Face Masks and French Fashion

Face Masks and French Fashion

I Lead-in.

a)    What are face masks? When and why do people wear them?

b)    How can people make show their individual style when they wear face masks?

II Vocabulary focus. Match the words to their definitions. Use six words in your sentences.

1.	to match	A.	the quality of being stylish and fashionable
2.	fall-back	B.	to start supporting enthusiastically
3.	compulsory	C.	officially accepted
4.	dash	D.	a plan telling someone what they must do
5.	chic	E.	proudly refusing to obey authority
6.	charcoal	F.	dark black substance sometimes used for drawing
7.	demand	G.	to arrive in large numbers
8.	pharmacy	H.	an alternative
9.	to flood	I.	to add something decorative to a person
10.	approved	J.	a necklace that fits very closely to a person’s neck
11.	shade	K.	required by law or rule
12.	to adorn	L.	a violent action by a group of people trying to change political system
13.	Enlightenment	M.	to have the same colour or design
14.	prescription	N.	need for something
15.	to embrace	O.	a type of colour
16.	rebellion	P.	a shop where medicines are sold
17.	defiant	Q.	the period in the 18th century in Europe stressing the importance of science and reason
18.	choker	R.	a small amount of something

III Follow the link below. Focus on the words and expressions (study definitions), match the termsto their definitions, solve the crossword puzzle, complete the quiz, chase down the correct answer to earn points, unscramble words and phrases (correct order of letters), type in words to fill in the blanks.

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-3230630

IV Look through the article. Six sentences have been removed. Read the article and choose from the sentence (A-H) the one which fits each gap (1-6). There are two sentences which you do not need to use.

A woman cycles by in a pistachio-green mask that matches the colour of her bicycle. 1)___________ Since the government made mask-wearing compulsory on public transport on May 11th, elegant Parisians have got rid of the mass-market pale-blue surgical ones for a dash of coronavirus chic.

2)___________ They meet a demand “to get away from the pharmacy version”, says a sales assistant, and “add a bit of fantasy.” When Emmanuel Macron dropped in on a school wearing a navy-blue mask with a small French flag on the trim, its manufacturer was “flooded with calls” the next day, says Thomas Delise, who runs the firm. 3)___________ Now the firm is launching that model in 44 different shades. A limited-edition mask with Breton stripes sold out in half an hour.

Mask-wearing presents a particular problem in France. “The Enlightenment ideal realised by the French revolution was built against the masks that aristocrats adorned themselves with,” argued Frédéric Keck, an anthropologist, in Le Monde. 4)___________.

Yet Parisians have embraced the look with confidence and style. “It’s the new statement T-shirt,” said Jean-Paul Gaultier, a designer. Home-made masks may even be a form of silent rebellion at the government’s original advice against mask-wearing. 5)___________  In post-revolutionary France, aristocrats who had lost relatives to the guillotine are said to have attended “victims’ balls”, at which women tied a bright blood-red choker around the neck. Under Nazi occupation, Parisiennes fixed wooden blocks under their sandals to fashion high heels. Today’s mask may not be the accessory of choice. 6)___________

A.    To the French, some suggest, the uncovered face represents modernity and liberation from religious, patriarchal or other prescriptions.

B.    Masks in black, the lasting fall-back for the stylish, are the new main product in the fashionable quarters of the French capital.

C.    However, these masks’ purpose must not be forgotten along the way, and certain design aspects may still be necessary to take into consideration.

D.    There are of course a number of benefits to purchasing some of these masks however, one of the main ones being the fact that they are washable and re-usable.

E.     Erik Schaix, a designer, sells couture models in charcoal-grey denim and batik print at his Paris boutique.

F.     But Parisians are turning it into a choice accessory.

G.   Based in eastern France, Bonneterie Chanteclair makes high-filtration masks approved by the French army, and Mr Delise had sent the president a mask on the chance he might wear it.

H.    Parisians have a long history of defiant style even at times of disaster.

V Comprehension check. Answer the questions.

1.    Do Parisians have to wear face masks? If yes, where do they wear masks?

2.    What colours and patterns of face masks that Parisians wear are mentioned in the article? 

3.    What companies and designers create face masks?

4.    How did the mask with a small flag become popular?

5.    Who wore masks in France in the past? What idea is mask-wearing connected with in France?

6.    What associations do the French have with the uncovered face?

7.    How do the French show their individuality with the help of masks?

8.    How did Parisians use fashion to protest? How can they use masks for this purpose?

VI OVER TO YOU. Discuss the questions:

a)    What is the attitude to wearing masks in your country?

b)     What type of face masks do people wear and how do they show their individual style using face masks?

Get ready to discuss if there are fashion designers or face masks trends in your country.