General Training Writing - Task 2

Many people like to wear fashionable clothes. Why do you think this is the case? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Fashion is big business in today’s world. Every season the fashion changes and Fashion Weeks in major cities around the world as well as fashion magazines and fashion TV lead the trends and are mainly responsible for what will be popular in the shops.

Many people are into fashion as they regard this as art and they believe that trendy clothes say something about their personality. Fashionable clothes are an indication that a person is aware of what is in fashion at that particular point in time. So being in fashion may be seen as a sign of sophistication and being current. What is more, some people value change and like to experiment with their image and the clothes they wear so they often change their wardrobe.

This is a positive development for the fashion industry because they are able to produce new designs to meet the demand of consumers, providing jobs to thousands of workers from textile workers to shop assistants. If a person is able to afford new clothes every season it is an advantage for them if they desire to be in fashion and to be talked about. 

On the other hand being fashionable may be a drawback if consumers feel pressure to impress their peers with their fashion sense. Some individuals may not be able to afford being trendy. In terms of the industry, there may be a waste of resources in an attempt to satisfy the tastes of consumers and fashion victims created by the fashion world.

Question taken from The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS for Academic and General Training p.332