Cover of the textbook Roadmap B2+ - Workbook

The key answer of exercise 8

The key to exercise solutions in chapter Writing 4 for the textbook Roadmap B2+ - Workbook with authors Lindsay Warwick from Pearson Education

Question

Write your essay. When you have finished, check these things and edit your essay if necessary.

Answer

Clothes fashion has been important to people for centuries. Today, you can see how highly regarded it is by looking in shop windows, in magazines and on social media. While some people would argue that fashion is beneficial to society, I believe that we care about it too much. Firstly, clothes and accessories go in and out of fashion on a regular basis. This means that clothes from last season may now look out-of-date, despite the fact that they are in perfectly good condition. The effect of this is that people spend money unnecessarily on clothes that they do not need. While this money contributes to the fashion industry, within which many people are employed, this money could be better spent on more worthy causes. In addition to wasting money, the fashion industry also leads to a waste of materials. The number of clothes thrown away every day is extremely high. Some of these clothes may be recycled, but many are not. The amount of materials which go into making these clothes is significant, and yet it is wasted without a second thought. If fashion did not exist, people would be much more likely to wear clothes until they were no longer t to wear, rather than simply because they were not fashionable any more. Fewer materials would be used and the impact on the environment would be much less significant. Finally, people spend a lot of time on fashion, trying to look as good as possible. However, this time could be better spent elsewhere. Theoretically, fashion helps people to be accepted by society as it shows that they follow social norms. In reality, however, people spend more time than is necessary trying to look good. Life is short, and it can therefore be argued that this time would be better spent on things such as spending time with family, achieving goals or enjoying the world around us. In conclusion, fashion leads to a waste of money, a waste of resources and a waste of time. Instead of spending our time and resources on things which will help people to grow without having an impact on the environment, people choose to spend their time on their appearance. As we grow older and reflect on our lives, it is unlikely that we will wish we spent more time on how we looked.