III. Clothes
Vocabulary
Check the meaning of the words:
Jacket, blouse, shirt, petticoat, dinner-jacket, dressing-gown, underwear, vest, suit, costume, overalls, cuff, belt, button, buckle, coat, hem, braces, mitten, glove, scarf, shawl, cardigan, zip, collar, sleeve, tights, socks, stockings, shoe, boot, slippers, laces, sole, heel
A Verbs associated with clothing
Can I try on these grey shoes in the window?
I love dressing up for parties as I normally wear jeans.
The skirt is too tight and too short – it needs letting out and letting down.
The dress is too loose and too long – it needs taking in and taking up.
He changed out of his weekend clothes into his uniform.
Red usually doesn’t suit people with ginger hair.
His black bag matches her shoes.
Those shoes don’t fit the boy any more. He’s grown out of them.
Do up your jacket before you go out. I can’t undo these buttons – my hands are too cold.
It was a cold morning so I put on my coat and left home.
When I got to work I took my coat off and hung it up behind the door.
B Adjectives for describing people’s clothing
How things fit: baggy loose tight close-fitting
Style: long-sleeved sleeveless V-neck round-neck pleated
How people look: elegant smart scruffy chic trendy messy old-fashioned fashionable well-dressed badly-dressed
C Materials which clothes are often made of
A silk shirt feels soft and light but also warm. Cotton shirts are cool but they need ironing. Velvet / corduroy skirts are warm for winter parties. Jeans are usually made of denim. Suede is a kind of leather but isn’t shiny. Nylon, polyester and lycra are artificial fibres.
We get wool from sheep; woolen clothes keep you warm when it’s cold. All the above words for materials except wool and woolen can be nouns and adjectives.
D Adjectives used to describe the patterns on materials
pin-striped spotted plain striped checked flowery tartan polka-dotted
Vocabulary Tasks
1 Which of the words fits best in the following sentences?
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hem buttons soles laces heel slippers dressing-gown belt |
I must get my black shoes repaired. One ______ is broken and both the _____ have holes in them.
Do up your ________ or you’ll fall over.
There’s someone at the door. You’d better put your _______ on before you open it.
Put your _________ on – this floor is very cold.
I’ve eaten too much – I’ll have to loosen my _______.
I’ve almost finished making my dress for the party but I’ve still got take up the ______ and sew on some __________.
2 Complete the sentences with any appropriate word. Use pair where it is necessary.
Many women wear nighties in bed whereas most men and children wear ______.
Blue _______ are a kind of international uniform for young people.
It’s too cold for _______. Put your trousers on.
I need some new underwear. I’m going to buy three new _______ today.
I’ve got a hole in my tights. I’ll have to get a new ______.
I’ve got a hole in my tights. I’ll have to get some new _______.
3 Match the following materials with the items which they are most likely to be associated with from the box.
1. silk 2. cashmere 3. leather 4. corduroy 5. velvet 6. cotton
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sweater trousers T-shirt ribbon evening blouse boots |
4 Put the right verb match, suit or fit into each of these sentences.
The blue dress _______ her properly now, she’s lost some weight.
The blue of her dress _______ the blue of her eyes.
That blue dress _______ the girl with the blonde hair.
5 Complete the sentences with an appropriate word connected with clothes.
1 These trousers are really t……….. I'll have to go on a diet.
2 Mind you don't wash it in hot water. You don't want it to s…….
3 This jacket doesn't quite m……….. these trousers.
4 She wanted to make room in her w………… so she threw away all her old clothes.
5 Go on! Buy that skirt. The colour really s…………. you.
6 These trousers are really too big. They look b………..
7 You can't possibly wear that striped shirt with a tartan tie. They с…….. horribly.
8 Don't worry if these jeans are too big. We can always t………. them і……… at the waist and turn и………. the legs.
9 I'd like a blouse to g………. with this skirt. What would you suggest?
6 Look at the items of clothing:
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trousers T-shirt tie vest blouse cardigan nightdress bra dress leotard boots sweater raincoat
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leather jacket shorts dinner jacket waistcoat anorak overcoat boxer shorts fur coat tights tracksuit tennis shoes knickers/panties dressing gown
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sweatshirt pants suit jeans pyjamas skirt socks bow tie sari shawl shoes scarf stockings
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Complete the following table to indicate how or when the items of clothing in the box in the above task are normally worn.
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on the top half of the body only: |
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on the bottom half of the body only: |
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on the top and the bottom halves of the body: |
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as underwear: |
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on the feet or legs: |
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in bed: |
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round the neck or on the head: |
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when the weather is cold or wet: |
Text 1
DISCUSSION POINTS
1) What do your clothes say about you?
2) How would you describe the way you dress?
3) Are you aware of fashion?
4) What was the last thing you bought?
5) What do you wear to go out in the evening?
6) Is there an item of clothing you couldn’t live without?
READING
Fashion this autumn is going to echo the season — crisp, exhilarating and enjoyable. Whether you're shopping for a smart suit, a casual tracksuit or an outfit for a special occasion, you'll find the designers have given you a rich harvest to choose from.
Perhaps the only problem is what to choose when the weather doesn't quite behave as it should. Just what to do when summer clothes aren't quite right and it's too warm to swelter in a suit? Until now, the answer has been to opt for one or the other and hope for the best.
Jaeger has solved the problem in a way that other big names will undoubtedly follow. The company has combined the right styles with the right fabrics to see you through any occasion - and keep the temperature at just the right level.
'Keep colour in mind to maintain the spirit of summer, but look for lightweight wools and simple silhouettes for early autumn and to look good later as the weather cools,' advises Jaeger's Joan Jones.
It's a winning formula that shows to advantage in their simple but beautifully styled chemise dresses. The style comes in otter, emerald and violet in sizes 8-18.
Comprehension check
Find words or phrases in the passage which tell you that the writer:
1) likes autumn;
2) thinks there are plenty of good autumn clothes to choose from;
3) is comparing the climate to a human being;
4) thinks that there is a better solution to the problem of matching clothes to the climate this year;
5) thinks that the Jaeger solution is excellent.