📘 Part 3: Fashion

This episode's vocabulary

To embody (verb) - to represent a quality or an idea exactly.

By virtue of something (idiom) - as a result of something.

Risk-taker (noun) - someone who often takes risks.

Tight-fitting (adj.) - tight-fitting clothes fit very closely to the body.

Sedate (adj.) - avoiding excitement or great activity and usually calm and relaxed.

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

Refinement (noun) - a small change that improves something.

Elegance (noun) - the quality of being graceful and attractive in appearance or behaviour.

Utilitarian (adj.) - designed to be useful rather than decorative.

Diversity (noun) - the fact of many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people.

To standardize (verb) - to make things of the same type all have the same basic features.

Durable (adj.) - able to last and be used for a long time without becoming damaged.

Shift (noun) - a change in position or direction.

To integrate (verb) - to combine two or more things in order to become more effective.

Wearable technology (noun) - smart electronic devices that are worn close to and/or on the surface of the skin.

To reveal (verb) - to make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret (revealing clothes show more of the body than is usual).

Flesh (noun) - the physical body and not the mind or the soul.

Backlash (noun) - a strong feeling among a group of people in reaction to a change or recent events in society or politics.

Status symbol (noun) - a thing that people want to have because they think other people will admire them if they have it.

To exert (verb) - to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen.

Trendsetter (noun) - a person, organization, etc. that starts new fashions, especially in clothes.

Dress code (noun) - an accepted way of dressing for a particular occasion or in a particular social group.

Prominent (adj.) - very well-known and important.

Shopper (noun) - a person who is buying things from a shop or a number of shops.

Peer group (noun) - the people who are approximately the same age as you and come from a similar social group.

Subculture (noun) - the way of life, customs, and ideas of a particular group of people within a society that are different from the rest of that society.

Norm (noun) - an accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing things that most people agree with.

To infer (verb) - to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have.

To indicate (verb) - to show, point, or make clear in another way.

Subdued (adj.) - if a colour or light is subdued, it is not very bright.

Up in the air (idiom) - if a matter is up in the air, it is uncertain, often because other matters have to be decided first.

To provoke (verb) - to cause a reaction, especially a negative one.

Avant-garde (noun) - the painters, writers, musicians, and other artists whose ideas, styles, and methods are very original or modern in comparison to the period in which they live, or the work of these artists.

Spectacle (noun) - an unusual or unexpected event or situation that attracts attention, interest, or disapproval.

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Questions and Answers

M: Are older people as fashionable as young people?

R: Well, they are but they embody different fashion trends by virtue of being born at different times and having different perspectives on the world. Younger people are more energetic risk-takers and their fashion choices will represent that in things like torn clothes and tight-fitting jeans. On the other hand, older people will be more sedate, or they'll have more sedate attitudes and calmer dispositions. And they'll show that in their clothes with more refinement and elegance.

M: Are women more fashionable than men?

R: It certainly used to be the case and men would be the ones doing things like heavy labour and high-risk jobs. And, well, that required more utilitarian approach to fashion design. Recently, though, men's clothes have shown greater diversity in nuance and things like style of shoes and jeans. Now I think they're about equal, though women certainly have a greater range of things to choose from.

M: How is fashion now different to the fashion in the past?

R: We've got access to more materials to make clothes from and they tend to be more standardized and durable than before, the range of dyes has also increased. So the colour palettes have expanded greatly. Could you imagine having hot pink jeans in the 18th century? If the technical limitations didn't stop people, the culture certainly would have. And so this shift in what's acceptable has also taken place in many places all over the world.

M: How will fashion be different in the future?

R: It's like we were talking about before, as with things like culture and accommodation, it seems like there will be greater integration with technology, whether it's in terms of creating the material or actually including it in the design as... Well, it can be seen in things like wearable tech. There also seems to be a trend of revealing more and more flesh. I wonder if that will continue or if there will be a sort of countercultural backlash, and people will want to cover up more, or at least cover up with more tech and see this as a sort of status symbol.

M: Who shapes what's fashionable?

R: Similarly to culture, the role of elites to exert significant pressure on fashion choices is significant. Elites could be influencers and trendsetters, but fashion houses and the fashion press also have a part to play in this. Governments can also set limits on what's acceptable as can be seen in places with specific dress codes for men and women.

M: Where can people find out about fashion?

R: Magazines like Vogue seem to be quite prominent, but increasingly, there's a wealth of online media for consumers to access. From online fashion guides to, well, even personal shoppers who will pick out your outfits for you. And of course, people follow their peer groups in terms of what to wear. There are also subcultures and ecosystems of media and norms that come with them like with Gothic fashions, for example.

M: What are some different kinds of fashion?

R: We already mentioned Gothic but other looks can include those based on music scenes, as with emo and punk styles. Some emerge from lifestyles and hobbies like with, like with skaters, for example. And then you have smart, casual, business and casual dress, and those are dictated by the work environment or the entertainment environment that you find yourself in. The leisure environment.

M: What can you infer about someone from how they dress?

R: In similar times you could reasonably judge someone's personality and values from how they dress. Bright clothes indicated being outgoing and creative. Darker, more subdued colours showed a more reserved personality. And business or casual styles reflected serious or more carefree personalities and values. Now though, it's all up in the air, it seems.

M: What are the most important things in fashion?

R: Well, your guess is as good as mine. I'm not an expert, but I'd say certain qualities that attract people like the use of colour and form. Like an art. And using that to provoke certain feelings and reactions. Casual trends and fashion is promptly meant to promote calm and reasonable order, whereas avant-garde is more about being provocative and attention-seeking spectacles.

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