Fashion And Society Reading Answers

Feb 3, 2023

Fashion And Society Reading Answers has 13 questions that are to be answered in 40 minutes. IELTS topic- Fashion And Society Reading Answers deals with the fashion history and how society deals with them. Fashion And Society IELTS reading question type has two kinds of questions. That is choosing the correct answer and writing the correct answer. Candidates need to skim through the passage Fashion And Society Reading Answers for the best answer. They can also refer to IELTS Reading practice papers.

Check: Get 10 Free Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Fashion And Society Reading Answers

FASHION AND SOCIETY

In all societies the body is dressed, and everywhere dress and adornment play symbolic and aesthetic roles. The colour of clothing often has special meaning: a white wedding dress symbolising purity; or black clothing indicating remembrance for a dead relative. Uniforms symbolise association with a particular profession. For many centuries purple, the colour representing royalty was to be worn by no one else. And of course, dress has always been used to emphasise the wearer's beauty, although beauty has taken many different forms in different societies. In the 16th century in Europe, for example, Flemish painters celebrated women with bony shoulders, protruding stomachs and long faces, while women shaved or plucked their hairlines to obtain the fashionable egg-domed forehead. These traits are considered ugly by today's fashion.

The earliest forms of "clothing" seem to have been adornments such as body painting, ornaments, scarifications (scarring), tattooing, masks and often constricting neck and waist bands. Many of these deformed, reformed or otherwise modified the body. The bodies of men and of children, not just those of women, were altered—there seems to be a widespread human desire to transcend the body's limitations, to make it what it is, by nature, not.

Dress in general seems then to fulfill a number of social functions. This is true of modern as of ancient dress. What is added to dress as we ourselves know it in the west is fashion, of which the key feature is rapid and continual changing of styles. The growth of the European city in the 14th century saw the birth of fashionable dress. Previously, Loose robes had been worn by both sexes, and styles were simple and unchanging. Dress distinguished rich from poor, rulers from ruled, only in that working people wore more wool and no silk, rougher materials and less ornamentation than their masters.

However, by the 14th century, with the expansion in trade, the growth of city Life, and the increasing sophistication of the royal and aristocratic courts, rapidly changing styles appeared in Western Europe. These were associated with developments in tailored and fitted clothing; once clothing became fitted, it was possible to change the styling of garments almost endlessly. By the 15th and 16th centuries it began to seem shameful to wear outdated clothes, and those who could afford to do so discarded clothing simply because it had gone out of style. Cloth, which was enormously expensive, was literally, and symbolized, wealth in medieval society.

In modern western societies no form of clothing does not feel the impact of fashion: fashion sets the terms of all dress behaviour-even uniforms have been designed by Paris dressmakers; even nuns have shortened their skirts; even the poor seldom go in rags-they wear cheap versions of the fashions that went out a few years ago and are therefore to be found in second-hand shops and jumble sales.

Even the determinedly unfashionable wear clothes that represent a reaction against what is in fashion. To be unfashionable is not to ignore fashion, it is rather to protest against the social values of the fashionable. The hippies of the 1960s created a unique appearance out of an assortment of secondhand clothes, craft work and army surplus, as a protest against the wastefulness of the consumer society. They rejected the way mass production ignored individuality, and also the wastefulness of luxury.

Looked at in historical perspective the styles of fashion display a crazy relativism. At one time the rich wear cloth of gold embroidered with pearls, at another beige cashmere and grey suiting. In one epoch men parade in elaborately curled hair, high heels and rouge, at another to do so is to court outcast status and physical abuse. It is in some sense inherently ironic that a new fashion starts from rejection of the old and often an eager embracing of what was previously considered ugly. Up to the early 20th century, the tan had always been the sign of a worker, and therefore avoided by those with pretensions to refinement, who were wealthy enough not to have to work in the sun. However, in the 1920s the tan became the visible sign of those who could afford foreign travel. A tan symbolised health as well as wealth in the 1930s. Recently its carcinogenic dangers have become known, and in any case it is no longer truly chic because many more people than in earlier decades can afford holidays in the sun.

Despite its apparent irrationality, fashion cements social solidarity and imposes group norms. It forces us to recognise that the human body is not only a biological entity, but an organism in culture. To dress the way that others do is to signal that we share many of their morals and values. Conversely, deviations in dress are usually considered shocking and disturbing. In western countries a man wearing a pink suit to a job interview would not be considered for a position at a bank. He would be thought too frivolous for the job. Likewise, even in these "liberated" times, a man in a skirt in many western cultures causes considerable anxiety, hostility or laughter.

However, while fashion in every age is normative, there is still room for clothing to express individual taste. In any period, within the range of stylish clothing, there is some choice of colour, fabric and style. This is even more true last century, because in the 20th century, fashion, without losing its obsession with the new and the different, was mass produced. Originally, fashion was largely for the rich, but since the industrial period the mass-production of fashionably styled clothes has made possible the use of fashion as a means of self-enhancement and self-expression for the majority.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-19

Complete the table below.

NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

Period	Clothing Behaviour	Types of Clothing
earliest times	wearing 14______	body painting, tattooing, masks
Pre- 15___________	simple, unchanging styles	16________________
14th century	17____________	18________________
15-16th centuries	19______________	Use of doth

Question 14.

Answer: adornments
Supporting Sentence: earliest forms of ‘clothing’ seem to have been adornments
Keyword : adornments
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 1
Explanation: According to the first few sentences of paragraph 2, the earliest forms of "clothing" appear to have been adornments like body painting, ornaments, scarification (scarring), tattoos, masks, and frequently constricting neck and waistbands. These lines allude to early human dress, when individuals adorned themselves with masks, tattoos, and body paint. The answer is therefore adornments.

Question 15.

Answer: 14th-century
Supporting Sentence: The growth of the European city in the 14th century saw the birth of fashionable dress.
Keyword : 14th-century
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 4
Explanation: According to the third paragraph, fashion began to emerge during the 14th century as European cities grew. Thus, fashion began to emerge in European cities during the 14th century. So, the 14th century is the correct answer.

Question 16.

Answer: Loose robes
Supporting Sentence: Previously, Loose robes had been worn by both sexes, and styles were simple and unchanging.
Keyword : Loose robes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 4
Explanation: The introduction of fashion in paragraph 3 demonstrates the development of European cities in the fourteenth century. But before that, both sexes wore loose robes, and their fashions were straightforward and constant. The answer is therefore loose robes.

Question 17.

Answer: rapidly changing styles
Supporting Sentence: the increasing sophistication of the royal and aristocratic courts, rapidly changing styles appeared in Western Europe
Keyword : rapidly changing styles
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 2
Explanation: According to paragraph 4, the 14th century saw a rapidly changing styles in fashion in western Europe as a result of increased trade, urbanisation, and the sophistication of aristocratic and royal courts. These lines show how clothing habits were quickly evolving in response to the growth of the city, the expansion of trade, and the rise of the royal and aristocratic courts. Therefore, rapidly changing styles is the answer.

Question 18.

Answer: tailored and fitted clothing
Supporting Sentence: These were associated with developments in tailored and fitted clothing; once clothing became fitted, it was possible to change the styling of garments almost endlessly.
Keyword : tailored and fitted clothing
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 3
Explanation: According to paragraph 4, the city's growth, the rise of the royal and aristocratic courts, and the expansion of trade all contributed to a rapid change in clothing habits and fashion. It is mentioned in the second kine that these were connected to advancements in tailored and fitted clothing. Once clothing was fitted, it was possible to alter the styling of garments in a nearly limitless number of ways. These lines show that developments in tailored and fitted clothing were a result of the quickly evolving fashions. So, the answer is tailored and fitted clothing.

Question 19.

Answer: discarding unfashionable clothing
Supporting Sentence: By the 15th and 16th centuries it began to seem shameful to wear outdated clothes, and those who could afford to do so discarded clothing simply because it had gone out of style.
Keyword : outdated clothes, discarded clothing,
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 5-6
Explanation: According to paragraph 4, by the 15th and 16th centuries, it started to be considered shameful to dress out of date. Consequently, those who could afford to do so started getting rid of outdated clothing because it was simply out of fashion. These lines suggest that people who could afford new clothes started to get rid of old ones because they were not in style. Thus, discarding unfashionable clothing is the answer.

Questions 20-23

Complete each sentence with the appropriate ending,A-J, below.

Write the appropriate letter, A-J, in boxes 20-23 on your answer sheet.

Allowed the less affluent to buy styled clothes.
Was fell by top designers seeing fake, less expensive designer clothing on the market.
Was made possible with the development of tailored and fitted clothing.c
Gave the individual a means of self-expression.
Caused anxiety and hostility in western cultures.
Was made possible with the increase in sophistication of the royal courts.
Was seen as something shameful in earlier times.
Had little effect on nonconforming youth.
Distinguished the rich from the poor in earlier times.
Was felt in the workforce with the change to informal wear.

The styling of apparel

Answer: C. Was made possible with the development of tailored and fitted clothing
Supporting Sentence: These were associated with developments in tailored and fitted clothing; once clothing became fitted, it was possible to change the styling of garments almost endlessly.
Keyword : developments, tailored and fitted clothing, styling of garments
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 3-4
Explanation: According to the fourth paragraph, as trade, city life, and the sophistication of the royal and aristocratic courts all grew by the 14th century, rapidly changing styles began to emerge in western Europe. These were related to advancements in tailored and fitted clothing; once clothing was fitted, there was virtually no limit to how many different ways it could be styled. According to these lines, the invention of tailored and fitted clothing allowed for the styling of clothing. The answer is therefore option-C.

Wearing outdated clothing

Answer: G. Was seen as something shameful in earlier times.
Supporting Sentence: By the 15th and 16th centuries it began to seem shameful to wear outdated clothes, and those who could afford to do so discarded clothing simply because it had gone out of style.
Keyword : shameful to wear, outdated clothes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 5-6
Explanation: According to the fourth paragraph, by the 15th and 16th centuries, it started to seem shameful to dress out of date. Consequently, those who could afford to do so started getting rid of outdated clothing because it was simply out of fashion. These lines show that it was considered shameful to wear old clothes, and those who could afford new clothes started to get rid of old ones because they were not in style. So, option-G is the correct answer.

The impact of fashion

Answer: J. Was felt in the workforce with the change to informal wear.
Supporting Sentence: In modern western societies no form of clothing does not feel the impact of fashion: fashion sets the terms of all dress behaviour-even uniforms have been designed by Paris dressmakers
Keyword : impact of fashion, fashion sets the terms, even uniforms,
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 1-2
Explanation: The dress code at work has changed from formal, business attire to a more relaxed, smart-casual look, and even the less well-off enjoy haute couture—they wear less expensive versions of the top designs and top labels. These statements are made in the fifth paragraph. These lines suggest that the shift to casual attire had an effect on how fashion was perceived at work.

Mass production of fashionable clothing

Answer: D. Gave the individual a means of self-expression.
Supporting Sentence: the use of fashion as a means of self-enhancement and self-expression for the majority.
Keyword : use of fashion, means of, self-expression
Keyword Location: Last paragraph, last two lines
Explanation: According to the last paragraph, fashion was primarily reserved for the wealthy in the past, but since the industrial era, mass production of stylish clothing has made it possible for the majority to use it as a form of self-expression and self-improvement. These lines show that the ability to express oneself through fashionable clothing was made possible by mass production. The answer is therefore option-D.

Questions 24-26

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.

A kind of adornment worn by defiant young people these days besides body piercings and metal studs.

24________

Answer: tattoos
Explanation: It is a common fact that there are three kinds of major adornments that young people wear these days and they are piercings, tattoos and metal studs. Therefore, tattoos is the answer.

What was a symbol of wealth in medieval times?25____________

Answer: cloth
Supporting Sentence: Cloth, which was enormously expensive, was literally, and symbolized, wealth in medieval society.
Keyword : Cloth, symbolized, wealth in medieval society
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, last two lines
Explanation: According to the third paragraph, in medieval society, the extraordinarily expensive Cloth literally represented and symbolized wealth. This indicates that in medieval times, cloth was regarded as a symbol of wealth. The answer is therefore cloth.

Name ONE group of people who protested against the social values of the fashionable. 26__________

Answer: hippies
Supporting Sentence: The hippies of the 1960s created a unique appearance out of an assortment of secondhand clothes, craft work and army surplus, as a protest against the wastefulness of the consumer society.
Keyword : hippies, protest
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 3-5
Explanation: As a form of protest against the wastefulness of the consumer society, hippies in the 1960s created a distinctive look using a variety of second-hand clothing, handmade items, and army surplus, as mentioned in paragraph 5. These lines make it clear that the hippies were the ones who opposed the social ideals of the fashion sector. Hippies is the correct answer.