Thrifting through
1 July 2014 10:03 PM GMT
Sarojini Nagar has long been the preferred haunt of every broke student in the national capital on India, mostly due to its irresistible (read: ridiculously low) prices and ready availability of every kind of clothing style under the sun. Often labeled as a one stop thrift market, Sarojini has both used goods and new goods on offer - you just need to be careful.
The main appeal of Sarojini lies in the fact that it has a great many stalls where one can pick up export surplus clothes at much more student-friendly prices than at the mall. The fact that a day at Sarojini Nagar is far less comfortable than a day at an air-conditioned mall is hardly relevant when it comes to the truly dedicated shopper.
The market is an absolutely delightful place if you want to shop for jewellery, crop tops, dresses (especially maxis, which are all the rage this season) and the occasional pair of palazzos. You will find almost nothing that will exceed Rs.1000, particularly if you are astute at bargaining.
A quick guide to making your shopping easier:
DO:
Wear sunscreen!
Bargain.
Carry your own large bag, unless you want to be inundated with smaller plastic packets every time you buy something.
Stay away from the weird guys offering you single packets of kajal or sunglasses- it’s all fake.
DON’T:
Buy earrings if your skin is sensitive/ unused to metals others than silver or gold
Be bullied into paying more than you think is appropriate.
Pick up jeans or shorts that have even a slight tinge of dirt to them- they’re probably used goods.
There are a few shops in particular where the quality of clothes will be much better than in the rest of the market, but it is impossible to put down their location in precise words since they have no definite addresses. It shouldn’t, however, be too difficult for the seasoned shopper to gauge the difference between the beautiful and the damned, so chances are that you yourself will end up in the right kind of places either way! Gear up and get shopping.
The main appeal of Sarojini lies in the fact that it has a great many stalls where one can pick up export surplus clothes at much more student-friendly prices than at the mall. The fact that a day at Sarojini Nagar is far less comfortable than a day at an air-conditioned mall is hardly relevant when it comes to the truly dedicated shopper.
The market is an absolutely delightful place if you want to shop for jewellery, crop tops, dresses (especially maxis, which are all the rage this season) and the occasional pair of palazzos. You will find almost nothing that will exceed Rs.1000, particularly if you are astute at bargaining.
A quick guide to making your shopping easier:
DO:
Wear sunscreen!
Bargain.
Carry your own large bag, unless you want to be inundated with smaller plastic packets every time you buy something.
Stay away from the weird guys offering you single packets of kajal or sunglasses- it’s all fake.
DON’T:
Buy earrings if your skin is sensitive/ unused to metals others than silver or gold
Be bullied into paying more than you think is appropriate.
Pick up jeans or shorts that have even a slight tinge of dirt to them- they’re probably used goods.
There are a few shops in particular where the quality of clothes will be much better than in the rest of the market, but it is impossible to put down their location in precise words since they have no definite addresses. It shouldn’t, however, be too difficult for the seasoned shopper to gauge the difference between the beautiful and the damned, so chances are that you yourself will end up in the right kind of places either way! Gear up and get shopping.
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