Wearing Nothing New

Wearing nothing new

​

Jessi Arrington​

​Jessi Arrington describe herself

as "outfit obsessed"

She says that her favorite color is "rainbow," and her outfits include many different colors and patterns. Arrington has a lot of clothes, but she doesn't spend a lot of money on them. She buys them in secondhand stores. For her trip to the TED conference, Arrington brought nothing but a tiny suitcase full of underwear. She then spent every day of the conference shopping for a new outfit.

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In this lesson, you are going to watch segments of Arrington's TED Talk. Use the information about her above to answer the questions.

Part 1

A personal treasure hunt

Previewing

A. Scan the following excerpt from Arrington's TED Talk. How does Arrington describe herself in her secondhand clothes? Underline the answer.

“Secondhand shopping allows me to reduce the impact my wardrobe has on the environment and on my wallet. I get to meet all kinds of great people; my dollars usually go to a good cause; I look pretty unique; and it makes shopping like my own personal treasure hunt.”

​Getting the main ideas

Watch the first segment of Arrington's TED Talk.

What is the purpose of this segment of her talk?

Choose the two best statements.

Multiple Choice

a. To show what's in her suitcase

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

b. To describe how she shops for clothes

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

c. To explain that she loves clothes

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

d. To point out that she is poor

• Yes

• No

Understanding details

How does Jessi Arrington decide what clothes to buy?

Check the questions she asks when she is shopping.

Multiple Choice

1. Does it fit me?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

2. Is it a designer brand?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

3. Do I need it?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

4. Do I like the color?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

5. Is the price less than $20?

• Yes

• No

​Part 2 A week of outfits

Understanding key details

Read these statements describing what Arrington learned during her "wearing nothing new." Work with a partner to guess what the missing word is for each sentence. Then check your ideas as you watch this segment of her TED Talk.

​Recognizing the speaker POV

Read the excerpt from Jessi Arrington's TED Talk, and answer the questions on the next page.

​“Confidence is key. If you think you look good in something, you almost certainly do. And if you don't think you look good in something, you're also probably right. [...] If you believe you're a beautiful person inside and out, there is no look that you can't pull off. So there is no excuse for any of us here in this audience.”

​

Multiple Choice

1. Which statement best matches Arrington's opinion about dressing confidently?

• We should all dress in an unusual way.

• We should all believe that we are beautiful.

• We should make sure we look good in our clothes.

“Dressing for the job you want rather than the job you have can give you a day full of confidence.”

B. Jessica Quirk

“Fitting in is way overrated. Just be who you are. If you are surrounding yourself with the right people, they will not only get it, they will appreciate it.”

A. Jessi Arrington

​Comparing message

Read the quotes below from this unit. Then answer the questions.

​1. Match the summary sentences below to quotes A and B.

Multiple Choice

1. It is important to dress in a way that helps you work well.

• A. Jessi Arrington

• B. Jessica Quirk

Multiple Choice

2. It is important to dress in a way that shows your personality and style.

• A. Jessi Arrington

• B. Jessica Quirk