Clothing and Fashion: Fashion Trends (Past Simple & 'Used to')

Grammar Focus: Past Simple & 'Used to'

Past Simple is used for completed actions in the past:

• People wore bell-bottom jeans in the 1970s.

• My grandmother bought her first mini skirt when she was 20.

• Designers created new fashion styles every decade.

‘Used to’ is used for past habits or states that are no longer true:

• People used to wear corsets in the 19th century.

• My father used to have long hair in the 1980s.

• Fashion used to change more slowly than it does today.

Vocabulary Chart

Practice Sentences

• She (wear) ______ colourful dresses in the 1960s.

• He (buy) ______ a leather jacket last weekend.

• My parents (dance) ______ at discos in the 1970s.

• One time, my parents (dance) ______ at a disco in the 1970s.

• We (not wear) ______ trainers to school.

• People (prefer) ______ handmade clothes before mass production.

• Young people (follow) ______ pop stars’ fashion styles more closely.

Conversation Questions & Sample Answers

What kind of clothes did you use to wear when you were younger, but you don’t wear now?

I used to wear colourful trousers, but now I only wear dark ones.

What fashion trend did you like in the past?

I liked baggy jeans in the 2000s.

Did your parents use to dress differently when they were young? How?

Yes, my dad used to have long hair and wear leather jackets.

What clothes did you wear last month for a special occasion?

I wore a smart shirt and dress shoes to my cousin’s wedding.

Do you think fashion today is very different from the past? How?

Yes, people used to wear more formal clothes, but now fashion is casual.