Clothes and Appearance Recommendations

Clothes and appearance recommendations

with clothes and accessories collocations and typical confusions

Imagine that you are in one of the situations on the next page. Explain the situation to your partner, ask for their advice, and respond to their recommendations.  

Useful advice/ suggestions/ recommendations phrases Asking for advice/ suggestions/ recommendations phrases -        “What do you recommend/ suggest?” -        “Do you have any ideas/ advice/ recommendations/ suggestions?” -        “What do you think I should wear/ use/…?” -        “Do you think I should wear/ use/…?”   Giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations phrases (most positive top to most negative bottom) -        “You really must…” -        “You’d better… (or you’ll regret it/ or…)” -        “I strongly/ highly/ thoroughly recommend…”/ “You really should…” -        “You should…”/ “You ought to…” -        “My advice/ recommendation is…”/ “I (would) (personally) recommend/ suggest…”/ “If I were you, I’d…” -        “You should probably…” -        “You could…” -        “I wouldn’t (necessarily/ really) recommend…” -        “I don’t think (that) you should…” -        “You really shouldn’t…” -        “You mustn’t…” -        “You really mustn’t…”   Responding to advice phrases (most positive top) -       “That’s a great idea. I’ll definitely do that.”/ “That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll do exactly what you said.” -       “That seems like a good idea. I’ll do that.” -       “You are probably right. I’ll try that.” -       “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll try my best to do that.” -       “That might work. I’ll think about it.” -       “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea (because…) (Can you suggest anything else?)” -       “I don’t think that’s a good idea (because…) (Do you have any other ideas?)”

Ask about any situations you don’t understand, discussing what is and isn’t suitable each time.

Situations to ask for advice on

• audition (for a boy band/ for a girl band/ for…)
• (working in a/ night out in a) bar/ pub
• barbecue/ picnic
• bodyguard
• (night/ long distance) bus
• camping/ glamping
• casual Friday/ dress-down Friday
• clubbing
• cold/ cold weather/ cold office/ cold…– heat/ hot office/ hot weather/ hot…
• (classical/ pop) concert/ gig/ opera
• (blind/ first/ second/ joint) date/ “Netflix and chill”
• demo/ demonstration/ protest
• (all-night/ premier/ festival) film showing
• first day (at university/ at work/…)
• (long/ overnight) flight (in business class/ in economy class)
• flight attendant
• (casual/ friendly) football match between colleagues
• funeral/ wake
• going out for a drink (with colleagues)
• golf (with a business contact/ with friends)
• graduation (ceremony/ party)
• hiking/ walk (along the beach)
• hospital (receiving visitors)
• humid
• (telephone/ Skype/ face-to-face) job interview
• meeting your boyfriend’s parents/ your girlfriend’s parents (for the first time)
• meeting an ex(-boyfriend/-girlfriend/-husband/-wife)/ someone famous/ a client/…
• moving furniture (at work)
• (dinner/ costume/ fancy-dress/ house/ housewarming/ Halloween) party
• (passport/ dating profile/ street fashion/ security card) photo
• (TED.com) presentation/ speech
• shop assistant
• showing your age (wrinkles/ laughter lines, grey hair, etc)
• spying/ undercover policeman
• standing for election (e.g. election candidates’ debate)
• teaching (in a pre-school/ PE)
• television appearance (on a talk show/ as a talking head)
• to show off your (newly) great body
• to stand out in a crowd
• university society meeting
• video conference
• visit to a Muslim country
• visit to a church (as a tourist)
• (making a) vlog/ YouTube video
• (your own/ someone else’s) wedding (ceremony/ reception)
• weekend away with colleagues

 

Brainstorming stage

First of all without any help, brainstorm suitable phrases into the categories below.

Asking for advice/ suggestions/ recommendations phrases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations phrases (most positive top to most negative bottom)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responding to advice phrases (most positive top)

 

 

 

Mixed answers

Use the phrases below to add at least two more phrases to in each category above.

• Do you have any ideas/ advice/ recommendations/ suggestions?
• Do you think I should wear/ use/…?
• I don’t think (that) you should…
• I don’t think that’s a good idea (because…) (Do you have any other ideas?)
• I strongly/ highly/ thoroughly recommend…/ You really should…
• I wouldn’t (necessarily/ really) recommend…
• I’m not so sure that’s a good idea (because…) (Can you suggest anything else?)
• My advice/ recommendation is…/ I (would) (personally) recommend/ suggest…/ If I were you, I’d…
• That might work. I’ll think about it.
• That seems like a good idea. I’ll do that.
• That’s a great idea. I’ll definitely do that./ That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll do exactly what you said.
• That’s not a bad idea. I’ll try my best to do that.
• What do you recommend/ suggest?
• What do you think I should wear/ use/…?
• You are probably right. I’ll try that.
• You could…
• You mustn’t…
• You really mustn’t…
• You really must…
• You really shouldn’t…
• You should probably…
• You should…/ You ought to…
• You’d better… (or you’ll regret it/ or…)

Check with the first page. Other phrases are possible, but check if you have ranked them differently. 

Choose words on the following page and discuss situations that those things are suitable for and/ or aren’t suitable for, e.g. that a gorgeous dress is too much for work.

 

adjectives/descriptions	clothes	other appearances
bare – covered bold/ loud – subtle bright – dark/ sombre casual–business/formal cheap - expensive clashing – matching classic – trendy comfortable cotton/ denim diamond dyed – natural fancy/ showy fluorescent fluffy gold/ silver/ platinum gorgeousl  gothic Hawaiian high-heeled leather/ …skin light/ thin – heavy/ thick long – short long-sleeved–sleeveless loose – fitted/ (skin) tight luxurious manicured modest – revealing novelty nylon padded permed–straight/ironed pierced ready-made–tailor-made ripped/ torn scruffy – smart see-through shaved – unshaved short-sleeved silk/ silky smart-casual spiky summer – winter tattooed thick – thin Velcro/ zip-up woollen/ woolly	beret/ cap/ hat/ helmet bikini (ankle-length/ rubber/ walking/ Wellington/ zip-up) boots (sports/ push-up) bra braces/ suspenders cape/ cloak/ shawl clogs (rain/ trench/ waist) coat (sleeveless/ summer) dress flip flops (bifocal/ sun-) glasses/ specs (ball-/ dressing) gown (bomber/denim/leather) jacket jeans/ chinos/ cargo pants (woolly) jumper/ sweater (football/ soccer/ sports) kit leggings onesie/ overalls pajamas/ pyjamas (cargo/ under-)pants panty hose/ (nylon) tights plimsolls poncho sari (head/ winter/ silk) scarf shell suit (business/ polo/ denim) shirt (slip-on/ sports/ Velcro) shoes shorts skirt/ kilt sneakers/ trainers (ankle-length/knee-high)socks (fishnet) stockings (3-piece/skirt/tailor-made) suit sweatshirt swimming costume/ swimsuit (long/short-sleeved) T-shirt (black/ bow/ silk/ clip-on) tie (crop/ hooded/ tank/ vest) top tracksuit/ (trousers/ top) trousers trunks undershirt/ vest (thermal) underwear waistcoat/ vest	back (hand-/ shoulder) bag bangs/ fringe beard belly (button)/ midriff/ navel brooch/ pin briefcase bum bag/ fanny pack (man) bun chain/ necklace colours cuff links (dangly) earrings eyebrow(s) goatee hair hair gel hair spray hairpiece/ wig implants (lower/ upper) legs lip lipstick make up moustache nipple parasol parting/ part Photoshop ponytail purse/ wallet (diamond/ engagement/ gold/ pinkie/ platinum/ toe/ wedding) ring (leather/ school) satchel shoulders sideburns skinhead stubble tattoo toe nails tongue

Brainstorm suitable clothes and appearance vocabulary into the columns below.

adjectives/ descriptions	clothes	other appearance vocab

 

 

Clothes and accessories collocations

Without looking above for now, brainstorm at least one collocation for each of the words below (= words that go together with those words)

 

+boots

 

+ coat

 

++ dress

 

+ glasses

 

+ gown

 

+ jacket

 

+ jumper

 

+ kit

 

+ pants

 

+ ring

 

+ satchel

 

+ scarf

 

+ shirt

 

+ shoes

 

+ socks

 

+ stockings/ tights

 

+ suit

 

+T-shirt

 

+ tie

 

+ top

 

short/ under+

 

 

Use the expressions below to help with the collocations activity above. Many can be used more than once.

• ankle
• ankle-length
• ball-
• bifocal
• black
• bomber
• bow
• business
• button-down
• cargo
• cashmere
• clip-on
• cotton
• crop
• denim
• diamond
• dinner
• down
• dress
• dressing
• duffel
• engagement
• fishnet
• fluffy
• fluffy
• football
• formal
• gold
• Hawaiian
• head
• high heel
• hooded
• John Lennon
• knee-high
• lace-up
• leather
• long
• long-sleeved
• nylon
• -pants
• pinkie
• pin-striped
• platinum
• polo-
• prescription
• rain
• reading
• rubber
• Saville Row
• school
• shell
• shirt
• short
• short-sleeved
• silk
• ski
• skirt
• sleeveless
• slip-on
• sports
• suede
• summer
• sun-
• sweat-
• swim-
• tailor-made
• tank
• three-piece
• toe
• trench
• tube
• under-
• Velcro
• vest
• waist-
• walking
• waterproof
• -wear
• wedding
• Wellington
• winter
• woollen
• woolly
• zip-up

 

Suggested answers 

ankle-length/ rain/ rubber/ ski/ walking/ Wellington/ zip-up + boots

duffel/ long/ rain/ trench/ waist-/ winter + coat

sleeveless/ summer + dress

bifocal/ John Lennon/ prescription/ reading/ sun- + glasses

ball-/ dressing + gown

bomber/ denim/ dinner/ down/ leather/ zip-up + jacket

fluffy/ woolly + jumper

football/ sports + kit

cargo/ under- + pants

diamond/ engagement/ gold/ pinkie/ platinum/ toe/ wedding + ring

leather/ school + satchel

cashmere/ football/ head/ silk/ winter/ woolly + scarf

business/ button-down/ cotton/ denim/ dress/ formal/ Hawaiian/ long-sleeved/ polo-/ short-sleeved/ silk/ sweat- + shirt

high heel/ lace-up/ leather/ slip-on/ sports/ suede/ Velcro/ waterproof + shoes

 ankle/ fluffy/ knee-high/ long/ short/ woollen/ woolly + socks

fishnet/ nylon/ silk/ woollen + stockings/ tights

business/ pin-striped/ Saville Row/ shell/ skirt/ swim-/ tailor-made/ three-piece + suit

long-sleeved/ short-sleeved + T-shirt

black/ bow/ clip-on/ leather/ silk + tie

crop/ hooded/ sleeveless/ tank/ tube/ vest + top

short/ under + -pants/ shirt/ -wear

 

Clothes and appearance synonyms

Without any help for now, try to think of other expressions which mean the same as:

• braces
• custom-made
• DJ
• dress shirt
• specs
• hair flecked with grey
• jumper
• tights
• thongs
• trainers
• trousers
• tux
• undershirt
• wellies
• waistcoat
• woolly scarf
• zip

Use the words under the fold to help with the task above.

---------------------------------fold, cover or cut----------------------------------------------

• -actle
• -edo
• -ing
• -ington boots
• -per
• boots
• business
• dinner
• flip
• flops
• glass
• hose
• jacket
• pants
• panty
• pullov-
• rain
• shoes
• sneak
• sports
• suspender
• sweat
• tailor
• vest
• vest
• winter

Suggested answers

• braces – suspenders
• custom-made – tailor-made
• DJ – dinner jacket
• dress shirt – business shirt
• specs – spectacles/ glasses
• hair flecked with grey – greying hair
• jumper – sweater/ pullover
• tights – panty hose
• thongs – flipflops
• trainers – sports shoes/ sneakers
• trousers – pants
• tux – tuxedo
• undershirt – vest
• wellies – wellington boots/ rainboots
• waistcoat – vest
• woolly scarf – winter scarf
• zip – zipper

 

Clothes and appearance vocabulary with different meanings

All the words below have more than one meaning, e.g. in British English and American English. Discuss the different meanings together.

jacket

pants

purse

scarf

thong(s)

vest

 

Use the words under the fold to help with the task above.

 

----------------------------------------fold, cover or cut---------------------------------------

 

Mixed and split meanings

• coat
• flip flops
• G-string
• handbag
• head
• silk
• suit
• trousers
• underpants
• undershirt
• waistcoat
• wallet
• winter
• woolly

------------------------------------fold, cover or cut----------------------------------------

Suggested answers

jacket – the top part of a suit/ a light coat

pants – underpants/ trousers

purse – wallet/ handbag

scarf – winter scarf/ woolly scarf OR headscarf/ silk scarf

thong(s) – flipflops OR G-string

vest – undershirt OR waistcoat