The Horror that is Bra Shopping in Kerala
If you are a person who wears bra, has an idea about the concept of cup sizes and has atleast once tried bra shopping in any textile store in Kerala, you will know what I am talking about.
You know the drill. You go to any textile store and ask for a bra. It's a piece of clothing, how hard can it be to get a proper one? True, if you have no idea as to what your actual cup size is, you can go home with whatever the sales person tries to show you. But goodness forbid if you specify your required cup size, well there starts the trouble.
The salesperson first gives you a look as though you just suggested something direly inappropriate. The next step is usually an awkward pause proceeded by the statement "We don't have anything in cup sizes other than A". If you are a bit fortunate they might have something in B. This is the point where you make a "meh" face, say thank you anyway and walk out. If the Gods are in your favour, the store might just have the sizes you want but in the most basic of styles. The "round stitch", or that which should ideally be called cones because that is what your breasts will look like once you put them on, will probably be the only style they have. And why is it that most of these shops will have just those one or two brands? (Angelform, I am looking at you!)
Yesterday I went to two textile stores in the hopes of buying a bra and given my previous experiences, I should have known better than to expect I would find a proper fitting one. I went with my Mom and mothers are the worst partners you can bring for bra shopping to make the experience all the more weird. You know how the talk will go. "Oh for God's sake, just take 36 A if they don't have 34 C!" Umm, sorry Mom, that's not how it works.
I don't understand how it is that all these stores in the state just assume that women come only in two cup sizes. "They keep for sale only what is in demand", my Mom pointed out. That shocks me. How is it that all these generations of women here merely bought whatever the shops had without ever worrying about the fit? By 'whatever the shops had', I mean only one thing- "round stitch" or cones in one standard cup size available in three most basic colours- black, white and beige. Yes, buy that or don't wear bras. Nobody cares.
I cannot help but wonder if all these women in Kerala were not at all bothered by the lack of coverage, boob spillage and just the plain hideousness that sometimes comes with the wrong bras. Screw the proletariat revolution. A bra size revolution is what we need!
P.S- If I had 10 Rupees for every time a salesperson told me they had nothing in cup sizes other than A, I would actually have enough money to buy the expensive ones online. Thank you, lingerie departments of textile stores, for nothing!
You know the drill. You go to any textile store and ask for a bra. It's a piece of clothing, how hard can it be to get a proper one? True, if you have no idea as to what your actual cup size is, you can go home with whatever the sales person tries to show you. But goodness forbid if you specify your required cup size, well there starts the trouble.
The salesperson first gives you a look as though you just suggested something direly inappropriate. The next step is usually an awkward pause proceeded by the statement "We don't have anything in cup sizes other than A". If you are a bit fortunate they might have something in B. This is the point where you make a "meh" face, say thank you anyway and walk out. If the Gods are in your favour, the store might just have the sizes you want but in the most basic of styles. The "round stitch", or that which should ideally be called cones because that is what your breasts will look like once you put them on, will probably be the only style they have. And why is it that most of these shops will have just those one or two brands? (Angelform, I am looking at you!)
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| The face your salesperson makes when you tell them your cup size. |
Yesterday I went to two textile stores in the hopes of buying a bra and given my previous experiences, I should have known better than to expect I would find a proper fitting one. I went with my Mom and mothers are the worst partners you can bring for bra shopping to make the experience all the more weird. You know how the talk will go. "Oh for God's sake, just take 36 A if they don't have 34 C!" Umm, sorry Mom, that's not how it works.
I don't understand how it is that all these stores in the state just assume that women come only in two cup sizes. "They keep for sale only what is in demand", my Mom pointed out. That shocks me. How is it that all these generations of women here merely bought whatever the shops had without ever worrying about the fit? By 'whatever the shops had', I mean only one thing- "round stitch" or cones in one standard cup size available in three most basic colours- black, white and beige. Yes, buy that or don't wear bras. Nobody cares.
I cannot help but wonder if all these women in Kerala were not at all bothered by the lack of coverage, boob spillage and just the plain hideousness that sometimes comes with the wrong bras. Screw the proletariat revolution. A bra size revolution is what we need!
P.S- If I had 10 Rupees for every time a salesperson told me they had nothing in cup sizes other than A, I would actually have enough money to buy the expensive ones online. Thank you, lingerie departments of textile stores, for nothing!
Online shopping to the rescue... I stopped buying it at the stores long back...since the time a sales lady directly looked there and said I think you should take the B cup.. wy do you need a C? :-|
ReplyDeleteI hear you, sister!
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