Fashion
People have different opinions to fashion. Somebody do not care what he wears, but others, especially women, are very choosy and particular about what to wear and like to spend a lot of money on clothes. Some people buy new ready-made clothes, others prefer to have them made to measure or buy them at second-hand shops, some have excellent taste in dress and are always dressed perfectly, others are slovenly in dress. There are some people who want to be dressed according to the latest fashion even if it does not suit them. It seems that it is a hobby for them to follow the fashion magazines and see what a few leading designers in Paris, Rome, London or New York present. Some people do not choose their dress with regard to the latest fashion, they apply a wait-and-see attitude and wear what suits them, what is healthy and what they can afford. The most important thing is that such dresses are neat and clean, they look smart and elegant and they feel comfortable.
Fashion concerns not only clothes, but also hair style, make-up and accessories, such as shoes, handbags, gloves, belts, hats, scarfs or jewellery and glasses. Clothing, footwear and cosmetic manufacturers as well as jewellery makers and hairdressers need to make money.
Styles, cuts, designs and particularly the length of clothes change very quickly because dressmaking has become big business nowadays. Tight-fitting miniskirts may be in at one time, soon to be replaced by midcalf length and loose dress or maxi-style. Fashions often revert to older styles, what is out of fashion or funny now, may look romantic a few decades later. But the fashions never repeat themselves quite in the same way. There can be a whole range of distinctive features. We could note various types of neckline (high or low, oval, V-neck, boat neck, tie or polo neck, with collar or collarless), and various cuts of sleeves (inset, raglan, dropped shoulder or batwing). The dress may have a classic line, A-line or be straight, the waistline may be natural, high or low. At one time straight or slit skirts are in, at another full, bell-shaped or divided skirts become trendy.
There is also a variety of materials the dress can be made of – traditional natural materials such as cotton, wool, linen, silk and the vast collection of new fabrics based on man-made fibres. But everybody usually looks for first class, washable, non-iron, crease- and shrink-resistant fabric. Their design can be plain or patterned (flowered, geometric, striped, checked, dotted or spotted) and taken from the whole spectrum of colours running from the brightest and most garish to the coolest and most subdued.
The way we dress also depends on our taste, on the season and the proper occasion. In summer we wear light summer dresses, loose blouses with a low neckline and with short sleeves or without sleeves, skirts gathered at the waist or bell-shaped, cropped trousers, shorts or Bermuda shorts and various T-shirts, and on our feet we pull on sandals, mules, slippers or plimsolls. When we go swimming we put on a swim suit (bikini, one-piece or two-piece) or trunks, sometimes a beach gown and a straw hat.
In winter we need to wear something warm – suits, trousers, jeans, woollies, cardigans, polo neck sweaters, jumpers, anoraks and parkas, winter coats and jackets, sometimes even a fur coat, gloves and mittens, caps, hoods, hats, scarfs and mufflers And boots of course.
On special occasions we like to be dressed properly too. When we go to a concert or to the theatre we prefer to be dressed up. We wear an evening dress, which consists of a dark suit, a light shirt and a tie or a bowtie, sometimes a dinner jacket, an evening gown, court shoes and pumps.
For sports we put on sports wear, such as jeans, shorts, T-shirts, blazers, parkas, track suits and to the mountains a waterproof jacket or anorak and sports shoes (trainers, plimsolls, heavy boots or skishoes).
At home we like to feel comfortable, and so we prefer leisure wear – slacks, jeans and T-shirts and on our feet slippers or mules.
To school we wear something practical and plain. The most favourite wear of teenagers include jeans or trousers, shirts and T-shirts of different colours, sweatshirts or pullovers and trainers.
For workshop or cleaning jobs we must put on an apron, overall or overalls.
Special kinds of clothes are uniforms and costumes. Uniforms are worn particularly by professionals such as the police, the armed forces, health workers, sometimes workers of a certain firm. It is still a tradition in some schools in Britain (mostly private ones) to wear a school uniform. It usually consists of a white shirt and grey or dark trousers and a dark sweater or blazer with a school badge on the breast pocket. A girl’s uniform consists of a plain coat, a blouse and a skirt in some dark colour, such as grey, navy blue or brown. The argument for uniforms is that they prevent competition among the girls and hide differences in family incomes.
Costumes on the other hand reflect the style of a past time. Apart from the theatre they are not seen very often, only on special occasions. Scotsmen are well-known for their national costume which consists of a kilt (a short skirt with many pressed pleats), knee-length woollen socks, a cap and a sporran (a fur-covered bag worn as a purse). The kilt is made of tartan, a kind of woollen cloth woven in stripes of various colours, which cross at right angles so as to form a pattern. The difference is in the colours and the width of the stripes. Most tartans have either green or red as the dominant colour.
The fashion changes very fast and there is a question what to do with clothes, which we do not need any longer. People in the west often arrange a jumble or garage sale but it is not a custom in our country yet. Some people store them up in their wardrobe if they have enough room, pass them down to somebody younger or give them to a charity organization. Women who can do needlework (sew, knit, crochet or embroider) often remake an old dress and alter it into a new stylish model.