Read the text and complete the last paragraph. Discuss it.

For Americans shopping is a profession. Americans spend hours walking round different shops and comparing prices to see if the item they want is cheaper somewhere else.

The French are very serious about shopping. They plan everything they know exactly what they want, how much it costs and where they are going to find it.

The British are the world’s worst shoppers. They never know what they want when they go shopping, particularly when they go shopping for clothes. They always ask for advice and they believe the shop assistant who says: “It suits you perfectly, madam”. Or “Green is just the right colour for you, sir”.

The Ukrainians …

The following words may be useful:

to bargain, a bargain, resourceful, creative, patient, thrifty (ощадливий), to queue

Unit 11

Appearance

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Learn the active vocabulary of the unit.

appropriate	pinstripe	appealing	lack of
to avoid	subtle	revealing	to be likely to
to turn out	to inhance	diminish	loud
сasual	to coordinate with	to invest in	to bother
to judge by	solid	casual	guidelines
competency	to be noticed for	to (over) estimate	sober
attire =apparel	neckline	sloppy	judgement
to promote	waistline	to look forward to	fake
to count	tights

Pre-reading tasks

1. Consider the use of modal verbs for advice and recommendation. Find and correct the mistakes in these sentences.

1. You should to complain about that frock – it is spoilt.

2. You don’t should dress casually when you attend business meetings.

3. If you don’t like skirted suits, you’d better to buy one with pants.

4. You must tried new colours in dress, but be careful not to choose too loud ones.

5. You shouldn’t have to lied to me.

6. We all ought do something for the environment.

7. We really have see the new fashion show.

8. We mustn’t to miss the talk about dress code.

9. I’ve told them they can to use all the collection of costumes for the performance.

10. We’d better had our office attire made by a good specialist.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one, using the word in bold. Use between two and five words.

Example: It’s essential that you don’t go without me. ….. not

You’d better not go without me.

1. I think it is necessary for you to decide what you want to do.

You … what you want to do. must

2. You really should try that new Chinese restaurant.

You … that new Chinese restaurant. have

3. I really think we ought not to wear such revealing frocks to that party.

We’d … such revealing frocks to that party. better

4. I think it’s very important that you don’t tell him about this

You … him about this.. must

5. I think you must call her tomorrow.

You’d … her tomorrow. had

6. I think it’s important that you ask your stylist.

You … your stylist. must

7. I really think you should apologize to her.

You … to her. better

8. You really should see that amazing Armani suit.

You … that amazing Armani suit. have

3. Look at the title of the text below. Think about the topic and decide if these statements are true or false.

1. We judge people according to the way they look.

2. Business attire has to be high fashion.

3. Business and casual dress is almost the same.

4. Investment in a good business wardrobe is an investment in your professional future.

Read the text and evaluate your ideas of the statements above.

Text A

Dress for Success (by Lydia Ramsey)

Try going to a busy restaurant at lunchtime. Look around you at what people are wearing and see if you don't make judgments about who they are, their line of business, their personalities and their competencies. Think about how you feel when you are dressed in your usual business attire as opposed to casual dress. Your choice of business apparel speaks to your professional behaviour and credibility. It is important to understand how to dress for business if you wish to promote yourself and your organization in a positive manner. How you dress depends on four factors: the industry in which you work, the job you have within that industry, the geographic area in which you live; and most importantly, what your clients expect to see.

Here are some guidelines for both genders to consider:

In men's clothing, fashion does not change significantly from season to season but business attire has to be professional and not just fashionable.

Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the colour. A solid white or blue shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look.

Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Avoid the cartoon characters and choose simple and subtle if you want to enhance your credibility.

 

Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Don't think for a minute that people don’t notice shoes. Many people will look at your feet before your face. Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes. Once again, quality counts. Keep jewellery to a minimum. The business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch, a wedding band and maybe his college ring.

 

Personal hygiene is part of your success. The finishing touch for the businessman is his choice of accessories: briefcase, portfolio and pen.

 

The same overall rules apply to women's work attire. A woman should be noticed for who she is and her professional skills rather than for what she wears. Her business wear should be appropriate for her industry and her position or title within the industry. Here are some suggestions:

 

Start with a skirted suit or pants suit for the most conservative look. A skirted suit is the most professional. Skirts should be knee-length or slightly above or below. Avoid extremes. Pants should break at the top of the foot or shoe. Blouses and sweaters provide colour and variety to woman's clothing, but they should be appealing rather than revealing_. Inappropriate necklines and waistlines can give the wrong impression.

Women need to wear hose in the business world. Neutral or flesh-tone tights are the best choices. Choose conservative shoes. A low heel is more professional than flats or high heels

 

When it comes to accessories and jewellery, keep it simple: one ring per hand, one earring per ear. Accessories should reflect your personality, not diminish your credibility.

 

Business attire is different from weekend and evening wear. Investing in a good business wardrobe is an investment in your professional future. Business skills and experience count, but so does personal appearance.

Notes: hose - панчішні вироби

сredibility - надійність

as opposed to – на противагу

rather than – а не …

Answer the following questions.

1. Do we judge people according to what they are wearing? How?

2. What does the choice of business attire speak to?

3. What does business dress depend on?

4. What kind of clothes should men choose as business attire?

5. Is it appropriate for a businessperson to wear much jewelry?

6. Speak about personal hygiene.

7. What rules apply to women’s business attire?

8. How should women choose their business apparel?

9. What mistakes can women make choosing what to wear to work?

10. Why is a good business wardrobe an investment in your business success?

About you

· Do you share the author’s ideas of choosing business attire? Which of them do you share and which not?

· What’s your idea of your personal business attire?

· What’s your idea of casual dress?

· Do you think it is possible to wear your casual dress to work?

Consider the use of modal verbs to convey ability and possibility. Complete the sentences. Use can, could or be able to.

1. Joe … beat me at chess when he was only eight.

2. She’s only four, but she … play the piano.

3. In the future people like us … travel to other planets.

4. Don’t worry. You … hire a jacket at the restaurant.

5. I … do karate when I was younger, but I’ve forgotten it now.

6. After my exams, I … visit my friends more often.

7. Luke … speak Italian really well when he lived in Milan.