📘 Part 3: Clothes

This episode's vocabulary

Cater to (phrasal verb) - to satisfy a need or to provide what is wanted or needed by a particular person or group.

Well off (adj.) - rich.

Fast fashion (noun) - clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often.

Splash out (phrasal verb) - to spend a lot of money on buying things, especially things that are pleasant to have but that you do not need.

Specialized (adj.) - relating to one particular area or designed for a particular purpose.

Outlet (noun) - a shop that is one of many owned by a particular company and that sells the goods that the company has produced.

Measurement criteria - measurement standards.

Variety (noun) - the characteristic of often changing and being different.

Corresponding (adj.) - similar to, connected with, or caused by something else.

Gist (noun) - the most important pieces of information about something, or general information without details.

Vivid (adj.) - very brightly coloured.

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

To opt (verb) - to make a choice, especially of one thing or possibility instead of others.

Disposition (noun) - the particular type of character that a person naturally has.

Inevitable (adj.) - certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented.

Garment (noun) - a piece of clothing.

Livelier (adj.) - (of colours) bright and strong.

Gown (noun) - a long, loose piece of clothing worn over other clothes for a particular purpose.

Mortarboard (noun) - a black hat with a square, flat top, worn for formal occasions and ceremonies by some teachers and students at a college or university, and in the past by some school teachers.

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Questions and Answers

M: Rory, where do people buy clothes in your country?

R: Oh God, I think there are places that cater to every taste. Um, most people aren't so well off, so they tend to go to fast fashion chains since they tend to be on the cheaper side of things. Some people like to splash out from time to time on specialized or fancy clothes and there're stores for that too.

M: Do you think it's a good idea to buy clothes online?

R: Well, if you know your measurements, and they haven't changed significantly, then it's a good idea. I think some outfits, sorry, some outlets are based in different countries with different units of measurement criteria. So it might be a better idea in that case, if you were to go to the place itself, because you know, you don't want to buy something that's the wrong size.

M: But do you think that more people will buy more things online in the future?

R: I think they will. And I think the system for getting the measurements will be more accurate too as that process develops.

M: What's the difference between wardrobe options for men and women?

R: Well, in a word, it's probably variety. Out of so many options open to them, like relative to men, you can wear trousers or dresses, and there are different kinds of dresses to go with that. And the color combinations and the accessories tend to be greater in variation too. Though, I suppose that comes with the corresponding complexity that seems to annoy many women.

M: When purchasing clothing, what do people consider?

R: I think the first thing that catches their eye is the style or the color. And then they kind of apply a mental checklist that includes how well it goes with their current style, the size, of course, and maybe the image it can project. There are wider factors, of course, like sort of religious or ethical beliefs. But I think the first three are what people really think about, at least in my country.

M: Do they think about the price, do you think?

R: If they're Scottish, they definitely think about the price as well. But that will dictate the shop they go to, rather than, than the clothes that they choose in that shop. Because the prices are generally in the same range, I suppose it's the best way to describe it.

M: Do you think what people wear can influence their mood?

R: Well, generally, if you look good, then you feel good. So that could be considered a basic level of influence. Though, I think there's been some research to suggest that color affects our psychology. I think the gist of it is that brighter colors trigger more vivid emotional responses, whereas duller colors encourage a more even emotional response.

M: What kind of clothes do people wear for work?

R: Most people go for smart casual these days, don't they? Though, that's rather broad description. I think it can be taken to mean like nothing you would wear on a night out at one extreme and not looking like you're preparing for a board meeting on the other end of the spectrum. It covers a lot though. And people float the rules all the time if they look good doing it.

M: Some companies have these casual Fridays. Do you think it's a good idea to allow employees to wear casual at work?

R: It will probably depend on the sector they work in. I mean, I suppose if you're a judge in a courthouse, then I don't know if a courthouse can be said to be a business. But then like, you can't imagine it that way. So some people have like fixed uniforms. Whereas if it's the same for if you're working as a barista, for example, I wouldn't really want to be served by a barista just wearing their like random casual clothes, I'd prefer an outfit. But if it's in an office and the public isn't looking at you, and you do your job, professionally, then why not?

M: What are the differences between clothes worn by old people and those by young people?

R: I think the major points of departure of the style, the color, and the age of the clothes probably. I mean everybody gets rather set in their ways as they get older so they look for or they'll favor for what is familiar. I think older people tend to opt for darker colors too is a reflection of their calmer disposition, generally speaking. And then lastly, there's the age. And I don't think it's a big secret that older people have older clothes. I mean, that's probably inevitable when garments are longer lasting these days.

M: Does personality affect what clothing people choose to wear?

R: Probably. You tend to find more lively people have livelier color palettes represented in their clothes. It's not an absolute though some extremely creative people only wear one month in this outfit, but intellectually they're quite brilliant. I would say it doesn't the main.

M: What clothes do university students wear for the graduation ceremonies?

R: I think gowns and mortarboards are the typical things that define graduate outfits on their big day, aren't they? Um, and if you come from a culture with its own dress, then you can include that too. I think there are also different colors of trimmings that are added to the gowns based on the qualification. But these are separate so they can be mixed and matched by the rental companies that you get these outfits from if you choose to rent it, which many people do.

M: Do you think people's clothing styles will change in the future and people will turn to more unusual clothes or a certain style in clothing?

R: Probably. I mean, like what we are wearing today is radically different from what people would wear a 100 years ago. I think the main thing is that it will need to cover your body, that part will not change, probably. How it will do that, on the other hand, might vary radically.

M: Thank you very much for your lovely answers!

R: Hopefully they covered everything.

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