Learn Clothes Vocabulary with ASL Grammar
Clothing in ASL 👚🧢🧦 | Signs for Clothes, Accessories & Wearable Items
What do you wear to school? What did your friend wear yesterday? In American Sign Language (ASL), expressing what people are wearing is a common and essential part of everyday conversation.
Learning about clothing in ASL is crucial for effective communication in the Deaf community.
This post covers clothing in ASL and accessory vocabulary, modeling signs and sentence structures using Time-Topic-Comment (TTC) and Object-Subject-Verb (OSV), the two most natural and frequently used sentence types in ASL.
This post covers clothing and accessory vocabulary, modeling signs and sentence structures using Time-Topic-Comment (TTC) and Object-Subject-Verb (OSV), the two most natural and frequently used sentence types in ASL.
You’ll learn the signs for common items like pants, shoes, hat, necklace, and watch, along with the verb WEAR — and how to use these words in visual storytelling.
The vocabulary of clothing in ASL is extensive and includes various items like shirts, pants, and accessories.
Understanding clothing in ASL allows for richer conversations about fashion and personal style.
When discussing clothing in ASL, remember that context matters significantly.
👚 General Clothing Vocabulary in ASL
Clothes (ASL: CLOTHES)
Using the correct signs for clothing in ASL can enhance your storytelling in ASL.
Both flat hands brush downward from the chest — a universal sign for general apparel.
Example (TTC):
EVERYDAY CLOTHES CLEAN.
(I wear clean clothes every day.)
Wear (ASL: WEAR)
This is usually signed using the CLOTHES sign in context, or by incorporating it into the classifier of the item itself.
Example (OSV):
SHIRT ME WEAR.
(I’m wearing a shirt.)
Having a grasp of clothing in ASL can make you a better communicator.
🎒 Accessories & Apparel
Backpack 🎒
Both hands move behind shoulders, mimicking straps.
Example (TTC):
MORNING BACKPACK I WEAR.
(In the morning, I wear a backpack.)
Belt 🧍♂️
Index fingers draw a line across the waist.
Example:
BELT HE WEAR.
(He’s wearing a belt.)
Boots 👢
Use a “B” handshape and tap lower legs to indicate long footwear.
Example:
COLD WEATHER BOOTS ME WEAR.
(I wear boots in cold weather.)
Bracelet 🔗
Circle the wrist with your dominant hand.
Example (OSV):
BRACELET SHE WEAR.
(She wears a bracelet.)
Incorporating clothing in ASL into your vocabulary can foster deeper connections.
Fashion is an important topic, and knowing clothing in ASL helps you connect with others.
Contacts 👁️
Use index fingers to mimic placing contacts on the eyes.
With clothing in ASL, you can express your personality through signs.
Example:
EVERYDAY CONTACTS I PUT-ON.
(I put on contacts every day.)
Friends and family will appreciate your knowledge of clothing in ASL during conversations.
Dress 👗
Both hands move downward from shoulders to knees, showing the shape of a dress.
Example:
DRESS PRETTY COLOR.
(The dress has a pretty color.)
Earrings 🧏♀️
Use an “F” handshape or pinch motion near the earlobe.
Example (TTC):
TODAY EARRINGS GOLD.
(Today’s earrings are gold.)
Flipflops 🩴
Using clothing in ASL is essential for effective communication in diverse settings.
Usually described visually with SHOES + STRAP-STYLE using classifiers.
Example:
FLIPFLOPS SUMMER I WEAR.
(In summer, I wear flipflops.)
Glasses 👓
C-shaped or L-shaped hands frame eyes.
Example:
GLASSES I NEED.
(I need my glasses.)
Hair 💇♀️
Use a grabbing motion from top of the head — also used when describing hair.
Example:
HER HAIR LONG.
(Her hair is long.)
Hat1 / Hat2 🧢👒
Practicing clothing in ASL helps you become more fluent in the language.
HAT1: Simple pat on top of head (baseball cap)
HAT2: Larger circular shape for brimmed hat (sunhat)
Examples:
- HAT1: BASEBALL HAT HE WEAR.
- HAT2: BEACH HAT BIG.
Use clothing in ASL to express your thoughts about everyday fashion.
Jacket 🧥
Mimic putting on a jacket by pulling sleeves up over shoulders.
Example:
COLD OUTSIDE JACKET I WEAR.
(It’s cold outside — I’m wearing a jacket.)
Necklace 📿
Circle around neck using index fingers.
Incorporate new vocabulary related to clothing in ASL as you learn.
Example (TTC):
PARTY NECKLACE SHE WEAR.
(She wore a necklace to the party.)
Pants 👖
Flat hands swipe down both legs.
Example (OSV):
PANTS ME WEAR BLUE.
(I’m wearing blue pants.)
Purse 👜
C-hand gesture near shoulder, like holding a purse strap.
Example:
PURSE WHERE?
(Where’s my purse?)
Ring 💍
Circle the ring finger with a handshape or point gesture.
Example:
WEDDING RING NICE.
(The wedding ring is nice.)
Stay updated with trends in clothing in ASL to enhance your skills.
Scarf 🧣
Use both hands to drape a scarf motion across the neck.
Example:
SCARF COLOR RED.
(The scarf is red.)
Shirt 👕
Pinch chest with both hands — shows the fabric or buttons.
Example:
SHIRT DIRTY WASH NEED.
(The shirt is dirty. It needs to be washed.)
Shoes 👞
Fists bump together — can vary by region.
Example:
SHOES MATCH OUTFIT.
(The shoes match the outfit.)
Shorts 🩳
Hands move across thighs to show shortened length.
Example:
SUMMER SHORTS I WEAR.
(I wear shorts in summer.)
Skirt 👗
Move both hands down from waist outward, like a flared skirt.
Example:
SKIRT FLOWY STYLE.
(The skirt is flowy in style.)
Socks 🧦
Index fingers rub each other horizontally.
Example (TTC):
TODAY SOCKS STRIPED.
(Today, my socks are striped.)
Watch ⌚
Point or circle on the wrist.
Example:
WATCH TIME CHECK.
(Check your watch for the time.)
🧏♀️ Why ASL Grammar Matters
Engage with your community using clothing in ASL to discuss fashion.
Time-Topic-Comment (TTC):
Gives the when first, then the what and how.
Share your favorite styles using clothing in ASL to engage others.
Explore different aspects of clothing in ASL to broaden your understanding.
- TODAY HAT BLUE I WEAR.
(Today, I’m wearing a blue hat.)
Object-Subject-Verb (OSV):
Puts the object up front.
- EARRINGS SHE WEAR.
(She wears earrings.)
Join discussions about clothing in ASL in online forums.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to sign Clothing in ASL adds clarity and personality to your communication. Whether you’re describing your outfit, asking what someone wore, or interpreting fashion-based conversations, these signs give you the tools to express yourself visually and grammatically in ASL.
ClothingInASL #ASLFashion #ASLInteractive #LearnASL #DeafEd #SignLanguage #WhatAreYouWearing
Educational resources: Find related learning materials in our course bank!
Feel confident discussing your favorite clothing in ASL styles with others.
Want more? Check out some of our popular learning activities on the homepage!
Need to look up a sign? Use our highly rated dictionary: https://aslinteractive.com/best-asl-dictionary/
Follow us on tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aslinteractive. More social media links at the bottom of this page!
Want more? Check out some of our popular learning activities!
ASL Interactive Resources
ASLInteractive YouTube Channel
Follow us on tiktok: @aslinteractive.com
Follow us on Instagram: aslinteractive
Facebook page: aslinteractive
Facebook group: aslinteractive
LInkedIn: ASL Interactive LLC
Twitter: @ASL_interactive
*Some information on this page is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes. Please check the information.
