Short answer
Start with the right sleeve and the right shoe when dressing and take off the left first, say the dua for wearing clothes, and say Bismillah when undressing. Cover the awrah, dress cleanly and modestly without pride, and do not walk in one shoe. These are sunnah manners, not obligations. The four schools agree.
Beginning with the right when putting on clothes and shoes, and with the left when taking them off, is mustahabb, as are the duas for dressing. Covering the awrah is fard, and wearing clothes out of pride or for fame is haram.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Aisha said the Prophet ﷺ liked to start with the right when putting on his sandals, combing his hair and purifying himself. When he put on a shirt he began with the right side. He told people to put on the right shoe first and take off the left first, and not to walk in a single shoe.
- Say Bismillah and the dua for wearing clothes; see dua when wearing clothes.
- Put the right arm in first, then the left, and the right leg first for trousers.
- Put on the right sock and shoe first.
- When undressing, take off the left first. A hadith in Tirmidhi says that saying Bismillah when you undress screens you from the eyes of the jinn.
- Do not walk in one shoe: wear both or neither.
The bigger rules. Cover the awrah, avoid tight or see-through clothes, keep men's clothes above the ankles, and avoid silk and gold for men. Do not dress for fame: the Prophet warned that whoever wears a garment of fame, Allah will dress him in a similar garment on the Day of Resurrection, meaning one of disgrace. See the dress code for men and the hijab guide.
Cleanliness and gratitude. The Prophet said Allah loves to see the signs of His blessing on His servant, so wear clean, good clothes within your means and thank Him when you put on something new. Giving clothes you no longer need to someone who can use them is a good habit. For what he himself wore, see what the Prophet wore.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-A'raaf 7:26
يَٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًۭا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًۭا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾
O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.
Clothing is a blessing that covers and beautifies.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1766
Grading to be checked... كان إذا لبس قميصا بدأ بميامنه ...
"When he put on a shirt, he began with the right side."
Starting with the right when dressing.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5855
Sahih... إذا انتعل أحدكم فليبدأ باليمين ...
"When one of you puts on his sandals, let him start with the right."
Right first when putting on footwear, left first when removing it.
Sahih Muslim 2097
Sahih... لا يمش أحدكم في نعل واحدة ...
"None of you should walk in a single sandal."
Wear both shoes or neither.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 606
Grading to be checked... ستر ما بين أعين الجن وعورات بني آدم إذا وضع أحدهم ثوبه أن يقول بسم الله ...
"The screen between the eyes of the jinn and the private parts of people, when one of them takes off his clothes, is to say Bismillah."
Saying Bismillah when undressing.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4029
Graded hasan... من لبس ثوب شهرة ألبسه الله يوم القيامة ثوبا مثله ...
"Whoever wears a garment of fame, Allah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection."
A warning against dressing to show off.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on clothing. On recommended manners of dress and clothing worn out of pride.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Taharah, recommended acts of wudu. Beginning with the right in honourable acts and with the left in their opposite.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.