Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries - IELTS Reading Answers

Learning how to monitor your performance with band score calculators, error logs, and question-type analysis helps you to create a successful strategy for your IELTS Reading exam. So, begin practicing with single passages like ‘Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries IELTS Reading Answers’ before taking complete tests.

Therefore, in this blog, we will improve your performance in the reading module by checking your answers against the provided Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries Reading Answers and explanations, and following the strategies to deal with the two types of reading questions.

Passage for Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries IELTS Reading Answers

Given below is the ‘Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries' passage that you can go through and prepare yourself for the reading section with this IELTS Reading practice test.

Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries

1 During the 1950s, the Indian fashion scene was exciting, stylish and very graceful. There were no celebrity designers or models, nor were there any labels that were widely recognised. The value of a garment was judged by its style and fabric rather than by who made it. It was regarded as perfectly acceptable, even for high-society women, to approach an unknown tailor who could make a garment for a few rupees, providing the perfect fit, finish and style. They were proud of getting a bargain, and of giving their own name to the end result.

2 The 1960s was an era full of mischievousness and celebration in the arts, music and cinema. The period was characterised by freedom from restrictions and, in the fashion world, an acceptance of innovative types of material such as plastic and coated polyester. Tight-fitting kurtas[1] and churidars[2] and high coiffures were a trend among women.

3 The following decade witnessed an increase in the export of traditional materials, and the arrival in India of international fashion. Synthetics became trendy, and the disco culture affected the fashion scene.

4 It was in the early 80s when the first fashion store ‘Ravissant’ opened in Mumbai. At that time garments were retailed for a four-figure price tag. American designers like Calvin Klein became popular. In India too, contours became more masculine, and even the salwar kameez[3] was designed with shoulder pads.

5 With the evolution of designer stores came the culture of designer fashion, along with its hefty price tags. Whatever a garment was like, consumers were convinced that a higher price tag signified elegant designer fashion, so garments were sold at unbelievable prices. Meanwhile, designers decided to get themselves noticed by making showy outfits and associating with the right celebrities. Soon, fashion shows became competitive, each designer attempting to out-do the other in theme, guest list and media coverage.

6 In the last decade of the millennium, the market shrank and ethnic wear made a comeback. During the recession, there was a push to sell at any cost. With fierce competition the inevitable occurred: the once hefty price tags began their downward journey, and the fashion-show industry followed suit. However, the liveliness of the Indian fashion scene had not ended - it had merely reached a stable level.

7 At the beginning of the 21st century, with new designers and models, and more sensible designs, the fashion industry accelerated once again. As far as the global fashion industry is concerned, Indian ethnic designs and materials are currently in demand from fashion houses and garment manufacturers. India is the third largest producer of cotton, the second largest producer of silk, and the fifth largest producer of man-made fibres in the world. 

8 The Indian garment and fabric industries have many fundamental advantages, in terms of a cheaper, skilled work force, cost-effective production, raw materials, flexibility, and a wide range of designs with sequins, beadwork, and embroidery. In addition, that India provides garments to international fashion houses at competitive prices, with a shorter lead time, and an effective monopoly on certain designs, is accepted the whole world over. India has always been regarded as the default source in the embroidered garments segment, but changes in the rate of exchange between the rupee and the dollar has further depressed prices, thereby attracting more buyers. So the international fashion houses walk away with customised goods, and craftwork is sold at very low rates.

9 As far as the fabric market is concerned, the range available in India can attract as well as confuse the buyer. Much of the production takes place in the small town of Chapa in the eastern state of Bihar, a name one might never have heard of. Here fabric-making is a family industry; the range and quality of raw silks churned out here belie the crude production methods and equipment. Surat in Gujarat, is the supplier of an amazing set of jacquards, moss crepes and georgette sheers - all fabrics in high demand. Another Indian fabric design that has been adopted by the fashion industry is the ‘Madras check’, originally utilised for the universal lungi, a simple lower-body wrap worn in southern India. This design has now found its way on to bandannas, blouses, home furnishings and almost anything one can think of.

10 Ethnic Indian designs with batik and hand-embroidered motifs have also become popular across the world. Decorative bead work is another product in demand in the international market. Beads are used to prepare accessory items like belts and bags, and beadwork is now available for haute couture evening wear too.

Glossary:

[1] knee-length tunics

[2] trousers

[3] trouser suit

Questions for Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries Reading Answers

The Academic passage, Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries, consists of 13 questions. It presents two different IELTS Reading question types. So, solving this passage will help you get acquainted with different IELTS Reading question types with examples. 

The question types in this reading passage include:

• IELTS Reading Note Completion (Q. 1-7)
• IELTS Reading True False Not Given (Q. 8-13)

Questions 1-7

Indian fashion: 1950-2000

1950s

• No well-known designers, models or 1 ……………………
• Elegant clothing cost little
• Women were pleased to get clothes for a 2 …………………… price

1960s

• New materials, e.g. 3 …………………… and polyester
• Fitted clothing and tall hairstyles

1970s

• Overseas sales of 4 …………………… fabrics rose
• Influence of international fashion

1980s

• Opening of fashion store in Mumbai
• Popularity of American designers
• Clothing had a 5 …………………… shape
• Designers tried to attract attention by presenting 6 …………………… clothes and mixing with stars

1990s

• Fall in demand for expensive fashion wear
• Return to 7 …………………… clothing

Questions 8-13

8 At the start of the 21st century, key elements in the Indian fashion industry changed.

9 India now exports more than half of the cotton it produces.

10 Conditions in India are generally well suited to the manufacture of clothing.

11 Indian clothing exports have suffered from changes in the value of its currency.

12 Modern machinery accounts for the high quality of Chapa’s silk.

13 Some types of Indian craftwork which are internationally popular had humble origins.

Answers and Explanations of Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries IELTS Reading Passage

Check out the detailed explanations for the Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries reading passage questions given above and get an idea of how to solve them and improve your reading skills for a top IELTS band score.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries Reading Passage

Now, let’s review the IELTS exam preparation tips for achieving a band score of 8+ for each question type in theTrends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries Reading Answers. This will help you learn how to approach each question type effectively.

Note Completion

• Predict the grammatical form before checking the passage: Look at the gap and decide whether you need a noun, noun phrase, adjective, number, time, or measurement. This reduces the number of possible answers when scanning.
• Identify ‘anchor words’ outside the gap: Useful anchors include dates, names, places, technical vocabulary, numbers, unusual adjectives. These rarely get paraphrased and guide you to the exact part of the text.
• Expect paraphrasing inside the notes, NOT inside the passage: In Note Completion, the notes paraphrase the passage, and the answer comes exactly from the passage. So match meaning, not words.
• Pay strict attention to word limits: If the instruction says:
  • ONE WORD → write exactly one
  • NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS → do not add extra articles
  • Hyphenated words count as one word (e.g., ‘tight-fitting’)
• Use synonyms as clues for scanning: Expect synonyms such as ‘because of’ (due to/ ‘as a result of’), ‘keep’ (‘maintain/preserve’), ‘problem’ (‘issue/difficulty’). Notes often change the vocabulary. The passage does not.
• Read vertically, not horizontally: Notes may be organised in bullet points, tables or nested lists. So, follow the structure downwards as each bullet usually corresponds to small segments of the same paragraph.

True/False/Not Given

• When to choose TRUE
  • Statement = same meaning as passage (not necessarily same words)
• When to choose FALSE
  • Passage says the opposite
  • Passage limits something that the statement exaggerates
  • Passage expands something that the statement restricts
• When to choose NOT GIVEN
  • Passage mentions the topic but not the specific detail
  • Passage gives no comparison, no number, no cause, no opinion
  • Passage is silent about the key part of the statement

To conclude, we have gone through the Trends in Indian Fashion and Textiles Industries Reading Answers with location and various IELTS Reading tips and techniques to increase your reading speed to help you confidently tackle those challenging questions. You should, however, practice different IELTS Reading practice tests. If you need guidance while solving such passages, you can attend our free IELTS online webinars to chat with an IELTS expert if you need help to improve your weak areas on the IELTS reading exam. 

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