Do the following task in your notebook

Reading 1. The Fashion Industry:Two Views

Read the statement below and answer the following questions in pairs.

“The fashion industry is nothing more than a big money-making business which profits by exploiting underpaid workers and the general public’s vanity and insecurity.”

Read and underline the arguments you agree (A)/disagree (D) with using 2 different colours.

For

I agree. Every year there are different designs, different colors, and different rules as to what is in fashion and what isn’t. Anyone not following those rules is looked down upon and laughed at. Is it really that important what you wear? Of course not. Surely there are more important and useful things to do than walk up and down the High Street in pursuit of the latest items. Every year, millions of garments are discarded because they are the wrong color or shape; what a waste! Think of all the millions of people who have no more than the clothes they have on. And what about the world’s resources? It’s high time we started thinking about conserving resources rather than wasting them. And that’s not to mention the money people spend. Buying things they don’t need, spending more money on a particular kind of jeans or trainers because they are the most fashionable. Do we all have so much money to waste on newest styles and brand names? To me, fashion is an industrial machine designed to trick people into dumping enormous amounts of money on non-essentials. Besides, the fashion industry encourages unhealthy body images that are thought to be unrealistic and unhealthy for most women and girls. Most designers give out the products called “doll clothes” for young women. So teenagers are becoming obsessed with the very skinny models on the catwalk in the fashion shows which often leads to serious eating disorders and negative body image they develop. Why should we bear with this! After all, just what does the fashion industry contribute to today’s society? The only thing as far as I can see, is millions of underpaid workers in developing countries.

Against

I disagree. The fashion industry is what brings color, beauty and variety in our everyday lives, which would otherwise be dull and drab. Imagine how boring the world would be if we all dressed the same. It’s an opportunity for individual expression, which is something fundamental in our existence. In some cases, it can almost be seen as an art form and in today’s society, with so many people working so hard with such high levels of stress, we all need some sort of artistic relief and expression. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy fashionable clothes, or to wear things that don’t suit them, or to change outfits every season. Everyone has a choice and it is up to the individual to respond in the way they want to. People follow fashion because it pleases them, because it makes them feel good about themselves, and a little self-esteem is surely not a bad thing. Apart from anything else, how much does the fashion industry contribute to the national (and international) economy? It’s a huge import-export business and provides millions of jobs for all sorts of people – sheep farmers, designers, textile factories, shops… and then there is the industrial research that has led to new materials such as lycra and polyester. The fashion industry has democratized style and given everyone the chance to wear well-designed and beautiful clothes – it’s not just about weird and wonderful creations that appear on the catwalk, it’s about normal everyday clothes that everyone can feel comfortable in regardless of their age, size or looks.

Do the following task in your notebook.

State the difference in meaning:

1. fashion/style

2. quality/quantity

3. famous/notorious

4. favorite/favorable

5. vintage/old