59426 teenagers fashion

Teenagers

get a hard time about their fashion
choices. The Disney actress Bella Thorne was
criticised by the media a few months ago for wearing
a wacky minidress, but a little later she won fashion
plaudits for attending an awards ceremony in a floorlength gown. Let’s get real: which outfit do you think
she wanted to head out in? I doubt it was the
billowing silk tent, but I guess she decided to
conform to the adult world's idea of age-appropriate
clothing. What to wear – or what not to wear – as a
teenager is a hot topic for adults and a no-win
situation for teenagers.
It's hardly surprising we want to stay in bed all day,
because the moment we get dressed in anything
other than a sack we get scrutinized and judged.
Adults don't want their children to grow up. I'm 14
and want to wear decent clothes when I go out. I like
wearing long necklaces, detailed collars, lots of
rings, check shirts, high-waisted shorts, blazers,
skinny jeans, knee-high socks, dresses with
elasticized waistlines, wacky tights, Converse and
vintage shoes.
I think my look is normal with splashes of crazy, but I
can't believe the reaction of grownups sometimes
when I dress up. My mum rarely says I look nice. I
see a flicker of a sort of "gosh", but she looks mainly
alarmed and in a cross voice (she denies this) says I
need to dress appropriately for my age and that I
look too grown up. My friends all have the same
problem. It seems a miniskirt sets off some parental

warning bell.
It's hard being a teenager: you feel a bit unsure of
yourself, even without your mother implying every
time you make an effort to look nice that your life is
about to turn into an episode of Girls. Parents need
to realize that teenagers don't suddenly become
different or too old for their years because they put
on a bit of eyeliner.
Teenagers today are working like crazy to adhere to
the pressure that we've got to be all-singing, alldancing academic whizzes – so it would be nice
when we go out occasionally to be free, and
encouraged to wear what we want. I feel I am meant
to be ashamed that I am growing up and starting to
experiment with grown up clothes. I might make
mistakes. I might look silly sometimes. But let
teenagers be teenagers.
(Adapted from: />
TEENAGERS &
FASHION

1. Say if these statements are True or False.
Quote the evidence from the text.
a. People didn’t like Bella Thorne’s evening
dress.
………………………………………………………
…………
b. Teenagers are usually self-confident.
………………………………………………………
…………
2. Answer the questions about the text in your

own words.
1. Why does the author say teenagers like
staying in bed?
2. Give reasons to support the idea that being a
teenager is really hard.

3. Find words in the text that mean the same as
these
a. conform……………… b. examined
……………
c. decorous ……………… d. suggesting
4. Rewrite the sentences without changing the
meaning.
1. “You shouldn’t wear this sweater, Mandy; it’s
too old-fashioned.”
Tony advised
……………………………………………
………………………………………………………
…………
2. Mike spends a lot on clothes.
I wish
………………………………………………………
3. The dressmaker has taken up the hem of my

5. Write a composition (100-120 words) on
the topic:
“Are you a fashion-victim?”


KEY

EXERCISE 1
1. FALSE “The Disney actress Bella Thorne was criticised by the media a few months ago for
wearing a wacky minidress, but a little later she won fashion plaudits for attending an awards
ceremony in a floor-length gown.”
2. FALSE “It's hard being a teenager: you feel a bit unsure of yourself.”
3. FALSE “My mum rarely says I look nice. I see a flicker of a sort of "gosh", but she looks
mainly alarmed and in a cross voice (she denies this) says I need to dress appropriately for
my age and that I look too grown up.”

EXERCISE 2
1. The author says teenagers like staying in bed because they feel everybody can criticise
their clothes and appearance.
2. The life of a teenager is hard because teenagers usually feel insecure themselves and
have to face their parents’ comments on their clothes and looks. Besides, it’s difficult for them
to follow fashion, adapt themselves & adopt the new trends and, at the same time, make their
parents understand that they have to right to make mistakes since they’re teenagers,
something that parents seem reluctant to accept.

EXERCISE 3
a. ADJUST
c. DECENT

b. SCRUTINISED
d. IMPLYING

EXERCISE 4
1. Tony advised Mandy not to wear that sweater since it was too old-fashioned.
2. I wish Mike wouldn’t spend so much on clothes.
3. I have had/got the hem of my trousers taken up.