shopping

Shopping in Banares is a challenge and an excitement, especially for a woman. First of all, I can’t just go to a mall to find all that I need. Well actually there are a couple of malls here, IP mall and JHV. Aside from shoes they are not places I would prefer to shop for clothes as the prices are way too high! Come on people, it may seem cheap for American dollars, but as my good friend CJ told me upon my arrival here, “You have to think in rupees.”

The common dress here for women in Banares is either a Sari or Sal-war Kamiz. I prefer the Sal-war Kamiz. Check site for idea of what the fashion looks like. www.salwarkameezdesigns.com

This is the exciting and fun part of shopping here, finding different colors and patterns of fabrics and matching them together to make a sal-war suit. Most shops sell sets already put together, while a few shops have ready-made suits available. But who wants to buy a ready-made suit that most likely will not fit properly? Unless you are in a rush this is not the way to go. I enjoy going to the shops to look at fabric sets and select my favorite colors and prints. Recently I purchased 3 new sets of fabric for some new suits. Once my fabrics are purchased I then take them to my local neighborhood tailor. His set up is down a hidden dark hallway with a restaurant above him and an advocate or lawyer office directly across from him. It is literally a closet and place to sew. He has taken my measurements prior and now I just take an old suit as a pattern with the new fabrics. He has a laminated paper with different designs to choose from for the style on the neckline of the kurta. Depending on how busy he is it can be up to one day or a week to get clothes back. The tailoring of one suit costs 100 Rs. Fabric sets costs range from 200-700 Rs depending on quality, fabric, and design. I usually only spend about 350 Rs on a fabric set and add the 100 for tailoring and the total cost is 450 Rs equals about $10.25.