The literature on the hyper-hyponymic paradigm of “clothing” in English extensively explores the hierarchical lexical-semantic relationships where the hyperonym “clothing” encompasses a broad category of garments, and hyponyms represent more specific items within this category (Kabulova, 2018). Key studies emphasize that this paradigm exhibits a complex multi-stage structure composed of microfields – subcategories of clothing terms – that often overlap, reflecting the fluid boundaries within the lexical field of clothing (Kabulova, 2024). Researchers define hyponyms as words whose meanings are included within the meaning of a hyperonym, forming a hierarchical semantic system. In this structure, “clothing” serves as a hyperonym, encompassing terms such as “skirt,” “hat,” and “shoes” as its hyponyms. These hyponyms can themselves act as hyperonyms for even more specific terms, creating a layered semantic network. For instance, “shoes” is a hyperonym for “ballet shoes,” “mules,” and “kitten heels,” illustrating how specificity increases through successive levels within the paradigm (Kabulova, 2019). The literature emphasizes the use of explanatory dictionaries (e.g., Longman, Oxford, Macmillan) and authentic language corpora to analyze these semantic relationships. Visual aids, such as illustrations, are often employed to clarify the connections between hyperonyms and hyponyms, highlighting the richness and adaptability of English clothing vocabulary in both spoken and written contexts (Bulygina, 1967).The classification of clothing and footwear in English has been extensively explored across linguistic, anthropological, and sociological disciplines. Foundational works by Barnard (2014) and Craik (2009) emphasize the fluidity and evolution of fashion terminology, highlighting the increasing prevalence of unisex categories as a response to shifting cultural and gender norms. These scholars argue that language both reflects and shapes the way society perceives clothing, with unisex terms gaining traction as gender binaries become less rigid. The study of clothing terminology in different languages helps  uncover  how  different  societies  have  evolved  under  the  influence  of  their environment,  traditions,  and  external  factors  such  as  globalization  and  intercultural communication (Ferguson, 1959). The study of English clothing terminology has attracted considerable scholarly attention, particularly from sociolinguistic and comparative linguistic perspectives. Researchers have explored how the vocabulary related to clothing and fashion reflects complex interactions between language, culture, society, and history. (Abdullayeva, Jurakulova, 2022). Yadigarova Bahramovna (2023) provides a detailed linguistic analysis of hyperonymic and hyponymic features within English clothing names, emphasizing the richness and complexity of the language’s lexical system. The study highlights that hyperonyms like “clothing” or “unisex clothing” function as umbrella terms that include various hyponyms differentiated by use, seasonality, purpose, and structural features. Importantly, the hyper-hyponymic structure is often multilevel: a hyperonym can have direct hyponyms that themselves act as hyperonyms for further subcategories, creating a layered taxonomy (e.g., “clothing” > “outerwear” > “anorak”). Additional studies emphasize the cognitive and semantic dimensions of hyper-hyponymic relations. For example, research on hyponymic taxonomy in semantics discusses how clothing as a hypernym includes subcategories like outerwear, footwear, and headwear, each with further subdivisions (e.g., “boots” as a hyponym of footwear, with subtypes like “cowboy boots” or “rubber boots”). This taxonomy parallels the classification of unisex clothing, where specific items are organized under broader categories based on shared semantic properties. Additional studies emphasize the cognitive and semantic dimensions of hyper-hyponymic relations. For example, research on hyponymic taxonomy in semantics discusses how clothing as a hypernym includes subcategories like outerwear, footwear, and headwear, each with further subdivisions (e.g., “boots” as a hyponym of footwear, with subtypes like “cowboy boots” or “rubber boots”). This taxonomy parallels the classification of unisex clothing, where specific items are organized under broader categories based on shared semantic properties.

Hyperonym – “clothing”: a-line skirt (a skirt that fits the hips and flares to the bottom), baby doll (a baby dollar – a loose-fitting dress with a high waist and usually with or without short sleeves), bell-shaped skirt (a bell skirt (tulip skirt) – the skirt fits around the waist and expands sharply towards the bottom line), broomstick skirt (broom skirt – a skirt up to the length of the ankle with a large number of folds), bubble skirt (balloon skirt – a wide skirt, assembled on top and hem on braid or tape), Chanel Suit (two-piece suit – a suit made of tweed, with a narrow skirt, a collarless jacket covered with braid, golden buttons and patch pockets), circle skirt (flared sun skirt – a wide skirt that is sewn from a circle of fabric), cullote skirt (very wide pants that look like a skirt), full skirt (maxi skirt – a skirt up to heels long), maxiskirt (maxi skirt – a skirt up to heels long), jeggings (jeggings are a type of women’s trousers that are the middle between stretch jeans and leggings), prairie skirt (Western skirt – a heavily flared skirt with one or more frills), push-up (push-up bra – women’s underwear for breast volume), rah-rah skirt (pa-pa – short skirt with flounces), tiered skirt (multi-tiered skirt), treggings (treggings are a type of women’s trousers that are a middle between trousers and leggings).

1. Usage conditions:

Lingerie: push-up.

1. Purpose:

Casual wear (повседневная одежда): а-line skirt, baby doll, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit, circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah-rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings.

According to the structure (по характеру опоры):

shoulder: baby doll, Chanel Suit (because the kit includes a jacket);

waist (belt): а-line skirt, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit (because the kit includes a skirt), circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah-rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings.

Season (by season):

summer (summer clothes): а-line skirt, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit, circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah-rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings;

winter (winter clothes); а-line skirt, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit, circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah- rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings;

for spring and autumn wear (demiseason); а-line skirt, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit, circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah-rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings;

year-round (всесезонная); а-line skirt, bell-shaped skirt, broomstick skirt, bubble skirt, Chanel Suit, circle skirt, cullote skirt, full skirt, maxiskirt, jeggings, prairie skirt, rah-rah skirt, tiered skirt, treggings.

Sportswear and active wear (for sports and recreation); jeggings, treggings.

According to the structure (by the nature of the support);

waist (belt); jeggings, treggings.

Season (by season);

summer (summer clothes); jeggings, treggings;

winter (winter clothes); jeggings, treggings;

for spring and autumn wear (demiseason); jeggings, treggings;

year-round (all-season); jeggings, treggings.

Hyperonym “Footwear” (shoes): ankle boots, crocs, uggs.

Woman’s (woman’s shoes); ankle boots, crocs, uggs.

Casual (everyday); ankle boots, uggs.

Season (by season);

winter (winter shoes); ankle boots, uggs;

for spring and autumn wear (demiseason): ankle boots.

Men’s (men;sмужская): crocs, uggs.

Casual (повседневная): uggs.

Season (по сезону):

winter (зимняя); uggs.

Sports and beach footwear (для отдыха и спорта): crocs, uggs.

Season (по сезону);

summer (летняя): crocs;

winter (зимняя): uggs.

The largest group in this lexico-semantic field is the “women’s clothing” group (158 lexical units). In our opinion, this suggests that the clothing of English women is varied and adapted for different purposes. It should be noted that in both the “women’s clothing” microfield and the “men’s clothing” micro field, the “casual wear” group contains more lexicalunits than the “sport and active wear” group, although it is also quite meaningful (women’s clothing – 42, men’s clothing – 25). From this we conclude that in English culture it is customary to dress depending on the event, but at the same time there is a tendency towards a looser, sporty style. The “women’s footwear” and “women’s footwear” groups contain the same number of lexical units, while the “casual footwear” group (23 lexical units) contains much more lexical units than the “sports and active footwear” group (7 lexical units). This, in our opinion, indicates that in modern English society preference is given to beautiful, but, if possible, comfortable shoes. It is also noteworthy for us that the groups “Unisex clothing” and “Unisex footwear” are numerous (73 and 21 lexical units respectively). This suggests that in English linguistic culture, society adheres to the global trend towards erasing gender boundaries and the search for universal clothes and shoes.

We consider it important to identify a fairly large group of “Accessories” (48 lexical units). This indicates that in English society much attention is paid to accessories, especially hats (25 lexical units), which are still widely used at social and festive receptions, as well as at Sunday services in church. Along with these lexical units, we separately consider 19 lexical units, which, despite their widespread use in everyday life, in the media and by professionals in the field of clothing and fashion, are not recorded in dictionary sources and are not included in the lexical composition of the English language.

The classification of “unisex clothing” and “unisex footwear” reveals a comprehensive and systematic lexical organization grounded in multiple semantic criteria: use conditions, seasonality, purpose, and structural features. This multidimensional classification framework not only reflects the functional and contextual diversity of garments and footwear but also aligns with cognitive linguistic models of hierarchical lexical structuring, where hyperonyms encompass a broad semantic field subdivided into specific hyponyms.

The categorization by use conditions (outerwear, hosiery, homewear) demonstrates how clothing items are grouped according to their situational application, highlighting the pragmatic aspect of lexical semantics. The seasonality dimension further refines this classification by incorporating environmental and temporal factors that influence clothing choice, underscoring the adaptive nature of the lexicon to real-world contexts. The purpose-based classification (casual, sportswear) corresponds to sociocultural functions of clothing, reflecting lifestyle and activity patterns embedded in language use. Lastly, the structural features criterion (shoulder-supported vs. waist-supported garments) introduces a morphological and design-oriented perspective, emphasizing physical characteristics as semantic differentiators. Similarly, the classification of “unisex footwear” by purpose and seasonality parallels the clothing taxonomy, reinforcing the consistency of hyper-hyponymic structures across related lexical domains. This parallelism supports the notion that lexical organization in English clothing and footwear vocabulary is systematic and cognitively motivated. The identification of 19 emergent lexical units not yet codified in standard dictionaries – such as “jeggings,” “treggings,” and “uggs” – illustrates the dynamic and evolving nature of the lexicon. These neologisms emerge primarily through media influence, branding, and consumer trends, reflecting ongoing innovation in both fashion and language. Their prevalence in contemporary English usage signals the need for lexicographical updates and highlights the interplay between cultural change and linguistic development.

Scientifically, these findings confirm that the lexicon of unisex clothing and footwear operates within a hierarchical semantic network governed by hyper-hyponymic relations, which accommodate both stable, dictionary-recognized terms and fluid, emergent vocabulary. This duality underscores the importance of incorporating corpus-based and descriptive linguistic methods in fashion lexicology to capture the full spectrum of language use. Furthermore, the study contributes to understanding how language adapts to sociocultural shifts, particularly in the context of gender-neutral fashion, by systematically documenting the lexical mechanisms underlying unisex clothing terminology. Thus, the considered hyper-hyponymous paradigm has a hierarchically complex multi-stage structure: it consists of micro fields of different volumes, each of which is formed on the basis of integral elements, each member of which has differential elements. Consideration of the paradigmatic relations between nouns and clothing names in the English language shows that this lexical-semantic field includes micro fields between which there are no rigid boundaries, since many words taken in the same meanings are simultaneously members of several paradigms.