gar ‧ ment /ˈɡɑːmənt $ ˈɡɑːr-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: garnement 'equipment' , from garnir ; ⇨ ↑ garnish 2 ]
formal a piece of clothing:
She pulled the garment on and zipped it up.
garment industry/factory/district etc
She works in the garment district of Manhattan.
outer/upper garment
The outer garment was a loose-fitting robe.
⇨ ↑ undergarment
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Garment is used in business contexts, especially in American English, to talk about the business of making and selling clothes. In everyday English, people usually say clothes (plural):
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What kind of clothes was she wearing?
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THESAURUS
▪ clothes noun [plural] things you wear to cover your body or keep you warm. Clothes is always plural:
I like your clothes!
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Don’t throw your dirty clothes on the floor!
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a clothes shop
▪ clothing noun [uncountable] used when talking in general about a type of clothes, or about making or selling clothes. Also used in the phrase a piece/item/article of clothing (=one of the things that someone wears) :
You’ll need to take some warm clothing.
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It is important to wear protective clothing at all times.
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a clothing manufacturer
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a clothing retailer
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Police found a piece of clothing in the bushes.
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I took a change of clothing with me.
▪ garment noun [countable] formal one thing that you wear. Also used when talking about buying and selling clothes:
a long velvet garment
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the garment industry
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garment workers
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garment factories
▪ dress noun [uncountable] a particular style of clothes. Don’t use dress on its own:
Casual dress is not appropriate for an interview.
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men in evening dress
▪ wear noun [uncountable] used about types of clothes sold in a shop, in the following phrases. Don’t use wear on its own:
children’s wear
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sports wear
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casual wear
▪ gear noun [uncountable] /ɡɪə $ ɡɪr/ informal clothes for a particular sport or activity:
She was wearing her running gear.
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Have you got all your gear?
▪ wardrobe noun [singular] all the clothes that you own, or all the clothes that you wear at a particular time of year:
Her wardrobe consisted mainly of smart clothes for work.
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I will need a new summer weardrobe.
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You could win a complete new wardrobe!