IELTS Speaking Topic: Clothes

I have written many times about the different IELTS topics and why you should use these to study for your exam. These topics tend to be things that everyone in the world could discuss. For examples, they include health, education, culture, and sports. You don’t need to be an expert, but these affect all of our lives so we can all say a little about them.

In today’s lesson, I am going to guide you through the IELTS speaking topic of clothes. I think this is a pretty useful thing to be able to be able to discuss at length.

IELTS Vocabulary: Clothes

First of all, let’s take a moment to look at some useful vocabulary about clothes. Without knowing the basics, you will struggle to talk about this topic at all.

Remember that you do not need to be an expert. You don’t need to know all the different specific parts of clothes and if you are a man then you will not really be expected to talk about different kinds of women’s clothes, for example. However, the more you know, the more you can talk about this subject.

Here is a list of basic clothing vocabulary:

The above words probably seem easy to most of you… but you don’t really need much more than that! If you wear different types of clothing and care about them, you might want to learn their names but otherwise it is not essential.

I have also made this guide to the different parts of clothes. I doubt you would need to know any of this, but it might come in useful if you really care about fashion:

IELTS Speaking Questions About Clothes

Let’s now explore some sample questions about answers about clothes.

Part 1

Q: Do you often buy clothes?

A: No, I don’t. I probably buy clothes about once a year at most, unless I really need something.

Q: Do you ever buy expensive clothes?

A: Not really. Occasionally someone might buy me some expensive clothes, but I would never spend a lot of money myself for that sort of purchase.

Q: What kind of clothes do you usually wear?

A: I typically throw on a t-shirt and shorts because it is very hot where I live. If I have to go somewhere formal, I will find a shirt and some smart trousers.

Vocab Notes

Here, I said “throw on.” This is an informal way of saying “put on (clothes).” I also said “smart,” which is British English for “formal” or “nice” as it relates to clothing.

Part 2

Describe a piece of clothing that you like wearing.

You should say

• what the item of clothing is
• where and when you bought it
• when you wear it

and explain why you like wearing it.

A: I am from Scotland and so the item of clothing that means the most to me is probably my kilt. This is something that most Scottish men get when they turn twenty-one and so I have had mine for many years. It was a gift from my parents as most people do not actually buy their own one, but rather receive it on their twenty-first birthday.

I really like wearing a kilt but of course it is not something that you wear every day. It is typically reserved for special occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, and graduations. In fact, I have not worn mine in a long time. Partly this is due to living in hot climates. Scotland is very cold and so kilts are made of thick wool and in a tropical region, such as the one where I currently live, they are quite impractical.

I really like wearing my kilt as it makes me feel an attachment to my culture. It is also very smart and as a man there are not many occasions when you get to dress up and look good. As such, it is a rare and enjoyable occasion when I can put on my kilt and have a good time.

Part 3

Q: For which jobs are people required to wear a uniform in your country?

A: I suppose it is the same as in most countries: police officers and firefighters. However, there are lots of kinds of uniforms. Often, people who work for a particular company might have a certain kind of uniform to wear, such as those working in a shop or factory. However, that is not particularly common because in my country people feel pretty strongly about expressing their individuality and they have often fought against such practices in the past. Still, when you go to a fast food restaurant, it is quite normal to see a uniform identifying the members of staff.

Q: Do you think people are treated differently when they are in uniform?

A: Yeah, I think they usually are. People who wear uniforms are typically treated with a bit more respect than those who aren’t. Think about security guards, for example. In some places they really have no authority and yet they are treated as authority figures by the people around them simply because they have a uniform. It shows that they have some sort of rank that places them above the others in that area.

Q: What are the advantages of making children wear uniforms for school?

A: Well, this is a pretty controversial topic in my country, but I am in favour of it because I think there are several major advantages. One that people usually forget is the fact that these uniforms identify children as pupils of a particular school. This may not seem important but if that child is lost or abducted, it can really prove important in helping to find them. It is also argued that it helps cut down on bullying because when everyone is wearing the same thing, it is less likely that poor children will be singled out for their cheaper clothes.