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Different strokes
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Nice-looking chappals for Rs. 125, saris for a song. A far cry from pricey branded items on offer right next door. NANDHINI SUNDAR checks out the bylanes of the posh Commercial Street and reaches some thoughtful conclusions.
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ARE YOU one of those who sashay down the fashionable Commercial Street without throwing a sideways glance at the downmarket bylanes that are its offshoots? If you're a tourist, gawk away at the sights of Commercial Street. All those clothes, accessories, carpets, jewellery, stationery, and yes, its elegantly refurbished police station too. Not to mention the handsome hunks and their women who teeter on five-inch stilettos who have made-for-each-other streaked hair.
If you have never ventured into the bylanes, then you've missed an entire, eclectic world. These bylanes are a sort of a compulsory accessory to Commercials. Without them, this fashionable destination would not have had the character it has today. On a typical weekend, it is nothing but a sea of cars, mostly the high-end models, crawling bumper-to-bumper through a sea of humanity, whose members themselves come in all sorts of models and attires.
Enter the bylanes and it is a different scene altogether. All pretences of being cool are dropped. Nobody here needs to cover their insecurity with those killer trousers or shoes. Life and commerce have changed little here. Rows and rows of unpretentious shops have their wares displayed without the help of pricey window dressers. Saris and skirts vie for attention along with plastic ropes and curtain material. Customers haggling with the already low prices complete the picture.
Here, salwar sets start at Rs. 200, while jute silk dupattas go for Rs. 125. No wonder those who sweat for their daily bread come here to buy that prized slippers that look pretty decent. You may spot a nice luggage bag priced at Rs. 425. If you're savvy, the price can be brought down dramatically to Rs. 300. It all depends on how you get yourself across. Try that pair of ladies' sandals for Rs. 125, slashed from the previously quoted figure of Rs. 200.
Think about it, just a stone's throw away, a similar pair won't come for less than Rs. 500. Of course there is a difference. You see, the latter are branded items, products with an identity, an identity that can be related to by the genteel folk. Quite different from the hoi polloi who don't need to make a statement, at least not in kind.
The bylanes of Commercial Street open up an altogether new, eclectic world, completely disconnected to what happens on the main road. -- Photos: Sampath Kumar G.P.
Sure, rows and rows of shops greet you on Commercial's too, but again with a difference. The shops and their displays by themselves, make a statement, loud and clear, vying with one another as to who is the loudest. Banners proclaiming all the top Western brands, the most expensive, the most trendy. Brands that help you find your place in the social ladder. Nike, Reebok, Peter England, Allen Solly, Levis, Samsonite, you name it, they are all there. Add to this some of the popular Indian brands such as Raymonds, Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, and Weekender, and the picture is complete.
How about getting a taste of what is in store inside these stores? Peek into one of the trendy shops selling exclusive dresses for women. A skimpy kurti-pant with garish gold and silver thread work is priced at Rs. 5,850. Why does the material weigh so much? To constantly remind its owner about the price paid for it? "The work on it makes it heavy," says the salesgirl helpfully. A sleeveless top with holes all over costs close to Rs. 1,500. And yes, it is a woman's top.
Would you like to try the varieties in the bylanes? a chic shopper, trying on those wispy sandals, is asked, since the prices are really competitive. "You mean what they are selling on the roadside? Wouldn't dream of it." Why? "Because they sell some cheap stuff." Is it because of their questionable quality? "That is also there, but the main thing is they cater to people who cannot afford something better." Amen.
Would you like to check out on what is available in the side streets? The question is put to a software engineer, who appears to have given fashion the go-by, replacing it with practicality. "Why not? I think some of them have good bargains to offer. On Commercial Street too, you can get good bargains. There are a number of shops offering good discounts."
Thirsty after the numerous trips back and forth through the lanes and bylanes, this correspondent picked up a soft drink and headed back to the lanes. The eyes fell on another thirsty individual stopping his bicycle to take a gulp from a bottle wrapped in wet cloth to keep the water cool. No costly cold drinks with colours and chemicals for him. This, indeed, is the world of difference.
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