As I walk through Anarkali bazar, I notice cups of fabric in nudes and various shades of pink hanging proudly against metal cage walls. Adorned in between are strips of lacy reds and whites that peek through, teasing the eyes.
Standing even more proudly with them, are the salesmen telling me about their latest styles and analyzing my figure and then attempting to shoot some sizes my way.
Lingerie shopping in Pakistan can be a daunting experience.
Awkward.
The malls are a little better, but just as unsettling. I once walked into a store that had black poster papers stuck up on their glass windows, as if they had items from the black market that only a very select few people could see. The only way I knew that it was a lingerie store was by the little sliver of a mannequin and blue silk around its hips.
Classy.
When I had stepped in, a small figure appeared.
He was a lanky young man with greasily parted hair and a silver chain around his wrist.
“Madam aap batayen, size batayen“, he said, “sexy chahiye, plain chahiye?”
I felt so uncomfortable, I just walked right out of there.
Shopping for your first bra with your mother is equally as humiliating as it is exciting, it’s a rite of passage.
As you grow older, your tastes change and you might want to treat yourself to something special. It could be for the kind of dress you’re wearing, to surprise your partner or just to feel confident in your own skin.
But how do you go about that in a place like Pakistan?
Here’s a list of stores that offer online shopping and/or female employees:
Pretty Little Things
NIGHTYnight
Bays
Hebe
Al Fatah
Mark’s and Victoria’s
Daraz
Triumph
Amanté
Happy shopping 😉
Cover image via: nytimes.com