📙 Part 2: Describe a person who you think wears unusual clothes

This episode's vocabulary

Snappy dresser (noun phrase) – someone who dresses in a stylish and attractive way. → He's a snappy dresser who always looks sharp at events.

Out of the ordinary (phrase) – unusual or not typical. → Her outfit was a bit out of the ordinary, but it suited her.

In circulation (phrase) – still being published or available. → That magazine is no longer in circulation.

Experimental (adjective) – trying out new ideas or styles. → She's experimental with her fashion and often wears bold colours.

Dress sense (noun) – someone's ability to choose clothes that look good. → He has a great dress sense and always looks put together.

Encrusted (adjective) – covered with a layer of something, often decorative. → The jacket was encrusted with rhinestones.

Rhinestone (noun) – a small imitation diamond used in costume jewellery or decoration. → Her hat sparkled with rhinestones.

Pinstripe (noun) – a very thin stripe, especially in fabric like suits. → He wore a navy pinstripe suit to the meeting.

Run-of-the-mill (adjective) – ordinary, not special or unusual. → That outfit is anything but run-of-the-mill.

Par for the course (phrase) – normal or expected in a situation. → Dressing conservatively is par for the course at that company.

Accessories (noun) – items like jewellery, bags, or hats added to complete an outfit. → She wore gold accessories with her dress.

Waistcoat (noun) – a sleeveless piece of clothing worn over a shirt and under a jacket. → He added a colourful waistcoat to his suit.

Fur (noun) – the thick hair of animals, sometimes used for clothing. → She wore a coat made of synthetic fur

Denim (noun) – a strong cotton fabric, usually blue, used for jeans and jackets. → He was wearing a denim jacket.

Fashion editor (noun) – a person who oversees fashion content in a magazine or media outlet.

Questions and Answers

Maria: You should say who this person is, how you knew this person, what his or her clothes are like, and explain why you think his or her clothes are unusual.

Rory: Well, my mum is a pretty snappy dresser, I think, even if some of her choices are a bit out of the ordinary at times. When it comes to how I know her, well, it's my mother, so obviously I've known her my whole life. She's a former fashion editor for a few magazines in my country, though I don't think most of them, or any of them in fact, are in circulation anymore. And people in that line of work tend to be a bit more experimental with their dress sense, don't they?

In terms of what she wears, oh well, the sky really is the limit in this case. It's everything from fake fur to real fur to things encrusted with rhinestones like something Dolly Parton would wear. And that goes for everything from the shirt and jacket she wears right down to the shoes and what she accessorises with. I think she was wearing a denim and fake fur waistcoat over this black shirt with black and white pinstripe trousers the other day. So that should give you an idea of what it's like. Even in her 60s, she's still experimenting with things like that and pushing boundaries of fashion choices. I'm hoping, based on what I just said, it should be clear why I think her choices are not exactly run-of-the-mill. But if I have to go into more detail about it, I would say that these things aren't, um, well, first of all, worn in my country by the vast majority of people, and secondly, they aren't exactly par for the course for the average person in her late 60s. Despite this, she pulls it off flawlessly, and I think she looks pretty good in them. Of course, I would say that, I'm her son.

If she didn't dress like that, it would be hard to imagine what she might be like, to be honest. Um, she would be almost a completely different person.