We all love our trips to the mall, but shelling out three crisp thousand-rupee notes for a single outfit, no matter how covetable, pinches at the end of the month. Fortunately for us, we happen to live in a city where sartorial nirvana needn’t come with a hefty price tag; enter Sarojini Nagar.
Here are some tips for the noob shopper.
Always begin from the same place
Also, keep note of the landmark {be it the hoardings or the fruit-juicewalla- make a mental note!} so that you may return there.
Strictly avoid weekends
Sarojini is at its calmest in the early hours of the working day {the best time to visit being between 12pm - 4pm} when the fervent hawking and hustling has not yet gathered full momentum, and getting elbowed and shoved isn’t necessarily on the cards.
Always carry a spacious jhola
The flimsy polythene bags in which they wrap the clothes becomes extremely inconvenient to handle if you make lots of purchases, and also tend to tear apart rather quickly.
Never trust the size tags
While many of the pieces come with their original labels intact, they are never an accurate indication of the S, M, L or XL sizes inscribed on them. The only way to ascertain size is to hold two pieces against each other and then against yourself. If the size still eludes you, the option of a quick fix at the darzee is always there.
Examine the garment carefully before purchasing
While a missing button or two, or a seam askew are common occurrences and easily fixable, watch out for cuts, stains, tears and holes. Always point out the defect {whether minimal or obvious} to the shopkeeper and use it to extricate an additional discount.
Bargain!
If played properly, 500s, 350s and 250s quoted by the profiteering shopkeeper can all be brought down to a neatly rounded 150! Always keep up that blasé front while bargaining. Keep in mind the standard rule of shopping at Sarojini: Never pay more than Rs 250 for any basic garment.
Now that you’ve gotten your jhola slung for some serious lifting, your elbows poised to ward off any waywardness, your 100-rupee notes crisp and at the ready for some quick changing of hands, then on to the good part!
{with inputs from Iva Dixit}
Feature image courtesy: the daily jules
