Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Throughout history, women have worked to be equal to men. During the Victorian years, women wanted to vote and receive education like men. Around the world, women worked together in order to receive these rights. Sarah Bernhardt was a popular European actress and a strong feminist at this time. She was famous for portraying Shakespeare’s Hamlet and other roles associated with masculinity.
In fact, Sarah Bernhardt practiced cross dressing for many of her roles on the stage, and a lot of feminist fashion trends originated with her costumes. One style trend is still very popular today. However, most people do not know that this trend began with Sarah Bernhardt. The next time you wear a fedora hat, you can thank Sarah Bernhardt for beginning the evolution of its popularity.
Listen to today’s English lesson as Kelsey tells Gary about this surprising history.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Kelsey: Hey, Gary. I see you’re wearing a fedora. Do you know where that name comes from?
Gary: Yeah. To the best of my knowledge, it originates from Frank Sinatra, who made it super popular.
Kelsey: You know, I’m really sorry to tell you this, but that’s actually false.
Gary: Oh! Really?
Kelsey: It was originally named for Victorian actress Sarah Bernhardt. She was portraying a Russian princess named Fédora Romanoff while wearing the hat, and it actually became a feminist symbol of the time.
Gary: Wow! TIL… Today, I learned!
Kelsey: It’s really interesting. This Sarah Bernhardt was actually very well known for cross dressing.
Gary: That’s really amazing. I thought that the evolution of the fedora was just through Hollywood, and more and more people wore the hat and just associated it with, I guess, masculinity. And the history of that is… now that I know… all wrong. So, wow! I had no idea.
Kelsey: Yeah, I was surprised to learn as well, but it really was a major style trend for females.
Gary: That is so cool!
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Gary is wearing a very popular hat, the fedora. He thinks that the fedora became popular because Frank Sinatra often wore one of these hats. For many years, people have associated it with men and male fashion. However, Kelsey tells Gary that this history is not complete. Gary is surprised and wants to learn more.
Kelsey explains that the fedora originates from Victorian actress Sarah Bernhardt. She was a famous feminist, and when she wore this hat on stage, it began a style trend among women. They named this hat style after Bernhardt’s character, Princess Fédora Romanoff, and wore it as a feminist symbol.
Which fashion trends are popular for men and women in your country? Do men and women wear the same styles of clothing?