Reading Practice

The History of Modern Fashion

Student worksheet
Reading Comprehension
Read the text about fashion and answer the questions below.

Fashion – the World Over

1 Today, dedicated followers of fashion look to cities such as New York City,
London, Paris and Milan for their inspiration and to buy the latest trends. The
fashion scene changes with every season and in many countries, this means
that there are four collections – one each for spring, summer, autumn and
winter. The concept of fashion trends developed in the 14 th century in
Europe, but what about fashion in the rest of the world?

2 Early Western travellers going to the East noted that fashion styles did not
change rapidly in countries such as Persia, India, China and Japan. However,
this was not always the case as there was also evidence uncovered during
the dynasty of Ming China of rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing.
History shows us that changes in costume often took place at times of
economic or social change, which occurred in ancient Rome and the medieval
Arabian Peninsula. Then a long period without major changes would follow.

3 At this time, most weaving, embroidery, cutting and stitching was hand-
crafted by skilled craftsmen and seamstresses. Many textiles originated in
countries such as China, where exquisite silks were produced and Turkey
with its rich history of embroidery and clothing styles influenced by Central
Asia and the Far East. Until the mid-nineteenth century, in Europe and
America most clothing was therefore custom-made by skilled dressmakers
and tailors. This meant that following fashion trends was clearly an expensive
past-time.

4 In the twentieth century, mechanised production of textiles and the

introduction of the sewing machine dramatically changed the way fashionable
garments were produced. It led the development of haute couture and, much
later, affordable branded clothing which was the offshoot of haute couture.
Mass production meant that clothing became much cheaper and more widely
available, yet at the same time was easily adapted to meet the designers‟
demands. As economies grew and people became more affluent, more
people could afford to buy designer clothing across the world.

5 To sum up, fashion is closely interlinked with the history of the world. Periods
of rapid change and movement of people influenced the textiles and styles
that people chose to wear. Nowadays, people are still extremely conscious
about the way they dress for various occasions. Adolescents and young
adults feel very strongly about the brands they wear, whether it is for
college, partying or sportswear. Their parents feel the same about their own
designer labels. There are designer or boutique brands all over the world. In
many Asian countries, local designers can charge a small fortune for
exclusive bridal wear, wedding attire and other formal wear.

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 Reading Practice

Questions 1-5 (1 mark per question)

The text on „Fashion – the World Over‟ has 5 paragraphs (1,2,3,4 and 5).
Choose the best title for each paragraph from A-F below and write the letter in
the numbered box. There is one more title than you need.

Questions 1-5 (1 mark per question) Example

10 z
A. Origins of textiles Paragraph Letter
B. Industrialisation 1 E
C. Designer companies 2 F
D. Modern approach to fashion 3 A
E. General information about fashion in Europe. 4 B

F. History of clothing in the Orient 5 C

Questions 6-10 (1 mark per question)

Choose the 5 statements from A-H below that are TRUE according to
the information given in the text opposite. Write the letters of the TRUE
statements in the boxes provided (in any order).

A Fashion designers can be found almost everywhere in the True

world. statement
B Many people wear expensive sports gear. 6.A
C Mass production has not made designer brands accessible to 7.E
more people.
D Bridal wear is more often than not exclusively designed. 8.F
E Changes in clothing did not coincide with economic and social 9.H
movement.
F Following fashion trends has not always been easy. 10.C
G There were generally few fashion trends in China.
H Many processes were done by machine during the early 20th
century

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 Reading Practice

Questions 11-15 (1 mark per question)

Complete sentences 11-15 with a word, phrase or number from

the text (maximum 3 words). Write the word, phrase or number in
the space provided.

11. Early travellers to the Far East believed that fashion changed
Not rapidly .

12. Dressmakers and tailors had to be very

Following fashion trend .

13. Haute couture was very

fashionable .

14. Designer clothing became more

affluent .

15. People are still particularly conscious about

the way they dress.

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 Reading Practice

Extension Activities
Task A: Vocabulary

Match the key words to the definition.

Key Word Answers Definition

1. Weaving 1-k a) A lot of clothes made at the same time

2-E
2. Embroidery b) Something constructed by hand

3-F
3. Cutting c) People who made suits for men

4-H
d) A machine used at home or in industry
4. Stitching
to make clothes

5-G
5. Dressmakers e) Sewing designs using needle and thread

6-C
6. Tailors f) Using scissors on fabric

7-I
7. Wool g) Women who made dresses for women

8-B
h) The process of joining fabric pieces
8. Hand-made
with needle and thread

9-J
9. Mechanised i) A fabric made from sheep

10-D
10. Sewing
j) Processes using machines.
machine

11-A
11. Mass
k) Making fabric from yarn
production