Do you feel limited when describing attire, or the deeper meanings behind how we dress? This article delves into idioms for costumes, equipping you with vibrant expressions for literal garments and the roles people play.
Many struggle to articulate subtle social observations about clothing and identity. By exploring these phrases, you’ll enhance your descriptive power and appreciate how attire intertwines with identity in conversation.
Best Idioms for Costumes
1. Dressed to kill
Meaning: Wearing very fashionable or glamorous clothes intended to attract attention.
In a Sentence:
She was dressed to kill for the gala, turning heads as she entered.
He arrived at the interview dressed to kill, hoping to make a strong impression.
Other Ways to Say: Glamorous, Elegant, Stunningly dressed, Fashionable
2. Put on a brave face
Meaning: To pretend to be brave or happy when you are actually sad or afraid.
In a Sentence:
Despite her recent loss, she managed to put on a brave face for the children.
He had to put on a brave face and continue with the presentation, even though he was nervous.
Other Ways to Say: Act courageous, Feign confidence, Hide true feelings, Appear strong
3. Wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: To openly show your emotions or feelings rather than hiding them.
In a Sentence:
She’s not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve; you always know how she’s feeling.
He wears his heart on his sleeve, which can sometimes make him vulnerable.
Other Ways to Say: Be open, Be emotional, Show feelings, Expressive
4. Fits like a glove
Meaning: To fit perfectly.
In a Sentence:
This new jacket fits like a glove; it’s exactly my size.
The solution to the problem fits like a glove with our existing strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect fit, Ideal, Spot on, Just right
5. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: To prepare to do some hard work.
In a Sentence:
There’s a lot to do, so let’s all roll up our sleeves and get to work.
The team rolled up their sleeves and tackled the challenge head-on.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready to work, Prepare for effort, Work hard, Buckle down
6. Dressed to the nines
Meaning: Dressed very fashionably and elegantly; wearing one’s best clothes.
In a Sentence:
They were all dressed to the nines for the wedding reception.
She loved any excuse to get dressed to the nines and go out.
Other Ways to Say: Elegantly dressed, Glamorously attired, Best dressed, Formal
7. All dressed up and nowhere to go
Meaning: Prepared for an event that is then canceled or does not happen.
In a Sentence:
The party was called off last minute, leaving us all dressed up and nowhere to go.
It felt like being all dressed up and having nowhere to go when our flight was delayed indefinitely.
Other Ways to Say: Prepared for nothing, Disappointed, Ready for a canceled event
8. Cut from the same cloth
Meaning: Having very similar qualities or characteristics to someone else.
In a Sentence:
Both brothers are incredibly determined; they’re clearly cut from the same cloth.
The new employee is cut from the same cloth as the rest of the innovative team.
Other Ways to Say: Similar, Alike, Identical in character, Of the same type
9. In someone else’s shoes
Meaning: In another person’s situation, especially a difficult one.
In a Sentence:
If you were in my shoes, you’d understand why I made that decision.
Try to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes before judging them.
Other Ways to Say: In their position, In their situation, Empathize, Understand their perspective
10. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
Meaning: To improve your situation by your own efforts, without help from others.
In a Sentence:
After losing everything, he managed to pull himself up by his bootstraps and rebuild his life.
The mayor encouraged the community to pull itself up by their bootstraps.
Other Ways to Say: Self-reliant, Persevere independently, Work hard, Improve by effort
11. Try on for size
Meaning: To test or consider something as a possibility.
In a Sentence:
Before committing, let’s try on this new strategy for size and see how it works.
I’m just trying out the idea for size; I haven’t made a final decision yet.
Other Ways to Say: Test out, Consider, Experiment with, Assess
12. Keep your shirt on
Meaning: To remain calm and patient; don’t get angry.
In a Sentence:
Keep your shirt on, there’s no need to get upset; we’ll figure this out.
He told his agitated colleague to keep his shirt on and take a deep breath.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Be patient, Don’t get angry, Relax
13. Get your knickers in a twist
Meaning: To become overly worried or agitated about something, especially something minor (informal, British English).
In a Sentence:
Don’t get your knickers in a twist over a little spilled coffee.
She tends to get her knickers in a twist about trivial matters.
Other Ways to Say: Get upset, Get agitated, Overreact, Fuss unnecessarily
14. Caught with your pants down
Meaning: To be found in an embarrassing or unprepared situation.
In a Sentence:
The sudden inspection caught the entire department with their pants down.
He was caught with his pants down when the reporter asked an unexpected question.
Other Ways to Say: Unprepared, Disorganized, Vulnerable, Embarrassed
15. Dress down
Meaning: To dress informally; also, to reprimand someone severely.
In a Sentence:
It’s a casual office, so you can dress down on Fridays.
The coach dressed down the team for their poor performance.
Other Ways to Say: Dress casually, Reprimand, Scold, Tell off
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Culture Exploring Traditions
16. Dressed up to the hilt
Meaning: Dressed in the finest or most elaborate clothes possible. (Very similar to ‘dressed to the nines’).
In a Sentence:
For the New Year’s Eve party, she was dressed up to the hilt.
They arrived at the charity ball dressed up to the hilt, looking absolutely stunning.
Other Ways to Say: Very elegantly dressed, Overdressed, Formally attired, Glamorous
17. Fit like a square peg in a round hole
Meaning: To be unsuitable or out of place in a particular situation or group.
In a Sentence:
He’s a creative artist, but he just doesn’t fit like a square peg in a round hole in this corporate environment.
Trying to make that old system work with new software is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Other Ways to Say: Unsuitable, Misfit, Incompatible, Out of place
18. Have a card up your sleeve
Meaning: To have a secret plan or advantage that you can use when needed.
In a Sentence:
The negotiator seemed calm, leading me to believe he had a card up his sleeve.
Don’t worry, I always have a card up my sleeve for emergencies.
Other Ways to Say: Secret advantage, Hidden plan, Reserve option, Ace in the hole
19. Off the cuff
Meaning: Without preparation; impromptu.
In a Sentence:
His speech was completely off the cuff, but it was surprisingly articulate.
I don’t have an answer off the cuff; I need to think about it.
Other Ways to Say: Impromptu, Spontaneous, Unprepared, Extemporaneous
20. Wear the pants in the family
Meaning: To be the dominant person or decision-maker in a household.
In a Sentence:
Everyone knows Sarah wears the pants in that family.
In their relationship, it’s clear who wears the pants.
Other Ways to Say: In charge, Dominant, Leader, Head of the household
21. Dressed in your Sunday best
Meaning: Wearing one’s best clothes, typically for a special occasion or church.
In a Sentence:
The children were all dressed in their Sunday best for the family photo.
She wore her Sunday best for her graduation ceremony.
Other Ways to Say: Best clothes, Formal attire, Smartly dressed, Special occasion clothes
22. Tailor-made
Meaning: Perfectly suited for a particular purpose or person.
In a Sentence:
This job is tailor-made for someone with your skills and experience.
The apartment was tailor-made for a young couple.
Other Ways to Say: Perfectly suited, Custom-made, Ideal, Designed for
23. Bursting at the seams
Meaning: Very full; overcrowded; stretched to the limit.
In a Sentence:
The small restaurant was bursting at the seams on a Saturday night.
After the holidays, my closet is always bursting at the seams.
Other Ways to Say: Overcrowded, Full to capacity, Overloaded, Packed
24. Keep it under your hat
Meaning: To keep something a secret.
In a Sentence:
I’m going to propose to her, but you have to keep it under your hat.
Please keep this news under your hat until we make the official announcement.
Other Ways to Say: Keep secret, Keep confidential, Don’t tell anyone, Mum’s the word
25. Put a sock in it
Meaning: An impolite way to tell someone to be quiet or stop talking.
In a Sentence:
“Oh, just put a sock in it!” he muttered when his brother wouldn’t stop complaining.
The noisy neighbors were told to put a sock in it.
Other Ways to Say: Shut up, Be quiet, Stop talking, Silence (informal, rude)
26. Take your hat off to someone
Meaning: To show admiration or respect for someone.
In a Sentence:
I take my hat off to anyone who can run a marathon.
You have to take your hat off to her for her dedication to the cause.
Other Ways to Say: Admire, Respect, Commend, Applaud
27. Feather in your cap
Meaning: An achievement to be proud of.
In a Sentence:
Winning that award was a real feather in her cap.
Getting accepted into that prestigious university was a big feather in his cap.
Other Ways to Say: Achievement, Honor, Distinction, Merit
28. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Angry, embarrassed, or agitated.
In a Sentence:
He got hot under the collar when he was accused of cheating.
Don’t bring up politics with him; he gets hot under the collar easily.
Other Ways to Say: Angry, Annoyed, Embarrassed, Agitated, Fuming
29. Belt and braces
Meaning: Using two or more ways to be careful, even if one would be enough; extra cautious (British English).
In a Sentence:
I brought both a hard copy and a digital backup; it’s a belt and braces approach.
He always uses a belt and braces method when checking his accounts.
Other Ways to Say: Overly cautious, Redundant precautions, Double-checking, Being safe
30. Tighten your belt
Meaning: To spend less money because you have less.
In a Sentence:
With the economy struggling, many families have to tighten their belts.
We need to tighten our belts if we want to save up for a house.
Other Ways to Say: Economize, Cut back on spending, Be frugal, Live more cheaply
31. Under your belt
Meaning: Achieved or experienced and now part of your experience.
In a Sentence:
She already has several years of experience under her belt.
With that qualification under your belt, you’ll find a good job easily.
Other Ways to Say: Achieved, Gained, Experienced, Completed
32. Get your boots on
Meaning: To prepare for action; to get ready for something challenging.
In a Sentence:
Okay, team, get your boots on. We have a big task ahead of us.
It’s time to get your boots on and face the competition.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready, Prepare, Brace yourself, Get into action
33. Fill someone’s shoes
Meaning: To take over someone’s position and perform as well as they did.
In a Sentence:
It will be hard to find anyone to fill his shoes after he retires.
The new CEO will have big shoes to fill after the founder leaves.
Other Ways to Say: Replace, Take over, Succeed, Step into their role
34. Rags to riches
Meaning: A story or situation describing someone who rises from poverty to wealth.
In a Sentence:
His rags-to-riches story inspired many young entrepreneurs.
She went from rags to riches through hard work and determination.
Other Ways to Say: From poverty to wealth, Upward mobility, Self-made success
35. Air your dirty laundry
Meaning: To discuss your private disagreements or embarrassing personal matters in public.
In a Sentence:
I wish they wouldn’t air their dirty laundry in front of everyone.
It’s unprofessional to air your dirty laundry at the office.
Other Ways to Say: Publicly reveal private matters, Discuss personal problems openly, Expose secrets
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Peace: Discovering Inner Calm
36. Cloak and dagger
Meaning: Involving secrecy, mystery, and intrigue, often with spies or secret agents.
In a Sentence:
The mission involved a lot of cloak-and-dagger operations.
Their plan seemed very cloak-and-dagger, with secret meetings and coded messages.
Other Ways to Say: Secretive, Mysterious, Intriguing, Espionage
37. Dressed as mutton dressed as lamb
Meaning: (Often critical, humorous) Refers to an older woman dressed in clothes that are too youthful for her age.
In a Sentence:
Her outfit was clearly a case of mutton dressed as lamb.
Some might say she looks like mutton dressed as lamb in that outfit.
Other Ways to Say: Inappropriately dressed (for age), Trying too hard to look young
38. Hand in glove
Meaning: Working together closely and smoothly.
In a Sentence:
The two departments worked hand in glove on the challenging project.
The police and the informant worked hand in glove to catch the suspect.
Other Ways to Say: In close cooperation, Closely associated, In unison, Jointly
39. Fit to a T
Meaning: To fit perfectly or suit exactly. (Similar to ‘fits like a glove’).
In a Sentence:
The description of the suspect fit the man perfectly, right to a T.
That explanation fits the situation to a T.
Other Ways to Say: Perfectly suited, Exactly right, Ideal, Spot on
40. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To deceive someone; to trick them.
In a Sentence:
Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes; I know what you’re doing.
The con artist tried to pull the wool over the elderly couple’s eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Deceive, Trick, Mislead, Fool, Defraud
41. Old hat
Meaning: Old-fashioned; no longer new, interesting, or exciting.
In a Sentence:
That technology is old hat now; everyone uses something newer.
For experienced programmers, basic coding is old hat.
Other Ways to Say: Outdated, Obsolete, Familiar, Unexciting
42. Pass the hat
Meaning: To collect money, usually for a specific purpose or for charity.
In a Sentence:
Let’s pass the hat around to help our colleague who is going through a tough time.
They passed the hat at the end of the concert to collect donations for the local shelter.
Other Ways to Say: Collect donations, Solicit contributions, Beg for money
43. Out of your league
Meaning: To be too good or too skilled for someone; beyond someone’s capabilities or level.
In a Sentence:
That job is probably out of your league right now; you need more experience.
He feels like that beautiful woman is completely out of his league.
Other Ways to Say: Too difficult, Beyond one’s ability, Superior, Unreachable
44. Roll up your pants
Meaning: To prepare for action or get ready for something, often implying getting ready for something difficult or messy (less common than ‘roll up your sleeves’).
In a Sentence:
Okay, everyone, roll up your pants, there’s a lot of work to do.
(This is less common and might sometimes literally refer to preparing to walk through water.)
Other Ways to Say: Get ready, Prepare, Get to work (less direct than ‘roll up sleeves’)
45. Keep your pants on
Meaning: To be patient and calm; don’t get excited or impatient.
In a Sentence:
Just keep your pants on; the results will be announced soon.
“Keep your pants on!” she told the impatient kids, “We’ll be there in five minutes.”
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, Stay calm, Don’t rush, Wait
46. Wear many hats
Meaning: To have many different roles or responsibilities.
In a Sentence:
As a small business owner, she has to wear many hats every day.
In a startup, everyone wears many hats and handles various tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Have multiple roles, Be versatile, Multitask, Have diverse responsibilities
47. All hat and no cattle
Meaning: Someone who talks a lot but doesn’t follow through; full of empty boasts (American English, often from ranching).
In a Sentence:
He makes big promises, but he’s all hat and no cattle.
Don’t listen to his boasts; he’s all hat and no cattle when it comes to delivering results.
Other Ways to Say: Empty boasts, Boaster, Talk and no action, Hypocrite
48. Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Directly from the original or most reliable source.
In a Sentence:
I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth that the company is expanding.
This information comes straight from the horse’s mouth, so it must be true.
Other Ways to Say: Directly from the source, From a reliable source, First-hand, Authoritative
49. Dressed up like a dog’s dinner
Meaning: Dressed very elaborately or formally, but often in a way that looks silly or inappropriate (British English, informal, critical).
In a Sentence:
She was dressed up like a dog’s dinner for the casual backyard BBQ.
He arrived at the low-key event dressed up like a dog’s dinner, looking out of place.
Other Ways to Say: Overdressed, Dressed inappropriately, Gaudy, Tacky
50. Have your collar felt
Meaning: To be arrested or detained by the police. (British English, informal).
In a Sentence:
If you keep doing that, you’ll have your collar felt by the police.
After the protest, a few people had their collars felt.
Other Ways to Say: Be arrested, Be detained, Be apprehended, Get caught by the police
Exercise to Practice – Idioms for Costumes
- She was absolutely _________________________ for the charity ball, sparkling in her sequined gown.
- Despite feeling incredibly nervous before her speech, she managed to _________________________ and deliver it flawlessly.
- The new software update is so intuitive, it just _________________________ with our existing system.
- The manager told the team to _________________________ because there was a lot of urgent work to complete by the end of the day.
- He always _________________________ about his opinions; you never have to guess what he’s thinking.
- The old financial reporting system is completely _________________________; we need to upgrade.
- She had to _________________________ after unexpectedly losing her job, finding a new one entirely on her own.
- The new employee, despite being very competent, felt like she _________________________ in the very formal office environment.
- He tried to _________________________ about his true intentions, but I saw right through him.
- The secret about the new product launch was difficult to _________________________ before the official announcement.
Answer Key
- dressed to kill (or dressed to the nines / dressed up to the hilt)
- put on a brave face
- fits like a glove
- roll up their sleeves
- wears his heart on his sleeve
- old hat
- pull herself up by her bootstraps
- fit like a square peg in a round hole
- pull the wool over my eyes
- keep under your hat
Conclusion
Now, take this newfound linguistic flair and weave it into your own conversations. Don’t just describe what someone wears; articulate the deeper implications. By confidently employing these idioms for costumes, you’ll not only enrich your vocabulary but also master the art of discerning and conveying the subtle layers of human presentation.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
