would have worn

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'would have worn' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are talking about something in the past that did not happen. For example: She would have worn a dress to the party if she had attended.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Joan Crawford would have worn them.

The New Yorker

A real Mainer would have worn his baseball cap.

The New Yorker

Washington said he would have worn Smart down.

The New York Times - Sports

In the olden days, they would have worn more jumpers.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's not what I would have worn," the friend sniffed.

The New York Times

It looked like something a Hitchcock heroine would have worn.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It looked like something Ted Baxter would have worn.

The New York Times - Style

Just like ours would have worn had we ever won anything.

Independent

Mr. Kemp would have worn that as a badge of honor; his disciple probably won't.

The New York Times

Like something a bride would have worn under a big sky: young, American.

The New York Times

She doubted that the earlier version would have worn as well.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "would have worn" to speculate about past fashion choices or to describe hypothetical scenarios related to clothing.

Common error

Avoid using "would have wore". The correct form is "would have worn", using the past participle of 'wear'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "would have worn" is a modal construction indicating a hypothetical action in the past. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used. It combines the modal verb 'would' with the perfect infinitive 'have worn', suggesting something that could have happened under different circumstances.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

94%

Science

3%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "would have worn" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for expressing hypothetical past actions related to clothing, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's versatile enough for various contexts, but most commonly found in news and media. When using this phrase, ensure you employ the correct past participle form 'worn' and avoid the incorrect 'wore'. Consider alternatives like "would have donned" or "would have sported" to add nuance to your writing. The phrase's prevalence across authoritative sources underscores its reliability and widespread acceptance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

would've donned

Contraction of 'would have' adds a more informal tone.

would have sported

Replaces "worn" with "sported" implying wearing something with pride or show.

would have been dressed in

Emphasizes the act of being clothed in a specific item.

would have had on

A more casual way of saying "would have worn".

would have been wearing

Continuous form emphasizes the state of wearing something over time.

would have put on

Focuses on the action of putting the garment on.

would have chosen to wear

Highlights the element of choice in selecting the garment.

would have favored

Suggests a preference for a particular item of clothing.

would have been seen in

Focuses on how someone would have appeared to others.

would have displayed

Implies wearing something to showcase it.

FAQs

How to use "would have worn" in a sentence?

Use "would have worn" to describe a hypothetical past action related to clothing, for example: "She "would have worn" the dress if she had gone to the party."

What can I say instead of "would have worn"?

You can use alternatives like "would have donned", "would have sported", or "would have been dressed in" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "would have worn" or "would have wore"?

"Would have worn" is the correct form. "Wore" is the simple past tense, while "worn" is the past participle, which is needed after "have".

Is "would've worn" an acceptable contraction?

Yes, "would've worn" is an acceptable contraction of ""would have worn"", and is commonly used in informal speech and writing.