Pam left a comment on my dyeing post saying that for her 'pants' are only underpants, and those would be called 'trousers'. I found this quite intriguing, because for me 'pants' are all things you wear on your bottom half that aren't skirts ... the superset. Trousers are a subset, and not really a word I would use very often, although it's not an unusual word. Trousers are generally full-length, although I suppose you could say 'three quarter length trousers'. But you'd generally say pants for everything, and specify more if needed.
Underpants are definitely 'underpants', and never 'pants', but I would most commonly say 'undies'. Occasionally 'knickers', and in my house we also say 'pundies', 'grutlies' and 'jocks' ... but I accept that is likely to be a local usage (i.e. local to my house). The words 'panties' and 'briefs' also exist but are not to be used by right-thinking people (shudder).
Vests are sleeveless garments that are worn over other clothes and almost always close up the front. So you would have a hi-vis vest, puffer vest, or fleecy vest. If it is a bit fancy (tailored, buttoned and lined) then it would be a waistcoat although you could use vest in a pinch (but you'd probably have to say 'suit vest'.) You could use 'sweater vest' even though it doesn't do up the front but I would probably say 'sleeveless jumper'.
If a sleeveless garment is worn under other clothes to keep you warm it's always a singlet. If the garment is worn on its own - like a basketball player - it's still a singlet, but you can also use 'tank' or 'tank top'. This is more likely as the garment gets more about fashion - 'singlet' carries a bit of the underwear nuance to it.
Thank you Pam, this stuff is endlessly interesting to me! I mattocked around a new garden bed yesterday and I was thinking almost entirely about clothing names :)
Isn't it just so fascinating how the same word can mean such a different thing depending on its usage? "Pants" for us are long "trousers" and trousers are "dressy pants" here...and usually referred to as menswear...Tom has trousers and I have "slacks"...so interesting usage is...Thanks for sharing...hugs, Julierose
ReplyDeleteInteresting! "Slacks" is a very old-fashioned word here; they used to describe men's or occasionally women's informal trousers, in the day when formal trousers were the norm. "Suit" vest sounds hilarious to my Scottish ears. Right enough, we do talk about high viz vests, but that's an aberration. Singlets are worn, or used to be, on race tracks, with bagg shorts. Think Chariots of Fire. Vests (our type, ie undergarments you wear to keep warm in winter) can also have either short or long sleeves. But this is Scotland! It can be bracing. Talking of braces, which chaps with tummies use to hold their trousers up, I think Americans call these suspenders, which is equally mirth-inducing to us. They're things to keep nylon stockings up - or were, before tights were invented. "Dressy pants"!!! Not a thing here. I might write my own post on this...
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