to someonehonor someoneI take my hat off to Frank. He was the best singer of the century.
wear the pantsbe in chargeShe wears the pants in the family. Her husband stays home and sleeps all day.
wear your heart on your sleeveshow emotions openlyYou always wear heart on your sleeve and give annual donations to charity.
white collaroffice laborMost white-collar workers don't get much sunshine.
the cat's pyjamasthe best person or thingShe's the cat's pyjamas. Everyone loves to watch her perform on the stage.
a cat in gloves catches no micebeing too careful can result in failureYou need to tell her how you really feel if you want to marry her. Remember that a cat in gloves catches no mice.

Extra Examples of Clothing Idioms in Use

Do you want to read more examples and sentences with clothing idioms?

Try entering the expressions in a corpus database or language app.

We highly recommend the following corpus resources and tools:

Watch on YouTube: Clothes Idioms with Alisha

View more Idioms and Phrases on ESL Expat

View the complete list of English idioms and phrases.