English Learning for Beginners: Talking About Fashion

Dialogue

Current Situation

Fashion today is all about expressing yourself! There are no strict rules. People love to mix different styles, from super comfortable clothes like Bob’s t-shirts and jeans, to bold and colorful outfits like Alice’s. Social media makes it easy to see new ideas from all over the world, so many people find inspiration online. What’s “in fashion” can change quickly, but the most important thing is to wear clothes that make you feel good and confident. Personal style is key!

Key Phrases

• What do you think of…?: A way to ask for someone’s opinion about something.
  What do you think of my new shoes? They are very colorful.

• Unique fashion sense: A very personal and special way of choosing and combining clothes.
  She has a unique fashion sense; she always wears interesting hats.

• Comfy couch potato (look/style): A very relaxed and comfortable style, often for staying at home, not formal.
  On weekends, I prefer a comfy couch potato look, like sweatpants and a hoodie.

• Classic: Something that is always stylish and popular, not just for a short time.
  A simple black dress is always a classic.

• Colorful and bold: Using many bright colors and making a strong statement with your clothes.
  His new shirt is very colorful and bold, everyone notices it!

• Follow fashion trends: To wear clothes that are currently popular or fashionable.
  Do you follow fashion trends, or do you wear what you like?

• Wear what makes me happy: To choose clothes based on personal preference and comfort, not trends.
  I don’t care about trends; I just wear what makes me happy.

• In fashion now: Currently popular or stylish.
  Are ripped jeans still in fashion now?

• Trendsetter: A person who starts new fashion trends, others copy their style.
  Alice is a real trendsetter; everyone copies her unique style!

• Dress up: To wear nice, formal, or special clothes for an event.
  We need to dress up for the wedding, it’s a formal event.

• Authentic: Real, true to oneself, not pretending; reflecting genuine personality.
  Her style is very authentic; it truly represents who she is.

• Fashion is fun: A general statement about enjoying clothing and personal style.
  Don’t worry too much about rules, remember: fashion is fun!

Grammar Points

1. Present Simple (for habits, general truths, and opinions)

We use the Present Simple to talk about things that happen regularly, are generally true, or to express opinions and facts.

• Habit/Regular Action: “You always have such unique fashion sense.” (Bob observes this about Alice regularly.)
• General Truth/Fact: “It is classic!” (This is a widely accepted statement about the style.)
• Opinion/Preference: “I mostly wear what makes me happy.” (This is Alice’s usual choice.)

How to form:
I / You / We / They + verb (base form)
He / She / It + verb + -s / -es

I like colorful clothes. She likes colorful clothes.

2. Adjectives for Description

Adjectives describe nouns (people, places, things, ideas). They tell us more about their qualities, size, color, etc.

• Examples from dialogue:
  new outfit, rainbow scarf, polka-dot pants, astronaut boots, practical, unique fashion sense, comfy couch potato, simple t-shirts, classic, colorful and bold, happy cloud, shiny, clean t-shirt, fancy, authentic.

Adjectives usually come before the noun they describe (e.g., a red car) or after the verb “to be” (e.g., The car is red).

Alice’s clothes are very colorful. This is a nice shirt.

3. Verb “To Be” (is, am, are)

The verb “to be” is very common. We use it to describe things, people, and situations, or to state facts.

• I am: “I am a trendsetter.”
• You are / We are / They are: “These are my new astronaut boots.” “Your clothes are always so colorful.”
• He is / She is / It is: “It is classic!” “Fashion is fun.”

My style is simple. You are very stylish. We are friends.

Practice Exercises