E: Examiner

S: Student

E: So we've been talking about the type of clothing that you like to wear. And now I'd like to ask you some more general questions related to that. Let's consider, first of all, designer clothing. Are designer clothes popular in your country? 

S: Well, yes as the short answer. The longer answer would be that there's a very strong class disparity. So the rich are the richest and the poor are the poorest. And so to kind of exacerbate that “oh I am better than you”, people do like to buy designer clothing as more of a statement, rather than fashion choice. So that’s the reason for popularity. 

E: So, apart from the status issue. Why do you think people like to wear designer clothing? 

S: Humans are creatures of hubris. I feel like we need things that not only set us apart but also make us conform to our larger society. And designer clothing, in a way, does do that because, well, no … not everybody can afford it or wants to buy or wants to purchase it. There is that class of people who do, so while they are setting themselves apart, they are still buying themselves to society. And I feel like designer, not only clothing, designer goods themselves that kind of exacerbate that phenomena of “I am unique, but just like everybody else”. 

E: Do you think that the world would be better off without designer clothing, since they seem to be taking advantage of less than desirable human qualities? 

S: Well, is that a bad thing, though? You know, we … I feel in a larger capitalist society, you can't really say whether or not the distribution of a specific type of good is in positive or negative. But at the end of the day, I feel like we, we have this moral standard where if you're proud and that's a negative thing. Maybe that's just how some people choose to live in their live. They're spending their money on things that don't really matter. And then that is, in the end of the day, their loss. So I don’t think it’s … epidemic. 

E: Let's turn now to the clothes that people wear to work. Do you think people at work make judgments about their colleagues based on the type of clothing they wear? 

S: Yes, again, short answer. Longer answer would be, this is very true, at least in the more Eastern hemisphere, where there's the concept of professionalism and a code of conduct as you're moving in and out of work and in violation of that is seen as either disrespectful or inappropriate or both. And I feel that the thing that you just said about judgment, I think it's more based in how women dress and the judgment is passed, based on … between other women majority of the time, as to what is considered revealing too masculine or too feminine or is it appropriate enough for that workplace or is it alluring to the male co-workers. I feel like that is often a, a topic of conversation at least in the background. 

E: Some employers actually set a certain standard and even require their employees to wear a uniform. Do you think that people should be forced to wear certain clothes at work? 

S: I feel like there can be a model of appropriacy because at the same time kind of unanimising all spheres of human interaction into one saying that, “oh, I should be allowed to wear what I want” is, is, is a little bit of an individualistic concept, which I don't think would be flying in at least this part of the world. I think there should be limits inside of which people can dress the way they want as long as they address the fact that they are in a different space than, say, in their bedroom, or out with a friend and there should be distinction like that in the workplace. As far as a uniform goes, I feel like that is a little too redundant on an adult population. I feel like they should know to dress themselves in a way that it doesn't display social class. But again, that could be a problem given that they don't. 

E: Alright. Thank you very much. That's the end of the test.