IELTS Speaking part 1| Jeans

This is an unusual speaking part 1 set of questions because it is so specific. Usually, speaking part 1 questions are on familiar topics that you might have a conversation about.

There are, however, some quite unusual topics which you might not often speak or think about. This is a good example. If you think this question set would be difficult, read our lesson below as we give you some tips about how to handle these questions!

Although it is possible to answer this question with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, you need to show a willingness to speak. This means you need to expand your answer. Look at the following questions, and think about what you could say:

• Do you find jeans comfortable?
• How often do you wear jeans?
• When and where do you wear them?
• Would you wear jeans if you were doing certain tasks?

Once you have thought about the above questions, try and put your ideas together into an answer. We have added some of our ideas below:

Possible ideas:

• Comfortable – they are warm enough in winter, and because they are made of cotton, they are very breathable; jeans become softer with age
• Uncomfortable – maybe you think jeans are too tight  they don’t stretch like tracksuit trousers / joggers, it might be too hot where you live to wear jeans
• In your free time because you’re not allowed to wear them at work; wear them at weekends when you go out to meet friends; wear them in winter because they’re warm
• Jeans are very hard-wearing. This means they do not easily get damaged, so might be good if you work outside, if you’re doing DIY or if you’re doing something that could rip/tear weaker materials

Examples:

• I don’t really find jeans that comfortable, so I don’t wear them very often, as I prefer to wear jogging bottoms. I suppose they’re quite good if I’m working in the garden, though. My other trousers get ruined very quickly because the materials are less robust.
• I love wearing jeans and I’m actually wearing them right now! They’re really comfortable, especially after they soften up. I guess they’re not always appropriate because they’re very casual, but whenever I go out to meet people I always wear them.

This will depend on the type of school that you went to. Lots of schools don’t allow you to choose what you wear and require you to wear a uniform instead. If this is the case, talk a bit about your school uniform and what you did have to wear! If you didn’t wear jeans at school, you could talk about your free time when you were younger (for example after you got home from school).

Examples:

Well, at my school we had to wear a uniform so we weren’t allowed to wear jeans at all. Instead, boys had to wear suit trousers and girls had to wear plain blue skirts, although they could wear trousers in the winter. I did used to change into jeans when I got home though, so I didn’t ruin my uniform when I went out with my friends!

At my school, the dress code was very relaxed and lots of people wore jeans. I used to wear them because they were thought to be pretty cool. I remember one pair of jeans I had that I wore almost every day, but eventually I grew out of them. It was a shame, because they were so comfy!

Dress code: a set of rules about what you are allowed to wear, for example at school or work. Some clubs and even hotels also have dress codes!

This question gives you an opportunity to talk about some more high-level topics like fashion and brands. You could give some examples of designer labels, and higher level students may want to talk about things like celebrity endorsement and advertising. Consider the following things:

Can you think of any expensive designer brands that make jeans?

What makes a pair of jeans very expensive?

Is there a difference in quality for materials between very cheap, normal and expensive jeans?

Are expensive jeans good value?

Could you afford a really expensive pair of jeans?

Take some of your ideas for the questions above and practice making a few sentences. If you’re not sure what to talk about for any of them, we have given some possible ideas and examples below!

Possible ideas

• Most designer brands make jeans. Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci jeans cost hundreds of dollars! Calvin Klein make more affordable jeans, but they can still be expensive! Probably the most famous jeans are made by Levi Strauss (Levi’s), the company which invented jeans in 1853!
• Lots of factors could contribute to the cost of expensive jeans. The biggest is probably the brand name. Expensive brands spend lots of money on marketing themselves and advertising their products, which makes the product more expensive. Some brands charge very high prices because they want to be seen as exclusive (only available to a small number of wealthy people).
• There is probably a difference in the quality of materials and how well they are designed and made. Very cheap clothing often uses cheap thread which breaks easily, so the clothes don’t last as long. More expensive products may be better designed and more comfortable. Remember, though, that often very expensive products are made in the same way using the same materials as less expensive ones, and the biggest difference can sometimes only be the label!
• Whether they are good value or not is entirely your opinion. If you think it is important to be stylish and fashionable, you probably think the extra cost is worth it! If you think fashion is less important, you might think that a normal pair of jeans is much better. Another thing to think about is whether you would want to do some DIY, gardening, moving furniture or cooking wearing a $500 pair of jeans. They may not be so practical!
• Lots of people can’t afford the top, most exclusive designer brands. We all have different budgets, so let the examiner know what you think!

Examples

Of course I would! It’s really important to be fashionable and get the best quality products, so I’d definitely buy an expensive pair of jeans. I wouldn’t be able to wear them if I wanted to do manual work, but if I went out with my friends, it would be great to have a pair of Gucci jeans!

I think designer labels are a rip-off. All jeans are made of denim, and while some might be better quality, I don’t think the difference is that big. I saw a pair of jeans for sale for $1000 once, and to me, that’s just crazy!

I suppose I might, if I had the money. I tend to live within my means, so at the moment paying a lot for one pair of jeans doesn’t seem sensible financially. You never know, though, if I make a good living in the future, I think I’ll probably buy lots of designer goods!

As I said, I don’t really like wearing jeans so I wouldn’t spend lots of money on them. It’s not that I don’t like designer labels, I’m just not into jeans. Now sunglasses, that’s a different matter, I’d love to have a high-end pair of Cartier shades!

Manual work (collocation / compound noun) – physical work done with your hands

Rip-off (noun) rip (someone) off (verb) – something that is very overpriced; a scam

Denim (noun) – The material used to make jeans

Live within (my/your/his etc.) means (idiom) – spend less money than you earn. High level idiom suitable for writing!

Make a living (idiom) – Earn money to pay for your home, food, clothes etc. Make a good living – Earn lots of money! Suitable for writing!

Be into something (idiom, informal) – If you are into something, you like or are interested in it. NOT suitable for writing.

High-end (idiomatic adjective) – exclusive or expensive; often viewed as very high quality

Shades (informal, slang) – sunglasses

Now you’ve had plenty of time to think about it and develop your ideas, try answering this question! Why are jeans so popular? Do people like wearing jeans for different reasons? Why do some people spend lots of money on high-end, designer jeans? Is it different for people of different ages?

Try and combine some of the vocabulary and ideas to give a really great answer and finish this unusual part 1 question set!