TOPIC: FASHION AND CLOTHES

PART 1
1. Do you enjoy buying clothes? Why/ why not?
2. What type of clothes do you like to wear?
3. What type of clothes don’t you like to wear?
4. Do you think the brand of clothing is important?
5. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
6. Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?
7. Do your friends wear the same kinds of clothes as you?
8. Are you (would you be) willing wear a uniform at work?
9. Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?

PART 2
Describe a piece of clothing you like.
You should say:
ü What the item of clothing is
ü Where and when you got it
ü When you prefer to wear/wore it
ü Explain why you like it

Describe someone you know who dresses well.

You should say:
ü Who they are
ü How you know them
ü What kind of clothes they wear
ü Why you like the way they dress

PART 3
1. What factors do you think affect the clothes we choose to wear?
2. Is it possible to look good without spending lots of money on clothes?
3. Do the fashion shows have impact on what we are wearing?
4. Do you think have fashion trends changed constantly?
5. Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
6. Are people’s ideas about fashion today the same as people’s ideas in previous years?
 TOPIC: FASHION AND CLOTHES
PART 1
1. Do you enjoy buying clothes? Why/ why not?
Yes, like most young people, I was a slave to fashion and I’d always have to buy must-have T-shirts
or pairs of shoes which are fashionable or trendy. I’m not so bothered now though I still want to be
on trend. I wouldn’t feel comfortable when wearing something old fashioned but I don’t take pride
in my appearance as much as I used to be.

2. What type of clothes do you like to wear?

Actually I prefer casual clothes which give me comfort and flexibility even at home or at work. I
hate getting dressed up for special occasions. I think it’s possible to look good in a pair of jeans or
shirt.

3. What type of clothes don’t you like to wear?

Well, I dislike wearing untidy and eccentric clothes. An example would be tearing or ripped jeans. I
also avoid clothes with flashy colours or those that are too stunning.

4. Do you think the brand of clothing is important?

Personally I don’t really care about the brand of clothing as long as what I buy has a good quality.
Famous brands coming from fashion houses are usually too expensive for me so I will rarely buy
them. Often I can find inexpensive brands with the same quality, which are mostly off the peg

5. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?

I live in the tropical area, so people in my country usually wear clothes with light fabrics. In
summer, we opt for light-colored clothes so that we can avoide the heat but in winter, the weather is
usually freezing cold, so a thick coat, a wool scraft or a sweater become our common choices.

6. Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?

Well, I can say that there haven’t been many changes with the clothes I wear now with that of about
10 years ago because I am not the person who is always on trend. I still wear the regular jeans and
shirts for casual days or formal clothes for business events. But I think since the trend has changed, it
seems to affect me a little bit especially in terms of jeans. I used to wear jean flares but now I prefer
slim – fit clothes.

7. Do your friends wear the same kinds of clothes as you?

Wel, I think that wearing style reflects our personalities. For that reason, my friends and I always
wear different kinds of clothes even we get on with each other very well. Some of my friends are
fashionista that they are the slaves of fashion and always keep up with the latest world fashion trend.
They also have a good sense of style and buy must-have items. By contrast, I prefer classic clothes
which are a little bit old fashion or simple styles such as jeans or shirt. However, we respect others
and think that we have different eyes for fashion.

8. Are you (would you be) willing wear a uniform at work?

Well, as you know, office or company is not the catwalk stage where fashion brands are shown off.
So I think that we all should wear uniforms when we go to work. A sense of belonging to a group
and a feeling of equality among colleagues are the benefits that wearing uniforms brings to you. You
don’t feel distinguished in an organization and are also proud of place where you work for. And of
course, you still look good in uniforms even you don’t get dressed up much.
9. Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?
Well, I believe that what we wear reflects our personalities and characteristics. IF you are a slave of
fashion, you totally have tendency to buy must-have items because you want to follow the latest
fashion trend. You always get dressed up and take a pride in your appearance when you go out. By
contrast, if you prefer being simple you tend to choose casual clothes which give you flexibility and
comfort even at home or at work.

PART 2
Describe a piece of clothing you like.
You should say:
ü What the item of clothing is
ü Where and when you got it
ü When you prefer to wear/wore it
ü Explain why you like it

I would like to tell you about a piece of clothing that I prefer to wear in a period of time in the past.
This is a dress in yellow and white colours. It is made of light fabrics which totally suits an energetic
girl as me.
When I was a little girl, my family was poor and my parents couldn’t afford to buy new clothes for
me, so the dress was a hand-me-down as a birthday gift from my sister. I can say that it absolutely
goes out of fashion and quite old now with several tears in the front. It was a dress that I only wore
on some special occasions when I need to get dressed up such as Tet holiday or the beginning day at
school and I usually mixed it with sandals. However, if I wear it now, I cannot be a fashion icon at
all that’s for sure.
You know, I have been really into this dress because it was my first dress I’ve received ever on my
birthday, and it was more special because it came from my sister who I always had sibling rivalry,
which surprised me most. Honestly, even it is an old dress now but at that time, it was really still a
fashionable item and I have to say that my sister had an eye for fashion for her choice. I still like it
but I need to put it in my wardrobe as a memory because it is too tie now.
All in all, I believe that this dress has effects on my fashion gout about mixing and matching
outfits.

Describe someone you know who dresses well.

You should say:
ü Who they are
ü How you know them
ü What kind of clothes they wear
ü Why you like the way they dress

I’d like to talk about a person whose wearing style I admire very much. This is my aunt Miss An
who I have lived with for years. She’s always very well-dressed and takes a lot of pride in her
appearance and she also wears smart clothes. She doesn’t go out dressed to kill or anything like that
but what she wears really suit her because she also has a great sense of style as well. I often ask her
where she gets some of her clothes and most of the time they’re just off the peg and she says she’s
not interested in expensive brands coming from designer labels or anything like that.
Well, I have to say that my aunt looks really beautiful in any kinds of clothes she wears. Firstly,
she always wears suitable clothes for different occasions. For examples, when going to a party, she
can be charming and gorgeous in a sexy dress and some jewelries, but in normal days, she becomes
so energetic and flexible in some casual clothes like a pair of jeans or a T shirt. Secondly, she knows
how to mix and match different items together. Even though her clothes are not unique or special,
she wears it with suitable accessories and pairs of shoes. She seems not to care about the latest trend
and she just wear clothes that are timeless.
All in all, she also has influence on my style in terms of choosing clothes which suit me and teach
me how to mix and match items.

PART 3
1. What factors do you think affect the clothes we choose to wear?
Well, it depends on occasion. The questions where we are or where’re going are big factors. If you
are going out to a club, you’re going to dress for the occasion with short pants or skirts or dress, for
example. By contrast, both men and women tend to choose formal clothes or uniforms to wear when
they are at office. And then there are those who think it’s important to look like they’re on trend so
they’ll want to choose the latest fashions every time they are out. For these reasons, I believe that
wearing style depends on the situation.

2. Is it possible to look good without spending lots of money on clothes?

Yes, I’m sure it is. I suppose it’s about having an eye for what looks good no matter how much the
clothes cost. The important things are knowing how to mix and match different items of clothing that
go well together and choosing something that suits you. I think you can pick up great bargains in
some shops sometimes and even hand-me-downs can look good too.

3. Do the fashion shows have impact on what we are wearing?

I don’t think we are impacted by clothes on fashion shows. I suppose the big fashion houses and
fashion shows must have an effect but the clothes you see on the catwalk don’t always reflect what
normally people wear. Most of them have an exotic style that we cannot use in real life. So I believe
things like what singers are wearing in videos or models are wearing in magazines have most effects
on us.

4. Do you think have fashion trends changed constantly?

Well, I can say that everything can change one day, so how can a fashion style stay forever? Fashion
trends are the imaginations of fashion designers and they need changing to meet customers’
requirements. However, the fashion cycle is a cycle in which trends come back over and over again.
If you analyze them, you’ll see that every 10 to 15 years, some old fashion items can be mixed and
matched with other outfits to become new fashion trends. Several cut-out styles and fabrics are
timeless.

5. Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?

Yes, I think people have different behaviors when they wear different clothes. For example, one who
wears formal clothes may portray an image of being professional and confident. Wearing casual
clothes, on the other hand, makes us look comfortable and relaxed. Especially, women tend to be
more confident when they wear high-heeled shoes rather than sandals.

6. Are people’s ideas about fashion today the same as people’s ideas in previous years?
Personally, I am sure that the conception about fashion has changed through years. For example,
women in the past had tendency to wear blouse and short pants or vintage dress combined with a lot
of outfits while men wore jean flares as the fashion icons. Nowadays, people tend to keep update
with the latest trend of fashion with simpler clothing. However, items that couldn’t be changed
through years are the high-heeled shoes for women.