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Clothes versus Garments

English translation: difference in usage and context

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Clothes versus Garments
Selected answer:difference in usage and context
Entered by: Rajan Chopra

00:52 Feb 25, 2004
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / Usage
English term or phrase: Clothes versus Garments
The above words appear synonyms but I think there might be some difference with regard to their connotations and usage. I want to ascertain from the native speakers what is the basic difference between the two. Whether these are interchangeable? Whether both of these sentences are correct:

1. He was wearing decent clothes.

2. He was wearing decent garments.

Kindly explain. Thanks in anticipation.
Rajan Chopra
India
Local time: 07:39
difference in usage and context
Explanation:
"Garments" is used more than "clothes" in the garment industry; outside of that context it is an old-fashioned and overly formal word for clothes.

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Note added at 46 mins (2004-02-25 01:39:02 GMT)
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Quite so, Rita, one seldom hears \"garment\" in conversation unless the speaker is being deliberatly old-fashioned or ironically literary. My explanation was meant to describe usage overall, not only conversation, since the asker didn\'t mention any limitations to usage.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2004-02-25 01:39:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

deliberatEly
Selected response from:

Margaret Schroeder
Mexico
Local time: 20:09
Grading comment
Thanks to all of you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +13difference in usage and context
Margaret Schroeder
4 +3garment is rarely used
RHELLER
4another difference is....
Charlie Bavington
3 -1general versus specific
Mag. Sabine Senn


  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
clothes versus garments
garment is rarely used


Explanation:
today,no one would say
"he was wearing decent garments"

maybe in a religious context - like kissing the hem of his garment (the Pope)

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 20:09
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Rowson (X): And no-one would write it either (except in the very limited contexts, as mentioned by Laurel, below)
5 hrs
  -> thanks Chris!
agree  jerrie
7 hrs
  -> Hi Jerrie :-)
agree  Armorel Young: mainly used in historical/religious contexts
9 hrs
  -> I appreciate that, thanks -:)
agree  senin
18 hrs
disagree  edwardPVS: I disagree in the sense that in the global (not just US) garment/fashion/clothes manufacturing industry it's a very common word to describe an article of clothing (not a "limited context"). However, it's not a substitute for "clothes" in everyday language
3996 days
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
general versus specific


Explanation:

clothes: more general, abstract

He was wearing decent clothes.

Garments= more specific ,
articles of clothing

Mag. Sabine Senn
Local time: 04:09
Works in field

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Laurel Porter (X): Nope - not today. Garment is strictly a very old-fashioned or extremely formal word, used in incredibly limited circumstances: religious, period (19th century, e.g.), textiles...
4 hrs
neutral  edwardPVS: I disagree with Laurel Porter, who has obviously not had much contact the global fashion/garment/clothes manufacturing industry.
3996 days
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +13
clothes versus garments
difference in usage and context


Explanation:
"Garments" is used more than "clothes" in the garment industry; outside of that context it is an old-fashioned and overly formal word for clothes.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2004-02-25 01:39:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Quite so, Rita, one seldom hears \"garment\" in conversation unless the speaker is being deliberatly old-fashioned or ironically literary. My explanation was meant to describe usage overall, not only conversation, since the asker didn\'t mention any limitations to usage.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2004-02-25 01:39:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

deliberatEly

Margaret Schroeder
Mexico
Local time: 20:09
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thanks to all of you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RHELLER: you are quoting the name of the industry "the garment industry"; that name was coined in the early 1900's and still used today but the word garment is rarely used in everyday conversation
9 mins
  -> See, for example, http://www.gidc.org/ http://www.maquilasolidarity.org/resources/garment/ http://www.garmentyellowpages.com/ http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/research/garment.html http://www.developmentinpractice.org/abstracts/vol12/v12n1a0...
agree  karina koguta: garment is more likely to be heard when refering to a piece of clothe specific for a purpose, like a cerimonial garment
1 hr
agree  Stephanie Sullivan
1 hr
agree  Valeria Verona
1 hr
agree  jebeen
2 hrs
agree  Laurel Porter (X): With added note, I agree - before then, I would have disagreed. Even in the garment industry, they rarely refer to "garments" as such except for the name of the industry itself.
4 hrs
agree  Cristina Moldovan do Amaral
5 hrs
agree  Mario Marcolin
6 hrs
agree  Jeannie Graham
8 hrs
agree  Nikita Kobrin
10 hrs
agree  Spiros Doikas
11 hrs
agree  Charlie Bavington
13 hrs
agree  edwardPVS
3996 days
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
clothes versus garments
another difference is....


Explanation:
...that garments has a singular form and clothes doesn't !!


Charlie Bavington
Local time: 03:09
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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