14 Awkward Experiences Indian Women Face While Buying A Bra
tanya arora 
In This Article
Bra shopping is hell if you live in a country that stigmatizes the most natural of things! Be it lovemaking, menstruation, birth control or, yes, lingerie. Shocked stares are bound to be shot at you the moment you mention the word ‘bra’ coupled with plenty of shy giggles from the younger girls and sly smiles from the boys. All of which actually create the perfect eye roll moment for you! And as if the outside-of-the-shop experience wasn’t bad enough, the inside one gets worse.
But hey, you! You are not alone. We understand how exasperating bra shopping can be. Which is why we’re here to lighten the situation and share 14 awkward bra shopping experiences that we all face as Indian women. Just for the laughs!
With the shop being full of men, you never know if you’re being watched. Checking if the door locks properly and if there are any hidden cameras is just part of the routine. Call it a safety measure if you will!
2. Not Having All The Fancy Options
Chances are, if you are small-chested or big-busted, you are only reduced to one type of bra choice each. The nude cottony ones for the latter half and the colorful t-shirt bras for the former. All the sexy lingerie is only reserved for the sizes in between!
3. The Stares You Get As You Step In
The moment you take the first step into the lingerie store, people around you turn to look at you as if you are entering a red-light district! Like what is so bad about renewing your lingerie stock?
4. The Location Of The Stores Itself
In India, lingerie stores are almost never found at high fashion streets or in one of those numerous serpentine lanes that seem like an entryway to a grand maze. No. They are right in the middle of the sabzi bazaar or the hawker’s street, so everyone can know what you’re up to!
5. When You Actually Step In And Ask For The B-Word
Suddenly you get tongue-tied and “bra” seems like a word that must not be spoken. And why not? The men at the sales counter are enough to evoke that kind of reaction! It’s just the same feeling a guy gets when he walks into a medical store to ask for some sort of birth control.
6. And Then Awkwardly Ask For Designs In Hushed Tones
Men do really make everything harder for women. When there’s a salesman at the counter, you know you’ll end up supremely awkward while asking for designs and varieties. You’ll only manage to mumble in embarrassed, hushed tones just what it is you want.
7. Going Through The Harsh Rigors Of Dealing With The Salesman
If only the entire bra shopping experience could end the moment you say the phrase “bra chahiye” to the shopkeeper. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. You have to deal with sleazy stares from the salesman as he asks about your size. If you only you could go invisible!
The worst moment falls upon you when you actually have to utter your size. And god forbid if your size is too small or too large. The shopkeeper certainly won’t do a great job at hiding his expressions!
9. Getting Past The Shopkeeper’s Sales Tactics
Either they’ll try to impose cheap Chinese stuff on you or branded, expensive lacy lingerie that barely offers any support. And they’ll do their best to convince you that this super soft, comfy, and stretchable bra in garish colors is actually the one you want – when you so don’t!
10. Awkwardly Answering His Post-Trial Questions
As soon as you step out of the trial room, you get flooded by tons of questions from the shopkeeper. “Madam, did it fit well?” “Madam, how does it feel?” And you’re like “I don’t know if I should discuss this with a stranger.”
11. The Padded Dilemma
Asking for a padded bra can make you hesitate like crazy. The world thinks of them as an insult, but you think of them as shields for them nips. No more embarrassing poking!
12. The Hollering For Every Variety In The Sun
Do shopkeepers really think you’re in the store to buy their entire stock? Why do they then keep yelling at their workers to bring in more variety until the stocks really run out?
13. The Totally Inappropriate Male Gaze
All across the world, bra sizes are measured using measuring tape. However, in India, they are measured by the shopkeeper’s gaze at your chest! And you can’t even do anything about it!
14. When They Put Your Purchases In A Transparent Bag
Now that you’re finally done buying, you think you’ll be spared of further embarrassment, but no! At that very moment, the shopkeeper will pack all your lingerie goodies in a transparent bag for the world to see.
Bra shopping might be a hell of an experience in India, but it’s also a funny one! Fortunately, now you can save yourself from it by shopping online in an indiscreet manner.
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