Clothes and Fashion — Unit 6, Pre-intermediate to Intermediate English

For years I wore only **casual** clothes — jeans, T-shirts, and trainers — because I hated feeling uncomfortable in formal outfits, even at family events. That changed when I joined a law firm where the **dress code** was strict and everyone wore **stylish** suits that made me feel out of place in meetings with clients.

I felt **unfashionable** in my old wardrobe, so my sister, who has a great eye for fashion, helped me choose a fitted black suit, plain shirts, silk ties, and leather shoes at a department store near her office. The jacket was slightly **tight** across the shoulders, but the assistant said it would **suit** me once I wore it a few times. I have to admit I looked **smart**, and now I feel more **confident** at work — I even enjoy dressing up sometimes.

That shopping trip taught me more than I expected. I had always thought the important question was the **colour**. My sister said the important question is the **fit**. A cheap jacket that fits properly looks better than an expensive one that does not, and almost nothing in a shop fits anybody straight off the rail.

So we took the suit to a tailor near her flat. He shortened the sleeves by two centimetres and took in the waist. It cost thirty pounds and it changed the whole thing.

Her other rules were simple. Buy **plain** things, not **patterned** ones, because plain things **go with** everything and you can wear them twice as often. Buy **cotton** and **wool** rather than cheap material, because they last. And always **try on** both sizes, because a **loose** shirt looks relaxed while a **tight** one just looks small.

I have four shirts now instead of eleven, and I wear all four.

The strange part is what happened outside work. I still wear **jeans** and **trainers** at the weekend — that has not changed. But I throw away far less. Last year I bought two things all summer: a **leather** belt and a pair of **boots**. Both are still in use.

My sister says this is not really about fashion at all. She says fashion is what changes every season, and **style** is what you keep. I did not understand that sentence two years ago. I do now.