Clothes and Fashion
Senior 1 · English
Clothes and Fashion
Lesson 2 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
A jacket hanging on a rope at the market has no price label, no size chart and no guarantee. To buy it well you need four skills: check its condition, find the right size, compare it with the others, and agree a price. All four depend on the same small words: bigger, cheaper, too tight, long enough.
Before you listen: Where does your family usually buy clothes: from a market stall, a shop or a tailor? What is one advantage of that place?
It is Saturday morning at the market in Rwamagana. Nshuti starts boarding school in Musanze next week, and the mornings there are cold. He and his mother stop at Madame Uwineza's stall, where jackets and sweaters hang from a rope.
Uwineza: Good morning, Mama! Good morning, young man. What are you looking for today?
Mother: Good morning. My son needs a warm jacket. He's going to school in Musanze.
Uwineza: Musanze! Then you need something thicker than a sweater. Look at this grey one. It's second-hand, but it's in very good condition.
Nshuti: It's nice, but look: one of the buttons is missing.
Uwineza: Only one! I can sew on a new button for you in two minutes.
Mother: What size is it?
Uwineza: It's a medium. Try it on. The mirror is behind you.
Nshuti: Hmm. It's too big for me. The sleeves cover my hands.
Uwineza: You're still growing! Next year it will fit perfectly.
Mother: (laughing) Every seller says that. Do you have it in a smaller size?
Uwineza: Not in grey, but here's a small one in dark green. The material is thicker than the grey one, and it has a hood.
Nshuti: I like the green one better. It fits well, and the hood will be useful when it rains.
Mother: But the colour is faded here, on the back.
Uwineza: That's why it's cheaper. The grey one is eight thousand francs; the green one is only six thousand.
Mother: Six thousand is too much for a faded jacket. Can you reduce the price?
Uwineza: Mama, this is the warmest jacket in the whole market! Five thousand five hundred. That's my last price.
Mother: Five thousand, and we'll take a pair of socks too.
Uwineza: Five thousand for the jacket and five hundred for the socks. Deal?
Mother: Deal. Nshuti, is it long enough? Lift your arms.
Nshuti: Yes, it's long enough, and it isn't too tight. Thank you, Mama!
Uwineza: Wear it well, young man. And when you're a doctor, come back and buy a new one from me!
Copy and complete the grid.
| Jacket | Size | Problem with its condition | First price | Does it fit Nshuti? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grey | … | … | … | … |
| dark green | … | … | … | … |
| Jacket | Size | Problem with its condition | First price | Does it fit Nshuti? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grey | medium | a button is missing | 8,000 Frw | no: too big |
| dark green | small | the colour is faded on the back | 6,000 Frw | yes |
| Word or phrase | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| second-hand | owned and worn by someone before | The grey jacket is second-hand. |
| brand-new | completely new, never used | A brand-new jacket costs more. |
| condition | how good or bad something is | It's in very good condition. |
| faded | paler than before, because of sun or washing | The back of the jacket is faded. |
| torn | with a hole or a cut in the cloth | Don't buy trousers with a torn pocket. |
| stained | marked with dirt that is hard to wash out | The white shirt was stained with ink. |
| worn out | so old and used that it can't be used any more | My old school shoes are worn out. |
| try on | put on clothes to see if they fit | Try it on; the mirror is behind you. |
| fit | be the right size for someone | The green jacket fits him well. |
| tight, loose | too close to the body; not close to the body | The shoes are tight; the shirt is loose. |
| bargain | (verb) discuss a price to make it lower; (noun) something cheap for its quality | His mother bargained, and the jacket was a bargain. |
| stall | a table or small shop in a market | Madame Uwineza has a stall near the gate. |
Important
In Rwanda second-hand clothes are often called caguwa. In 2016 the government raised the tax on imported second-hand clothes and shoes, to help Rwandan tailors and clothing factories grow as part of the Made in Rwanda campaign. So many families now choose between caguwa and new clothes sewn by a local tailor.
| Second-hand (caguwa) | Sewn by a tailor | New from a shop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | usually the cheapest | more expensive than caguwa | often the most expensive |
| Fit | you must search for your size | made to your measurements, so it fits best | standard sizes: small, medium, large |
| Condition | may be faded, torn or stained | brand-new | brand-new |
| Choice | many styles, but only one of each | you choose the cloth and the style | many copies of the same style |
| Waiting time | take it home today | wait several days | take it home today |
Definition
Comparative: the form of an adjective we use to compare two things, usually followed by than: The green jacket is thicker than the grey one.
Superlative: the form we use to compare one thing with all the others in a group, with the: It's the warmest jacket in the market.
| Kind of adjective | Base | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| One syllable: add -er, -est | thick, cheap | thicker, cheaper | the thickest, the cheapest |
| Ending in -e: add -r, -st | large, loose | larger, looser | the largest, the loosest |
| One vowel + one consonant: double the consonant | big, thin | bigger, thinner | the biggest, the thinnest |
| Two syllables ending in -y: change y to i | pretty, heavy | prettier, heavier | the prettiest, the heaviest |
| Two or more syllables: more, most | expensive, comfortable | more expensive, more comfortable | the most expensive, the most comfortable |
| Irregular | good, bad, far | better, worse, further | the best, the worst, the furthest |
To say two things are the same, use as … as: The green jacket is as warm as a blanket. For a difference, use not as … as: The grey one is not as thick as the green one.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example from the market |
|---|---|---|
| too + adjective | more than you want: a problem | It's too big for me. |
| adjective + enough | as much as you need | It's long enough. |
| not + adjective + enough | less than you need: a problem | A sweater is not warm enough for Musanze. |
| too + adjective + for + person | says who has the problem | Six thousand is too much for us. |
Worked example
Analyse the sentence: The green jacket is thicker than the grey one, and it is the warmest jacket in the market.
Warning
Tip
Than or then? Than has the a of compare: thicker than. Then has the e of when: We paid, then we left.
Easy English Conversations, Episode 19: talking about clothes shopping, BBC Learning English (8 minutes). Write down every question the speakers ask about clothes, then use two of them in the role-play below.
Work in pairs. Student A is a seller with three items: a pair of black school shoes (size 40, like new, 7,000 Frw), a blue sweater (medium, a small hole in one sleeve, 4,000 Frw) and a white shirt (small, brand-new, 5,000 Frw). Student B needs clothes for school and has 10,000 Frw. Try things on, compare them, point out problems and bargain. Use at least three comparatives or superlatives and two sentences with too or enough.
B: Good afternoon. Can I try on the sweater, please?
A: Of course. It's the softest sweater I have.
B: It's warm enough, but there's a hole in the sleeve. And the shoes are too tight. Do you have a bigger size?
A: Not in black. These brown ones are bigger, but they're more expensive: eight thousand.
B: That's too much for me. I'll take the sweater and the white shirt for eight thousand.
A: Eight thousand five hundred. That's my last price.
B: All right. Here you are.
Which is better for a secondary student: a jacket from the caguwa market or one sewn by a tailor? Write a paragraph of 80 to 100 words. Use at least four comparatives or superlatives and one sentence with too or enough.
For a secondary student, I think a jacket from the caguwa market is the better choice. First, it is much cheaper than a jacket from a tailor, and students grow quickly, so an expensive jacket may be too small after one year. Second, you can take it home the same day, while a tailor is slower. However, a tailored jacket fits better and is in better condition, because it is brand-new. It also supports Rwandan workers. If a family has enough money, the tailor is the best choice; if not, caguwa is the most sensible one.
Practice
Sources and credits
