📙 Part 2: Describe an occasion you wore the best clothes

This episode's vocabulary

Memorable (adj.) - likely to be remembered or worth remembering.

Formal (adj.) - Formal language, clothes, and behaviour are suitable for serious or official occasions.

Affair (noun) - an event.

Sit-down (adj.) - a sit-down meal is served to people who are sitting at a table.

Custom-fit (adj.) - personalized with regard to shape and size.

Kilt (noun) - a skirt with many folds, made from tartan cloth and traditionally worn by Scottish men and boys.

Woollen (adj.) - made of wool.

Fabric (noun) - cloth or material for making clothes, covering furniture, etc.

Personalized (adj.) - used to describe an object that has someone's name on it, or that has been made for a particular person.

Outfit (noun) - a set of clothes worn for a particular occasion or activity.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, actually, I think all my clothes are the best, to be honest. So it's hard to think of a time when I haven't worn the most appropriate or really good clothes for a situation. However, one particularly memorable time was my late grandmother's birthday, which was in June, about 15 years ago, I think. This is actually a pretty formal affair, since my family is rather spread out, and when we get together, it's important to make the most of it. So my grandmother threw a party with a band and a sit-down meal with several courses. And since it was such a big event, I made a point of wearing my usual custom-fitted kilt, which is a traditional form of dress in my country, and it consists of a formal suit jacket, the dress shirt and tie. Although you can just wear a less formal version with an open collar if you want to. I don't think That looks particularly classy, so I decided not to. And the lower part is like a strip of heavy woollen fabric, which is pleated and can be held together with a pin. Some people have personalized ones for their family, but I just picked one that looked like a sword, just for the coolness factor. And lastly, the shoes are black with laces that wrap around the ankles and calves. So you need to wear thick woollen socks under them, or they'll kind of cut into the skin of your leg, which is never a good look. And when it comes to my reasons for dressing this way, it was kind of a combination of expectations, since men in my country are expected to dress in this way at formal events, and I wanted to contribute to things being nice and formal for my grandmother's birthday, being nice costs nothing, unlike that outfit. And I wanted to get my money's worth as well. As for how I felt about the whole thing, I was happy to have made the effort. If I hadn't, I doubt it would have changed much, since we all get along reasonably well in my family. However, it was a small change to help make a contribution to the atmosphere, and I'm glad I did it.

M: What about other people? Did they like your clothes?

R: Yeah, generally, you get compliments when you wear a kilt.