How to read the question

• This is a two-part question: the first part asks for causes (How has global fashion become such a strong influence?) and the second asks for your opinion (positive or negative development?). Both must be answered fully.
• The first part is about explanation, not evaluation, so give reasons such as social media, international clothing chains and celebrity culture, and explain how each spreads trends.
• The second part requires a clear position. You may say the development is mainly positive, mainly negative or mixed, but you must state which and support it.
• Global fashion is the key phrase: focus on trends that spread across countries, not just on fashion or clothing in general.
• Development means the change towards global influence, so evaluate its effects, for example on self-expression, local cultures, the environment and consumer spending.
• Avoid writing only about whether fashion is important or whether people spend too much on clothes, which drifts away from the global aspect of the question.

Suggested position

Global fashion has become so influential mainly because of social media and the spread of international clothing chains, and although it offers people more choice and affordable style, I believe it is largely a negative development because of the waste it creates and the loss of local identity.

Paragraph plan

1. 1

   Introduction

   Paraphrase the statement that the way people dress is now shaped by worldwide trends, outline the main causes, and state your view that the development is largely negative.

2. 2

   Body paragraph 1: why global fashion has become so influential

   Explain the role of social media and influencers, who show the same styles to millions of people at once, and of international clothing chains, which sell nearly identical products in many countries and copy catwalk designs within weeks at low prices.

3. 3

   Body paragraph 2: why the development is mainly negative

   Briefly concede that global trends give people affordable access to new styles and a sense of connection. Then argue that fast fashion encourages people to buy and discard clothes quickly, creating huge waste, and that traditional and local styles of dress are being replaced by a uniform global look.

4. 4

   Conclusion

   Summarise the causes and restate that, despite some benefits, the influence of global fashion is mainly negative.

Ideas and arguments

• Social media platforms and fashion influencers show the same trends to millions of people in different countries at the same moment.
• International clothing chains sell almost identical collections worldwide, so shoppers in different cities see the same styles.
• Fast-fashion companies copy designs from catwalks and celebrities within weeks and sell them cheaply, so trends spread quickly.
• Online shopping allows people to buy clothes from anywhere in the world with a few clicks.
• Global trends give people affordable access to fashionable clothes that were once available only to the wealthy.
• Sharing fashion trends can create a sense of connection between young people in different countries.
• Fast fashion encourages people to buy clothes they wear only a few times, producing large amounts of textile waste and pollution.
• Traditional clothing and local styles of dress are increasingly replaced by a uniform, Western-influenced look, weakening cultural identity.

Band 8+ model answer

299 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.

Why this answer scores highly

Task Response

The essay answers both questions fully, explaining specific causes in one paragraph and giving a clear, well-supported negative view in the next, with a brief concession that shows awareness of the other side.

Coherence and Cohesion

The two questions are dealt with in separate paragraphs in the order they are asked, and ideas are connected with devices such as as a result, admittedly and more importantly, together with clear referencing.

Lexical Resource

Topic vocabulary such as fast fashion, fashion influencers, textile waste and homogenisation is used precisely, and less common collocations like a uniform global look add sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The essay uses present perfect forms to explain how the situation has developed, alongside relative clauses, passive forms and concessive structures, all accurately.

Useful vocabulary

global fashion trends

styles of clothing that become popular in many countries at the same time

fashion influencers

people with many online followers who promote clothing and styles

international clothing chains

companies that run clothes shops in many countries

fast fashion

cheap clothing produced quickly to follow the latest trends

catwalk designs

clothes first shown by designers at fashion shows

disposable clothing

clothes that are worn only a few times before being thrown away

textile waste

unwanted clothes and fabric that are thrown away

cultural identity

the sense of belonging to a particular culture or group

homogenisation

the process of becoming the same or similar

traditional dress

the clothing that is typical of a particular culture or region

self-expression

showing your personality or feelings, for example through clothes

conform to

behave or dress in the way that is expected by others

consumerism

the idea that buying more goods is desirable

Common mistakes

• Answering only the opinion question and giving no explanation of how global fashion became so influential.
• Explaining causes in the opinion paragraph and effects in the cause paragraph, so that the two parts become mixed and unclear.
• Writing about fashion in general, such as whether clothes are important, instead of focusing on global trends.
• Saying the development has both positive and negative sides without deciding which is stronger.
• Relying on vague claims such as fashion is everywhere now without naming specific causes like social media or international chains.
• Repeating fashion and trend constantly instead of paraphrasing with words such as styles, clothing, the way people dress and the latest looks.

Frequently asked questions

Which Cambridge book is this question from?

This question about how global fashion trends have become so influential and whether this is positive or negative is Writing Task 2 of Test 4 in Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic.

Do I need to answer both questions equally?

Yes. Both questions carry equal weight, so give each its own body paragraph with clear explanation and examples.

Can I say global fashion is both positive and negative?

You can mention both sides, but you should decide which is stronger, for example largely negative, so that your opinion is clear.

How many words should I write for this Task 2?

Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is usually enough to answer both questions fully in 40 minutes.