BBC Take Away English (Virtual f

我们每个人都多少经历过“穿衣焦虑症”，这个词语用来形容人们不知应该怎样为特定的场合着装搭配的窘境。通常，我们会向自己信任的人询问有关穿衣搭配的建议。但如今，科学技术也可以帮助我们解决这一难题。比如，各类移动应用程序及网站可以为我们提供坦诚的时尚小贴士。但从网络上获取的时尚小窍门是不是少了那么一股人情味呢？跟随本集《随身英语》了解这个新兴的时尚行业。

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When's it's time for a wardrobe makeover, who's the best person to give you some advice? You'll probably turn to your friend for some feedback and fashion tips – let's face it: they know you best and can offer an honest opinion about which colours clash – and which outfit makes you look a million dollars.

However for someone like me, who's not a follower of fashion and has a more practical dress sense, I don't need help - it's just jeans or… jeans! But for people who care about their appearance, they can now get some trustworthy advice with the aid of technology.

Of course, using social media is a good way to discuss fashion dilemmas with your friends, but this sometimes brings in too much conflicting advice - and opinions that are sometimes brutal! That's why one woman has developed an app to help women crowdsource advice from stylists and sister fashionistas in a safe, troll-free environment.

Sophia Matveeva's Style Counsel app allows users wanting advice on an outfit to post a photo and receive "yes" or "no" answers from other users, or more detailed advice from vetted fashion stylists and bloggers very quickly. According to Matthew Wall, BBC Technology of Business editor, this is a growing business, with several new apps such as AskAnna, Mallzee and StyleDotMe all offering young women tips on suitable and fashionable clothes to wear.

There's also a website called EyeFitU which finds clothes to fit your figure. Its chief executive, Isabelle Ohnemus, says there are no international standards in clothes sizes but she explains "We can set up your size profile in a few seconds with 80% accuracy just knowing your gender, height, weight and age". This information is used to search different retailers and find clothes that suit your actual shape. And the internet giant, Amazon, has also developed a camera that links to a 'style check' function that compares photos and gives its algorithmically-derived opinion of which outfit is better, based on fit, colour, style and current fashion trends.

But does technology make fashion advice a bit impersonal? Sophia Matveeva admits that women in particular are social creatures and that "AI will never stop us talking to each other… girls will always want the approval of the cool girl at school." But as for me: an app with someone I don't know could be the place to start with some discreet fashion tips!

vocabulary

makeover（个人形象的）大改造
tip 窍门，小建议
clash（颜色、风格）不协调
look a million dollars（因穿着光鲜）看起来非常漂亮
dress sense 着装、搭配的品位
appearance 外表，外貌
dilemma 困境，窘境
brutal（表达方式、观点）直率的，直言不讳的
stylist 造型师
fashionista 时尚达人
troll-free 没有网络暴力或恶毒言论的
vetted（资质等）经过审查的
figure 体形、身材
retailer 零售商
style check 时尚风格定位（功能）
algorithmically-derived 利用算法推导出来的
trend 潮流，趋势
impersonal 不人性化的
cool girl “酷女孩”，原指学校里受人欢迎的时髦女孩，此处泛指风格出众，引领时尚的女性

make sentences

1. The judge's feedback was so brutal, she decided to never sing on stage again.

2. Once the stylist had finished working on her, she looked absolutely amazing!

3. Frank's dress sense really impressed Lilly on their first date; he wore a suit and tie to dinner!

4. He got very offended when I told him his red trousers clashed with his yellow jumper.

5. Dairy-free ice cream seems to be the trend for a healthy treat at the moment.

question

True or false? Clothes sizes are set to an international standard.

answer

False. According to chief executive of EyeFitU, Isabelle Ohnemus, there are no international standards in clothes sizes.