Phrases › Trying on Clothes › Posso tenere i miei vestiti addosso?

Posso tenere i miei vestiti addosso?

Can I keep my clothes on?

Pronunciation

'Addosso' — 'ad-DOS-so'. Three syllables, stress on second. Double 's'. 'Addosso' = on one's body.

When to use it

When trying a loose outer garment (jacket, coat) that can go over your clothes without needing to change. Saves time in the fitting room.

What it means

'Tenere addosso' = to keep on (one's body). 'I miei vestiti' = my clothes. 'Addosso' literally means 'on body' — a uniquely Italian adverb of position. 'Ce l'ho addosso' = I'm wearing it.

Variations

Posso provarlo sopra?

Can I try it on over (my clothes)?

Simpler — 'sopra' implies over one's clothes

Si prova direttamente sopra i vestiti.

It's tried on directly over clothes.

Assistant reassuring you — no need to undress

Questa giacca si prova così?

Is this jacket tried on like this?

Asking if it's normal to try without undressing

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Posso tenere i miei vestiti addosso per provare il cappotto? Commessa: Certo. Anzi, è meglio così — vede come starà con un maglione sotto. Cliente: Ha senso. Come mi sta? Commessa: Molto bene. La lunghezza è perfetta.

Customer: Can I keep my clothes on to try the coat? Assistant: Of course. In fact, it's better that way — you see how it'll be with a jumper underneath. Customer: That makes sense. How does it look on me? Assistant: Very well. The length is perfect.

Cultural Note

For coats, jackets and blazers, Italian assistants always encourage you to try over a similar layer to what you'd normally wear. 'L'occhio' (the eye) for proportion is key — seeing the item in its actual context matters.

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