Appearance is a sensitive topic, but handled well, it opens up great conversations about fashion, first impressions, and how we present ourselves. These questions let students discuss everything from clothing choices to cultural standards of beauty without getting too personal.
Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.
Beginner (A1-A2)
- What is the first thing you notice about a person? Why does that stand out to you?
- Is there a part of your appearance that you are very proud of? What is it and why?
- What is the most interesting haircut you have seen?
- How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? What takes the most time?
- What colors do you think look best on you? Why those colors?
- What hairstyle have you always wanted to try? What is stopping you?
- How often do you go shopping for new clothes? Where do you usually go?
- What accessories like jewelry or scarves do you enjoy wearing? Why do you like them?
- Do you have any favorite shops or brands for clothes, makeup, etc? What do you like about them?
- What do you usually wear on a normal day? How is that different from what you wear to something special?
- Who in your family cares the most about their appearance? What do they do?
- What do you think looks good on you? (Jeans, dresses, suits, t-shirts, etc.)
- Do you wear different clothes at home than when you go out? What do you change?
- Do you like wearing hats or caps? When do you wear them?
- What is the worst haircut you have ever gotten?
- Have you ever bought something just because it looked good on someone else? What was it?
- What do people in your country usually wear to a wedding? How about a funeral?
- What do kids in your country usually wear to school? Is there a uniform?
Elementary (A2)
- Have you ever gone through the entire day without noticing something was wrong with your appearance? What happened?
- What kinds of things do you do to improve/maintain your appearance?
- Have you ever been intimidated by someone’s appearance? What was it about them?
- Do people in your country talk a lot about other people’s appearance? What kinds of things do they say?
- What fashion trends are popular right now in your country?
- How would you describe your personal style?
- How has your style changed over the years?
- Do you do anything special to care for your skin or hair? What do you do?
- What do you find most attractive or appealing in another person’s appearance?
- What is the most unusual outfit you have ever seen someone wear? What made it stand out?
- What kind of shoes do you wear the most? Why?
- Do you prefer long hair or short hair? What’s good about each?
- What do you wear when you exercise or play sports? Why do you wear that?
- Do you spend more money on clothes or on shoes? Why?
- What is the most comfortable thing you own? Why do you like it so much?
- What kinds of clothing do you never wear? Why?
- How do you decide what to wear each day?
- Do you prefer to dress differently on weekends or do you dress the same every day? Why?
- Have you ever tried to copy a celebrity’s look or style? How did it go?
- What confuses people from other countries about fashion in your country?
Intermediate (B1)
- What do the clothes someone wears say about that person?
- Are there any fashion trends in the past you followed but think are silly looking now?
- Is it rude to tell someone that they need to improve their appearance? Why or why not?
- How important is fashion and style to you? Why?
- Is following fashion trends important to a person’s success? Why do you think so?
- Do you prefer wearing bright colors or neutral colors? Why?
- Do you feel pressure to dress a certain way? Where does this pressure come from?
- Do you prefer dressing casually or dressing up? When do you do each?
- How important is exercise and fitness to your appearance? Why?
- How much does brand name or cost factor into your clothing choices?
- What advice would you give someone who wants to improve their appearance?
- Should people try to look younger than they are? Why or why not?
- Do you think first impressions based on appearance are usually accurate? Why or why not?
- Should schools have dress codes? Why or why not?
- How do you feel about cosmetic surgery or procedures to change appearance? Why do you feel that way?
- If you could change one thing about beauty standards in your culture, what would it be and why?
- If you could have one celebrity’s sense of style, whose would you choose and why?
- Do you think tattoos and piercings are becoming more accepted? Is it common in your country?
- What fashion trend do you think will never come back? Why do you think so?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- How do clothing choices reflect parts of someone’s identity?
- What stylistic differences do you notice between generations?
- Do you feel social media impacts beauty standards today? How so?
- How do standards of beauty differ around the world?
- Do you think societies put too much pressure on physical appearance? Why or why not?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of cosmetic surgery? Where do you draw the line between self-improvement and going too far?
- How do appearance expectations in the workplace differ between industries? Give me some examples.
- Compare how older generations and younger generations think about tattoos and body modification. What has changed and why?
- How does the fashion industry influence what people consider attractive? How much does it affect you personally?
- In what ways do appearance expectations differ for men and women in your country? How are these expectations changing?
- What are the upsides and downsides of school uniforms for students, parents, and schools?
- How has the idea of what is considered ‘professional’ clothing changed over the past 20 years? What do you think caused those changes?
- Some countries have laws about what people can and cannot wear in public. What are the arguments for and against these laws?
- What role does the fashion industry play in shaping environmental sustainability? What changes are needed?
Advanced (C1)
- How do appearance-based expectations in the workplace simultaneously promote professionalism and reinforce socioeconomic inequality?
- To what extent does the global beauty industry create the very insecurities it claims to solve, and how does this cycle sustain itself across cultures?
- How do political and economic power structures influence what a society considers attractive, and who benefits most from these standards?
- What tensions exist between the body positivity movement and the growing demand for cosmetic procedures, and what does this contradiction reveal about modern attitudes toward appearance?
- How might the increasing use of filters and AI-edited photos be reshaping what people expect real human faces and bodies to look like, and what are the long-term consequences for mental health and self-perception?
- In what ways do traditional clothing and national dress serve as both a source of cultural pride and a tool of political control?
- How do racial and ethnic beauty standards get reinforced through media, education, and everyday social interactions, and what would it take to meaningfully change them?
- To what extent does the concept of ‘natural beauty’ itself reflect cultural constructions rather than objective reality? How do different societies define what counts as natural?
- When someone uses makeup, filters, or cosmetic surgery, at what point does ‘improving your appearance’ become ‘pretending to be someone you’re not’? Who gets to decide where that line is?
- Dress codes are meant to create order and unity, but people often push back against them to express who they are. How do appearance rules end up both controlling people and inspiring rebellion?