[Vocabulary] to put/pull on clothes

[dilodi83]

What's the difference between
to put on clothes
and
to pull on clothes
?

 

[waflob]

To me (and others may well differ), pulling on clothes implies that it was done quickly and possibly even carelessly. To put on clothes gives a sense of a more orderly approach.

 

[emsr2d2]

There are some pieces of clothing which I think lend themselves well to "pull on" and others that don't:

I think these work:

He pulled on a sweater.
He pulled on his wellies.
He pulled on a pair of black jeans.

I don't think it works for:

He pulled on a cardigan.
He pulled on a shirt.
He pulled on a jacket.

Personally, I don't feel any difference in speed between "pull on" and "put on" unless the context suggests a difference.

 

[5jj]

I agree with emsr2d2 about the clothes one might pull on without necessarily implying speed; these may be tight and require some effort.

However, with other clothes, and with the word 'clothes' itself, I agree with waflob that 'pulling on' can suggest speed and/or carelessness.