Since I have suddenly started frequenting Sarojini Nagar once again, I thought of doing a post on how I try to get the most out of it. As I have mentioned BEFORE I really don`t remember why I actually STOPPED visiting that place. Its the desi version of a Forever 21 or Zara actually. Cos they have all the latest styles for as cheap as you can bargain!
Also I have observed that they have copies of the latest trend faster than they used to. And now that I have discovered proper shoe shops that are doing the same thing i.e selling on trend things, I dont think I am going to make the mistake of forgetting about Sarojini again!
I am just going to quickly explain how Sarojini Nagar works for the uninitiated! I think it`s safe to say that we all know that major clothing stores (high street ones) from H&M to Zara to Marks&Spencers to stores like NIKE outsource their products to the third world countries such as India, Bangladesh etc to make their products. This works out ridiculously cheap for these clothing giants as labor laws are very poor in these countries and minimum wage is disgustingly low. You want to know how RIDICULOUSLY cheap it is for these stores? Having visited a factory that churns out clothes for Marks and Spencers last summer I got a first hand experience. One top (t-shirt/camisole/ganji) costs MAX 70 rupees. And Marks and Spencers sells it at about 9 POUNDS.. So i`ll let you calculate the profit!
If these pieces, in anyway do not correspond to the design sheets that are handed out, they are rejected. These mistakes wont really matter,because they are minor for us, but major for companies that want ALL the pieces to look EXACTLY the same, and in a CERTAIN way. If there is even the slightest discrepancy they say no to it.
Now I am not really sure what the procedure for these rejects officially are, but I have heard some companies instruct the factories to burn them or discard them in such a way that they dont fall in the hands of the wrong people (i.e the Sarojini seller types)
The things being sold here are also surplus stuff, or maybe stuff that got left behind when it was being exported or came in too late.
Of course it being India, everyone is looking for a profit and to make easy money, so what if it is somewhat illegal.
From what I`ve heard from the grapevine (and it`s a REALLY strong grapevine) people buy these rejects on the basis of WEIGHT not the amount of pieces. That is how these sellers in places like janpath and sarojini make a profit, and we get a good bargain simultaneously. You may come across pieces where the tag is cut off and you can only see the edge of it. Thats done so that the factory cannot be traced back to.
Sarojini Nagar has something called 'fashion street' and a sprawling vegetable market. I hope you know which one we`re focusing on : )
So after that introduction, here`s how I like to shop at Sarojini so that I reap its full benefits! :)
- First of all, before leaving the house, carry an extra bag, apart from you usual handbag. I carry a jhola. When you are buying stuff from the open air shops, they will give you stuff in small not-so-sturdy bags. And assuming you are on a serious shopping spree you will collect these plastic bags quite fast.And so will the rest of the crowd around you. If you put everything you buy in one bag, which is YOURS, there is a lesser chance of you actually losing or misplacing one of the little bags or leaving it at some shop. Also it`s GREEN :)
- If you`ve been to Sarojini before you know it`s a downright maze. You can get lost pretty easily. That`s why I always start from the same spot, every time. This way I some what know my route and remember which shops I have liked previously and know where they are.
- Go in the daylight. You will see the true colours of the clothes. The market is not very nicely lit in the dark, and it`s not the same. Despite the crowd there, I somehow still don`t think its quite safe to go there when it`s dark. It has numerous alleys. So yeah. Daylight=Good
- Going there in the daytime has its downside though. Specially in these summer months the afternoon sun is crazy. But to tell you the truth,that has never stopped me. But just to be safe from getting that unwanted tan or the heatstroke, carry a hat or cover your head with a stole.
My mother is the one wearing a damlation over her head. Upon seeing my Masi, and remembering that she forgot to get something to save herself from DILLI KI GARMI she quickly bought the dalmation for Rs.50
- If you are looking for something particular, always look everywhere for the best deal. Its happened to me so many times that I have bought something from one stall, I walk a bit further and I might find the same thing at a lesser price or maybe the second stall has more variety! If you are going to the shoe shops then definitely check out all of them before settling on something, as you can`t bargain in these ones and you should look for the best price!
- Ask the guy for Every colour he might have. This way you can have variety. As I mentioned above, the pieces being sold here are rejected ones. So there might be a problem in sizing. Always measure the sizes that the guy might show you, first against each of the other pieces then against yourself. I have bought t-shirts, that fit me like a glove but their tags says LARGE. So maybe thats why they get rejected. So ALWAYS CHECK SIZE. Don`t go by the tag.
- While you are checking for things, ALWAYS ALWAYS check for tears, loose buttons, missing buttons and stains. These clothes are transfered from one place to another in big bundles and are bound to get damaged. If a button is loose, you can probably buy it and get it fixed. But say no to ugly and big cuts and stains. It will be your call actually, whether its worth repairing or not. I have bought stuff like skirts and dresses which are slightly bigger and gotten them altered. But I stay clear of clothes that are cut, if you want to buy despite a cut, show it to the guy and ask for a discount immediately!
- Keep the fact that these clothes have been transported in really bad conditions. And have been stored in the dust and god knows how many people have touched them. WASH BEFORE WEARING!
- When I saw the Pink-Coral dress i wore for my conti, even though it was lust at first site, I wasnt sure I would ever wear it, and nor was my mother. My mother said"Idunno if you`d ever wear it, whats the point" I agreed and walked away. The guy fell for the truth and halved his price! So my mother yesterday used this again, this time as a bargaining trick and I bought another dress for 150/- HA!
- And in this heat remember to
HYDRATE!!
but carry a bottle of water if you don`t think these things are safe :)
or have some deliciously pink cotton candy!!
I want those bow flats on the right! But for the winter!
I have saved the best for last. I have fallen in love.
With these beauties..!
I found these in the first shoe shop (no, thats not the name, I always forget to see the name, its not KINS nor is it Soft&Sleek, although these two have nice platform pumps as well)
They were for Rs.2095! And ohmygod they were so damn comfortable.
Alas! I did not buy them. What would I do with them? Where would I wear them? I AM 5 freaking 8 feet tall. After slipping these on, I was towering above everyone, and it`s safe to say the shop didn`t need a security camera anymore. I had a 'birds-eye-view'. I was a giraffe. I could go on...
Anyway, I`AM in love. I am going to have dreams about these. Their sheer velvety-ness. Their comfort.
:(
Please head on out and try them out. For my sake!
I think I won`t rest until I buy them! But I cant torture them, just kept in my room gathering dust. WhatToDo!?
Dilli Ki Garmi, the dlf parking building coming up in the left and the pretty clouds :)
There is a documentary I think the BBC made on these third world countries and the factories and how these clothing giants exploit them. I dont remember the name nor do I remember if it was in India. Or maybe it was in Mumbai? Not sure.
But the factory I went to, was in the NCR and it was very clean and had no child labour. Marks and Spencers have extremely strict guidelines and rules. If anything goes wrong, its their name and reputation that is on the line.
(I am saying this by my PURE experience, I am in NO way associated with Marks and Spencers, haha I WISH I WERE though!!)
Also at least I think that with the growing awareness and the growth of the medias influence, there would be very few clothing companies that would be indulging in these illegal ways, knowingly.
An interesting fact? Bangladesh is fast becoming the place for these clothing stores to go to for its cheaper than INDIA rates and much much worse labor laws.
I really hope I didn`t bore you.
If I did please feel free to tell me!
Check it out, its ridonculously TRUE
